Ryan (00:00:00) - And that's the biggest problem I see. Like with the younger generation, like me, they're only looking at that base star pay, and that's what people are not really explaining to them. So that's why I think there's a big lack of younger guys in the trade, because they don't really see how fast you can advance within this field compared to white collar jobs. They have you staggered for years until you advance. Yes. Maybe you'll get a raise every five years. Who knows? And that's a big if. Nowadays, with all this AI coming out, lots of white collar jobs are going to be replaced within the next 10 to 20 years. But tradespeople, we can never be replaced. Who can go out there in 100 degree attic and start working on your. The robots can explode up there.
Lia (00:00:48) - yes. Yes, this is so true. Welcome to the Sparky Life podcast. I'm your host, Leah Lamela, and here I share skilled trades conversations with those I've met along the way. Hello. Thank you for joining me.
Lia (00:01:17) - Today's guests I came across on Instagram. Ryan's reels on trades versus college are absolutely fabulous. He does a great job of introducing you to HVAC and what being an HVAC skilled tradesman is all about. He takes you on his journey as an apprentice in HVAC. So if you're interested in HVAC, I highly, highly recommend you check him out. It was wonderful to discover a young man in the know. Ryan has an entrepreneurial mind and because of this, he was clever in his approach to investigate what career paths were best to take as he transitioned out of high school. Ryan knows a career in HVAC is a blueprint for turning a trade into a thriving business. We are facing a shortage of 400,000 tradespeople in the next five years. It's a simple fact of supply and demand. If you're interested in being able to live a lifestyle that you desire. Investigating the skilled trades is the way to go. I remember being in high school and hearing people say, follow your passion. Follow your passion. How ridiculous. I really hate this saying, how are you supposed to follow your passion if you have no clue what your passion is? And the only way to discover what your passion is is to try as many things as possible.
Lia (00:02:59) - Unfortunately, the academic system is truly set up for you to fail. In one of my favorite books, The End of Average by Todd Rose. He goes into detail about the structure of our academic system, and the best way to set yourself up for success. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't necessarily change a thing, because who knows if I would have gotten to where I am now if I didn't take all these windy roads to get here. However, to my sisters and brothers that are just about to take the leap out of high school into the real world, it is truly in your best interest in 2024 to travel. Take as many different jobs that fit your fancy. Investigate skilled trades. Unless you are dead set on becoming a lawyer. And even if that's the case, I would recommend shadowing a lawyer or actually going to see what type of law you'd be interested in because, hey, I mean, I went to college to be a psychiatrist. I was going to cure mental illness.
Lia (00:04:19) - And my love for psychology and the human mind certainly hasn't gone anywhere. If anything, it's only grown and expanded. I am completely a neuroscience geek. However, wanting to be a psychiatrist and actually being a psychiatrist are two completely different things. It is so important for you to know you, and the only way you're going to know that is by trying a whole bunch of things. There's a very few of us who know at an early age, with certainty what they want to do with their lives. And for those of us, the majority of us that doesn't have a clue, being active in as many different fields as possible, traveling the world and exploring the skilled trades is truly a great way to set yourself up for success. Ryan figured this out, and I am still so impressed that he managed to do this without any instruction from his high school counselors, without any family in the skilled trades all on his own. So don't listen to what I'm telling you. Google it. Research it. You might discover exactly what Ryan did.
Lia (00:05:47) - Welcome with me. Today's guest, Ryan. Trades versus college. Ryan, thank you so much for being on the Sparky Life. I was introduced to you via your amazing reels regarding trades versus college. What made you start the Instagram Reels about the skilled trades?
Ryan (00:06:11) - Hi. Thank you for having me on the podcast today. So what made me started was the social media and all I saw there was a lack of younger guys like me putting out content. So my goal is to really empower the younger generation to do better. That's how I started.
Lia (00:06:28) - That leads me into. So how old are you?
Ryan (00:06:30) - I'm 18.
Lia (00:06:31) - Oh, yes, you're right there. And how did you get introduced to the skilled trades?
Ryan (00:06:37) - Really? I'm first generation. I went, I shadowed some companies. I went to 4 to 5 different trade schools. I would sit in the classroom for the day, scope things out, see how it is working with my hands. And I did a bunch of research. I saw that we're going to be down 400,000 tradesmen within the next five years.
Ryan (00:06:57) - So I saw a big opportunity for me to really step in and make a change.
Lia (00:07:02) - Well that's fantastic. You are intelligent beyond your years. So basically, was your high school, did it have skilled trades like how? Okay, I remember I'm 18 and everybody's talking about going to college and I didn't even know skilled trades existed. So how did you make the connection?
Ryan (00:07:24) - So basically I'm in New York. We have limited space. And also we don't really have any shops or whatever in schools, which I'm trying to change. Basically, I've been an entrepreneur since a young age. So after doing lots of research, I saw that you can easily be a business owner within the trades field. So after doing research on research, I decided to go away HVAC. You could do anything with it. You you learn a little bit of plumbing, electrical. So the list goes on and on. You can take it as high as you want.
Lia (00:07:56) - That is awesome. You're right. In New York, I'm in New Jersey, I am.
Lia (00:07:59) - Oh. So enjoy. Yeah, I am so hanging out to collab.
Ryan (00:08:05) - I go to East Sweet College and Nutley. I'm in Staten Island.
Lia (00:08:09) - Yeah, that I'm right in Haldon. So northern Jersey. I'm like right there. Yeah. All right. That is pretty badass because you're 100% correct. If you have an entrepreneur streak, the skill trades is ideal and you picked a great trade. HVAC is very desirable.
Ryan (00:08:28) - And my goal is to not only get my license in HVAC, but in electrical and plumbing.
Lia (00:08:34) - Oh, nice. That is a big goal.
Ryan (00:08:39) - Definitely.
Lia (00:08:40) - You share a lot on social media about your classes and what you're doing. Yeah. What are some of the tips and tricks you've come across that has helped you?
Ryan (00:08:52) - So the biggest tip I want to tell to the young guys is know what you know. Don't overcomplicate things. So if you encounter a challenge, do one step at a time. Have a routine of how you do your checks and how you go about doing things.
Ryan (00:09:09) - Don't just go guessing. Don't go putting your probes wherever. Have a routine. Get it down. Don't just assume things. Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't think you know it all because we don't. We have to learn something new every day. So that's really the biggest tip I have. No way, you know.
Lia (00:09:29) - That's great. And what's your experience like at the school you're at currently?
Ryan (00:09:35) - Really the school is great because we have a 50, 50, 50% theory and 50% hands on. And I'm blessed to have an awesome teacher who actually takes me on some of his refrigeration side jobs and actually went down to R in Chicago with him. So it's really a great school.
Lia (00:09:53) - That's fantastic. That's great.
Ryan (00:09:56) - Most of these other schools I visited, they mainly do theory like 75%. So there's a lack of hands on.
Lia (00:10:03) - Yeah. You you picked a great school because not having hands on is pretty useless.
Ryan (00:10:09) - Yeah. You could learn that on YouTube.
Lia (00:10:14) - The theory in general.
Lia (00:10:18) - Sometimes it's hard with social media. You don't know what you don't know. So if you are totally brand new green, you could get some misinformation. Yeah. HVAC in particular. What is something that you learned about HVAC that you had no idea about before.
Ryan (00:10:37) - That Freon is called refrigerant. Like I said, I'm first generation, so I had no idea about anything about trays or anything.
Lia (00:10:48) - Me too.
Ryan (00:10:49) - I'm a fast learner. If you show me once or twice, I got it.
Lia (00:10:52) - That's great.
Ryan (00:10:53) - Also, guys, have confidence in yourself.
Lia (00:10:55) - I love that. Is there anything about HVAC that you could teach me? Something small for a novice? Like whether or not I could notice if something is wrong with my HVAC, what could it possibly be? Or something that you could walk me through.
Ryan (00:11:14) - So the biggest thing I would say is you need to know on HVAC is how the refrigeration cycle works. You have your compressor, the condenser, your evaporator, and the metering device. If you know the refrigeration cycle by heart, you can walk into any interview.
Ryan (00:11:32) - You explain that fully from top to bottom. They'll hire you right on the spot. Basically, without the refrigeration cycle. We have no AC, none of that.
Lia (00:11:40) - Okay, so that's how it works. It's the refrigeration refrigeration cycle.
Ryan (00:11:44) - Yeah. You have your suction, your discharge line. Just if you have a let's say your your AC is not cooling, for example, simple thing you could do is walk outside to your condenser. You feel the suction line and discharge line if you could feel them. If one is not cold and one is not hot, then you know you have a problem.
Lia (00:12:05) - Okay, that's a really great tip.
Ryan (00:12:07) - That's a simple tip right there. That's how you know you have a refrigerant either shortage or leaks. Something's not right.
Lia (00:12:15) - Then I'd basically be calling you.
Ryan (00:12:20) - I mean, it's really simple. Once you understand the concept of everything, just don't overcomplicate anything.
Lia (00:12:27) - Okay. How many gentlemen do you have in your class?
Ryan (00:12:31) - It's not a big class. I would say it's ten of us.
Ryan (00:12:33) - That's another thing I like most of these other schools. Those like 30 guys. Too big of an environment.
Lia (00:12:40) - Yeah, I agree with you completely. I would say that's a huge advantage. You get a lot of one on one time with the teachers. Okay. Are there any females?
Lia (00:12:49) - Nope. Nope.
Ryan (00:12:50) - I mean, not in the day class. Maybe they have in the night class.
Lia (00:12:54) - But not in your class anyway. That's another.
Ryan (00:12:55) - Big problem. Yeah, we need some more women in the trades like you.
Lia (00:13:00) - Yes, well, I'm already there. I'm an electrician.
Ryan (00:13:03) - Shout out all my sparky's out there. Yeah, there you go.
Lia (00:13:08) - So I agree with you completely for the same reasons that you enjoy. It is the same reasons that I enjoy. So I love working with my hands, the confidence, the independence that it brings and the money.
Ryan (00:13:24) - I can't forget that for my young guys out there, the money is always going to come. Even if you're starting at a low wage.
Ryan (00:13:32) - Show them that you really know your shit and you'll get up there really quick.
Lia (00:13:37) - That's true.
Ryan (00:13:38) - And a lot of people don't view it like that. These young guys, for example, they start off at 20, but they don't like that right away. They want to start off at 2530. Just give it a few months. Show them that you're about your stuff. You're not playing games and show them your work. That's what it's all about.
Lia (00:13:55) - Yes, a lot of people are told that if you go to university, you'll be making a higher salary off the gate, but that is not accurate. And although in skilled trades, most of the time, depending on the trade, you could start off at anywhere from as low as $14 an hour to as high as $22 an hour. And for most, a wow, that's such a small place to begin, right? How am I going to pay my bills? How am I going to move forward? Well, within six months your salary can go up more than 5%.
Lia (00:14:32) - There's no other career that can do that. I started at 18 and in six months I went to 22, and by the year I was making 25. And then in two years, I doubled my salary, my annual salary. You can't you can't do that in any other career that I'm aware of.
Ryan (00:14:50) - And that's the biggest problem I see. Like with the younger generation, like me, they're only looking at that base star pay, and that's what people are not really explaining to them. So that's why I think there's a big lack of younger guys in the trade, because they don't really see how fast you can advance within this field compared to white collar jobs. They have you staggered for years until you advance. Yes. Maybe you'll get a raise every five years. Who knows? And that's a big if. Nowadays, with all this AI coming out, lots of white collar jobs are going to be replaced within the next 10 to 20 years. But tradespeople, we can never be replaced. Who can go out there in 100 degree attic and start working on your.
Ryan (00:15:34) - The robots can explode up there.
Lia (00:15:38) - yes, yes, this is so true as advancement happens with AI. The great thing about it for skilled trades and especially for women in skilled trades, is the tools advance, right? So you can maneuver things with less brute strength by utilizing these electronic advances. And as you so wonderfully stated, you can't remove the human aspect in skilled trades. No matter how much advancement you have with AI.
Ryan (00:16:11) - That's for sure.
Lia (00:16:12) - Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Ryan (00:16:15) - I have a brother. He lives in Florida.
Lia (00:16:17) - Is he older or younger?
Ryan (00:16:19) - Older. He's 22.
Lia (00:16:21) - And what does he do?
Ryan (00:16:22) - He's still in college right now.
Lia (00:16:24) - He's still in college. Have you talked to him about your decision and why you chose the skilled trades? Yeah. And what did he say?
Ryan (00:16:31) - He supports me, of course. I mean, it's not for everyone. Everyone has their own path in life.
Lia (00:16:36) - I agree with you. So that's the biggest thing, right? Is that there are many different career paths you can take.
Lia (00:16:44) - So you could go to college, you could do skilled trades, you could just start working. You could do an internship, you could study abroad. Like there are so many ways to figure out where you want to go. But definitely I am partial to the skilled trades route because I'm sure you're aware it can go from being on the field to actually being in the office, to owning your own business, to building a company.
Ryan (00:17:18) - That's another thing a lot of people don't understand. They think this field is hard core labor the rest of your life, but you could really go a million different ways about it. Eventually. You could be that boss, whatever in the office. So you don't have to be out there your whole life.
Lia (00:17:32) - How many of your friends in high school did you talk about the skilled trades with?
Ryan (00:17:38) - Most of them were doing the college route. It was only a couple. I'd say a handful. I know a couple in school right now for,, electricians like you. One of their dads has their own plumbing business, so only a few.
Lia (00:17:52) - Now, why do you think that is?
Ryan (00:17:54) - There's really a lack of explanations, like in the schools about the trades. They're mainly pushing college, college, college. So I'm trying to change that.
Lia (00:18:04) - Yes. You and me both. That's why I love your reels. Because you're showing how much fun, how exciting, all the different things you can learn. And I think that that's incredible.
Ryan (00:18:16) - Another thing is you don't necessarily have to go to trade school. Let's say you can't afford it or whatever the circumstances are. Reach out to all your local companies. They might be able to take you on and actually train you on the job, depending where you're located. Or they also have union apprenticeships that open up once a year. You have to take a written exam if you pass that, then they accept you into a five year apprenticeship. So there's a bunch of ways you could go about it. You could start off as a helper. You don't even need experience and work your way up within the company.
Ryan (00:18:48) - So there's really no cap to this. You could you could take it any way you want.
Lia (00:18:53) - Yes, I went the Union route. That's how I stepped in. And I did my apprenticeship through the union because I wasn't in a position to pay, and they paid me to work and paid me to go to school.
Ryan (00:19:06) - Luckily, I got a few scholarships, so it wasn't that bad, but I just applied to a few apprenticeships, federal and state. So we'll see how that goes.
Lia (00:19:15) - Yeah, there you go. No, one way is the right way. You have to pick the right way for you. So that just happened to work out for me. And currently I am working non-union. So that's another important point I want to make. You can start off on one path in the skilled trades, and if you want to change course, you can easily do that for sure.
Ryan (00:19:37) - And this field, no one's tying you down to anything. You could pick up another thing. You can move across country and you'll find a job anywhere.
Ryan (00:19:44) - I can move down to Alaska right now or wherever. Africa and China. And I'll have a job.
Lia (00:19:50) - Yes. That's the one of the huge advantages that I love about the skilled trades.
Ryan (00:19:56) - Yeah.
Lia (00:19:57) - Do you plan on traveling?
Ryan (00:20:00) - Possibly, if I have time, I already. I already barely have time to do anything.
Lia (00:20:05) - Well, right now, in the beginning this is true. But as you advance, you'll find that you'll get systems down and efficiency. And you'll be able to do things. You're clearly very intelligent. I know you're going to move far and move fast.
Ryan (00:20:19) - I've been selling things on e-commerce for the past 4 or 5 years, ever since Covid started. So that's how I really started.
Lia (00:20:26) - That's great. And what got you there? Were you watching YouTube videos and just home?
Ryan (00:20:31) - And so basically like, you know, in in our schools we don't really have those shops or anything. So I was fortunate enough to be in a corporate center my entire middle school and high school. We would have a program for a business class.
Ryan (00:20:45) - So we would actually make a mark on businesses. We would launch a product, we would have the CEO call, write a business plans, go present these,, in front of judges and different tradeshows. So that's how it all started.
Lia (00:21:03) - That is fucking awesome. I am so jealous. My high school had none of that shit. We had no skill trades. That's brilliant.
Ryan (00:21:14) - The programs called Virtual enterprise, they're worldwide.
Lia (00:21:17) - Wow. Text me their link or contact so I can put it in the show notes below for sure.
Ryan (00:21:24) - Okay, cool. And you could see the list of schools that are there., I think they're in a few schools in Jersey as well.
Lia (00:21:31) - Wow, that is amazing. What a great opportunity. Yeah. Okay. Now what is something that you wish you could change about the skilled trades environment?
Ryan (00:21:45) - Wish I can change really how these young people perceive the trades. It shouldn't be perceived as oh, you're going to lose 20 years of your life. This is terrible. It's too much labor.
Ryan (00:22:00) - That's really not the case. So I want to change how people perceive the trades because it's a misconception.
Lia (00:22:08) - How are your classmates? What is it like interacting with your classmates in this setting, as opposed to your high school setting.
Ryan (00:22:16) - A big upgrade? Everyone's more mature. Obviously. Everyone's there to learn and we all work together.
Lia (00:22:24) - That's great.
Ryan (00:22:24) - Push each other up.
Lia (00:22:26) - So you have good camaraderie with your.
Ryan (00:22:29) - Okay, we all we all have a group chat.
Lia (00:22:31) - We communicate I love that. That's great. Yeah. Regarding HVAC in. Tequila. Why would you say that? That's a desirable trade path other than the fact that we need HVAC. What are some other benefits, particularly to that trade?
Ryan (00:22:52) - First, let me start off with no disrespect to my Sparky's, but I think we have way too many Sparky's out there right now. But hey, if you're an HVAC, you still learn electrical, plumbing, welding, a little bit of everything. So really, that's why I chose this path.
Ryan (00:23:09) - Like I said, you could you learn a little bit of everything.
Lia (00:23:13) - That is true. HVAC is one of the skilled trades that you get a larger knowledge base in other trades as well. It's it's funny.
Ryan (00:23:25) - So electricians can work on HVAC stuff, but HVAC guys can work on electrical things.
Lia (00:23:32) - Yes, that's why Sparky's an HVAC. Have a little tip sometimes, depending on the trade. Because as Sparky's, we like to take control over anything electrical. When you started this path and the types of things you're learning, was there any point that you were like, okay, maybe I can't do this. It's too hard.
Ryan (00:24:00) - Definitely not. It's all a mindset. I don't recommend for anyone to think like that. Really. If you don't understand something, read your books further. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You're at school for a reason. You're either you're paying or you're getting a scholarship or whatever it is. You're there to absorb everything like a sponge. So ask a hundred questions. Make sure you really understand the understand the concept of things.
Ryan (00:24:25) - Don't just do things. I see plenty of guys in my school doing things just to do things, but they don't really want to understand the concept of how things work. Once you understand the basics and the concepts of how everything works, you have no problem. I could go work on a huge commercial unit, chillers, whatever I want, as long as I know the basic concept of how it works, then you're set to work on anything you want.
Lia (00:24:49) - You hit another key here. So as I have moved through my electrical path, I noticed exactly what you said. Even journeymen, even guys who've been in the industry three decades, they don't understand the actual concept. It's only like monkey see monkey do. So they've been trained to do it this way and operate under these circumstances. But they don't actually understand the application.
Ryan (00:25:16) - Yeah. And that's another reason why I went to school, was to actually understand the concepts even it's okay if you're doing basic stuff, but once you understand that concept, build a foundation, then you can conquer the world.
Lia (00:25:30) - Yes, 100%. Dead on, dead on. I think that that is big key in skilled trades and moving forward.
Ryan (00:25:41) - And that's what's going to really set you apart from others within the trade.
Lia (00:25:45) - Oh yeah. Big time, big time. You're obviously on this amazing journey that you've been kind enough to share with the world. Yeah. Do you have any advice you would give somebody who is interested in walking a similar path?
Ryan (00:26:05) - Advice, definitely. If you're still in high school and you're confused, I recommend you try reaching out to your local companies. Give them all calls. See if you can shadow for a couple of days, volunteer whatever you would like to call it. See if you actually like the field. Try working with your hands for a week or two. See how it is. Just ask if you can volunteer.
Lia (00:26:27) - Okay? That's great. You're very successful for being so young and your mindset is absolutely fantastic. What tool is in your tool belt? What's one thing that you wake up with every day that has helped you come so far, so fast?
Ryan (00:26:46) - One, so that's a hard one.
Ryan (00:26:50) - So what I do is I write down all my goals on paper, and I like to hang it up on my room where wherever I visually see it each day. And that's an important thing. Make sure you write down your goals, guys, because that really helps you push towards your goals. And I also go to the gym five days a week.
Lia (00:27:10) - That's excellent, I love that. Okay. Hide your goals in front of you. Be healthy. Exercise. Right.
Ryan (00:27:18) - Health as well.
Lia (00:27:19) - That's right, that's right.
Ryan (00:27:21) - And that's another thing. Over 75% of tradespeople are obese.
Lia (00:27:27) - Yes. But is that because of working in the skilled trades, or is that because of their choices?
Ryan (00:27:35) - It's choices. Everything comes down to choices. It's your body. You choose how you want to go about.
Lia (00:27:41) - Because I've been working in the skilled trades and I've never looked this good in all my life. It's like a free gym.
Ryan (00:27:49) - You look great. Thank you. You're in your 20s right now, so you have plenty of time ahead of you.
Lia (00:27:55) - What do you think we could do to convince more gals to join the skilled trades?
Ryan (00:28:01) - We definitely need gals like you to keep pushing content out there. I think everything comes down to social media these days because everyone's scrolling through Tik Tok, Instagram, whatever it is. I think there's a lack of awareness out there. We also need more people coming into these high schools, middle schools, really showing presentations and what it's all about. It all starts there.
Lia (00:28:25) - I had this amazing girl, viola on the show. She's 12 and she does HVAC.
Ryan (00:28:31) - Oh, is that just work HVAC?
Lia (00:28:34) - It might be. It might be. Her Instagram handle is kicking it and fixing it because she she does like jujitsu and karate and things like that.
Ryan (00:28:44) - That's his daughter.
Lia (00:28:45) - And she said that the reason that a lot of the kids in her age group don't know about skilled trades is because on social media, they don't see anything about it.
Ryan (00:28:59) - I just made another page called Next-Gen Blue Collar, where I'm going to be pushing out podcasts.
Lia (00:29:04) - I like next gen Blue Collar. I think that's a great name. Give me the link and the information of when you're launching, and I can add all of that information below. Thank you very much for coming on the Sparky life. You're a pleasure and inspiration. I think having men like you as role models in the skilled trades is very important.
Ryan (00:29:25) - Thank you for having me on here today.
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