April 7, 2024 • 27 mins
Welcome back to the Construction Veteran Podcast, where Scott Friend, your host and fellow veteran, returns from a brief hiatus with renewed energy and valuable insights. Imagine stepping into a world where the camaraderie and discipline you learned in the military perfectly align with a thriving career path. That's precisely the journey we explore in this episode, as I share personal updates, including the growth of Memorial Ranch and my attendance at the esteemed CoreNet Global Black, White and Blue event. Missing the Dallas Build Expo was a disappointment, but it underscores the bustling nature of the industry we're part of—an industry that is not just booming but ripe with opportunities for veterans ready to build their future.
Have you ever wondered how the precision of military training translates to the construction field? In this episode, we delve into the natural synergy between veterans' skills and the construction industry's needs. With nearly a million construction establishments in need of the leadership and organizational skills veterans excel at, the construction sector presents a world of potential for growth and entrepreneurship. I highlight the latest industry statistics, showcasing the significant contribution of construction to the economy, and share success stories of veterans who've found rewarding careers post-service. It's a narrative of transformation and opportunity, with practical advice on navigating the transition from military to civilian life.
Join us as we lay the foundation for a community of veterans in construction, united by shared experiences and a common goal. This episode is an open invitation to my fellow veterans and industry professionals to contribute their stories and successes to our ongoing conversation. The Construction Veteran Podcast is a testament to the strength and adaptability of veterans, a platform to inspire and guide those considering a meaningful career after service. Tune in for an episode that's not just about building structures, but about forging a strong, supportive network for those who've served.
This episode is brought to you buy Aerial Resupply Coffee. Aerial Resupply delivers bold flavor with every sip. Their beans are expertly roasted for peak freshness and a smooth, invigorating taste. Elevate your coffee game by using code CONSTRUCTIONVET10 at checkout to receive 10% off every order. Stay caffeinated with Aerial Resupply Coffee.
If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!
Aerial Resupply CoffeeSupport and premium coffee for Americans, Veterans, and First Responders.
Benchmark Abrasives
Benchmark carries a complete line of flap discs, as well as blades and surface conditioning.
Memorial Ranch
Serving our veterans and first responders by providing a place of relaxation through resiliency.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
- TCV Email: constructionvetpodcast@gmail.com
- TCV YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@constructionvet/featured
- TCV Instagram: https://www.instagram
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I would argue and say that there is a lot more
stability in this industry thanmany, many others.
This is the ConstructionVeteran Podcast, connecting and
celebrating veterans inconstruction.
Now here's your host, scottFriend.
(00:26):
Welcome back to theConstruction Veteran Podcast.
I'm Scott Friend.
It has been a minute since I'veposted so I'm excited to get
back into it with.
Welcome back to theConstruction Veteran Podcast.
(00:51):
I'm Scott Friend.
It's been about six weeks sinceI've done an episode.
I took a little bit of a hiatusthere, just kind of realign.
So we've been doing the podcastfor a little over a year now,
so just taking a quick break.
But I'm ready to reintroducethe construction vet to you guys
and what this is all about,kind of go over some basics that
(01:11):
we've discussed over the lastyear and talk about things to
come.
So I've been up to quite a lotlately.
Some of you guys know I starteda new position last year.
I'm on a new project, a largeproject about 340,000 square
foot job, really good team, bigteam.
Very fortunate to be there.
Some of you guys might have seenlately on my LinkedIn that I
(01:34):
posted that I went to a bigCornette Global Gala event and
awards event that they had.
That was a lot of fun.
That was really humbling.
To be honest, I got to say I'mreally thankful to be where I am
.
Sometimes I still feel likethat.
I got that imposter syndrome,if you will.
I still think of myself as akid from Kentucky that I'm just
(01:55):
so lucky to have come up and metthe right people.
It's all been throughnetworking and really working
hard in this industry to getwhere I'm at.
So being able to go to a blacktie event like that was very
humbling.
I'm very thankful for my teamfor inviting me to that.
I never thought I'd be doingthis kind of stuff, never
thought I'd be where I am today,and all that is thanks to the
(02:16):
industry and the people in it.
So another point I want to makereal quick.
I made an announcement a whileback that I would be at the
Dallas Build Expo doing someinterviews.
But we're just getting reallybogged down, really busy with
the job, which is, you know,that's my primary focus is the
project.
So sadly I won't be able tomake it, but I would still
encourage you guys, especiallyif you're in the Dallas-Fort
(02:38):
Worth area.
That Build Expo is across theUnited States.
So if you can't make Dallas.
I'd encourage you guys to findthe local Build Expo, especially
if you're transitioning.
There's tons of vendors andcompanies that are looking for
good people and I want to speakto the vets specifically that
you guys have these soft skillsthat people are looking for.
(02:59):
So I'd really encourage you toget out there, get out of your
comfort zone and go startnetworking.
So I'd really encourage you toget out there, get out of your
comfort zone and go startnetworking.
Another thing that I'd like totouch base on real quick, too is
as of late last year, ournonprofit Memorial Ranch became
official.
So I'm working through thatwith an awesome team that we've
got full of rock stars trying tobuild that organization up so
(03:20):
we can serve the veteran andfirst responder community.
That is separate from theconstruction veteran, but it's
it's a passion project of minethat I'm doing on the side as
well.
We are official.
Like I said, we are recognizednot only in the state of Texas
but through the IRS as a 501c3organization.
There will be more on that tocome, but if you haven't started
(03:41):
following Memorial Ranch onLinkedIn or Facebook, I'd
encourage you guys to go overthere and see what we're doing.
I should have a video comingout pretty soon about what we're
doing, what we're aiming towork for, who we serve and all
that.
I want to talk about theimportance of transitioning into
the civilian sector.
(04:01):
Transitioning into the civiliansector.
If you're a veteran or you're,maybe you're active duty or even
the reserves and you're goingto be transitioning out to make
the civilian sector your fulltime guys, it's really very
important to start yourself sixmonths to even a year out,
really looking at what you wantto key in on for your future
career.
Um it, it's not an easy process.
I don't think anybody who'stransitioned would say that it
(04:25):
is, but obviously I'm partial tofolks getting into the
construction industry.
It's really important for youguys to make those networking
connections now and startrealizing what side of the
industry do I really want to beinvolved in.
I've seen a lot of successfulveterans transition into this
industry because it has so manycommonalities with the military
(04:56):
Specifically.
There's some stressful times,there's some dangerous times and
there's a lot of teamworkinvolved in this, but you're not
going at it alone and you getto take care of that team much
like you did in the service.
I want to talk about some data,real quick too.
So, as of first quarter of lastyear, the AGC, which is the
American General Contractorsthey put out some data in the
first quarter of 2023 that therewas 919,000 construction
(05:20):
establishments.
So that's companies related tothe industry.
919,000, that's companies.
So imagine you know we'retalking small mom and pop shops
up to multi-billion possiblemulti-trillion dollar companies
that are in this industry, andthe industry employs 8 million
people as of about a year ago.
(05:40):
I'm sure that number's more.
We're always looking for goodpeople.
Yes, there is somewhat of alabor shortage.
We can touch base on that someother time about why I think
that is but 8 million peoplethat are putting in $2.1
trillion worth of structureseach year.
So just imagine that that's amassive industry that we can
(06:02):
make an impact on.
As vets, there's a huge benefitof the construction industry for
veterans as well.
It gives you a good purpose, agood goal to work for.
You've heard me talk about that.
There's this mission that we'relooking to finish, we're
looking to become successful in,and there's a very easy goal
line that you're shooting for inthe industry delivering a
(06:25):
building, delivering a project.
So let's talk real quick aboutwhat sort of skills and
experience that veterans bringto the table.
So obviously there's the softskills things like leadership
and organization.
That's a big one.
It doesn't matter if you justdid four years and maybe three
years in I know people have hadsome shorter contracts.
(06:45):
You've learned a lot of thesoft skills that people have not
experienced yet in theiryounger years.
Especially if you did afour-year term in, you
understand probably what itlooks like to be taking care of
those below you, so you know howto run a team.
You know how to run a crew, sothat easily transfers over into
the construction industry.
(07:06):
You know what it takes for yourpeople to be successful and
it's your job as a leader tomake sure that they have what
they need.
We also want to talk about someof the challenges that you're
going to face during thetransition and, like I said
earlier, it's not an easyprocess.
But this industry gives you anenvironment that you can fail
early and often.
So you're going to understandwhat it takes to be successful
(07:28):
in the industry.
But luckily, as a lower-tieredperson, if you will, there's a
lot of support out there andthey understand that your job as
the greenhorn or the new personis to make those mistakes and
to fail.
It's going to happen, but moreoften than not, I'd say there's
a lot of good mentorship andleadership that's there to show
(07:48):
you the way.
There's a lot of benefits thatcome with this industry as well.
There's various career pathswithin the industry that we've
talked about previously, such asproject management, working in
a skilled trade, working inengineering or design, and
there's a lot of stability andgrowth opportunities in this as
well, not just as buildings growbigger, but as these markets
(08:09):
expand large metropolitan areas,as companies move into other
areas they might be specific toTexas, moving here, their
headquarters might be moving,but there's growth opportunities
there to seek out more projects, to build more projects, to
build more projects, to findmore clients and to become an
effective team member.
So you may start out as aproject engineer, you may start
(08:33):
out as a laborer, but you see alot of success stories within
the industry, and it does takehard work I'm not going to
sugarcoat it but there's a lotof potential there for growth
opportunities within whateversector in the industry you
decide to get involved in.
There's also a lot of potentialfor entrepreneurship and
business ownership within theindustry as well.
(08:54):
You see a lot of stories wherean individual may not have a
particular skill within a trade,but they see a hole in the
market, they see something thatneeds to be filled and they have
that eyesight to see the futureof what it could be, such as a
trade maybe that isn'tperforming as well in a certain
(09:15):
sector or there's a hole therethat needs to be filled.
And I know personally a fewpeople that have started these
companies and they're doing verywell for themselves.
Or you hear stories about folksthat have started as a laborer
and now they're running anentire company, maybe
multi-million, multi-billiondollar company.
So it definitely happens.
I would encourage you guys tolook into schooling, but it's
(09:37):
not a necessity to becomesuccessful in this industry and
there's a lot of support alsofor transitioning vets in the
industry.
There's lots of programs andinitiatives, such as Vetterati
that's a good one that I'vehelped with before myself the
Honor Foundation specific tospecial operations.
Forge Now is one here locallythat we have that will take
(10:00):
people and train them in a fewdifferent trades as well as
facilities management, and youknow the first couple of those
are a group program that is freeof charge for the people that
attend Forge.
Now they do accept GI Bill.
There's a lot of programs outthere that will accept a GI Bill
for you to get trained and setup and established in a good way
(10:23):
to be successful in your futurecivilian career.
So we hear a lot of the folksgoing oh you know, the
government's not taking care ofus.
Now I will say specific to jobrehabilitation.
I do think they're doing a goodjob.
The other facets I'm not goingto get involved in that on this
podcast, but you get what I mean.
I've done plenty of interviewsover this last year for the
(10:43):
construction veteran where youcan hear these stories.
So it's not just me telling youguys this, I'm not just sitting
on or standing on a soapboxpreaching this.
I want you guys to realize thatthese are real stories.
So go back in the library fromthe past year and listen to some
of these people that have comefrom all over the United States
done their service.
(11:04):
Some of them retired, some ofthem won contract and they've
taken that oomph and that desireand drive and it's carried them
really well in their civiliancareer in the construction
industry and all facets of it aswell.
I've also had some people thatare not vets themselves but may
have a passion for the veterancommunity, so you guys can go
(11:25):
back and hear some of thosestories as well, and people
really want you to succeed.
They want to turn around andhelp the person behind them and
they want to mentor you.
It's similar to the church.
You, you know, we want todisciple people that make
disciples.
Right, it's.
It's the same thing in theindustry, because the success of
this industry will come if weturn around and teach the things
(11:46):
that we've been taught and makesure that this industry is is
becoming ever more successful.
Right, we?
We hear the term that we don'twant people that just want jobs.
We want people that want acareer, and that's true.
It can be a very successfulcareer for you, and we want
people with that drive anddesire.
And I can tell you, if you'relooking for it, you're looking
for the responsibilities thatyou could achieve in this
(12:08):
industry.
It's definitely out there foryou to reach out and grab.
There are lots of companiesthat seek out vets specifically
for employment.
I've seen a major shift, in thelast decade at least, of lots
of companies including my ownand a couple that I've worked at
prior to that have resourcegroups specific to veterans and
(12:29):
how we can support the veterancommunity and it's really nice
to have that community withinthe company as well.
You know, if you got anindividual that might be
struggling with that transition,we're here to back them up and
support them and show them theway, if you will, how to be
successful in this industry.
We don't want our brothers andsisters to fail by any means.
(12:51):
So let's talk about some commonconcerns and misconceptions in
the construction industry.
Well, physical demands that's abig one.
Some people you know I don'twant to be broke, my body broke
by the time I'm X age, whateverit is.
Yeah, there are a lot ofphysical demands, but that
depends on what facet of theindustry you get into.
That might be something youwant to have.
(13:12):
You say, hey, I want to stillbe physical, I'm still a young
and able bodied to do that.
Um, there's lots ofopportunities out there for you
to.
Maybe you're maybe you'reclimbing steel right, maybe
you're you're um hanging pipe Ifyou want to be a trades person.
There's also if maybe that'snot something you're physically
able to do or it's just notsomething you want to do.
(13:32):
Uh, there's a lot ofadministrative type office
positions as well, and now thatmight get about as physical as
walking the job site a coupletimes a week if you're in that
type of role.
Um, but I, I personally wantedto be outside, so I I chose the
life of a superintendent.
I really liked being out thereand putting my hands and eyes on
(13:55):
the project and seeing whatwe're building and watching it
come to life.
Um, the position I'm in nowthere's not as much physical
demand but, uh, sometimes, youknow, I do put my tools on if I
need to, but it's not a day inand day out thing.
But I had to get through that.
That, um, part of my life thatI was walking around with my
tools on and really makingthings happen.
(14:16):
So I'm not saying you're goingto get stuck in that role, but
there is somewhat of anexpectation that you're going to
do whatever it takes to makesure that the job is successful.
And sometimes I've seen projectmanagers be willing to put
their tools back on to make surethat the work goes in place.
So let's talk about the lack ofstability.
So there are a lot of fears outthere that maybe if I'm in a
(14:39):
trade, I'm going to get laid off.
I can tell you, with the waythat the industry is booming
right now.
I really don't see thathappening anytime soon and, if
God forbid, you did get laid offbecause the project had
finished.
There's going to be anotherproject up the road that you
guys can definitely go to.
On a salary standpoint, there isa lot of stability.
(15:00):
Going job to job I mean projectto project I should say there's
a lot of stability becausethere's more flexibility, which
allows that stability.
What I mean by that is thatsometimes you might be able to
travel for work.
If you're that dedicated to thecompany you know, offer
yourself up.
Hey, I'm willing to travel.
If that's a position that youor your family or maybe you
(15:20):
don't have a family if that'ssomething that you could do,
there can be a lot of financialreward in that as well.
So there I would argue and saythat there is a lot more
stability in this industry thanmany, many others.
Now I think and again, this ismy belief that this is one of
those industries that's alwaysgoing to be needed.
We need people to build theroads we drive on, the buildings
(15:44):
that we operate out of, thesystems that we use within those
buildings.
So you just think all the handsthat have touched that project.
These are skills that are goingto continue to be needed and
that's not to take away from anyother skill, but there's other
industries out there like that,such as healthcare.
Think about that.
This is an industry that peopledon't necessarily have all the
(16:09):
skills in, but they needsomebody to support them, ie the
trades person or the one thatknows how to manage the project.
So I would argue that there's aton of stability within this
industry, but you need to havethe flexibility to have that
stability and be able andwilling to go where the work is.
(16:29):
Let's talk educationalrequirements too.
I think there's a majormisconception in that.
I've talked about thatpreviously in videos and
episodes where you know there,yes, there are some requirements
educationally, uh, as far asmaybe an undergrad or grad
school or certain certifications, but that that's going to be
very specific to the niche thatyou're in within the industry.
(16:51):
Um, I I will say again thatI've seen folks that came out of
high school and served, gotdone with their service, did not
go and achieve a high school or, excuse me, a college degree,
and these are people that arerunning multi-million plus
dollar companies now.
So a lot of this industry isexperience over education now.
(17:17):
So a lot of this industry isexperience over education.
But consider looking at the,the, the pipeline that you need
to go through in whatever facetof the industry you're in.
Again, if you want to be adesigner, there's going to be
some educational requirementsfor that Um.
Sometimes, even if you're aproject manager, it all depends
on the company Um.
So you really got to key in onwhat facet of the industry you
want to go into and look intowhat the support is for that Um
(17:40):
and what excuse me, what therequirements are for that Um.
There are some vocationaltraining programs too to think
about.
Um.
So I I I referenced forge nowearlier.
That's a vocational trainingprogram.
Um.
You, you know the world is youroyster right now.
You can pretty much Google whatwould it take for me to get X
job in this state.
(18:00):
So each state is going to haveits own requirements.
But the cool thing is that alot of the benefits that you get
out of the service with aregoing to support that, and what
I mean is that your GI billmight um directly apply to that
Uh.
You, if you're in, I will alwayspreach that you should be using
the tuition assistance programto the best of your uh, the best
(18:23):
it uses.
Your advantage is what I'mgetting at.
So use these programs that youhave while you're in the service
to prepare yourself to get out.
I don't again, I don't care ifyou're retiring out or if you
just did one uh, one contract in.
Now's the time to startpreparing yourself.
So you have those goals.
Break those goals down intoeasily manageable chunks and
look at hey, what's thecertification?
(18:44):
Maybe that I can knock out?
Um, I've touched base before onsome easy uh, I'll call it low
hanging fruit, such as get yourOSHA 10 or 30, get your first
aid CPR.
Get that, the basic stuffknocked out now, while you can
get it paid for.
Um, and if, if your commandsize off signs off on that
outstanding.
If not, then again you stillhave the GI bill to use.
(19:06):
Make sure you use it right.
Make sure you're doing the, theum, the research now to make
sure that it's something thatyou want to do.
I preach this because I wouldhate for you guys to get into a
situation like I was, where Ichanged majors multiple times
until I really settled on what Iwanted to do.
But look into some of thosevocational training programs, if
(19:29):
you, you know they got stufflike that for pilots, so they
have things like that for thetrades as well.
Look at the programs that youcan get into.
Apprenticeships are a great one.
So that's not I'll call it avocational training program, but
the apprenticeships are morethan likely what your company is
going to support you doing.
You know, a couple nights aweek you're getting on the job
(19:53):
training, but a couple nights aweek you're going in and
learning some of the specificsso you can test for that license
.
Depending on your state, theremay be different requirements,
but you're getting all of thaton the job, training how to
physically put this stuff inplace.
And then you're learning atnight oh, this is why we do that
or you're learning codes.
So apprenticeships are anawesome way to get into the
(20:16):
industry.
And, yeah, you're going to haveto put in a few years of hard
work.
But, guys, I'm telling you, onceyou get through that two, three
, four years of hard work andthen you're running a crew it's
extremely financially beneficialfor you and your family.
You're also you're not comingout with some school debt
hanging over your head and youhave this skill that you can,
(20:36):
you can carry for the rest ofyour life and there's a lot of
clout that comes with that and alot of respect that comes with
that.
When you know someone that camefrom a trade that's now in a
management type position, so youcan take that and to me project
managers, superintendents, theguys that came from a trade,
there's just a lot of weightsimilar to maybe a Mustang
(20:57):
officer that you know, the guysthat came from a trade there's
just a lot of weight similar tomaybe a Mustang officer that you
know, an officer that wasenlisted prior to getting
commissioned it's the sameconcept there's.
They know cause they've beenthere.
So there's a lot of respectthat came from that.
Um, and you understand whatyour folks are going through
because you've been in theirshoes.
So you know what it takes, butyou know what they may or may
(21:19):
not be capable of as well.
So there's a lot of empathythat comes with that.
You understand what it wouldtake for you to do that.
So you as a leader don't wantto put people in one of
compromising positions, safetywise, but at the same time you
may have a better idea of whatthe manpower looks like to get
that task accomplished or whatthe durations on a job take or
look like to get a certain taskaccomplished.
(21:41):
So I would really encourage youguys to get into
apprenticeships.
It never hurts to have a skill.
So if you, let's say, you getsix months to a year into it and
you decide, hey, this maybe isnot the trade for me, that's
still going to help you if youdecide to go toward another
trade.
I mean understanding how thedifferent trades play together,
(22:03):
if you will, on the job site,and how these pieces come
together.
I'll give you an example.
I have someone that works forus, that's worked with me
previously, that came from theelectrical trade and even though
now he's on a generalcontractor side, he knows what
it feels like to be that.
And even though now he's on ageneral contractor side, he
knows what it feels like to bethat electrician.
So he's going to make sure thatthe, the framer and the people
that go before him aresuccessful, so those
(22:25):
electricians can be successful,and he knows what the
electricians need to do to makesure that the people coming
behind them are successful aswell.
And he only got that because hehe did years as a trades person
.
So maybe it your, your story isgoing to be like that, where
it's somewhat of a steppingstone, but I never think it's a
bad idea to go ahead and getyour license as some sort of a
(22:49):
skilled trade.
Again, the GI Bill benefits willlikely pay for some of this
stuff before you guys get out.
Um, there's a lot of programsout there and, again, be careful
what you're researching.
But there are a lot of programsout there that are good to go,
that you guys can start nightclasses, maybe learning how to
weld or learning, uh, electricaldiagrams or learning some sort
(23:13):
of trade, and more often thannot, you can either use your
tuition assistance or, if you'veseparated, use your GI bill
benefits toward those.
Be careful guys.
There are a lot of schools thatreally just want to take your
money.
I would say, look at somereviews of these programs,
because they may have a flashywebsite.
(23:33):
It may look great, but I wouldsuggest you talking to folks
within the industry that youknow or or heck, reach out to me
, uh, and really understand isthis a legit program that I want
to use, or is it just someplacewith great marketing that's
going to take my money and I'mnot really going to come out of
it with some, uh, some sort of atrade or something that's legit
(23:55):
that I can take forward in mycareer.
So, um, anyway, so I really justwanted to get back on here and
do a quick episode for everyone.
Um, I'm really sorry about thedelay.
Uh, it's.
It's been a good thing, man, Ihad.
I had some rest.
Um, got a lot of stuff comingup.
Um, I have more guests that aregoing to be coming up on the
podcast and I'm always lookingfor more guests.
(24:16):
So if you guys, if you're inthe industry, if you're a
veteran or you have a passionfor vets in the industry, please
reach out to me atconstructionvetpodcast at
gmailcom or hit me up onLinkedIn at Scott Friend, I love
sharing the stories of mybrothers and sisters that have
been successful in this industry.
Reach out, guys, explore thisindustry.
(24:38):
Reach out, guys, explore thisindustry.
I want to see you be successful.
It's a point of pride that we,as vets, can show the skills
that we've learned in theservice and carry that forward
into building our nation'sskylines.
So, yeah, call it cheesy orwhatever man, but I really
believe it.
Thank you guys again too, whohave been following me for about
(24:58):
a year, and some change now.
This has honestly opened so manydoors in not only my career but
my personal life as well.
I've met some just solid humanbeings just from putting my
thoughts out there on a podcast.
I'm very humbled to see thatthere's even people in other
countries that listen to thepodcast.
(25:19):
Sometimes you guys are amazing.
Um, it's really cool to seethat this is definitely a niche
that we need.
We need people in the industry.
Vets need good, solid jobs andcareers.
Um, why not marry the two uptogether?
So thank you guys again.
I appreciate you.
I love you.
Thank you so much.
If you're a military veteran inthe construction industry or
(25:43):
you're in the constructionindustry and support our
military vets and you'd like tobe a guest on the podcast, you
can find me at construction vetpodcast at gmailcom or send me a
message on LinkedIn.
You can find me there at Scottfriend.
Let's share me there at ScottFriend.
Let's share the stories andmotivate others.
I would argue and say that there is a lot more
stability in this industry thanmany, many others.
This is the ConstructionVeteran Podcast, connecting and
celebrating veterans inconstruction.
Now here's your host, scottFriend.
(00:26):
Welcome back to theConstruction Veteran Podcast.
I'm Scott Friend.
It has been a minute since I'veposted so I'm excited to get
back into it with.
Welcome back to theConstruction Veteran Podcast.
(00:51):
I'm Scott Friend.
It's been about six weeks sinceI've done an episode.
I took a little bit of a hiatusthere, just kind of realign.
So we've been doing the podcastfor a little over a year now,
so just taking a quick break.
But I'm ready to reintroducethe construction vet to you guys
and what this is all about,kind of go over some basics that
(01:11):
we've discussed over the lastyear and talk about things to
come.
So I've been up to quite a lotlately.
Some of you guys know I starteda new position last year.
I'm on a new project, a largeproject about 340,000 square
foot job, really good team, bigteam.
Very fortunate to be there.
Some of you guys might have seenlately on my LinkedIn that I
(01:34):
posted that I went to a bigCornette Global Gala event and
awards event that they had.
That was a lot of fun.
That was really humbling.
To be honest, I got to say I'mreally thankful to be where I am
.
Sometimes I still feel likethat.
I got that imposter syndrome,if you will.
I still think of myself as akid from Kentucky that I'm just
(01:55):
so lucky to have come up and metthe right people.
It's all been throughnetworking and really working
hard in this industry to getwhere I'm at.
So being able to go to a blacktie event like that was very
humbling.
I'm very thankful for my teamfor inviting me to that.
I never thought I'd be doingthis kind of stuff, never
thought I'd be where I am today,and all that is thanks to the
(02:16):
industry and the people in it.
So another point I want to makereal quick.
I made an announcement a whileback that I would be at the
Dallas Build Expo doing someinterviews.
But we're just getting reallybogged down, really busy with
the job, which is, you know,that's my primary focus is the
project.
So sadly I won't be able tomake it, but I would still
encourage you guys, especiallyif you're in the Dallas-Fort
(02:38):
Worth area.
That Build Expo is across theUnited States.
So if you can't make Dallas.
I'd encourage you guys to findthe local Build Expo, especially
if you're transitioning.
There's tons of vendors andcompanies that are looking for
good people and I want to speakto the vets specifically that
you guys have these soft skillsthat people are looking for.
(02:59):
So I'd really encourage you toget out there, get out of your
comfort zone and go startnetworking.
So I'd really encourage you toget out there, get out of your
comfort zone and go startnetworking.
Another thing that I'd like totouch base on real quick, too is
as of late last year, ournonprofit Memorial Ranch became
official.
So I'm working through thatwith an awesome team that we've
got full of rock stars trying tobuild that organization up so
(03:20):
we can serve the veteran andfirst responder community.
That is separate from theconstruction veteran, but it's
it's a passion project of minethat I'm doing on the side as
well.
We are official.
Like I said, we are recognizednot only in the state of Texas
but through the IRS as a 501c3organization.
There will be more on that tocome, but if you haven't started
(03:41):
following Memorial Ranch onLinkedIn or Facebook, I'd
encourage you guys to go overthere and see what we're doing.
I should have a video comingout pretty soon about what we're
doing, what we're aiming towork for, who we serve and all
that.
I want to talk about theimportance of transitioning into
the civilian sector.
(04:01):
Transitioning into the civiliansector.
If you're a veteran or you're,maybe you're active duty or even
the reserves and you're goingto be transitioning out to make
the civilian sector your fulltime guys, it's really very
important to start yourself sixmonths to even a year out,
really looking at what you wantto key in on for your future
career.
Um it, it's not an easy process.
I don't think anybody who'stransitioned would say that it
(04:25):
is, but obviously I'm partial tofolks getting into the
construction industry.
It's really important for youguys to make those networking
connections now and startrealizing what side of the
industry do I really want to beinvolved in.
I've seen a lot of successfulveterans transition into this
industry because it has so manycommonalities with the military
(04:56):
Specifically.
There's some stressful times,there's some dangerous times and
there's a lot of teamworkinvolved in this, but you're not
going at it alone and you getto take care of that team much
like you did in the service.
I want to talk about some data,real quick too.
So, as of first quarter of lastyear, the AGC, which is the
American General Contractorsthey put out some data in the
first quarter of 2023 that therewas 919,000 construction
(05:20):
establishments.
So that's companies related tothe industry.
919,000, that's companies.
So imagine you know we'retalking small mom and pop shops
up to multi-billion possiblemulti-trillion dollar companies
that are in this industry, andthe industry employs 8 million
people as of about a year ago.
(05:40):
I'm sure that number's more.
We're always looking for goodpeople.
Yes, there is somewhat of alabor shortage.
We can touch base on that someother time about why I think
that is but 8 million peoplethat are putting in $2.1
trillion worth of structureseach year.
So just imagine that that's amassive industry that we can
(06:02):
make an impact on.
As vets, there's a huge benefitof the construction industry for
veterans as well.
It gives you a good purpose, agood goal to work for.
You've heard me talk about that.
There's this mission that we'relooking to finish, we're
looking to become successful in,and there's a very easy goal
line that you're shooting for inthe industry delivering a
(06:25):
building, delivering a project.
So let's talk real quick aboutwhat sort of skills and
experience that veterans bringto the table.
So obviously there's the softskills things like leadership
and organization.
That's a big one.
It doesn't matter if you justdid four years and maybe three
years in I know people have hadsome shorter contracts.
(06:45):
You've learned a lot of thesoft skills that people have not
experienced yet in theiryounger years.
Especially if you did afour-year term in, you
understand probably what itlooks like to be taking care of
those below you, so you know howto run a team.
You know how to run a crew, sothat easily transfers over into
the construction industry.
(07:06):
You know what it takes for yourpeople to be successful and
it's your job as a leader tomake sure that they have what
they need.
We also want to talk about someof the challenges that you're
going to face during thetransition and, like I said
earlier, it's not an easyprocess.
But this industry gives you anenvironment that you can fail
early and often.
So you're going to understandwhat it takes to be successful
(07:28):
in the industry.
But luckily, as a lower-tieredperson, if you will, there's a
lot of support out there andthey understand that your job as
the greenhorn or the new personis to make those mistakes and
to fail.
It's going to happen, but moreoften than not, I'd say there's
a lot of good mentorship andleadership that's there to show
(07:48):
you the way.
There's a lot of benefits thatcome with this industry as well.
There's various career pathswithin the industry that we've
talked about previously, such asproject management, working in
a skilled trade, working inengineering or design, and
there's a lot of stability andgrowth opportunities in this as
well, not just as buildings growbigger, but as these markets
(08:09):
expand large metropolitan areas,as companies move into other
areas they might be specific toTexas, moving here, their
headquarters might be moving,but there's growth opportunities
there to seek out more projects, to build more projects, to
build more projects, to findmore clients and to become an
effective team member.
So you may start out as aproject engineer, you may start
(08:33):
out as a laborer, but you see alot of success stories within
the industry, and it does takehard work I'm not going to
sugarcoat it but there's a lotof potential there for growth
opportunities within whateversector in the industry you
decide to get involved in.
There's also a lot of potentialfor entrepreneurship and
business ownership within theindustry as well.
(08:54):
You see a lot of stories wherean individual may not have a
particular skill within a trade,but they see a hole in the
market, they see something thatneeds to be filled and they have
that eyesight to see the futureof what it could be, such as a
trade maybe that isn'tperforming as well in a certain
(09:15):
sector or there's a hole therethat needs to be filled.
And I know personally a fewpeople that have started these
companies and they're doing verywell for themselves.
Or you hear stories about folksthat have started as a laborer
and now they're running anentire company, maybe
multi-million, multi-billiondollar company.
So it definitely happens.
I would encourage you guys tolook into schooling, but it's
(09:37):
not a necessity to becomesuccessful in this industry and
there's a lot of support alsofor transitioning vets in the
industry.
There's lots of programs andinitiatives, such as Vetterati
that's a good one that I'vehelped with before myself the
Honor Foundation specific tospecial operations.
Forge Now is one here locallythat we have that will take
(10:00):
people and train them in a fewdifferent trades as well as
facilities management, and youknow the first couple of those
are a group program that is freeof charge for the people that
attend Forge.
Now they do accept GI Bill.
There's a lot of programs outthere that will accept a GI Bill
for you to get trained and setup and established in a good way
(10:23):
to be successful in your futurecivilian career.
So we hear a lot of the folksgoing oh you know, the
government's not taking care ofus.
Now I will say specific to jobrehabilitation.
I do think they're doing a goodjob.
The other facets I'm not goingto get involved in that on this
podcast, but you get what I mean.
I've done plenty of interviewsover this last year for the
(10:43):
construction veteran where youcan hear these stories.
So it's not just me telling youguys this, I'm not just sitting
on or standing on a soapboxpreaching this.
I want you guys to realize thatthese are real stories.
So go back in the library fromthe past year and listen to some
of these people that have comefrom all over the United States
done their service.
(11:04):
Some of them retired, some ofthem won contract and they've
taken that oomph and that desireand drive and it's carried them
really well in their civiliancareer in the construction
industry and all facets of it aswell.
I've also had some people thatare not vets themselves but may
have a passion for the veterancommunity, so you guys can go
(11:25):
back and hear some of thosestories as well, and people
really want you to succeed.
They want to turn around andhelp the person behind them and
they want to mentor you.
It's similar to the church.
You, you know, we want todisciple people that make
disciples.
Right, it's.
It's the same thing in theindustry, because the success of
this industry will come if weturn around and teach the things
(11:46):
that we've been taught and makesure that this industry is is
becoming ever more successful.
Right, we?
We hear the term that we don'twant people that just want jobs.
We want people that want acareer, and that's true.
It can be a very successfulcareer for you, and we want
people with that drive anddesire.
And I can tell you, if you'relooking for it, you're looking
for the responsibilities thatyou could achieve in this
(12:08):
industry.
It's definitely out there foryou to reach out and grab.
There are lots of companiesthat seek out vets specifically
for employment.
I've seen a major shift, in thelast decade at least, of lots
of companies including my ownand a couple that I've worked at
prior to that have resourcegroups specific to veterans and
(12:29):
how we can support the veterancommunity and it's really nice
to have that community withinthe company as well.
You know, if you got anindividual that might be
struggling with that transition,we're here to back them up and
support them and show them theway, if you will, how to be
successful in this industry.
We don't want our brothers andsisters to fail by any means.
(12:51):
So let's talk about some commonconcerns and misconceptions in
the construction industry.
Well, physical demands that's abig one.
Some people you know I don'twant to be broke, my body broke
by the time I'm X age, whateverit is.
Yeah, there are a lot ofphysical demands, but that
depends on what facet of theindustry you get into.
That might be something youwant to have.
(13:12):
You say, hey, I want to stillbe physical, I'm still a young
and able bodied to do that.
Um, there's lots ofopportunities out there for you
to.
Maybe you're maybe you'reclimbing steel right, maybe
you're you're um hanging pipe Ifyou want to be a trades person.
There's also if maybe that'snot something you're physically
able to do or it's just notsomething you want to do.
(13:32):
Uh, there's a lot ofadministrative type office
positions as well, and now thatmight get about as physical as
walking the job site a coupletimes a week if you're in that
type of role.
Um, but I, I personally wantedto be outside, so I I chose the
life of a superintendent.
I really liked being out thereand putting my hands and eyes on
(13:55):
the project and seeing whatwe're building and watching it
come to life.
Um, the position I'm in nowthere's not as much physical
demand but, uh, sometimes, youknow, I do put my tools on if I
need to, but it's not a day inand day out thing.
But I had to get through that.
That, um, part of my life thatI was walking around with my
tools on and really makingthings happen.
(14:16):
So I'm not saying you're goingto get stuck in that role, but
there is somewhat of anexpectation that you're going to
do whatever it takes to makesure that the job is successful.
And sometimes I've seen projectmanagers be willing to put
their tools back on to make surethat the work goes in place.
So let's talk about the lack ofstability.
So there are a lot of fears outthere that maybe if I'm in a
(14:39):
trade, I'm going to get laid off.
I can tell you, with the waythat the industry is booming
right now.
I really don't see thathappening anytime soon and, if
God forbid, you did get laid offbecause the project had
finished.
There's going to be anotherproject up the road that you
guys can definitely go to.
On a salary standpoint, there isa lot of stability.
(15:00):
Going job to job I mean projectto project I should say there's
a lot of stability becausethere's more flexibility, which
allows that stability.
What I mean by that is thatsometimes you might be able to
travel for work.
If you're that dedicated to thecompany you know, offer
yourself up.
Hey, I'm willing to travel.
If that's a position that youor your family or maybe you
(15:20):
don't have a family if that'ssomething that you could do,
there can be a lot of financialreward in that as well.
So there I would argue and saythat there is a lot more
stability in this industry thanmany, many others.
Now I think and again, this ismy belief that this is one of
those industries that's alwaysgoing to be needed.
We need people to build theroads we drive on, the buildings
(15:44):
that we operate out of, thesystems that we use within those
buildings.
So you just think all the handsthat have touched that project.
These are skills that are goingto continue to be needed and
that's not to take away from anyother skill, but there's other
industries out there like that,such as healthcare.
Think about that.
This is an industry that peopledon't necessarily have all the
(16:09):
skills in, but they needsomebody to support them, ie the
trades person or the one thatknows how to manage the project.
So I would argue that there's aton of stability within this
industry, but you need to havethe flexibility to have that
stability and be able andwilling to go where the work is.
(16:29):
Let's talk educationalrequirements too.
I think there's a majormisconception in that.
I've talked about thatpreviously in videos and
episodes where you know there,yes, there are some requirements
educationally, uh, as far asmaybe an undergrad or grad
school or certain certifications, but that that's going to be
very specific to the niche thatyou're in within the industry.
(16:51):
Um, I I will say again thatI've seen folks that came out of
high school and served, gotdone with their service, did not
go and achieve a high school or, excuse me, a college degree,
and these are people that arerunning multi-million plus
dollar companies now.
So a lot of this industry isexperience over education now.
(17:17):
So a lot of this industry isexperience over education.
But consider looking at the,the, the pipeline that you need
to go through in whatever facetof the industry you're in.
Again, if you want to be adesigner, there's going to be
some educational requirementsfor that Um.
Sometimes, even if you're aproject manager, it all depends
on the company Um.
So you really got to key in onwhat facet of the industry you
want to go into and look intowhat the support is for that Um
(17:40):
and what excuse me, what therequirements are for that Um.
There are some vocationaltraining programs too to think
about.
Um.
So I I I referenced forge nowearlier.
That's a vocational trainingprogram.
Um.
You, you know the world is youroyster right now.
You can pretty much Google whatwould it take for me to get X
job in this state.
(18:00):
So each state is going to haveits own requirements.
But the cool thing is that alot of the benefits that you get
out of the service with aregoing to support that, and what
I mean is that your GI billmight um directly apply to that
Uh.
You, if you're in, I will alwayspreach that you should be using
the tuition assistance programto the best of your uh, the best
(18:23):
it uses.
Your advantage is what I'mgetting at.
So use these programs that youhave while you're in the service
to prepare yourself to get out.
I don't again, I don't care ifyou're retiring out or if you
just did one uh, one contract in.
Now's the time to startpreparing yourself.
So you have those goals.
Break those goals down intoeasily manageable chunks and
look at hey, what's thecertification?
(18:44):
Maybe that I can knock out?
Um, I've touched base before onsome easy uh, I'll call it low
hanging fruit, such as get yourOSHA 10 or 30, get your first
aid CPR.
Get that, the basic stuffknocked out now, while you can
get it paid for.
Um, and if, if your commandsize off signs off on that
outstanding.
If not, then again you stillhave the GI bill to use.
(19:06):
Make sure you use it right.
Make sure you're doing the, theum, the research now to make
sure that it's something thatyou want to do.
I preach this because I wouldhate for you guys to get into a
situation like I was, where Ichanged majors multiple times
until I really settled on what Iwanted to do.
But look into some of thosevocational training programs, if
(19:29):
you, you know they got stufflike that for pilots, so they
have things like that for thetrades as well.
Look at the programs that youcan get into.
Apprenticeships are a great one.
So that's not I'll call it avocational training program, but
the apprenticeships are morethan likely what your company is
going to support you doing.
You know, a couple nights aweek you're getting on the job
(19:53):
training, but a couple nights aweek you're going in and
learning some of the specificsso you can test for that license
.
Depending on your state, theremay be different requirements,
but you're getting all of thaton the job, training how to
physically put this stuff inplace.
And then you're learning atnight oh, this is why we do that
or you're learning codes.
So apprenticeships are anawesome way to get into the
(20:16):
industry.
And, yeah, you're going to haveto put in a few years of hard
work.
But, guys, I'm telling you, onceyou get through that two, three
, four years of hard work andthen you're running a crew it's
extremely financially beneficialfor you and your family.
You're also you're not comingout with some school debt
hanging over your head and youhave this skill that you can,
(20:36):
you can carry for the rest ofyour life and there's a lot of
clout that comes with that and alot of respect that comes with
that.
When you know someone that camefrom a trade that's now in a
management type position, so youcan take that and to me project
managers, superintendents, theguys that came from a trade,
there's just a lot of weightsimilar to maybe a Mustang
(20:57):
officer that you know, the guysthat came from a trade there's
just a lot of weight similar tomaybe a Mustang officer that you
know, an officer that wasenlisted prior to getting
commissioned it's the sameconcept there's.
They know cause they've beenthere.
So there's a lot of respectthat came from that.
Um, and you understand whatyour folks are going through
because you've been in theirshoes.
So you know what it takes, butyou know what they may or may
(21:19):
not be capable of as well.
So there's a lot of empathythat comes with that.
You understand what it wouldtake for you to do that.
So you as a leader don't wantto put people in one of
compromising positions, safetywise, but at the same time you
may have a better idea of whatthe manpower looks like to get
that task accomplished or whatthe durations on a job take or
look like to get a certain taskaccomplished.
(21:41):
So I would really encourage youguys to get into
apprenticeships.
It never hurts to have a skill.
So if you, let's say, you getsix months to a year into it and
you decide, hey, this maybe isnot the trade for me, that's
still going to help you if youdecide to go toward another
trade.
I mean understanding how thedifferent trades play together,
(22:03):
if you will, on the job site,and how these pieces come
together.
I'll give you an example.
I have someone that works forus, that's worked with me
previously, that came from theelectrical trade and even though
now he's on a generalcontractor side, he knows what
it feels like to be that.
And even though now he's on ageneral contractor side, he
knows what it feels like to bethat electrician.
So he's going to make sure thatthe, the framer and the people
that go before him aresuccessful, so those
(22:25):
electricians can be successful,and he knows what the
electricians need to do to makesure that the people coming
behind them are successful aswell.
And he only got that because hehe did years as a trades person
.
So maybe it your, your story isgoing to be like that, where
it's somewhat of a steppingstone, but I never think it's a
bad idea to go ahead and getyour license as some sort of a
(22:49):
skilled trade.
Again, the GI Bill benefits willlikely pay for some of this
stuff before you guys get out.
Um, there's a lot of programsout there and, again, be careful
what you're researching.
But there are a lot of programsout there that are good to go,
that you guys can start nightclasses, maybe learning how to
weld or learning, uh, electricaldiagrams or learning some sort
(23:13):
of trade, and more often thannot, you can either use your
tuition assistance or, if you'veseparated, use your GI bill
benefits toward those.
Be careful guys.
There are a lot of schools thatreally just want to take your
money.
I would say, look at somereviews of these programs,
because they may have a flashywebsite.
(23:33):
It may look great, but I wouldsuggest you talking to folks
within the industry that youknow or or heck, reach out to me
, uh, and really understand isthis a legit program that I want
to use, or is it just someplacewith great marketing that's
going to take my money and I'mnot really going to come out of
it with some, uh, some sort of atrade or something that's legit
(23:55):
that I can take forward in mycareer.
So, um, anyway, so I really justwanted to get back on here and
do a quick episode for everyone.
Um, I'm really sorry about thedelay.
Uh, it's.
It's been a good thing, man, Ihad.
I had some rest.
Um, got a lot of stuff comingup.
Um, I have more guests that aregoing to be coming up on the
podcast and I'm always lookingfor more guests.
(24:16):
So if you guys, if you're inthe industry, if you're a
veteran or you have a passionfor vets in the industry, please
reach out to me atconstructionvetpodcast at
gmailcom or hit me up onLinkedIn at Scott Friend, I love
sharing the stories of mybrothers and sisters that have
been successful in this industry.
Reach out, guys, explore thisindustry.
(24:38):
Reach out, guys, explore thisindustry.
I want to see you be successful.
It's a point of pride that we,as vets, can show the skills
that we've learned in theservice and carry that forward
into building our nation'sskylines.
So, yeah, call it cheesy orwhatever man, but I really
believe it.
Thank you guys again too, whohave been following me for about
(24:58):
a year, and some change now.
This has honestly opened so manydoors in not only my career but
my personal life as well.
I've met some just solid humanbeings just from putting my
thoughts out there on a podcast.
I'm very humbled to see thatthere's even people in other
countries that listen to thepodcast.
(25:19):
Sometimes you guys are amazing.
Um, it's really cool to seethat this is definitely a niche
that we need.
We need people in the industry.
Vets need good, solid jobs andcareers.
Um, why not marry the two uptogether?
So thank you guys again.
I appreciate you.
I love you.
Thank you so much.
If you're a military veteran inthe construction industry or
(25:43):
you're in the constructionindustry and support our
military vets and you'd like tobe a guest on the podcast, you
can find me at construction vetpodcast at gmailcom or send me a
message on LinkedIn.
You can find me there at Scottfriend.
Let's share me there at ScottFriend.
Let's share the stories andmotivate others.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.