Ever wondered if marketing your blue-collar business is worth the investment? In this candid solo episode, Sy Kirby pulls back the curtain on how creating the Blue Collar Business Podcast transformed his excavation company in ways he never anticipated.
Nine years into running SyCon Excavation, Sy found himself facing the same challenges many trades entrepreneurs encounter: how to grow without simply adding more equipment, more employees, and more headaches. His journey from reluctant content creator to passionate advocate for trades marketing offers a blueprint for contractors looking to elevate their business visibility.
The path wasn't smooth—from filming YouTube videos at 3 AM after long workdays to questioning whether he had the credibility to share his experiences. Sy reveals the pivotal conversation with a marketing expert who told him, "The time to market is when you have no money," advice that changed his perspective entirely. That wisdom proves especially relevant in today's economic climate as contractors recover from years of hyperinflation and market volatility.
What makes this episode particularly valuable is Sy's transparency about both the business impact and the personal growth that came from stepping outside his comfort zone. He addresses the pride issues that often prevent blue collar entrepreneurs from seeking help or admitting what they don't know. "What if I never did any of this?" he reflects. "There's people out there struggling especially since COVID...what we've had to deal with as entrepreneurs in the last four to five years is mortifying to think about."
Whether you're contemplating starting your own content marketing journey or simply looking for ways to make your trades business stand out, this episode provides honest insights from someone who's walked the path. Want to see how Sy and other successful contractors are navigating today's challenges? Subscribe to the Blue Collar Business Podcast and join a community that's redefining what success looks like in the trades.
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More About this Episode
From Excavator to Educator: Why I Started the Blue Collar Business Podcast (And Why You Should Consider Doing the Same)
When my wife Sara and I started our excavation business nearly a decade ago, I had no clue what I was walking into. Zero idea. Like a lot of folks in the skilled trades, I learned everything the hard way - through trial, error, and burning way too much money making the same mistakes over and over again.
But something kept nagging at me. I couldn’t find a real resource for people like us - people out there busting our backs to build something from nothing, trying to grow businesses while figuring out finances, operations, people management, and everything else that comes with it.
That’s when I got the idea for a podcast - not because I wanted to be a voice, but because I couldn’t find one that spoke our language.
The Garage Days: Starting with Nothing but Grit
I still remember it clear as day. We were sitting at home, snow coming down outside, and I said to Sara, “What if we built a marketing campaign that not only brought in work, but showed people what we really do out here in the field?”
That’s when I picked up my phone and started filming in the garage. No fancy gear, no clue what I was doing - just raw, real footage of our daily grind. What started as YouTube content quickly became a routine. I told myself I’d do two videos a month. Then four. Then one a week. And before I knew it, I was staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. editing videos after a full day of being a husband, dad, and business owner.
But I knew I needed help.
From One Viral Video to a Bigger Vision
After grinding for months, something wild happened. One of our ConExpo shorts blew up - 7 million views, over 14 million impressions, 100,000+ likes. That was a wake-up call.
Suddenly, the channel wasn’t just a side hustle. We were gaining subscribers by the hundreds, even thousands. And I started to ask myself: “Could this content actually help other blue-collar entrepreneurs the way I wish something had helped me years ago?”
That’s when the podcast idea really took root.
The Podcast Begins (In a Kitchen, No Less)
I'll be honest - I was scared to start a podcast. I didn’t think anyone needed to hear from me. I didn’t want to help my competitors. I was afraid of the hate, the gossip, the whispers from other contractors or even my own team: “Why’s Sy not out here on the job?”
But a conversation with Will, the young guy who started helping me with video, changed everything. He looked at me and said, “Man, you’ve got so much to say. Why aren’t you recording it?”
We set up shop in the kitchen and hit record.
Building a Studio and Facing My Doubts
Eventually, I realized we needed a real studio. Guests weren’t going to come sit in a dusty shop with janky audio. I couldn’t keep tearing down lighting and mics between dinner and bedtime. That’s when I crossed paths with Eric Howerton - a marketing guy who saw something in the podcast I couldn’t yet see in myself.
When I told him I was thinking of quitting the podcast, he hit me with a line I’ll never forget:
“Sy, you can’t afford not to keep this going.”
That stuck with me. So I doubled down. I got out of my own way and moved the podcast to PodcastVideos.com’s studio - where we finally had the space, tools, and team to take it seriously.
Why Marketing Matters in Blue Collar Business
Marketing in the trades used to feel like a luxury - something the big dogs did. But I’ve learned firsthand it’s a necessity.
The time to market isn’t when you’re thriving - it’s when you’re trying to survive. It’s when the phone’s not ringing and you're staring at your CRM wondering where the next job is coming from.
Let me say it louder for the folks in the back: YouTube is free. TikTok is free. Podcasting can be free. You don’t need a $5,000 setup to tell your story. You just need to start.
Bridging the Gap Between Blue Collar and White Collar
This podcast isn’t just about rants or storytelling. It’s about connecting the dots - bringing engineers, CFOs, insurance pros, and other white-collar professionals into a space where they can speak directly to us, in our language.
I’ve sat across the mic from civil engineers I’ve clashed with on job sites and had real, unfiltered conversations. I’ve brought in financial experts who broke down numbers in plain English. I’ve invited inspectors to explain what they’re really looking for before they red-tag your site.
All so you could listen in and learn something without the expensive, painful lesson I had to go through.
Fighting Through the Hate (And Why It’s Worth It)
Not everyone loves what I’m doing. I hear the rumors, I get the looks. But let me tell you what keeps me going. It’s that one email from a listener who says, “That episode changed my life.” Or the guy who reached out after hearing Nick talk about developing an owner’s mindset, and told me he completely shifted the way he runs his crew.
That’s why I keep showing up.
That’s why I’ll keep investing in this - even if it doesn’t bring in a single dime for now.
Because this podcast isn’t just about growing my business - it’s about helping you grow yours.
To the Blue Collar Entrepreneur Reading This
If you’re out there grinding every day, trying to build something, and you feel like nobody gets it - I see you. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, a YouTube channel, a TikTok - do it.
Don’t wait until everything’s perfect. Start with what you have.Don’t worry about the haters - they’ll talk no matter what.Do it for the guys who need to hear what you’ve learned the hard way.
Whether you run a duct-cleaning business, a landscaping crew, or a concrete outfit, you’ve got a story to tell. And I promise you: someone out there needs to hear it.
If I never picked up a camera or hit record on that mic, I’d still be in the dark, wondering how to market, how to scale, how to fix the same problems over and over again.
This podcast has opened doors I never saw coming, from national news appearances to guest spots with other shows, and more importantly, conversations that are changing lives.
So thank you for listening, for supporting, for showing up. We’ve got a long road ahead, and I’m not stopping anytime soon.
If you haven’t yet, head over to bluecollarbusinesspodcast.com and subscribe to the newsletter. Get access to every episode, links to connect with our guests, and insights that could help you take your business to the next level.
Let’s keep building. Together.
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