On this week's show, we listen to and read responses from this week's " Question Of The Week !" This week's question was: "What's the best advice you've received in your career and how did that change your life?" We got a bunch of great responses so thanks so much to everyone who participated! If you don't hear your response on the show today, be on the lookout for your words of wisdom to show up on our IG page @modern_electrician as well as on our website www.modernelectricianpod.com . Be on th...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 56
In this week's episode, we sit down with Luke Sheetz of Edwards Electrical & Mechanical out of Indianapolis Indiana to discuss how approaching your work with enthusiasm and gratitude can lead to a fulfilling career. Luke is an electrician by trade who has worked for the same company for over a decade and a half. He has grown in the industry from an electrical apprentice to a team leader and a teacher in large part due to his love for what he does and his desire to share that passion. We can ...
Aug 08, 2022•56 min•Ep. 55
In this episode, we sit down to chat life in the electrical industry through the eyes of Brian Hogan, a 28-year-old newly (Class A) licensed electrician in the Albany, NY area. Brian and I first met on Instagram a few years back. He always made me laugh and I enjoyed the content that he created. Lately, Brian has been on the move, from the west coast to his new home in Albany attempting to find the right electrical opportunity for himself. This conversation reminds me that its important for us t...
Aug 01, 2022•55 min•Ep. 54
Hey everyone, Welcome back to the show! One of the most challenging elements of the work we do as tradespeople is trying to remain inspired by our daily routines. Its easy to be excited about something when you're first starting, but what happens when you're a few years in and the day to day begins to wear on you? How do you stay engaged and continue to challenge yourself every day? In today's conversation with Marty Humerickhouse of Unity Electric in Southern California, we discuss just that. M...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 53
Have you ever considered starting your own company? Its a real opportunity that those of us with a skilled trade or craft get to consider as we navigate the paths of our careers. Even though, statistically speaking, the majority of us don't go out on our own, we've at least considered what our company might look like. Some of us imagine ourselves leading a team, trucks with our logos on them, wait trucks... how many trucks are we talking...? How much money is this gonna cost...!? you get the ide...
Jul 11, 2022•57 min•Ep. 52
The conversation for this week's episode was recorded about one week after Doug's first attempt at the Maryland Master Electricians Exam. In this conversation, we recap everything that Doug experienced during his first time through the exam and discuss strategies for the retake. Doug ended up passing the Masters Exam on his second try, just a few short weeks after we recorded this conversation. We are releasing this episode to help anyone who is getting ready to take a licensing exam or anyone w...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 51
In this week's episode, we discuss the challenges and tactics of managing a client's expectations throughout a project. Whether keeping your client informed of the timeline or helping them to understand why certain procedures might be necessary, it is our role, as the contractor to help them navigate the project from start to finish. These are the conversations that Josh and I consistently have to ensure that we're providing our client's with the best service possible. Enjoy. We'd like to hear y...
Jun 27, 2022•54 min•Ep. 50
In this week's episode, we sit down with our apprentice at Lumen Brothers Electric Company, Young Daniel, to ask him why he chose hanging out with 2 old dudes over partying in college. Daniel reached out to us last fall to inquire about an apprenticeship. While we weren't necessarily considering hiring anyone, we couldn't help but be intrigued that someone his age would be interested in the electrical trade, so we gave him a chance. He fit right in and the rest is history. Recently, we asked him...
Jun 20, 2022•59 min•Ep. 49
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Alix from Southwest Electric. Alix is the Senior Production Manager for this West-Coast-based, industrial electrical company. In this episode, we discuss how Alix made his way into the electrical industry, why Southwest focuses on the Industrial sphere of electrical work and how Southwest puts their employees first as they determine how to grow into the future. Alix is a good example of how hard work and consistency can pay off for someone pursuing a care...
Jun 13, 2022•57 min•Ep. 48
WELCOME BAAAAAACK!!! We're so happy to be back and so happy to have you back as our guest as we venture into new territory here on the Modern Electrician Podcast! The show is back after a brief hiatus following the completion of Doug's Master Electricians exam here in the beautiful state of Maryland. As we pick back up were adding a few new members to the cast. The first is Josh Wright. Josh is a Master Electrician, co-owner of Lumen Brothers Electric Company and your new co-host for the show. I...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 47
This past week, I took the Maryland Master Electrician's Exam for the second time. Because of how challenging the test is and how many people have reached out since the exam to ask me for tips on study materials, I wanted to create a short Podcast episode to recount some of the lessons I learned throughout this process. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about taking the Journeyman's or Masters Exam. I'd be happy to point you in the right direction as best I can. Enjoy...
Apr 19, 2022•22 min•Ep. 46
Hey what’s up everyone? Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! So happy to have you back. Today I am doing a brief check-in to discuss the topic of soft skills, in particular the skill of communication. What are soft skills you ask? Soft skills are character traits such as adaptability, empathy, creativity and communication. Check out www.resumegenius.com for a complete list of soft skills. In this brief episode, I discuss the importance of soft skills in any form of work and how you ma...
Mar 29, 2022•10 min•Ep. 45
This might sound silly but I was really inspired by a character from the movie The Sandlot this weekend. I wanted to share that inspiration with you all this morning.
Mar 28, 2022•9 min•Ep. 44
We talk about this topic a lot on this show but we do that because I think it's such an important part of living a fulfilled life, and that topic is "Following your passion." So many of us start out our lives imagining what we might be when we grow up. We fantasize about being astronauts and Super Heroes who change the shape of humanity or save the world from impending doom. But as we grow older and we settle into the reality that is adult life, so many times, we choose the "safe bet" in regards...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 43
Hey there everyone, and welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! This week, I sit down with a 3rd year apprentice out of Ontario named Tatiyana. You can find her story on Instagram @apprenticetatiy. Go check her out and show her some support! In this conversation, we discuss Tatiyana's path through the first 3 years of her electrical apprenticeship. She shares her experiences as a young woman entering a male-dominated field and the passion she has for personal growth and improvement. I th...
Feb 21, 2022•55 min•Ep. 42
Hey there everyone! Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! Im happy that you're here and that you continue to return to listen to these conversations. Today, I sit down with Eric Andrade. Eric is a 17 year veteran of the electrical trade, a second generation electrician and a second generation Mexican-American living in NYC. Eric has navigated his way through the electrical trade and now finds himself the owner and operator of his own company JE Electrical Maintenance. Eric's path, like...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 41
Hey there everyone! Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! In today's episode, I sit down with Frederick, Maryland-based artisan, craftsman and maker of many things, Erin Aylor. Erin has led an interesting life that's been guided by his ambitions and furthered by his passion for working with his hands. Erin has lived on his family homestead for over 20 years now where he has established a name for himself as one of Frederick's premiere artisans. His path has led him through many interes...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 40
Welcome back everyone! In this week's episode I sit down with my friend Than Halstead (you can find him on IG @thantastical) to discuss the concept of balance. For those of you out there with more ambition than you have time, this one's for you. It can be challenging sometimes to balance everything that we've got going on in our lives. Family, career, passions, education, etc... sometimes it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day. While neither Than or myself are any sort of expert on t...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 39
Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! This week, I sit down with the one and only Foxtrot (@foxtrots.sparks.notes) to discuss leadership, apprentices, Tesla, numerology, Omega Theory and a few other topics. This is Foxtrot's second time on the podcast and we love having him on! Enjoy the show! Check out Foxtrot here: IG: @foxtrots.sparks.notes Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FoxtrotsSparkNotes
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 38
Leadership is an interesting thing to discuss at this present time in history, in my opinion. We currently live in a world where integrity, loyalty and self-sacrifice are not always values that our leaders exemplify. If you look around, its not hard to see examples of poor leadership from people in positions of authority across the world. But if you look just beneath the surface, you'll realize that the world is filled with inspiring, hard-working, compassionate people in leadership positions wh...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 37
Hey there everyone and welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! This week's conversation is all about raising awareness for the current lack of young people choosing the trades as their career field. Here are some statistics from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics: **These stats were found on www.multivu.com** "For every 3 tradesmen who retire in America, there's only 1 trained person to fill his or her work boots." "More than 1/3 of tradespeople are over the age of 50 with the average ag...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 37
Hey everyone! In this week's episode, I sit down with Kyle Winders to talk about life in the electrical trade and choosing good habits over bad habits. Kyle is a journeyman electrician in the greater Memphis area. He works for a small, family-owned electrical company, he's a family man and someone who is constantly in the pursuit of self-improvement. I first met Kyle on Instagram where we have followed and encouraged one-another for a few years now. I've noticed that lately, Kyle has really put ...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 36
Welcome to Episode 13 of the Modern Electrician Podcast. We've got a good one for your tonight. If you're an electrician, there's a good chance that most of the stuff you know comes from this guy's books. Mike Holt is an industry leader and tonight he took the time out of his very busy schedule to join me on my podcast to talk about his life and his philosophies. Be sure to check him out at https://www.mikeholt.com/. Check out his IG page @mikeholtenterprises. Hope you enjoy this episode as much...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 13
Michael Stellmann is an NYC electrician through and through. His accent gives it away right off the bat but it's his personality and his positive attitude that really impressed me. Mike is the owner / operator of Stellmann Electrical Corp., a small to medium sized electrical company based in Whitestone, NY. He's been in business for nearly a decade, but it's his lifetime of experience that has sculpted him into the person he is today. And while the hustle and bustle of a place like New York City...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 12
Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! I'm super excited to share today's conversation with you all! In this episode, I sit down with ecologist, permaculture expert and long-time friend, Michael Judd. Michael is a wealth of knowledge on food systems, author of multiple books on edible landscape design and a resident of my beautiful town of Frederick, MD. During this chat, we cover a lot of topics relating to the current world-wide food system, including perennial gardening VS annual gar...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 35
Hey everyone and welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! I'm really excited to share today's conversation with you!! Today, I sit down with Sean Dee, owner / operator of Unity Electric, a boutique electrical company located between LA and San Fransisco. We talk gratitude, lighting design ideas and letting lifestyle guide your hand as a business-owner. We also delve into faith and religion toward the latter half of the episode. Sean is a Christian and offers his perspectives on how a syst...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 34
Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! It's Thanksgiving week! This is one of my all-time favorite weeks and favorite holidays! In today's conversation, we delve back into the territory of tradespeople being the keepers of ancient traditions. But, unlike my brief discussion of a local blacksmith forging ahead to keep his tradition's ancient techniques alive, today's guest is bringing an age-old tradition into the future using new technology. Surveying and map-m...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 33
Hey there everyone! Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! In this episode, I tell a story of one of the worst jobs Ive ever applied for and I ask you to tell me: "Whats the worst job you've ever had?" I bring this topic up because, for one, I love a good 'terrible job' story and secondly because we're getting close to the Thanksgiving season and I always like to spend time during the month of November thinking about everything I'm grateful for. Gratitude is a helpful tool for navigatin...
Nov 15, 2021•53 min•Ep. 32
Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! In this episode, I do my best to rethink the concept of retirement and we roll out our first installment of our new segment: Coffee and Code! More interviews to come! Thanks for tuning in! Don't forget to check out our videos at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnaJWV2QLYRnsIsaXcCK-Dw Have a great week everyone! Stay focused and do good work!
Nov 08, 2021•32 min•Ep. 31
Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Modern Electrician Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Tom Howard, the VP of Customer Experience with Service Titan, to discuss their inevitable takeover of online business management throughout the trades. Now, I recorded this conversation about a year ago in the midst of COVID insanity. Shortly following this interview, I put the podcast on the shelf for a while to focus on other aspects of business. Now that we're back, I wanted to share this inform...
Nov 04, 2021•45 min•Ep. 30
