Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Building The Future

What can AI take off your plate, and what still needs a person who knows the work? In Episode 12 of the Building The Future Show, ChatGPT Astra 6 joins us through a MacBook for a conversation about work, judgment, and the limits of a confident answer.

We compare our own experiences using AI, challenge what it can do on a jobsite, and put questions directly to Astra. The conversation moves from practical office tasks and software ideas to business advice, apprenticeships, and choosing a career. We also ask whether an AI answer reflects our earlier conversations in the episode, and where human experience still has to make the call.

There are useful answers, skeptical follow-ups, and an unexpected response when Astra is asked to stay quiet. For anyone deciding how much to trust a new tool, this episode gives that question a real conversation.

Cassie Cannon of FC Trucking joins Building The Future Show to share a family story that began with her grandfather hauling grain and led to building a trucking business of her own. From childhood rides with her dad to one truck, one driver, and daily calls looking for work, Cassie explains how she found her place in the industry.The conversation covers earning repeat business, working with brokers, buying and maintaining trucks, keeping accurate records, and handling the cash-flow gap between doing the work and getting paid. Cassie also shares the responsibility of providing steady work for a team and what she would tell someone thinking about becoming an owner-operator.For students, young adults, families, educators, and anyone curious about trucking or business ownership, this episode offers a practical look at the work behind the wheel and beyond it. Cassie's advice leaves room to explore apprenticeships, trade school, college, and a career path that fits your interests.

Blake Haan joins Building The Future for Part 3 of our affordability series, continuing the conversation about whether young people can still build a stable life and reach the American Dream.

Blake and the group discuss housing, debt, income, lifestyle expectations, sacrifice, and family priorities. They examine how career choices, practical skills, spending habits, and decisions made early in life shape what becomes affordable over time, while asking whether money alone defines success.

This episode is for students, young adults, parents, and working families weighing career paths, homeownership, family goals, and the tradeoffs required to build a secure future.

Royce Johns joins Building The Future to share his unexpected path from singer-songwriter and studio owner to excavation business owner. After building his own home, stepping away from equipment, and watching his studio venture fail, Royce returned to the work he enjoyed and began building a business around excavation and land clearing.

Royce discusses buying equipment, managing insurance and cash flow, finding customers through door-to-door marketing and Google reviews, and learning from costly jobs. The conversation also covers dump trucks, trailers, competition, hiring, long hours, and the difference between owning equipment and building a sustainable business.

This episode is for students, young adults, tradespeople, and aspiring business owners weighing college, trade school, employment, or entrepreneurship.

Ben Sampica returns to Building The Future for the second half of our conversation about affordability and whether the American Dream remains within reach for young people and working families.

The group brings the question down to everyday math: buying a home with less than 20% down, PMI and first-time-buyer financing, emergency funds, credit cards, housing and utility costs, transportation, healthcare, food, and lifestyle choices. They also compare college, military service, and the trades while examining wages, job benefits, and what it takes to build a workable monthly budget.

Part 2 is for students, young adults, parents, and working families making decisions about careers, spending, healthcare, homeownership, and building a stable future.

Colby Elmitt, who runs Langel and Wood, joins Building The Future for a practical conversation about custom clothing, customer experience, and the business behind a well-made suit.

Colby explains the difference between suit jackets and sport coats, how fabric choices range from practical everyday options to luxury wools, and why measurements, fit, color, pattern, shoes, ties, and linings matter. The conversation also covers warm-weather and wrinkle-resistant fabrics, common suit mistakes, and why custom clothing is about confidence and service as much as appearance.

Colby also shares lessons from taking over a business, earning the trust of his colleagues, following his passion, and building an experience customers remember. This episode is for students, young adults, business owners, and anyone interested in craftsmanship, personal style, sales, or entrepreneurship.

Ben Sampica joins Building The Future for the first half of a two-part conversation about affordability and whether the American Dream remains within reach for young people and working families.

The group examines rising housing and living costs, household income, credit card debt, and the disappearance of affordable starter homes. They also discuss college versus the trades, lifestyle expectations, saving, sacrifice, and how career choices affect long-term financial stability.

Part 1 explores the pressures shaping everyday financial decisions and what students, young adults, parents, and working families should consider as they plan for education, work, homeownership, and a stable future.

Denny Deaken joins Luke Bristow for a practical conversation about tree care, jobsite safety, and the judgment behind deciding whether a tree should be protected or removed. Denny explains why healthy trees need thoughtful care, and why dead ash trees can remain dangerous even when they are still standing.

They discuss a climbing close call, safety standards, root damage caused by construction, and the challenges of building around massive trees on steep sites. Denny also shares stories about ancient oaks, tough mulberries, hidden tree-removal work, and what young people need to learn before entering the tree industry.

The conversation also turns to business: why quality, reputation, and satisfied customers can matter more than a large advertising budget. This episode offers a grounded look at professional tree work for students, tradespeople, builders, property owners, and anyone curious about caring for mature trees.

Peter Cooper joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, skilled trades, apprenticeships, hiring, education, and building a career that lasts.

Peter shares how he turned a layoff into an opportunity, the lessons he has learned from building businesses, and why your attitude, relationships, and willingness to keep learning matter just as much as your technical skills.

Whether you are a student exploring careers, a tradesperson looking to grow, or a business owner building a team, this episode is packed with practical advice and hard-earned perspective.

Josh Stover, owner of Stover’s Motors, joins us to share how he went from playing jazz saxophone and growing up in rural Iowa to building his own small-engine repair business.

Josh talks about trying different jobs before committing to a career, learning through mistakes, and recognizing the difference between aimless job hopping and purposeful career exploration. We also discuss the real grind behind succeeding in the trades, turning mower repair into a side hustle, starting with affordable tools, avoiding unnecessary debt, and upgrading equipment only when the work demands it.

Josh also explains how he uses AI to track down hard-to-find parts, why career changes should not be feared, and how he has learned to set boundaries when there is more work than he can handle.

This episode is a practical conversation about exploring your options, building useful skills, and creating a career one opportunity at a time.

The Building The Future Podcast is back with another conversation about work, discipline, career paths, and what it takes to build a future you can be proud of. Our guest this week is Wes Stover who has been a teacher in public education for decades.
In Episode 2, we continue exploring real stories from real people - the kind of conversations students and young adults need as they think about their next steps.
Whether you are interested in the trades, still figuring out your path, or just looking for practical wisdom from people who have been there, this episode is worth a listen.

In our very first episode, we sit down with Blake Haan, Executive Director of Building The Future, to talk about why skilled trades matter, why college is not the only path to success, and how young people can build real-world skills that lead to opportunity. We cover the mission behind Building The Future, the need for hands-on education, and what it means to prepare the next generation for meaningful work.