I love seeing these videos of skilled tradespeople. We tend to devalue the trades when discussing them vs. getting a college degree. The truth is that many of our best clients are tradespeople who also run wildly successful businesses. The average 18 year old today has no idea that if he or she combines a true trade skill with a solid, executable business plan, they can quickly surpass - financially and otherwise, their classmates who spent (and borrowed!) up to 200k or more on their bachelors' or even their masters' degrees.
One of our clients owns a business installing water mains and sewer lines for municipalities in Massachusetts. He has six employees; last year he grossed close to $8,000,000 in revenues. That’s 8 million dollars folks, with an M and six zeros. Now, his chosen vocation may not go over well at cocktail parties and on social media, but I guarantee you he’s doing better than 95% of the people in any room he walks into. Did I mention that he fell just 120 credits short of his bachelor’s degree?
This is not meant to bash those that purely pursue a collegiate and post- graduate vertical. Indeed, that seems to be the norm and for many, it’s the right choice. My point is that it may not be the right choice for some. And if they do choose a vocational or trade path, keep an eye on them, because they just might surprise you, and maybe themselves too…