Ready to see how blue-collar media actually turns into real bids, stronger teams, and a clearer brand? We walk through the messy middle of building a YouTube-first strategy from jobsite clips and how-tos to a repeatable system that wins trust. From a million-view shifting tutorial to a small skid steer pull that sparked big connections, we break down what worked, what didn’t, and why storytelling now sits at the center of everything we publish.
We cover the grind behind “consistency”: crafting hooks that hold retention, writing human captions that beat AI every time, and packaging long-form videos so searchers can find exactly what they need. Events like Mid-America Trucking Show and Treybo Expo became accelerants, linking our online work with a real-world community: truckers, operators, foremen, who now shape our roadmap. The result is a channel that doubles as a living portfolio: project playlists in our email signatures that GCs and owners can click, watch, and trust.
You’ll also hear the hard parts we rarely say out loud: slow weeks where views stall, people changes that hurt, and the patience it takes to keep shipping when the algorithm shrugs. Those lessons sparked our next step: The Pipe Playbook, a practical training hub for utility contractors covering pipe installation, safety, estimating, project management, and sequencing. It’s built from wins and mistakes we’ve paid for, with new videos added monthly and a direct line for topic requests, so your crew gets the answers that matter on the days they matter.
If you’re waiting for perfect gear, stop. Your phone is enough. Film one real process, title it for search, post to YouTube, slice for shorts, and iterate. Story builds trust. Trust drives work.
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More About this Episode
How Media and Storytelling Are Transforming the Blue-Collar Industry
As we wrap up another year, I’ve had time to reflect on something that’s fundamentally changed not just my company, but my life, and that’s the power of media. This past year has been one of the most pivotal seasons for me, not just as a business owner, but as a creator, storyteller, and builder of a brand that now stretches far beyond dirt and pipe.
Whether you’re under a shade tree on lunch break or out there pushing pipe in the trench, I want to talk to you about something we often overlook in the trades, marketing, media, and most importantly, storytelling.
For the past three years, we’ve been building out the Sy-Con media arm of our company. I brought on Will Anderson as our in-house content director, and from the jump, people thought I was crazy. In a world where blue-collar business is often about results you can touch, I was investing in something that felt intangible: filming jobs, producing YouTube content, telling stories, and building an audience.
But I’ll tell you this: it’s worked. And it’s worked in ways I never imagined.
Media Is the Modern Toolbelt
For decades, marketing in construction meant a yard sign and maybe a pickup with your logo on it. Today, marketing is content. It’s short-form videos on TikTok. It’s long-form project breakdowns on YouTube. It’s blog posts like this. It’s storytelling.
And it’s not fluff. It’s real, tangible business.
Our YouTube channel is approaching 31,000 subscribers with over 500 videos published. That content has brought direct revenue into the company. I’m not guessing. I’m not theorizing. We’ve won jobs, including one of our biggest contracts, directly from someone finding our content online when we had less than 100 subscribers.
Marketing today is not about vanity. It’s about visibility. It’s about trust. And that starts with storytelling.
From Trial and Error to Strategy
The early days of our content journey were messy. We didn’t have a strategy. We were just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something stuck.
But somewhere along the way, we found a rhythm. One of the breakout moments came from a simple “how to shift a semi” video we filmed while riding in the lowboy. That video hit over a million views. Why? Because it was real. It was educational. It filled a gap that existed online.
We didn’t invent anything new. We just showed how we do what we do, and we did it with intention.
That success helped us realize that education and authenticity are golden in this space. People want to learn. They want to see behind the curtain. And in our industry, very few are willing to open up and share what’s real.
So we leaned in.
We built systems around our content. We began organizing topics, planning shoots, studying analytics, and learning how to build a channel that doesn’t just go viral, but actually impacts our business.
Storytelling Is the Differentiator
Something clicked when I attended the Dirt World Summit this year. The concept of storytelling as a core of content strategy was reinforced in a powerful way.
People don’t just want to see a machine move dirt. They want to know why you’re on that job. What’s at stake? What’s the history? What’s the challenge? What’s the outcome?
We began asking ourselves: what story are we telling today?
That changed everything.
We’re now building content that tells the full picture: the people, the pain, the process, and the progress. And I believe that’s where the real traction comes from.
This is no longer just about social media. It’s about shaping perception, building trust, and creating long-term brand equity in a blue-collar industry that has traditionally relied on word of mouth.
We’ve met incredible people this year: Bruce Wilson, John Seaman, Gary Donovan and more, and every one of them has confirmed what we’ve experienced firsthand: consistent, quality content builds connection. Connection leads to opportunity. And opportunity builds business.
Stop Waiting for Perfect
So many contractors tell me, “Sy, I’ve been thinking about getting into content, but I don’t know where to start.” Or worse, “I don’t want to be in front of the camera.”
Brother, I didn’t either. I still don’t, to be honest. But I do it because I’ve seen the results.
You don’t need a big camera crew. You’ve got a tool in your pocket, your phone, that’s powerful enough to start right now. Don’t wait for the perfect edit. Don’t wait for the fancy drone. Just start documenting what you do and why you do it.
Here’s the key: Be consistent. Upload regularly. Learn from the feedback. Adjust. Get better.
Even if your first 20 videos flop, your 21st might change your business.
As Mr. Beast famously said, “make 100 videos before you judge your success.” That’s what we did, and we’re just getting started.
It’s Not Just About You, It’s About the Next Generation
One of the unexpected joys of this media journey has been the relationships built through it.
At a recent event, a young man came up and told me he started his own excavation business after watching our videos for years. That kind of impact? You can’t put a price tag on it.
This is bigger than me. Bigger than Sy-Con. This is about changing the face of the trades and helping the next generation see that there is power, pride, and purpose in this work. And the media is the way we tell that story to the world.
Launching Something New: The Pipe Playbook
After countless DMs, emails, and conversations asking how we do what we do; how we estimate, how we lay pipe, how we manage jobs, I decided it was time to put it all in one place.
So we built the Pipe Playbook, a video-based training and resource platform for contractors, foremen, estimators, and business owners who want to learn how to do utility work right.
This is not a theory. This is my experience, my mistakes, my wins, all packaged into 10 categories of real-world content. We’re covering pipe laying, project management, estimation, safety, systems, culture, and everything in between.
If you’ve ever wanted a mentor in this business, someone to call when you don’t know what to do, the Pipe Playbook is designed to be that guide. We’re launching it officially at the end of this year, and I can’t wait to watch it serve those who are ready to grow.
You’ll even have direct access to me through the community if you need help navigating the chaos of blue-collar business. This is the tool I wish I had 10 years ago.
Learn more and join the waitlist at www.syconexc.com.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The year ahead is full of potential. We’re heading to ConExpo in March, one of the biggest construction events in the country, and I can’t wait to connect with even more builders, creators, and tradesmen who are pushing this industry forward.
We’re also going all-in on storytelling. From job site footage to crew spotlights to behind-the-scenes business strategy, everything we publish will have one goal: helping you succeed.
So if you’ve been sitting on the fence, waiting for a sign to start your media journey, let this be it.
It’s time to pick up a new kind of tool. The camera. The pen. The microphone.
Because in 2026 and beyond, the companies who tell their story are going to be the ones who get the work.
Let’s get after it.
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