Some stories start with luck. Ours starts with sweat, a $20 bill, and a phone camera. Marvin went from picking shingles in small-town Wisconsin to building a trusted asphalt brand and a media engine that opened doors to stages, sponsors, and a wider mission: make blue-collar work visible, respected, and easier to win.
We dig into how simple, consistent documentation; tank fills, applications, cured results, and two-week check-backs, creates social proof that outperforms any sales script. Marvin shares the exact playbook that 4–6x’d his revenue: show the process, show the people, and keep showing up. When online critics argued methods across climates, he didn’t fight; he educated through trade articles and talks, turning confusion into context. That credibility unlocked a podcast, partnerships with major brands, and live hosting at ConExpo, all while the crew kept paving, sealing, and striping.
There’s a real talk undercurrent here: posting is uncomfortable. The early videos were rough. Family and locals raised eyebrows. Anxiety hit. The cure wasn’t ego; it was purpose. If you want more leads, better applicants, and stronger community ties, you can’t stay invisible. We map out a practical path for owners; what to film, where to post, and how to balance personal and professional stories, so your feed becomes a trust engine and a recruiting magnet. You’ll hear how employer brand grows when safety, training, and crew wins are out front, and why omnichannel visibility beats one-and-done ads.
If you’re three days from the lights going off or just ready to lead your market, this conversation hands you a toolkit: start now, post daily, educate through context, and let your work speak on camera. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs the push, and leave a review with the first video you plan to make, what will you show tomorrow?
Follow and stay connected:
Never miss an update—follow, subscribe, and join the conversation!
More About this Episode
From Shingles to Social Media: How Blue Collar Contractors Can Build a Brand That Wins
When people talk about blue collar success stories, they often focus on the revenue numbers, the equipment fleets, or the big jobs landed. What they miss is the grind behind it. The 100 degree days. The frozen fingers. The nights spent wondering how to make payroll. The anxiety of trying something new while everyone around you whispers that you are crazy.
This is the real story behind modern blue collar business growth. It is not just about paving roads, laying pipe, or framing houses. It is about ownership. It is about visibility. And increasingly, it is about social media marketing in construction.
If you are running a blue collar business today and you are not actively telling your story, you are already behind.
The Early Days: Picking Up Shingles for $20
Long before there were podcasts, speaking engagements, or industry panels, there was a 12 year old Marvin Joles picking up roofing shingles in rural Wisconsin.
Twenty dollars for a full day in the heat. That was the hook.
For a kid who had never held that much cash before, it was not just a paycheck. It was proof. Proof that work created opportunity. Proof that business owners controlled their destiny. And proof that if you were willing to sweat, you could build something bigger than your circumstances.
That early exposure to entrepreneurship is what sparked the curiosity that so many contractors eventually develop. Not just how to do the work, but how to price it. How to market it. How to scale it. How to protect it.
Those questions are what separate a worker from a business owner.
Starting an Asphalt Business in a Town of 700
When you launch a construction business in a county with 700 people, you do not have the luxury of unlimited leads. You cannot rely on walk in traffic. You cannot hide behind a brand name.
You have to build trust.
In the early 2000s, building an asphalt maintenance company in rural Wisconsin meant sealcoating driveways, filling cracks by hand, and striping parking lots with basic equipment. It meant driving long distances. It meant adapting to whatever work came through the door.
It also meant figuring out how to stand out.
The breakthrough did not come from buying more equipment. It came from picking up a phone and documenting the work.
Construction Marketing Before It Was Cool
In 2013, when most contractors were still skeptical of Facebook for business, videos started going live from the asphalt plant.
Loading sealcoat. Applying it on site. Showing the finished result. Returning two weeks later to prove it still looked brand new.
This was not polished marketing. It was simple transparency.
And that transparency created trust.
People buy from contractors they know, like, and trust. Social media accelerated all three.
Instead of being the unknown asphalt company down the road, the business became the familiar face in the feed. The contractor who showed up every day. The one who explained the process. The one who showed community involvement.
Revenue multiplied within 18 months.
That is not hype. That is what happens when visibility meets consistency.
Why Social Media for Contractors Is No Longer Optional
Here is the uncomfortable truth for many blue collar business owners: if you want to grow, you must embrace content creation.
That does not mean you need a film crew. It does not mean you need to dance on TikTok. It means you need to tell your story.
When someone in your market thinks about asphalt paving, excavation, plumbing, roofing, or utility construction, does your name come to mind?
If not, someone else’s will.
The old model of marketing relied on billboards, radio ads, and word of mouth. Today, word of mouth lives online. Seven touchpoints are typically required before a customer even considers calling you. Social media accelerates those touchpoints dramatically.
When your content shows up in someone’s feed while they are scrolling at night, you are building familiarity without ever knocking on their door.
The Anxiety Nobody Talks About
There is a part of social media marketing that no one warns you about: the fear.
The first week of posting can feel brutal. You imagine neighbors laughing. Competitors judging. Family members questioning your focus.
The anxiety is real.
But here is the truth. Most of the people criticizing you are not building anything themselves. They are not risking embarrassment. They are not putting their work on display.
The alternative to pushing through that discomfort is regret.
Ten years from now, would you rather say you tried and failed, or that you never tried at all?
No one writes books about the person who almost started.
Building Community in the Trades
One of the biggest shifts happening in the blue collar industry right now is the rise of the digital community.
Asphalt contractors connecting across states. Excavators sharing best practices. Utility companies discussing equipment. Podcasters collaborating across specialties.
When construction professionals collaborate instead of compete in isolation, the entire industry improves.
Trade workforce shortages are real. The next generation is not going to stumble into these careers by accident. They need to see what is possible.
They need to see the trucks. The job sites. The travel. The pride. The paychecks. The lifestyle.
The content being produced today by young tradespeople on TikTok and YouTube is bringing more awareness to the trades than traditional recruiting ever did.
If you want skilled labor to apply to your company, show them what working for you actually looks like.
From Contractor to Industry Voice
What started as simple job site documentation evolved into podcasting, magazine contributions, and speaking at national construction events.
Why?
Because when you consistently share value, people notice.
Writing for industry publications like Pavement Maintenance and Reconstruction Magazine. Serving on committees within the National Asphalt Pavement Association. Hosting live podcasts at major expos.
None of that happens overnight.
It happens because someone decided to press record and keep pressing record.
Consistency compounds.
Why Purpose Matters More Than Followers
Many contractors see social media success and assume the goal is fame.
It is not.
The goal is clarity.
Why are you posting? To land more jobs? To recruit employees? To build industry authority? To educate customers?
If your only goal is attention, you will burn out quickly.
If your goal is service and growth, the momentum becomes sustainable.
One piece of content can change your business trajectory. But only if it aligns with a clear purpose.
The Reality of Blue Collar Business Ownership
Owning a construction company is hard. It is harder than most outsiders realize.
Insurance audits. Equipment breakdowns. Weather delays. Payroll stress. Clients who pay late. Employees who quit unexpectedly.
No amount of Instagram content eliminates those challenges.
But visibility makes everything else easier.
It makes sales easier because customers already trust you.
It makes hiring easier because applicants know your culture.
It makes partnerships easier because vendors recognize your brand.
It makes leadership easier because your team sees you pushing forward publicly.
The Future of Construction Is Visible
We are still early in the digital era. Social media in construction is barely a decade old in serious form. The contractors who start today are not late. They are simply the next wave.
The best time to start was ten years ago. The second best time is now.
If you are sitting in your truck between job sites wondering whether you should begin documenting your journey, here is your answer: Yes.
Pull out your phone. Introduce yourself. Show the work. Share the lessons. Talk about the valleys as well as the wins.
It can be you.
The next generation of blue collar leaders will not just be the best operators. They will be the best storytellers.
And the contractors who embrace that reality will not just survive. They will lead.
So whether you are under a shaded tree, standing on fresh blacktop, or setting pipe in the mud, remember this:
The grind is the story.
Now tell it.
Member discussion: