Make Trades Great Again

I Let an AI Agent Do My Office Work for Two Weeks

What happens when a plumber gives an AI agent access to his business and tells it to get to work? Eric has spent two weeks using Muse, Meta's new AI agent — and thi

Say the Price First: How We Qualify Customers | Make Trades Great Again

The estimate doesn't start at the kitchen table. It starts on the first phone call — with the questions. Eric and Andy lay out the qualifying questions they ask eve

Retail, Rebates & Rewards Cards: How We Actually Buy Materials

It's your money — make it work for you. Eric lets Andy in on the back-pocket tool Midwesterners already know: Menards' 11% rebate. Everything in the store qual

A Race To The Bottom

In this episode, Andy and Eric discuss the current state of the boiler industry, competition, market trends, and the impact of technology and pricing strategies on contra

No Warranty For You!

In this episode, Andy and Eric share insights on the realities of installing customer-supplied equipment, the pitfalls of advertising in traditional media like phone book

Stop Leaving Money On The Table

In this episode, Andy and Eric discuss the importance of service and maintenance in HVAC, plumbing, and equipment installation. They explore how proactive servicing can g

Hiring Experts from Outside Your Organization

Andy shares his experience with boiler maintenance, subcontracting, and the importance of professional startup for complex HVAC systems. We explore the value of expert in

Give It The Old College Try

This episode explores the diverse paths young people take after high school, including college, trades, and entrepreneurship. We discuss the importance of financial liter

Andy's Odd Job

In this episode, Andy and Eric explore the fascinating history and ongoing renovation of a 110-year-old bank building in Missoula. They discuss the building's unique

Milwaukee's New Lighting - PIPELINE

Milwaukee is expanding the lighting category again in 2026. A couple notable new lights shown this year at PIPELINE are the usb-c rechargeable clip light and flat flashli

Packout at Pipeline with Nick Trawicki

Our annual trip to Milwaukee PIPELINE is always great fun. This year we talked all things Packout with product manager Nick Trawicki.  Packout was first released in June

Feast or Famine?

There are pockets of the US that are struggling, other areas that are as busy as ever. What gives?  We want your feedback! Text, email, comment, DM!  Text the guys your

Top 5 Skills Apprentices Need Master To Be Successful

Calling all apprentices (and those training them)!  One of our most listened to episodes went live back in April 2024 and still tallies downloads today so we decided it

Rewind! Wives Special! Knowing what you know now...

This episode aired in August '24 and had been one of our most downloaded ever, give it a listen, we hope you enjoy it. We will be back with new episodes soon!  Ever

Andy Hates Combi Boilers Too

The guys revisit a topic they’ve been getting a lot of feedback from. It started with a recent MTGA episode titled “Eric Hates Combi Boilers”. In this episode, Eric and

We Installed a Radiant Cooling System...You Can Too!

Andy and Eric discuss their recent project installing a Viessmann air-to-water heat pump system, exploring its performance, efficiency, and potential applications in radi

The Boys Are Back Together in Montana

Eric is flying out to work with Andy on the Mickelson P&H shop!  This episode features a deep dive into radiant heating design, heat pump integration, and insulation str

Eric Hates Combi-Boilers

Should we stop installing combi-boilers?  Eric and Andy discuss the pros and cons of combi-boilers, the longevity of different heating systems, and practical advice for

Who is Mark Wille

Hey MTGA fans, we're excited for you to meet a good friend of ours, olease give it a listen!  Mark Wille shares his journey from childhood in construction to becomi

Trouble with Trying New Equipment

We explore the challenges and lessons learned from installing new heat pump systems, including a detailed account of a failed project. We discuss equipment selection, tro