Welding Business Owner Podcast

We discuss with other business owners how to start and grow your welding business. Our guests range from single owner operators up to people who manage teams of 50+ with decades of experience. We discuss how they got started, strategies for growth, team management, bidding and winning jobs, downfalls to avoid and lots more!

Welding Business Owner Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Kevin Johnson, with 115 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Kevin Johnson hosts Welding Business Owner Podcast, a business show with 115 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Welding Business Owner Podcast

  Down to His Last $10: How an ADD Kid Built an Aerospace Welding Empire

  Aug 17, 20262h 30m

  Send us Fan Mail 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

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  Welding Business Owner Podcast

  Is AI About to Replace Welders? (What Fabrication Will Look Like in 5 Years) with Adam Heffner from Hero Machine

  Jul 27, 20261h 25m

  Send us Fan Mail The rules of metal fabrication are changing faster than ever. Between AI estimators, computer vision for welders, and cobots running production lines, traditional shops are facing a massive crossroads: adapt now or get left behind. In this episode, Adam Heffner (Hero Machine Co. & Maker Table) breaks down what’s coming next for fabrication, why plasma cutting is losing the battle to fiber lasers, and how smart shop owners are using AI to scale their output without adding massive overhead. ⏱️ Video Chapters 00:00 - The 3-Second Reality Check on Automation 01:30 - Trade Show World Tour: FabTech & Ag Fair Plans 06:40 - Why Hero Machine Co. Paused in 2020 (And the Comeback) 15:20 - Laser vs. Plasma: The Brutal Financial Math 20:20 - Importing Machinery: Scams, Tariffs, & Support Traps 34:30 - What Overseas AI & Robotics Labs are Building Right Now 42:00 - Computer Vision, Weld Puddle Tracking, & Cobots 56:00 - How Adam Trained ChatGPT to Do the Work of 3 Estimators 01:01:30 - SEO Secrets: Why Gemini Beats Chat GPT for Website Traffic 01:05:00 - Building Custom CAD Plugins & In-House AI Data Centers 01:16:00 - What the Modern 3-Man Fabrication Shop Will Look Like

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  Welding Business Owner Podcast

  How AI Will Change Welding Businesses Forever

  Jun 8, 202628 min

  Send us Fan Mail Artificial Intelligence is changing faster than most of us can keep up with—and whether you love it or hate it, it's already starting to impact the welding and fabrication industry. In this episode, I sit down with Dan Cocks from DC Built to talk about how we're actually using AI in our businesses today. From creating customer renderings and speeding up design work to building software, solving problems, and automating repetitive tasks, we share the tools and workflows that are helping us get more done with less effort. But the conversation doesn't stop there. We dive into the future of fabrication and discuss what happens when AI starts working alongside robotics, cobots, laser welders, CNC equipment, and automated material handling systems. Could a small shop one day have the output of a much larger company? How close are we really to that becoming reality? Whether you're already experimenting with AI or you're still trying to figure out what all the hype is about, this episode will give you a practical look at where the technology is today—and where it's headed next. Topics we cover: • Using AI to create customer renderings and concepts • Chat GPT, Claude, and other AI tools • Prompting techniques that get better results • Building software and automations with AI • AI agents and workflow automation • The future of robotic welding and fabrication • How AI could impact small welding businesses • Why technology is becoming more accessible than ever If you're a welding business owner, fabricator, shop manager, or anyone interested in where the trades are headed, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. #WeldingBusinessOwnersPodcast #WeldingBusiness #Fabrication #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #ChatGPT #WeldingShop #Manufacturing #Automation #Robotics #SmallBusiness September 11th and 12th. www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com www.FabricatorOlympics.com

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  Welding Business Owner Podcast

  Josh Hutie - Tradesman Experience Podcast

  May 18, 20261h 27m

  In this episode of the Welding Business Owners Podcast, I sit down with Josh Hewitt — entrepreneur, HVAC company owner, host of the Tradesmen Experience podcast, and cofounder of Blue Collar Insiders and True Pros. This conversation goes way deeper than just welding or HVAC. We talk about what actually makes a blue-collar business succeed long term: leadership, culture, communication, job costing, hiring, sales, customer experience, and learning how to think like a business owner instead of just a technician. Josh shares hard lessons from growing multiple companies, getting stuck in the same problems most trades business owners face, and what it really takes to build a team that cares about the customer as much as you do. We also dive into why so many businesses stay chaotic even when they’re busy, the danger of “out-earning” your mistakes, and how systems and leadership completely change the game. If you own a welding business, fabrication shop, HVAC company, or any blue-collar business, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can apply immediately. Topics we cover: Leadership and company culture Hiring people who actually care Why most trades businesses stay stuck Job costing and understanding your numbers Customer experience and communication Building systems that scale Sales without feeling “salesy” Managing teams and accountability Why being busy does NOT always mean profitable The Welding Business Summit & Fabricator Olympics Check out Josh Hewitt: Instagram: @bluecollarinsiders Blue Collar Insiders Tradesmen Experience Podcast Learn more about the Welding Business Summit: WeldingBusinessSummit.com September 11th and 12th. www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com www.FabricatorOlympics.com

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  Welding Business Owner Podcast

  Dan - DC Built

  May 5, 202649 min

  Trying to build a welding business while working a full-time job? That’s exactly what Dan from DC Built is doing—and in this episode, we break down what it really takes to grow a welding business on nights and weekends. This isn’t theory. This is what it looks like when you’re juggling a day job, limited time, and still trying to build something that actually makes money. We get into: How Dan balances a full-time job while growing his welding business How to decide which jobs are actually worth your time Pricing when you can’t afford to waste hours on low-profit work The biggest mistakes guys make when starting on the side What’s helping him build real momentum without going full-time If you’re trying to turn your welding skills into a real business—but you’re stuck working a job during the day—this episode will give you a more realistic path forward. — 🎯 This episode is for: Welding business owners working a full-time job Side hustle welders trying to grow Fabricators looking to make more money with limited time — Subscribe for more real-world advice on building a profitable welding business, pricing your work, and growing without wasting time. #WeldingBusiness #SideHustle #WeldingLife #Fabrication #TradesBusiness #SmallBusiness September 11th and 12th. www.WeldingBusinessSummit.com www.FabricatorOlympics.com

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