Todd Miller:

I'm Todd Miller of Isaiah Industries, manufacturer

Todd Miller:

of specialty metal roofing and other building materials.

Todd Miller:

Today, my co host is Ethan Young.

Todd Miller:

Ethan, you haven't been on here in a while.

Todd Miller:

We've missed you.

Todd Miller:

How you

Ethan Young:

I've, uh, I'm doing good.

Ethan Young:

I've kind of avoided it, I guess.

Ethan Young:

Nah, I'm just kidding.

Todd Miller:

Avoided it.

Ethan Young:

No, we always have a, have a good time talking to a lot of

Ethan Young:

interesting people and, you know, hearing their stories and their perspectives.

Ethan Young:

So glad to be back.

Todd Miller:

Glad you're here.

Todd Miller:

Well, yeah, it's kind of like a life sentence being on the show.

Todd Miller:

So we're glad you're here.

Todd Miller:

So I do have a question for you.

Ethan Young:

Yeah.

Todd Miller:

Why did the pony ask for a glass of water?

Ethan Young:

Cause his throat was a little hoarse.

Todd Miller:

Because it was a little horse.

Todd Miller:

Good one.

Todd Miller:

I was going to be disappointed if you didn't get that, so I'm glad you got that.

Todd Miller:

So as a reminder to our audience, once again on this episode, we

Todd Miller:

are doing our challenge words.

Todd Miller:

And that means that each one of us on the show today has been given a special word

Todd Miller:

or phrase by one of the others that we are challenged to work into the conversation

Todd Miller:

somehow as seamlessly as possible.

Todd Miller:

And at the end of the show, we will Reveal what our words were and whether

Todd Miller:

we were successful or not, and you, the audience, all along can be guessing

Todd Miller:

what our challenge words might be.

Todd Miller:

So, Ethan, you ready to go?

Ethan Young:

Yeah, I'm ready.

Ethan Young:

Let's do it.

Todd Miller:

Okay.

Todd Miller:

So, how do you prepare an industry as wide and varied as construction for the future?

Todd Miller:

Um, that's a great question.

Todd Miller:

And our guest today is someone with years of leadership experience who is, who is

Todd Miller:

preparing our industry for the future.

Todd Miller:

And he sees that as his burning passion.

Todd Miller:

Today's guest is Mr. Clyde King of Buckhannon, West Virginia.

Todd Miller:

Clyde, I want to say, served in the U. S. Marine Corps for eight years.

Todd Miller:

Thanks so much for your service, Clyde.

Todd Miller:

And then he entered the AEC trades focused on commercial construction, where he has

Todd Miller:

built a career over the last 30 years.

Todd Miller:

Someone who loves a challenge, Clyde has spent his recent years focused on

Todd Miller:

mentoring and training younger folks in our industry, helping to continue the

Todd Miller:

legacy of those in construction of, you know, those great folks in construction

Todd Miller:

who have built and grown our nation.

Todd Miller:

Clyde, welcome to Construction Disruption.

Todd Miller:

Pleasure to have you today as our guest.

Clyde King:

Glad to be here.

Clyde King:

Thank you for having me.

Todd Miller:

Well, again, I want to thank you for your service to our country.

Todd Miller:

That means a great deal to us.

Todd Miller:

And, um, one thing I noted, I thought was really interesting was that you

Todd Miller:

were a drummer in the U. S. Marine Corps Field Drum and Bugle Corps.

Todd Miller:

Um, before we start talking about carpentry and construction, tell us a

Todd Miller:

little bit what that was like to be in the, uh, Field Drum and Bugle Corps.

Clyde King:

It was an honor.

Clyde King:

Um, we got music.

Clyde King:

I've been playing drums.

Clyde King:

Well, Probably since I was in first grade, so like seven, and I just turned 60.

Todd Miller:

Wow,

Clyde King:

um, but no, I mean, I was always loved, um, marching

Clyde King:

field shows in junior high.

Clyde King:

I believe we went to see eighth and I, um, for a Friday evening parade.

Clyde King:

And I was like, you know what, if I can do it.

Clyde King:

That's what I want to do.

Clyde King:

So my junior year, I took an audition and was accepted on a music guarantee.

Clyde King:

And then after graduation, um, I went to Parris Island, then

Clyde King:

went to the school, naval school of music at Norfolk, Virginia.

Clyde King:

It's Little Creek's, the, the base, Little Creek Amputee Base is where the school is.

Clyde King:

Then from there, um, back then, they kind of had different things with heighth,

Clyde King:

and me being on the short side, I didn't go to eighth and I. I went to 29 Palms,

Clyde King:

to the Field Drum Corps, and spent from, I was out there from 1984 through 1990.

Todd Miller:

that had to have been pretty interesting and cool because everyone is

Todd Miller:

just marveled whenever they see any of the USMC music groups and just amazing.

Todd Miller:

So thank you.

Todd Miller:

That's fantastic.

Todd Miller:

If I'm not mistaken Maybe I'm drawing off of memory wrong here West Virginia

Todd Miller:

kind of has a bit of a storied history with drum and bugle corps groups

Todd Miller:

Don't they aren't there a number of real solid ones that have come out

Todd Miller:

of West Virginia over the years?

Clyde King:

Back in the 70s, I believe, um, Pennsylvania, And like, uh, like the

Clyde King:

Garfield cadets were out of Garfield, New Jersey, Pennsylvania had to cross,

Clyde King:

been in a couple other smaller cores, but like you're a lot of your class A cores,

Clyde King:

your open class DCI cores were mainly Midwest, West coast, and then East coast.

Todd Miller:

Yeah, cool.

Todd Miller:

Neat stuff.

Todd Miller:

I always enjoy watching that.

Todd Miller:

I was never anywhere close to that level of a musician, but, uh, amazing.

Todd Miller:

So, throughout your career, um, you have worked on a lot of areas

Todd Miller:

including carpentry, estimating, quality control, being a foreman.

Todd Miller:

Um, can you give us kind of an overview of your career after

Todd Miller:

you left the Marine Corps?

Clyde King:

Well, after I had moved back home to PA and went to work for.

Clyde King:

A subcontractor that was doing, uh, metal studs and drywall, they happened to be

Clyde King:

subbing to a job for my dad's company.

Clyde King:

Dad left the architectural firm that he was with and became part

Clyde King:

owner of a general contractor.

Clyde King:

And then throughout those 14 years, I was with the non union side.

Clyde King:

Um, everybody kept saying, it's like, why don't you just go into the GC side and

Clyde King:

take over for your dad when he retires?

Clyde King:

Well, there's, there's a story there or why I didn't, because me and one of the

Clyde King:

other owners, we kind of grew up together and we'd, we'd have been button heads.

Clyde King:

So I was like, no.

Todd Miller:

Sometimes we know when a recipe is not made for something good.

Clyde King:

So I just kind of, but I went to work.

Clyde King:

For actually, it started out as a labor with them, but from my

Clyde King:

background with design and everything from dad and then plus working

Clyde King:

in the summers when I was home.

Clyde King:

Um, it's a Boy Scout camp and that we did be doing carpentry working at

Clyde King:

there on the camp for the Boy Scouts.

Clyde King:

Um, the foreman knew my background.

Clyde King:

I spent a week as a laborer and then I was in tools.

Clyde King:

And then within three years I was running, oh, an eight or nine hundred

Clyde King:

thousand dollar interior project.

Todd Miller:

And that was, uh, that was the start of what led to a whole lot more.

Clyde King:

Oh, yeah.

Clyde King:

Yeah, I was with that company for 14 years and finally had enough

Clyde King:

of a project manager and he wasn't giving, he wasn't supporting the

Clyde King:

field superintendents at all.

Clyde King:

And I had enough.

Clyde King:

I went to the owner.

Clyde King:

It's like, either he goes or I go.

Clyde King:

He was like, well, he just, I was like, he doesn't need to be in a position he's in.

Clyde King:

He doesn't know what he's doing.

Clyde King:

And I went to the foreman.

Clyde King:

I said, Friday's my last day.

Clyde King:

And he goes like, where are you going?

Clyde King:

Says, I don't know yet, but by Friday, I'll have another job.

Clyde King:

And I did.

Clyde King:

I went to work as a superintendent for another interior company.

Clyde King:

superintendent had

Clyde King:

a heart attack.

Clyde King:

So they just, I just finished up a million dollar project under them on another site.

Clyde King:

And I was like, well, you know everything that's going on because you

Clyde King:

handled all the subs on that project.

Clyde King:

So we'll just pay you 28 hours a week from us.

Clyde King:

You know, as a ticket, and then, you know, the company

Clyde King:

can cover your remaining hours.

Clyde King:

So, that, that project, I was kind of bouncing between

Clyde King:

the GC side and the sub side.

Clyde King:

And then, when we finished it up, is when I had moved down here to West Virginia,

Clyde King:

and Ended up joining the union in 2007 and have been literally doing anything and

Clyde King:

everything that carpenters do since then.

Todd Miller:

so all types of projects then you're involved with today.

Todd Miller:

I mean, commercial, residential,

Clyde King:

well, not, we don't really do much residential.

Todd Miller:

yeah.

Clyde King:

Um, we do have a couple of contractors that do some residential work.

Clyde King:

The scale's lower, and the benefit package is different.

Clyde King:

So I try to stay on the commercial and industrial side.

Todd Miller:

Well, during your time in all of that.

Todd Miller:

You know, one of the things you've really developed a passion for, and I know

Todd Miller:

you and I have spoke before, um, has been leadership and also for training

Todd Miller:

and encouraging others in our industry.

Todd Miller:

Kind of curious, where does that drive come from for you?

Todd Miller:

I mean, is that something you've had your whole life?

Todd Miller:

You like to bring others along, or did it sort of come out of your Marine

Todd Miller:

Corps experience, or maybe just because you saw a real need for it out there?

Todd Miller:

I'm kind of curious what brought that all to be.

Clyde King:

It came, the leadership I learned as a Marine when I

Clyde King:

became an NCO, I still apply to this day on different things.

Clyde King:

You know, trying to get everybody to work together, because even though

Clyde King:

I was in the music field, um, we still have to go out and train.

Clyde King:

Because during combat, our basic secondary MOS is the commanding general's

Clyde King:

perimeter guard and that for the base.

Todd Miller:

Oh, interesting.

Clyde King:

And when Saddam invaded Kuwait, we were up in Washington

Clyde King:

State and had our air transportation yanked out from under us, uh, because

Clyde King:

they were shipping everybody over.

Clyde King:

When we got back down to 29 Palms, we ended up not having

Clyde King:

to go over, but I spent my last few months as an MP on the base.

Clyde King:

And we had some kids that had never, you know, been in that situation, so

Clyde King:

we were trying to train and, um, so, so throughout, you know, their time,

Clyde King:

I had a bunch of friends that ended up going over eventually, and I've lost

Clyde King:

some friends over there the 1st time and this last time, but, you know, it's.

Clyde King:

One of those things, it's, you're always going to have evil in

Clyde King:

the world in one way or another.

Clyde King:

We all just kind of have to, you know, deal with it in our own way.

Clyde King:

Getting close to retirement, I started seeing different friends post on LinkedIn,

Clyde King:

you know, trying to pass knowledge on, and that's really what started it.

Clyde King:

It's like, you know, I'm 60 now, I just turned 60 in November.

Clyde King:

I can go at 62.

Clyde King:

Uh, because I'll have 20 years on the union side then, you know, it's like

Clyde King:

this knowledge has to get out there.

Clyde King:

So that's what started my random thoughts.

Clyde King:

And then my other 1, my construction talks unfiltered, which that 1

Clyde King:

actually started as to get some information out there about some.

Clyde King:

Companies that are, in my eyes, doing things wrong.

Clyde King:

Like, uh, my first couple posts wasn't naming any companies, and I won't.

Clyde King:

When you've got a superintendent that's playing favoritism at everything with

Clyde King:

guys, you know, that's absolutely wrong.

Clyde King:

When you've got guys that are outperforming these guys, and then

Clyde King:

they're getting laid off and you're keeping the guys that aren't performing

Clyde King:

because they're one of your favorites.

Clyde King:

Yeah, that's, that's for the talks unfiltered.

Clyde King:

That was like, you know, I'm just going to speak my mind.

Todd Miller:

Now, well, tell us a little bit more about your videos

Todd Miller:

and things you have out there.

Todd Miller:

I know you've been spending a lot of time on that.

Todd Miller:

They're, they're on YouTube.

Todd Miller:

Is that correct?

Clyde King:

Um, I'm trying to get some up on YouTube, but mainly

Clyde King:

I've just been keeping everything on the LinkedIn platform.

Clyde King:

Um, the construction talks unfiltered.

Clyde King:

They're like my video podcast, but they're normally broke down because LinkedIn

Clyde King:

will only let you upload 10 minutes.

Clyde King:

So, a 30 minute conversation gets broke down to 3 or 4 sessions.

Clyde King:

You know, even though I continue it, but I do all my own editing and, and everything.

Clyde King:

I use, um, software called Wondershare Filmora that I

Clyde King:

was using for the race team.

Clyde King:

And I was like, well, I could use the same thing here, bring

Clyde King:

the interview off a stream yard.

Clyde King:

Into it, but then start breaking down and adding music or doing different things.

Clyde King:

And that's where that came from.

Todd Miller:

encourage folks to check them out for sure.

Todd Miller:

Well, going back to your career, I mean, you know, you've been

Todd Miller:

in construction 30 or so years.

Todd Miller:

Um, what are some of the significant changes you've seen

Todd Miller:

in the industry over that time?

Clyde King:

One significant change that it's still being slow to be

Clyde King:

adopted is the switch to digital drawings and digital paperwork.

Clyde King:

I mean, I've got probably 15 or 20 of the old big green construction

Clyde King:

logbooks full of notes in that from over the years on projects where I ran.

Clyde King:

Um, so yeah, that switch over to digital bringing more of quality control.

Clyde King:

Into things to, you know, help try to alleviate rework and then just like on

Clyde King:

the carpentry side back when I first started when we were laying out talking

Clyde King:

lines, putting down bottom tracking that we'd be up at the deck with our

Clyde King:

thumb on a plumb bob dangling down to hit that line to mark for the top track.

Clyde King:

Well, now we've got rotating lasers and spot lasers and everything

Clyde King:

else that, you know, weren't around back in the early 90s.

Todd Miller:

Well, I mean, talking about that and technology and

Todd Miller:

things, how do you find that you keep yourself up with technology?

Todd Miller:

I mean, you, you kind of seem to have a natural bent that way

Todd Miller:

toward tech, but, um, how, how do you keep up with everything?

Clyde King:

One, I find it fascinating to a point.

Clyde King:

Um, and then two, my really dove into research and that for the tech through my

Clyde King:

Dirt track racing, the evolution of dirt late models from the mid nineties to now,

Clyde King:

and all the adjustments and everything that you can do to them, you have to stay

Clyde King:

on top of The mechanics and the physics of what flows where what weight transfers,

Clyde King:

otherwise, you're just going to be sitting around around the back of the pack.

Clyde King:

So that's where the drive to keep learning things kind of started.

Clyde King:

But then it's like, you know, I can better my career.

Clyde King:

I can hopefully get myself into position because, yeah,

Clyde King:

I might pull my pension at 62.

Clyde King:

I'll never walk away from construction until probably they put me in the ground.

Clyde King:

I'll be involved in one way or another, either going to start my own consulting

Clyde King:

business, or if somebody has me in as a superintendent project manager, where I'm

Clyde King:

completely out of my tools that I could mentor their younger ones, you know,

Clyde King:

that's, you know, all well and good.

Todd Miller:

Well, yeah, it becomes part of your DNA.

Todd Miller:

I mean, it's who you are at this point and that's, uh, that's cool.

Todd Miller:

So dirt track racing, I don't know a ton about that, but is that what they

Todd Miller:

do at Eldora Speedway here in Ohio?

Todd Miller:

Okay.

Clyde King:

that's one track.

Clyde King:

I've been there.

Clyde King:

We haven't had the car there, but we did have the, we did race at Bristol

Clyde King:

back in 2001 when they first put dirt on the high banks for the very first time.

Clyde King:

They did it in 2001 and 2002.

Clyde King:

We didn't go back down because we heard a motor the year before while we were there.

Clyde King:

So we ended up not actually getting to run the heat races and features.

Clyde King:

We heard the motor practice, but.

Clyde King:

That's, you know, that love, that passion of going fast and

Clyde King:

yeah, it's, it's still there.

Todd Miller:

Cool stuff.

Todd Miller:

Good, good deal.

Todd Miller:

So, you've been a member of the union, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.

Todd Miller:

Um, I'm just kind of curious, uh, for our younger audience members out

Todd Miller:

there, what do you see as the key benefits or even challenges to union

Todd Miller:

membership, um, for our industry?

Clyde King:

One of the key benefits is the training, bar none.

Clyde King:

Um, if you go, actually, I didn't go through the apprenticeship because

Clyde King:

I had already had so many years.

Clyde King:

Experience, but for the younger ones coming in going through the

Clyde King:

apprenticeship, you'll get to learn each aspect about the carpentry

Clyde King:

trade just for the carpenters because we do for coverings.

Clyde King:

We do, uh, ceramic tile, um.

Clyde King:

metal studs, drywall, exterior framing, uh, scaffold building, you know,

Clyde King:

or what we do covers a wide gamut.

Clyde King:

And if you go through certain cities and that, because the apprenticeship

Clyde King:

and that is so big, they kind of try to make them specialize into

Clyde King:

like one area, either concrete or metal studs and drywall and that.

Clyde King:

But down here, since we only have two locals in the state now, since we kind

Clyde King:

of, Combine everything with the Eastern Atlantic States Council, um, we get

Clyde King:

the guys trained in everything that we do so they can go out, you know,

Clyde King:

and on the job and feel confident.

Clyde King:

Okay, I can perform, but then, like I said, you know, the advantage

Clyde King:

is the training and the safety.

Clyde King:

There's been way, way too many, unfortunately.

Clyde King:

In my first 14 to 16 years, I was on projects where three people were killed.

Clyde King:

Um, one was a ditch collapse, which they should have never been digging

Clyde King:

that day because I literally walked out of my boots and I wore lace up

Clyde King:

boots trying to get into the building.

Clyde King:

My boot got stuck down in In the mud, and I literally came

Clyde King:

up out of my laced up boots.

Clyde King:

Another one, they overloaded the scaffold with the masons, and

Clyde King:

the scaffold collapse killed two.

Clyde King:

And another one, they were, um, the backup alarm wasn't working on a dozer,

Clyde King:

and the operator didn't see the guy.

Clyde King:

So, yeah, I mean, safety wise is another big one.

Clyde King:

And then, of course, The benefits, a lot of your non union companies are

Clyde King:

paying great wages, real comparable to what we make on the hour.

Clyde King:

But then they're asking the guys to take money out of that, to help them cover the

Clyde King:

cost of their health insurance or their 401k, you know, even though the employer's

Clyde King:

matching a little bit with us, with the benefit package, my healthcare, my pension

Clyde King:

and everything is completely part, it doesn't come out of my hourly check.

Clyde King:

That's a separate part of the package.

Todd Miller:

Gotcha.

Todd Miller:

Makes a lot of sense.

Todd Miller:

Oh, thank you for that.

Todd Miller:

It's good stuff.

Todd Miller:

So, you were part of helping to write a book, um, that was called

Todd Miller:

Elevating Construction Foreman.

Todd Miller:

Tell us a little bit about that and why that's important to you.

Clyde King:

Again, it goes back to being able to pass the knowledge on to help

Clyde King:

leaders, um, today learn to be able to, one, handle the guys, you know,

Clyde King:

two, be able to keep track of things.

Clyde King:

That was, I forget how many was in that conglomeration,

Clyde King:

collaboration, but it was through Jason Schroeder with, um, Elevating

Clyde King:

the trades or elevate construction.

Clyde King:

It is the main thing he does.

Clyde King:

He's got books and elevating construction superintendents, um, lean, tact and

Clyde King:

everything else that being able to bring the foreman up to speed and how they

Clyde King:

talk to people and talk to their crews in today's day and age when I came in,

Clyde King:

we were still screaming and yelling at each other to go get things done.

Clyde King:

Well, you know, that doesn't work all the time.

Clyde King:

Some guys you still have to do that with, I will say, though, but most of

Clyde King:

the time, if you talk to some of these younger kids like that now, they're

Clyde King:

just going to blow you off and say, I don't care, and that's the other reason.

Clyde King:

It's like, you know, we're out here building a legacy for future generations.

Clyde King:

What we do now affects years from now.

Clyde King:

As far as building,

Todd Miller:

Absolutely.

Todd Miller:

Now, and, and the, you know, you brought up the safety aspect and even

Todd Miller:

the building safety aspect, making sure the construction is done well.

Todd Miller:

So, um, it is long term safe as well.

Todd Miller:

So, so one of the things that caught my eye at the top of your LinkedIn

Todd Miller:

profile, and I know Clyde would be happy to connect with anyone on there,

Todd Miller:

but on top of your profile, it says, believe in yourself and your patience.

Todd Miller:

Um, where's that come from?

Todd Miller:

And what do you hope people take from that?

Clyde King:

just to get people to realize that they have the power

Clyde King:

within themselves, you know, believe in your abilities, believe in your

Clyde King:

passions, you know, show your leadership skills, let the world know that,

Clyde King:

hey, you know, this is what I've done or not being braggy about it.

Clyde King:

But this is what I've done.

Clyde King:

This is what I can bring to the table.

Todd Miller:

What are some of the challenges that you're seeing

Todd Miller:

emerging in construction right now?

Todd Miller:

And, um, that you see maybe, you know, things we need to be really trying

Todd Miller:

to address here in coming years.

Clyde King:

One of the biggest challenges, and I've been taking a bunch of webinars

Clyde King:

and that about, is mental health.

Clyde King:

Mental health in the construction industry is a major problem.

Clyde King:

Um, one forefront out of Washington does different webinars and that

Clyde King:

that I've sat in on and taken.

Clyde King:

Well, the one was dealing about the social studies and of

Clyde King:

the Dave Dunn as far as data.

Clyde King:

And everything else on how mental health affects communities, well,

Clyde King:

that translate right translates big time right into mental health and

Clyde King:

construction and it's, you know, for years, it was always in the shadows.

Clyde King:

I mean, it's been around mental health problems in the construction

Clyde King:

industry had been around since the 70s.

Clyde King:

I mean, you get hurt on a job, you're going to go, doctor's going to prescribe

Clyde King:

you pain pills, you're going to go back to work, you're going to keep popping pills

Clyde King:

because it helps you get through that day, well then you start to get anxiety because

Clyde King:

you're hurting, you know, it, it gets to be a great big downward spiral, and kind

Clyde King:

of gets, you know, it's gotten out of hand, and that's one reason why, um, yeah.

Clyde King:

For those of you out there that have seen some of my random thoughts,

Clyde King:

you'll see that I have an alter ego, my Blues Brothers hat, and my dark

Clyde King:

glasses, and I go under the synonym of Clyde Blues, and we're talking about

Clyde King:

mental health, you know, things like alcohol, opioids, and things of that

Clyde King:

nature, to just keep it Everybody aware of it and what it does affect.

Clyde King:

I've seen way too many people go down a very bad path with, you

Clyde King:

know, a mental health problem.

Clyde King:

We had one worker that I had worked with, but he thought

Clyde King:

his wife was cheating on him.

Clyde King:

She wasn't.

Clyde King:

Well, he called her one day and to come home, he needed

Clyde King:

her at the house right now.

Clyde King:

She pulled in the driveway and walked up to the barn.

Clyde King:

He blew his head off right in front of her.

Clyde King:

I mean, you know, it's mental health is a big time problem in the industry.

Todd Miller:

No, it is.

Todd Miller:

And I'm glad you brought that up.

Todd Miller:

We did have a previous guest on a number of episodes ago, a gentleman

Todd Miller:

by the name of Chad Dunlap.

Todd Miller:

And, uh, Chad works for a large commercial roofing firm, but mental health in

Todd Miller:

our industry is a passion of his.

Todd Miller:

And he goes around and speaks with students and so forth and really

Todd Miller:

trying to raise awareness and also to help with suicide prevention,

Todd Miller:

being another passion of his.

Todd Miller:

Thanks, Peter.

Todd Miller:

No, I'm glad you're addressing that as well, because it, it

Todd Miller:

does seem to affect our industry disproportionately, no doubt about it.

Ethan Young:

While we're on the topic of challenges, one thing I wanted to ask you,

Ethan Young:

Clyde, especially you mentioned a couple of times through the interview about, you

Ethan Young:

know, talking to younger generations and that's something that we've heard from a

Ethan Young:

lot of different people we've interviewed and, you know, including a guy that helps

Ethan Young:

run a trade school is just how can we get this younger generation more involved?

Ethan Young:

How can we kind of, you know, keep this tradition going and not, you know, not

Ethan Young:

just, you know, a lot of people get.

Ethan Young:

Oh, you know, kids don't want to do manual labor.

Ethan Young:

They don't want to, you know, it's like chopping firewood or whatever.

Ethan Young:

They don't, you know, they didn't grow up doing any of that.

Ethan Young:

So they don't want to do construction, but what's your opinion on all that?

Ethan Young:

What do you think we could, we could do to improve it?

Clyde King:

One of the main things is when they took the shop classes

Clyde King:

and that out of the schools.

Clyde King:

And when the schools and the public school system kept promoting college,

Clyde King:

kept promoting college, that deterred a lot of young talent away from the trades.

Clyde King:

And now they're finding out that, hey, we can make a lot of money into trades.

Clyde King:

So we're starting to see more and more come back.

Clyde King:

But, you know, I mean, it's still a problem.

Clyde King:

But one place to start, um, there's an instructor in a school in New Jersey.

Clyde King:

That I follow on LinkedIn that he works with middle school kids, teaching

Clyde King:

them how to, um, for doing plumbing and carpentry and everything else.

Clyde King:

And, you know, that's a great program.

Clyde King:

I wish that most school districts would start trying

Clyde King:

to bring things like that back.

Todd Miller:

Absolutely.

Todd Miller:

It seems like, you know, trying to get people interested, kids interested

Todd Miller:

when they're younger and just exposed to things so that they know the

Todd Miller:

opportunities are out there, uh, seems to be a real positive thing.

Clyde King:

Yeah,

Todd Miller:

So we've talked a lot about, you know, where you are today, and,

Todd Miller:

um, I know that, you know, you've got this burning passion for the industry.

Todd Miller:

Um, What, you know, looking out a little bit, you said, you know, you may go into

Todd Miller:

consulting or who knows, but what is the impact you would like to say, uh, have

Todd Miller:

folks later say you left on the industry?

Clyde King:

just the fact that, you know, I helped pass knowledge on and help.

Clyde King:

Young, younger ones realize that passion in themselves to help continue

Clyde King:

that legacy, which is another thing that I've tried to do with a couple

Clyde King:

of our apprentices that I've had working with me the last couple of

Clyde King:

years, you know, being with the union, you get so many different guys for

Clyde King:

a job and then they might move on.

Clyde King:

Well, when I have an apprentice with me, being in the trades for so many

Clyde King:

years, I've got Doubles, triples, and quadruples of so many of the hand tools

Clyde King:

that, you know, we're supposed to carry.

Clyde King:

Um, you know, power tools and that are technically up to the contractor,

Clyde King:

but our hand tools, you know, your hammer, your saw, square, framing

Clyde King:

square, you know, things of that nature, we're supposed to have all the time.

Clyde King:

So, when a young apprentice, especially a first year, comes along and works with me,

Clyde King:

before he leaves me, I give him one of my tools that I've got doubles or triples of.

Clyde King:

You know, I've passed on a handsaw to him to keep in his toolbox from then on,

Clyde King:

uh, framing square, um, one youngster I had, we were doing some door hardware.

Clyde King:

And trying to replace some doors, I had to get my impact screwdriver out

Clyde King:

that has a great big number three tip.

Clyde King:

Then you smack with a hammer to get that screw to loosen up.

Clyde King:

I showed him how to use that.

Clyde King:

Well, when he left me, that went in his toolbox for him

Clyde King:

to carry with him for future.

Todd Miller:

That's cool.

Todd Miller:

Yeah, they'll certainly remember you for that as well.

Todd Miller:

That's good stuff.

Todd Miller:

Well, Clyde, this has been a great discussion.

Todd Miller:

We're thankful for your time today.

Todd Miller:

Um, we're close to wrapping up kind of what we call the business end of things.

Todd Miller:

Is there anything we haven't covered yet today that you wanted to be

Todd Miller:

sure to share with our audience?

Clyde King:

Just the fact that for companies out there, you

Clyde King:

know, look to your older workers.

Clyde King:

Lean on them for advice at times if they need, you know, take them into

Clyde King:

the office if you need to let them come in and learn a little bit about that.

Clyde King:

And if they haven't had that experience, but they can also pass their knowledge

Clyde King:

down like for superintendents, you got a young superintendent sticking with

Clyde King:

one that's been around for a while.

Clyde King:

Let him learn from them on, because every building, it doesn't matter

Clyde King:

if it's retail, um, a hospital, yeah, the codes might change.

Clyde King:

You might have different fire rating things that you have to deal with.

Clyde King:

But still, the basic principle of any building has a step by step process

Clyde King:

from the underground, clear through to hanging the curtains, and, you

Clyde King:

know, lean on the older generation to show you all some shortcuts.

Clyde King:

Um, like, one of the things I pride myself on is my ability to think

Clyde King:

on my feet sometimes on a project.

Clyde King:

The One theater that I ran, they started me three months behind because of design

Clyde King:

changes, and then they kept pushing the timeline, pushing the time frame.

Clyde King:

Well, I kind of looked at the superintendent and was like, stay

Clyde King:

in your trailer, you know, if it's something important, come get me.

Clyde King:

Let me bounce the trades around, because the only way we're going to get this done

Clyde King:

is if everybody works together, and it's going to mean bouncing around because

Clyde King:

you're missing material for something.

Clyde King:

Well, let them get in here and get their work done.

Clyde King:

And, you know, that ability has served me well, and it's also shot

Clyde King:

me in the foot a couple times, but, you know, things happen.

Clyde King:

You, you learn and grow.

Clyde King:

Above all, keep learning.

Todd Miller:

Love it.

Todd Miller:

Good advice.

Todd Miller:

Great stuff.

Todd Miller:

So, um, one of the things that we always do here at the end of the show

Todd Miller:

is what we call rapid fire questions.

Todd Miller:

So these are 7 questions.

Todd Miller:

We will ask you.

Todd Miller:

You have no idea.

Todd Miller:

We're going to ask.

Todd Miller:

Um, some are serious, some are silly.

Todd Miller:

Um, all you have to do is give a response.

Todd Miller:

So you want to give it a try for rapid challenge, rapid fire?

Clyde King:

Yeah, why not?

Todd Miller:

Awesome.

Todd Miller:

Um, Ethan, you want to ask question number one?

Ethan Young:

Yeah, I can get us started.

Ethan Young:

Um, oh, this is always a fun one.

Ethan Young:

Uh, what's a product or service that you bought recently that

Ethan Young:

was a game changer for you?

Clyde King:

I'd say product was one of my, um, stair tread tools

Clyde King:

for measuring stair treads.

Clyde King:

I used to do it the old fashioned way.

Clyde King:

Yeah, that little tool saves a lot of time.

Ethan Young:

Nice.

Todd Miller:

Good stuff, good answer.

Todd Miller:

Um, question number two.

Todd Miller:

What is your favorite meal?

Clyde King:

Manicotti.

Todd Miller:

Manicotti.

Todd Miller:

See, now I think that and I think Manicotti with a tangerine for dessert.

Todd Miller:

I'm good to go.

Todd Miller:

So, good one.

Ethan Young:

Uh, question number three.

Ethan Young:

I guess we already kind of talked about this, but what did the eight year old

Ethan Young:

Clyde dream of being when he grew up?

Clyde King:

The eight year old me, definitely wanted to be a

Clyde King:

drummer or an architect with dad.

Todd Miller:

So is this going to be a drummer in a rock band

Todd Miller:

or what was this going to be?

Clyde King:

More than likely, probably rock band.

Clyde King:

I, I've got a diverse music back style.

Clyde King:

I mean, I listen to club music, I listen to some country, but I do

Clyde King:

like my heavy metal, heavier rock.

Todd Miller:

good stuff.

Todd Miller:

Okay, next question.

Todd Miller:

Oh, if you had to eat a crayon, what color of crayon would you choose to eat, Clyde?

Clyde King:

Uh, probably a red one to go with my blood stripes on my uniform.

Todd Miller:

Okay, gotcha.

Todd Miller:

Good one.

Clyde King:

I honestly don't know where the crayon thing started with the marines.

Ethan Young:

Oh, yeah.

Clyde King:

That's an inside joke with a lot of marines about, you

Clyde King:

know, we're crayoneating lunatics.

Todd Miller:

Oh my, I did not even know that.

Todd Miller:

Oh, that's interesting.

Todd Miller:

Had no idea of that when I asked that question.

Clyde King:

but yeah, it's probably be a red one to go with

Clyde King:

the blood stripes on my uniform.

Ethan Young:

Oh, this is a fun question.

Ethan Young:

Okay.

Ethan Young:

Um, would you rather have to shout all the time or only whisper?

Clyde King:

Only whisper when I shout.

Clyde King:

You can hear me across the job site.

Todd Miller:

You know it.

Todd Miller:

Oh, good answer.

Todd Miller:

Next to last question.

Todd Miller:

So, um, what historical figure, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with?

Todd Miller:

And what is one question you'd want to ask them?

Clyde King:

I'm gonna throw this one out there.

Clyde King:

Be Frank Lloyd Wright

Todd Miller:

Oh,

Clyde King:

to go with my architectural 'cause I love architecture and the

Clyde King:

one question I would ask him was what prompted him to do designs

Clyde King:

like falling water, which is 13 miles from my parents' house in pa.

Todd Miller:

oh, wow.

Clyde King:

And to bring nature in to that design, the way he did there.

Todd Miller:

That would be a fascinating discussion.

Todd Miller:

Good stuff.

Ethan Young:

Alrighty.

Ethan Young:

Last question.

Ethan Young:

I am going to change it up a little.

Ethan Young:

Um, what do you think the most important tool a contractor can have is?

Clyde King:

Honestly, his brain, you use your brain as a

Clyde King:

contractor, more than anything.

Clyde King:

If you don't have the proper tool for a particular thing, there is so many

Clyde King:

different ways to do it without that tool.

Clyde King:

Yeah.

Clyde King:

The tool is there to make life easier, make production come, but being able

Clyde King:

to think, And think that process through and see the big picture.

Clyde King:

Otherwise, it's definitely your brain.

Ethan Young:

Makes sense to me.

Todd Miller:

Great answer.

Todd Miller:

I know I grew up with the saying, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Todd Miller:

And I always wondered who these cat skinners were out there, but, uh, there

Todd Miller:

is more than one way to do things.

Todd Miller:

Good, good stuff.

Todd Miller:

So Clyde, thank you again so much for being with us today.

Todd Miller:

Um, for folks who want to get in touch with you, uh, what's, or

Todd Miller:

to, to watch your videos, what's the best ways for them to do that

Clyde King:

Right now, the best place to get a hold of me is on LinkedIn.

Clyde King:

And, um, like I said, things are crazy right now because I'm kind of off.

Clyde King:

I'm waiting on badging for a job.

Clyde King:

And then probably going to end up back up in PA, but the easiest place, because I'm

Clyde King:

checking in on LinkedIn a couple of times a day, normally, even when I'm working

Clyde King:

lunchtime, I'll check, see what's going on and when I get home and, uh, for those

Clyde King:

out there also that are on LinkedIn, if you're not on a LinkedIn premium package,

Clyde King:

I would suggest to try it out and look into the LinkedIn learning library.

Clyde King:

If you get down through.

Clyde King:

My profile in the last three years, I've completed probably 190 different

Clyde King:

classes and have certifications for them all through LinkedIn learning.

Clyde King:

So there's a wealth of knowledge out there on many different things.

Todd Miller:

good advice.

Todd Miller:

And, uh, yeah, folks can find Clyde King pretty easily on, uh, LinkedIn I

Todd Miller:

found so encourage folks to, uh, join up with you, hook up with you that

Todd Miller:

way and connect and see where it goes.

Todd Miller:

So good stuff.

Todd Miller:

So guys, uh, we were all successful working in our challenge words.

Todd Miller:

Um, I didn't think I was going to get mine in there to be honest.

Todd Miller:

Um,

Clyde King:

about yours for a minute.

Todd Miller:

That I kind of cheated, I always try to get it in before

Todd Miller:

the rapid fire because she usually can figure out a way to sneak it

Todd Miller:

in the rapid fire, but I couldn't.

Todd Miller:

So, so my word was tangerine that I worked in there.

Todd Miller:

Ethan, you had,

Ethan Young:

I had firewood, which is a little bit iffy, but I got it in there.

Todd Miller:

got her in there and Clyde, you had,

Clyde King:

Social studies.

Todd Miller:

I don't think any, you worked it in there so smoothly.

Todd Miller:

I don't think anyone would have ever dreamed.

Todd Miller:

That was what you were challenged to say.

Todd Miller:

So that was good job.

Todd Miller:

Good job.

Todd Miller:

Well, thank you again so much, uh, Clyde, for being with us today.

Todd Miller:

We've enjoyed this time together and appreciate it.

Clyde King:

I had fun.

Todd Miller:

Well, and thank you to our audience for tuning into this episode

Todd Miller:

of Construction Disruption, uh, with Union Carpenter Foreman, um, now we're

Todd Miller:

talking social media extraordinaire, uh, Clyde King of Buckhannon, West Virginia.

Todd Miller:

He's a great industry veteran, and he just wants to give it

Todd Miller:

back and teach at this point.

Todd Miller:

So, uh, kudos to him.

Todd Miller:

Uh, and please watch for future episodes of our podcast.

Todd Miller:

We always have great guests.

Todd Miller:

Don't forget to leave a review.

Todd Miller:

Um, we appreciate those.

Todd Miller:

Until the next time we're together, keep on disrupting, keep on looking

Todd Miller:

for better ways of doing things.

Todd Miller:

And most importantly, don't forget to have a positive impact

Todd Miller:

on everyone you encounter.

Todd Miller:

So God bless and take care.

Todd Miller:

This is Isaiah Industry signing off until the next episode

Todd Miller:

of Construction Disruption.