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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
  
  https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLddy9AH/
  
  https://youtu.be/2V4SDnp7HIY?feature=shared
  
  https://www.instagram.com/p/Da4CDs3lejq/?stkn=d2ttMDM1czNzanZp

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If you guys ever wondered what the Fabricator Olympics is like in person, here's your chance to see it.

This week's episode is a recap of the 2025 Fabricator Olympics.

Don't forget, virtual tickets for the Welding Business Summit will be available October 2.

www.FabricatorOlympics.com

www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com

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From being told he would fail without college to welding pure gold for GE Aerospace and running a nation-wide fabrication business, Josh Wolfe’s story is a masterclass in blue-collar grit.

In this episode of the Welding Business Owners Podcast, Josh Wolfe (host of the Speaking of Skilled Trades podcast) sits down with Kevin to share his journey from an ADD high schooler struggling to fit into standard classrooms to building a successful career in high-stakes TIG welding and metal fabrication.

We dive deep into taking pay cuts to chase experience, surviving the absolute rock-bottom moments of business ownership, passing the trade down to his three kids, and a candid, unfiltered discussion on how AI, automation, and robotics are coming for small-town fab shops.

If you are a welder, fabricator, trade student, or blue-collar business owner looking to scale, this conversation is packed with real-world advice you can't afford to miss.

🔥 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

Finding Peace in Chaos: How struggling with ADD in traditional high school led Josh straight into career-technical education and welding.

Experience Over Dollars: Why taking a $3/hr pay cut early on unlocked massive opportunities in aerospace TIG welding for GE.

The $10 Turning Point: Putting his last $10 into his Ford Focus to beg for a job while struggling to heat his house.

Passing the Torch: How Josh trained his kids to become aerospace welders making top-dollar right out of high school.

The AI Threat to Fab Shops: A real debate on automation, $100k welding robots, and what small shop owners need to do to survive.

📌 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro & The Reality of Skilled Trades
1:30 - Struggling with ADD & Finding Welding in High School
6:42 - My First Production Job & "Chasing Experience, Not Dollars"
9:30 - Taking a $3 Pay Cut to Master TIG Welding
12:55 - Landing a GE Aerospace Welding Job (Welding Pure Gold)
17:41 - Stepping Out on My Own: Starting a Miscellaneous Steel Business
23:33 - Down to My Last $10: The Turning Point in Business
35:20 - Leaving Business to Become a Welding Instructor
45:35 - Flying Across the Country & Losing Passion for the Game
55:00 - Raising 3 Aerospace Welders & Reopening the Shop
1:17:40 - Has Social Media Helped or Hurt the Trades?
1:23:00 - AI & Robotics: Is Automation Coming for Your Fab Shop?
2:12:10 - The Value of Human Craftsmanship & Advice for Young Welders

🔗 CONNECT WITH JOSH WOLFE:
Instagram & TikTok: @wolf_cte
Podcast: Speaking of Skilled Trades (Available on Spotify) 📲 SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THE SHOW:
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel for weekly welding business advice!
Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify: https://www.weldingbusinessownerspodcast.com/
Follow on Instagram: WeldingBusinessOwnersPodcast

#WeldingBusiness #SkilledTrades #Welder #Fabrication #TIGWelding #AerospaceWelding #BlueCollar #AIinTrades #BusinessOwner #CareerTechEd

www.FabricatorOlympics.com

www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com