Ken Rusk, a construction entrepreneur, life coach, and author of "Blue Collar Cash," shares his inspiring journey from digging ditches to building a multi-million dollar business. He highlights the untapped potential and financial rewards of blue-collar work, urging young people to consider vocational careers over traditional college paths. Ken emphasizes the growing demand for skilled trades and the personal fulfillment that comes from embracing this path. He also discusses the importance of creativity in blue-collar entrepreneurship and reframing societal perceptions of these careers.
37:09
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Ken's Ditch Digging Beginnings
Ken Rusk, the author, started his career digging ditches at 15.
He worked for a company that fixed wet basements and crawl spaces.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
College vs. Trades
Consider working with your hands and making money immediately.
Pursue opportunities for on-the-job learning and skill development.
insights INSIGHT
The Skills Gap
A skills gap exists due to fewer people entering blue-collar trades.
This gap creates high demand and earning potential in these fields.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
When it comes to living their best life and building substantial wealth, many young men's first thoughts turn to developing a new app or starting a popular YouTube channel. They don't think about digging ditches. But that's how my guest today became a millionaire, and he thinks more folks should consider seeking not only financial success, but true comfort, peace, and freedom, by rejecting society's standardized white collar career path, and looking into alternative routes through the skilled trades. His name is Ken Rusk, he's a construction business entrepreneur who's also been a life coach and mentor to hundreds of his employees, and he's the author of Blue Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life. Ken and I begin our conversation with how a guy who got a job digging ditches in high school and skipped college went on to create a multi-million dollar construction business. We then talk about how there aren't enough people pursuing blue collar work, and how this "skills gap" regarding the trades is driving up demand, and in turn, the potential income to be made in this field. Ken talks about the cost-benefit analysis of going to college versus learning a skilled trade, and the advantages to the latter. He then explains the often underappreciated reward of blue collar work, which he calls "the step back moment." From there, Ken shares some stories of folks who found fulfillment pursuing blue collar work, and even made that switch later in life. Along the way, Ken shares the life advice he gives employees and job seekers about how to manage their money, set goals, and pursue their own version of happiness and success.
The Art of Manliness 