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What does it take to lose everything, hit rock bottom, and build back a thriving business? In today’s episode, we welcome Lonnie Smith III of Crosstrades LLC and Run Welding.

Lonnie takes us through his incredible journey: starting out in custom car audio, contracting in Iraq during the war, working as a pipeline welder, surviving a SWAT raid on his home, and overcoming severe addiction. Today, Lonnie restores and customizes welding machines for clients across all 50 states, runs a custom parts e-commerce shop, and hires recovering addicts to give them a second chance.

Key Takeaways:

• The real trade-offs between pipeline travel income and local business equity.
• Technical breakdowns of Lincoln vs. Miller engine drives.
• How to structure business workflow around ADHD and neurodivergent processing.
• Creating scalable second-chance training initiatives within trade shops.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro
• 01:08 – High-End Custom Cars & Military Contracting in Iraq
• 07:25 – Entering Union 798 & Pipelining
• 10:45 – Finding a Niche in Welder Machine Repair
• 15:00 – Addiction, SWAT Raid, Rehab & Fresh Start
• 20:45 – Building Crosstrades LLC from Scratch
• 31:20 – Mentorship & ADHD Management Systems
• 38:30 – Viral Videos & E-Commerce Growth
• 1:10:25 – Machine Honest Reviews: Lincoln SA-200 Breakdown
• 1:26:50 – Implementing AI & Systems in Fabrication

Socials & Links:

• Website: runweldingparts.com
• Facebook: Crosstrades LLC
• Phone: 570-665-8007
• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/189bi4pWnX/?mibextid=wwXIfr
  
  crosstradesllc.com
  
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