The Trillion-Dollar Career Shift (No One Saw Coming)

Contrarians,

Have you noticed? The internet is thirstier for tradespeople than a houseplant in the Sahara. Roofing isn’t just about fixing shingles anymore; it’s an aphrodisiac.

All jokes aside, the trades are quickly becoming a dynamic alternative for those seeking purpose and ownership.

They’re not for everyone, but for those willing to get their hands dirty — or invest in those who do — there’s a movement building that’s damn near impossible to ignore…

Today in 5 minutes or less:

✔️ Why Gen Z is Ditching Desks for Drills

✔️ A Beautifully Dangerous Truth (You Need To Know)

✔️ Here's Why The Hell You Should Care

Why Gen Z is Ditching Desks for Drills

Let us let you in on a little story...

For years, the narrative went something like this: graduate high school, go to college, go into debt, land an office job, and ride the escalator of life. Some of you probably even got rich doing it. But what happens when the escalator breaks?

For a growing movement, the answer is clear: grab the tools to fix it — or build the business that does. Enter, these rascals:

Steven was a painter who started a business with something like $12 to his name (today it has hundreds of franchise locations across the US).

Brandon and Carter were corporate guys living corporate lives. Then they got laid off and thought: Hell, trade workers aren’t out of work like we are… Let’s start a blue-collar service business. So they started Pink’s Window Services.

Together, they’ve grown ResiBrands into something incredible. (It’s still early innings, which is why we became part-owners in their businesses.) More importantly, there’s A LOT you can learn from them…

A Generation Deprived of Vitamin D

Here’s the truth: Millennials and Zoomers are petri dish generations. Test subjects. The first generations with computers in their pockets, offices in their hands, and “teams” based in 16 time zones. Check out this data from Jobber’s Gen Z survey:

In some ways, we were sold a lie: That working for big corporations (and typing all day long) was the only modern path to wealth and happiness. It’s not. Mike Rowe put it beautifully:

“People with dirty jobs are happier than you think. As a group, they are the happiest people I know… These are balanced people who do unthinkable work. They have this amazing sort of symmetry to their life.”

Next time you have an electrician or plumber over, ask them if they’d rather be sitting in a cubicle all day. On top of that, ask yourself: “What if, in the future, more of them could have ownership in the companies they work for, leading to even better outcomes for their families?”

That’s the kind of thing that interests us. But here’s why this story matters: Steven, Carter, and Brandon are part of a growing movement rewriting what “success” looks like in the 21st century.

A movement built around:

1. Financial Freedom With Less Debt: While college-bound peers are staring down six-figure loans, tradespeople are often earning respectable incomes within a year or two of training.
   
   
2. Tangible Results: Trades give you something corporate jobs rarely do — a sense of profound accomplishment. Build a cabinet, wire a home, or fix a leak, and you’ve made a real, visible impact.
   
   
3. A Cool Factor: Seriously. Hard hats are just cooler than briefcases. It’s not just about utility; it’s about owning your craft and looking damn well dignified doing it.

It’s why we placed a bet on this trend and drove hot tradesmen ads around NYC. Ridiculous? Hell yeah.

Here’s the issue: America’s trades are critically understaffed. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 77% of contractors are struggling to fill skilled positions.

• Construction: We'll need to hire hundreds of thousands more construction workers to meet our nation's needs.
  
  
• Plumbing: The U.S. is expected to be 550,000 short by 2027.
  
  
• HVAC: The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment to grow 9% through 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.

These labor shortages and trends aren’t just an inconvenience; they’re a trillion-dollar problem.

The Beautifully Dangerous Truth

Beyond the numbers, there’s something deeply human about the trades. In a world where so much work happens in the abstract — emails, spreadsheets, Zoom calls — the trades are gloriously concrete. They’re about solving real-world problems for real-world people.

Take the viral social media trend: tradesmen recording “a day in the life” videos, showcasing their work, the camaraderie, and… let’s be honest, their jawlines. For what it’s worth, Pink’s has the sharpest tradesmen around… We’re only a little biased since we’re part owners.

It’s funny. But it also highlights something deeper: people are craving authenticity, and the trades deliver that in spades. They’re not just jobs; they’re crafts. Callings. Careers that build communities and keep society running.

Let’s not sugarcoat it though: the trades ARE NOT for everyone. Not even close. The work is hard — physically and mentally — and these businesses can fail badly, like any other. Here’s what doesn’t make it into those Instagram highlights:

1. Physical Demands: Tradespeople often work long hours in extreme conditions. Whether it’s roofing under the blazing sun, logging on a steep hillside, brushing off spiders in a cramped space, or fixing pipes in sub-zero temperatures, the work can be grueling.
   
   
2. Mental Strain: Managing client expectations, tight deadlines, and unpredictable schedules can take a toll. There’s a reason why tradespeople rank among the professions most at risk for burnout.
   
   
3. Emotional Challenges: It’s not all camaraderie and high-fives. Jobs can get canceled, clients can be unreasonable, and small business owners in the trades often find themselves juggling the roles of marketer, accountant, and HR manager.
   
   
4. Financial Hurdles: The trades have opportunity, yes — but success isn’t automatic. It takes skill, strategy, and often, ownership to truly breakthrough. For every plumber making bank, there are others struggling to make ends meet.
   
   
5. Social Stigma: While attitudes are changing, there’s still a lingering bias against blue-collar work. Some tradespeople report feeling undervalued, despite their essential contributions.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to be the one on the ladder or holding the wrench to be part of this movement. Own a trades-focused business. Build tools and systems that power the people doing the work. There are countless ways to roll up your metaphorical sleeves and make an impact.

Why The Hell You Should Care

While trade schools have long been overshadowed by four-year universities, that’s changing. Enrollment in vocational programs is rising. Why? Gen Z is practical:

But the trades aren’t just trending because they’re more affordable. They’re part of a broader cultural shift that includes:

1. Sustainability: Younger generations are proving hard hats and vegans can coexist. whether it’s retrofitting homes for efficiency or building wind farms.
   
   
2. DIY Culture: Wielding a hammer is no longer just functional — it’s aspirational.
   
   
3. Rejection of Tech Fatigue: You can only stare at a screen for so long before your soul starts buffering.

This is quickly turning into a rebellion against a world that values Instagram filters over real-world skills. It’s a return to what matters. So, if 2025 is the year of the trades, what’s coming down the pipe? (Pun absolutely intended.) Here are a few predictions:

• Tech-Enhancements: Software and sensors will collide at the heart of America’s economy — Main Street — which will become an epicenter of innovation.
  
  
• Media-Driven Trade Businesses: The roofer with 500,000 followers isn’t just going to get more business fixing shingles — they’re going to create a business selling tools and expertise.
  
  
• Policy Pushes: Governments will look to rebuild the workforce that builds everything else. Look for more funding for apprenticeships and public awareness.

This is shaping up to be a perfect collision of practicality, purpose, and cultural momentum. The trades are building a future where more people can point to something real at the end of the day and say, “I did that.”

Red, white, and Blue-Collar. Here’s to a new generation bringing dignity back to work.

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The information contained here is educational, may not be typical, and does not guarantee returns. Background, education, effort, and application will affect your experience and the profitability of any business. Individual results may vary.

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