The Home Service Expert Podcast Unlocking the Blue Collar Economy with Benji Carlson
40 snips
Sep 8, 2025 
Benji Carlson, Executive Vice President of Leanscaper, shares his wealth of experience as a former painting contractor turned marketing strategist. He dives into the bullish outlook for the blue-collar economy and discusses how AI can drive growth. The conversation also tackles the pressing talent shortage and strategies for making trades appealing to younger workers. Benji emphasizes personal development, performance-based pay, and the importance of branding to attract a new generation to the industry, ultimately raising the bar for recruitment and retention.
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AI Is A Tailwind For Trades
- Benji argues AI will be an enabler that removes overhead and pays frontline staff more.
- He calls trades the most AI-resilient part of the economy and predicts a major boom if we get it right.
Generational Wealth Opportunity
- Benji paints a generational opportunity: huge demand plus retiring owners equals wealth transfer.
- He warns we must modernize or risk letting the opportunity pass by.
Why The Talent Shortage Exists
- Talent shortages stem from retirements, removed shop classes, college-first narrative, economic shocks, and remote-work allure.
- Benji says the labor market equilibrium shifted and fixing it requires deliberate action.
