Addiction and mental health issues in the telecom industry are very prevalent today. 80% of the people in the telecom industry are struggling with some level of addiction, whether in the form of alcohol, sweets, or drugs. It’s a disease that can spread like wildfire and destroy our industry as a whole if we don’t step up and fix it. If we, as an industry and as a workforce, want to earn credibility, then we have to make this effort to level up ourselves and attack these pervading issues on the front end. Broc Englund joins us today from a 220-foot four legs self-support in South Louisiana as he shares his own struggles with addiction, the impact of mental health issues on our society as a whole, and how we can move forward and level up as an industry. Show Highlights: What it’s like to struggle with your mental health How society has advocated for mental health issues How addiction affects the industry Why unionization is not the answer to this problem The first step to addressing addiction and mental health issues The role of a strong support system Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daldztwV5ww Subscribe and Review We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Tower Technicians is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot! *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. 

As we’ve mentioned in the previous episodes, the goal of this podcast is to bridge the gap between the three groups in the telecom industry: the industry leaders, the contractors, and the workforce.    Apparently, there are some things that each group does to make each other’s lives more difficult. And so, if we could only help bridge that gap, this industry will go nowhere but up. The first step is awareness.    Today, Rod Leblanc, a tower technician who has been in this industry for 13 years, brings in a lot of unique experiences having been exposed to different safety hazards, working at an alligator farm, a scaffolding site, and a concrete business. And now in telecom, Rod still continues to get exposed to similar hazards, if not more.    Rod shares his perspective on how to bridge this gap that will, hopefully, spark a synergy defined by safety and quality.   Show Highlights: What industry leaders can do to make the life of contractors easier What contractors can do to make the life of industry leaders a bit easier What industry leaders and contractors can do to help make the workforce’s life easier Where the telecom industry is heading Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gaElNUd47I Subscribe and Review We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Tower Technicians is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot!   *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

This is a show designed to address the gap between industry leaders, contractors, and the workforce in the communications infrastructure industry.   But why me? Why am I the guy doing this podcast?   It is a risky move to put myself out there in public and do a podcast. But then there are a lot of people in this industry who are looking for someone to step out, find some solutions, and make things happen for positive change. After reflecting on all my experiences within this industry, I realized – why not?   In this episode, you'll see why I feel like I’m the guy for this podcast, my family influences, my work experiences, and some lessons I’ve learned along this journey that made me who I am today.   Show Highlights: Lessons from blue-collar influences in my life How sports and my hobbies shaped me as a person Lessons from the Army My career background Time to give back to the industry Why I could relate with the different people in this industry Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo1KMO3tOCo Subscribe and Review We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Tower Technicians is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot! *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Tower technicians have been perceived as second-class citizens. They’re called names like crazy, cowboys, tower dogs, and all other labels you could throw that do partly contribute to low morale. Climbing 300, 400, or 1,200 feet daily is no joke. They’re called crazy for a reason. After all, no one else dares to throw themselves in dangerous situations daily. The fact that everyone in our society depends on the work of these courageous individuals in order to call, text, email, access google & youtube, or even make social media posts should earn them some respect. The least people could give them is a decent amount of respect. They deserve to be celebrated – and that’s what this podcast is here for! Welcome to this first episode of Tower Technicians, a podcast dedicated to bridging the gap in the communications infrastructure industry that exists between industry leaders, contractors, and the workforce. On this show, we're going to feature people in this industry – from those that work for carriers, tower owners, and OEMs, to engineering firms, turfing contractors, subcontractors, and specialty contractors. We will also feature people who represent the workforce from civil technicians and electrical technicians to underground technicians, and of course, tower technicians. We will interview guests on job sites and climb towers to do these interviews. We will go where everyone is. And if you’re wondering about why this podcast is named as such, then you’d have to listen in to find out! Show Highlights: Issues and challenges in the workforce that need to be addressed The three main groups that make up the communications infrastructure industry Matrix pricing and why it doesn’t work for everyone else Subcontractors vs. turfing contractors Some problems that the bottom-of-the-barrel contractors are causing the industry Getting out of the entitlement mindset among tower technicians Building your personal excellence is the ultimate rebellion. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XJpBeiNQgE Subscribe and Review We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Tower Technicians is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot! *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

What if you could hang out with experienced tower technicians, industry leaders, and decision makers, ask them about their experiences, habits, concerns, and frustrations; then take an insight or two to guide your own career growth? That’s what we do each week on this podcast. Hosted by DW –– an experienced tower technician who has become an industry leader over the last 3 decades –– every episode is an in-depth look at the lives of people in wireless telecom who are always working hard to close the digital divide. Our hope is to show you how you can stay safe, grow your career, and reach your fullest potential within the industry. The goal is to bridge the gap between tower technicians and decision makers within wireless telecom.