I Became an Electrician Instead of Going to College. Twenty Years Later, I Have Zero Regrets.
I grew up in a single-parent household with no clear roadmap to a stable career. No family connections, no college fund, no obvious next step. What I had was a willingness to work hard and figure it out as I went.
So I became a mechanic. Then a tow truck driver. Then, about five years in, I made a pivot that changed everything — I got into the electrical trades.
That was twenty years ago. Today, I hold a Connecticut E2 electrical license, a Class A CDL, and OSHA 30 and HAZWOPER 40 certifications. I earn six figures as a construction project engineer. And I run a YouTube channel that reaches over 200,000 people, where I teach anyone who'll listen why the skilled trades might be the smartest career move of this generation.
I didn't take the traditional path. I took a better one.
What My Days Actually Look Like
I'm usually out the door early. Before I leave, I'll spend an hour or two editing video content — the YouTube side of things doesn't stop just because I have a day job. I try to be on the jobsite by 6:30 a.m.
Most mornings start in the job trailer, going over plans with the superintendent and working through whatever issues came up overnight. After the crew heads out, the day opens up. Some days I'm visiting job sites. Others, I'm buried in submittals, scheduling conflicts, or QA/QC work. After twenty years across nearly every role in this industry — mechanic, electrician, assistant project manager, project engineer — I can handle a wide range of problems, which keeps things from ever getting stale.
The crew returns around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. I lock up the gate and head home.
Weekends are for filming. My wife takes the kids grocery shopping, and I get to work.
Everything I earn from YouTube gets reinvested into the channel. My day job already supports my family — the content business is something I'm building for the long run.
Why the Trades Are Having a Moment
There's been a lot of conversation lately about AI displacing white-collar workers. I'm watching it play out in real time on my own job sites.
Over the past few years, I've seen a wave of mid-career professionals — many of them from industries like insurance — transition into the trades after their positions were eliminated or outsourced. Some are chasing fulfillment. Others are coming out of necessity. I welcome all of them, because the industry genuinely needs them.
Here's the thing about skilled trade work: it can't be automated. It can't be outsourced overseas. It requires judgment, adaptability, physical skill, and the kind of problem-solving that only comes from experience. Every day looks different. Every project ends with something you helped build standing in the real world.
For anyone feeling uncertain about the stability of a desk job right now, that's worth thinking about seriously.
What Twenty Years Has Taught Me
Running a content business on top of a demanding blue-collar career isn't easy. But the reason I keep doing it is simple: I learned most of what I know the hard way, and I want the next generation of tradespeople to have a shorter path to competence than I did.
The trades gave me financial stability without student debt. They gave me work that produces visible, tangible results. They gave me a team to build things with and wins worth celebrating.
Every career has trade-offs. But if you're someone who wants to move through your day rather than sit at a screen, who wants to see the direct result of your effort at the end of a project, and who wants a career that's genuinely hard to replace — the trades are worth a serious look.
I'm proof it works. And I'm just getting started.