Wilson Betances is a master electrician, contractor, author, and the Founder & CEO of Energize Us – a fast-growing education, media, and professional development platform redefining the future of skilled trades leadership. With 17+ years in the electrical trade, Wilson is now focused on addressing the structural issues holding the industry back. Grounded in his lived experience and the mentors who shaped him, he’s challenging the trades to rethink how we recruit, train, and keep skilled workers. Through Energize Us, he’s building a holistic ecosystem that supports people from their first day on the jobsite through becoming successful contractors.

In this interview we cover:

> Wilson’s Journey: Growing up in NYC and entering the electrical trade young

> Cultural Conditioning: Overcoming scarcity mindset, silence, and conflict avoidance
> What Energize Us is: How the platform began and its three pillars: media, education & professional development
> Fixing the Pipeline: Why every contractor demanding “3–5 years experience” is breaking the system
> Apprenticeship Dropout Rates: The real reasons so many apprentices leave within their first year
> Leadership Development: What the new trades leader actually looks like
> Gatekeeping & Culture Problems: Hazing, knowledge hoarding, outdated masculinity, and other norms pushing people away
> Innovating Around Retention: How Energize Us is eliminating real-life bottlenecks like housing, childcare, and support
> Future Vision: Wilson’s goal to influence workforce systems nationally and help modernize trades education and culture

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Guest info:

• Wilson Betances, Founder & CEO @ Energize Us

• Connect with Energize Us, ✉️: Info@EnergizeUs-EDU.today; Follow on Instagram

• Connect with Wilson on Instagram & LinkedIn

Connect with The Skilled Project:

• Founder, Amanda Luchetti; ✉️: amanda@theskilledproject.com

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

• Subscribe to newsletter

Like the podcast? 🎧

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a kickass review

• Know someone Skilled AF? Submit a story here

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

* This episode includes discussion of suicide in the construction industry. Listener discretion advised.

Angelo Suntres didn’t choose construction, construction chose him. After earning a mechanical engineering degree, he took a job in the industry simply to pay the bills. What he found instead was purpose and a deep sense of pride in building spaces that serve the community. Now, with 20+ years experience in mechanical and MEP construction in Canada, Angelo is dedicated to improving the human experience in the skilled trades and broader construction industry through his global platform – The Human Side of Construction, two books (The Human Side of Construction and Rebuild Construction), an online course, and coaching the next generation of industry leaders.

In this interview we cover:

> Angelo’s Journey

> How Human Side of Construction started

> Generational divides between talent

> Diversity & inclusion realities

> Construction's leaky workforce pipeline

> Mental health & suicide

> Angelo's vision for the future

Studies Mentioned:

> Building Better 2025

> Mason, L. et al. (2024). Comorbidity of anxiety and depression in adult ADHD
> Behind the High Vis: A Mental Health White Paper

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Guest info:

• Angelo Suntres, Founder, Human Side of Construction

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

Connect with The Skilled Project:

• Founder, Amanda Luchetti

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

• Subscribe to newsletter

Like the podcast? 🎧

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a kickass review

• Know someone Skilled AF? Submit a story here

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jeremy Mistretta is the founder of New Age Artisans, a plaster contractor and manufacturer based in Bozeman, Montana, and the creator of the Plaster Portal, a global online learning hub preserving and teaching ancient plaster techniques. A self-taught craftsman with an English literature degree, Jeremy has transformed a chance encounter with plaster into a thriving career. His work spans high-end residential projects, historic restorations, and global knowledge exchanges, including a recent restoration and transformation of a 500-year old mosque in Morocco into a women and children’s center. Through New Age Artisans and the Plaster Portal, Jeremy is redefining how traditional craft can thrive in the modern era, while ensuring he gives back to the industry that’s provided so much for him.

In this interview we cover:

> Jeremy’s Journey: From East Coast summer jobs and a literature degree to discovering his plaster passion in Montana

> Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks: The importance of mastering both trade skills and business acumen

> The Clientele: Serving the 1% of the 1% in Montana’s luxury home market, Yellowstone Club, while staying grounded in craft and community

> The Plaster Portal: A global education platform preserving ancient techniques and connecting artisans worldwide

> Manufacturing Plaster: How New Age Artisans has developed its own line of plaster blend from local aggregates in Montana

> Building Company Culture: Creating a circular economy that reinvests in employees, craft, and educating the next wave of plasterers

> Cultural Responsibility: Giving back to the birthplace of Tadelakt through the restoration of a 500-year-old building in Morocco

> Labor Shortage Insights: Firsthand perspective on the urgent need for skilled tradespeople

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Guest info:

• Jeremy Mistretta, Founder & Owner, New Age Artisans; The Plaster Portal

• Follow on Instagram

Connect with The Skilled Project:

• Founder, Amanda Luchetti; ✉️: amanda@theskilledproject.com

• Follow on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn

• Subscribe to newsletter

Like the podcast? 🎧

• Subscribe to the podcast

• Leave a kickass review

• Know someone Skilled AF? Submit a story here

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.