Why Smart People In the Skilled Trades Learn Online: Utradie

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🎧 In this episode:

Welcome back to Sparky Life, the podcast for those who build, wire, and power the world — and those who dare to rebuild the systems that train them.

This week, Lia is joined by Marc Webb, founder of YouTradie, a global mentorship and certification platform created by tradespeople, for tradespeople. From muddy boots to tech start-up visionary, Marc shares his story of frustration, burnout, and a big idea: What if there was a way to fix the broken system of trades training?

💥 Inside this episode:

• Why the “trial by fire” model of trades training is failing
• How YouTradie is empowering workers with mobile certification portfolios
• How burnout, poor mentorship, and weak onboarding cost us talent
• The silent crisis of tradespeople feeling trapped after 20 years
• Why white-collar platforms like LinkedIn don’t serve the blue-collar world
• The potential for global trades travel and workforce exchange
• How certified mentorship could become a side hustle for skilled workers
• The emotional burden of providing, switching paths, and starting over
• Why both men and women need independence through skilled trades

From career reinvention to international opportunity, this episode is about building the future of the trades from the inside out. Whether you’re just starting out, looking to level up, or feeling stuck — this one’s for you.

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome to Sparky Life

00:52 – Why Trades Training Is Broken

02:12 – Meet Marc Webb, Founder of YouTradie

05:11 – What Is YouTradie?

07:09 – From Field to Management: Marc’s Journey

08:48 – When Skill Isn’t Enough Without Communication

10:57 – The Moment That Sparked a Movement

13:40 – Making Mentorship a Monetizable Skill

17:04 – Why a Global Workforce Exchange Could Change Everything

22:00 – LinkedIn ≠ Blue Collar

28:00 – Why Tradespeople Undersell Themselves

34:00 – Gatekeeping, Scarcity, and the Knowledge Hoard

38:00 – A Call for Collaboration Over Competition

43:00 – Creating Safe Spaces for Real Feedback

46:30 – Why Education Is the Key

51:00 – Supporting Women in Trades & Financial Independence

55:00 – The Power of “Just Starting”

59:00 – How This Platform Could Change Lives (Globally)

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📲 Stay Connected:

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Transcript

Let me just say this: if podcast episodes were power tools, this one’s a jackhammer powered by espresso and Aussie wisdom.

In this laugh-and-learn jam session, host Lia Lamela welcomes back the delightfully grounded and grass-loving Marc Webb, founder of UTradie—the platform that’s like LinkedIn, but for people who actually build LinkedIn’s offices.

Right from the jump, Lia confesses the first interview was lost to the digital gremlins of bad Wi-Fi (we blame the koalas). But lucky us, because round two is even juicier.

🌱 Moving Mountains

Marc’s origin story is like if Rocky Balboa were born holding a shovel. Starting as a humble greenkeeper (yes, grass was literally his trade), Marc clawed his way to management by doing two buckets of mulch for every one someone else did. Competitive much? Yes. Inspiring? Also yes.

But once in management, Marc had an epiphany—he could do the work, but couldn’t explain it. The visual was there, the words… not so much. Enter: frustration, personal growth, and a ten-year software project born out of lawn clippings and a lot of passion.

📱 UTradie: The Toolbelt’s New Best Friend

Marc breaks down UTradie like it’s the Swiss Army knife of the skilled trades. It’s a certificate-holder, training-tracker, social mentorship space, and motivational coach all rolled into one. It’s like if your resume, your old journeyman, and YouTube had a baby… and it actually worked on-site.

Lia jumps in with 🔥 truth bombs about the skilled trades' lack of formal mentorship and how UTradie could actually fix that. Because let’s face it—asking for a raise without documented skills is like trying to cut conduit with a butter knife. Not effective.

🤝 Real Talk: Tradies, Mentors, and the Gatekeeping Dinosaur

The duo tackles that scarcity mindset dinosaur that’s been plaguing the trades since 2008—when journeymen started hiding knowledge like it was the last donut in the breakroom. Marc flips the script: knowledge-sharing doesn’t kill opportunity, it creates it. (And let’s be real—if you're still hoarding trade secrets, your apprentice probably learned it on TikTok already.)

👷‍♀️ The “Tradiefluencer” Movement

One of the best mic-drop moments? Marc’s call to elevate tradie influencers—not the kind doing dances in hard hats, but the unsung legends helping others, mentoring apprentices, and keeping the trades alive. If you’re tired of YouTube pranksters getting all the attention, this episode will restore your faith in internet humanity.

🛠️ Final Word

This episode is a rally cry for the trades. It's funny. It’s honest. It’s got soft skills, hard truths, and enough passion to wire a high-rise. Marc Webb is not just building a platform—he’s rebuilding the way we learn, mentor, and thrive in the trades.

And Lia? She’s the spark plug keeping it all lit 🔥.

Rating: 11/10 – Would recommend to anyone with a toolbox, a dream, or a dusty old resume.

🛠️ Listen now or forever be haunted by missed opportunities and a grass-stained empire that could’ve been yours.

Discover why the Sparky Life podcast episode with Marc Webb is a hilarious, heartfelt, and game-changing listen for anyone in the skilled trades. UTradie, koalas, and a ton of tradie wisdom await!

The Rise of Marc Webb

In this powerhouse episode of The Sparky Life, Lia Lamela sits down (again) with Marc Webb—tradie legend, software founder, and proof that mowing lawns can lead to tech entrepreneurship if you’ve got enough hustle (and mulch).

After a Wi-Fi snafu that can only be blamed on Australia’s koala-powered internet, Marc returns with an even deeper dive into UTradie, the digital toolbelt built for the blue-collar workforce. It’s like LinkedIn—but without the buzzwords, bad suits, or corporate humblebrags.

What Is UTradie? And Why Should You Care?

Imagine this:

• All your certifications in one place.
• Training modules you can actually understand.
• A mentor network where your biggest flex isn’t a résumé, it’s results.

Marc describes UTradie as "a thousand skills in your pocket"—a passport through every phase of your skilled trade journey. Whether you're an apprentice or a business owner juggling employees and tax panic attacks, UTradie is built to help you thrive, not just survive.

Funny, Smart, and Surprisingly Emotional

Marc’s storytelling is down-to-earth and hilarious. He admits he wasn’t the best in school, often staring out the window daydreaming about sports. But when it came to moving mulch or managing teams, he outworked everyone. He’s the guy who turned "two buckets for your one" into a life philosophy—and now into a software empire.

The episode is packed with laughs and real-life moments, like when Marc got promoted but couldn’t explain a project to a client without turning into a human shrug emoji. It’s relatable, it’s raw, and it’s refreshing.

Gatekeeping? That’s So 2008

Lia and Marc hit a huge issue head-on: older tradespeople gatekeeping knowledge because they’re afraid of being replaced. Here’s the tea—they won’t be. There’s too much work and not enough hands. Marc’s solution? Build a mentorship-based economy where experience becomes a side hustle, not a buried secret.

And yes, the internet is part of the problem—but UTradie might be the solution. Because what if tradies became the next big influencers? Not for product hauls or dance trends—but for changing the industry from the inside out.

Global Trades, Global Solutions

One of the most inspiring parts of the conversation is Marc’s vision of a global trades marketplace. Imagine a world where American electricians can find work in Australia, Aussie carpenters can connect with UK builders, and everyone speaks the universal language of "get it done."

Marc’s wife is Colombian. He’s worked around the world. And he’s building a platform that doesn’t just connect skills—it connects people.

Final Thoughts: This Episode Is More Than Just Talk

If you’re in the skilled trades—or even thinking about getting in—this episode is your wake-up call, coffee break, and TED Talk all rolled into one. Lia’s humor and energy pair perfectly with Marc’s grounded grit and inspiring vision.

Whether you’re an apprentice, a journeyman, a business owner, or a future "tradiefluencer," this conversation will light a fire under your high-vis pants.

TL;DR: Listen now. Share it with your crew. And download UTradie before your apprentice does.

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Ready to take your skills global? Check out the episode and join the movement where tradies build the future—and maybe even become the next big influencers (without ever having to do a TikTok dance).