In this episode, David Abshire interviews Michael Waid, who shares his journey from a blue-collar upbringing in South Texas to becoming a key player in the oil and gas industry. Michael discusses his current ventures, including 18G Energy and a successful side business, Small Batch Texas. He addresses common misconceptions about the oil and gas sector, emphasizing the challenges and realities of the industry. Michael highlights the importance of networking, the need for better data and predictive maintenance, and the operational bottlenecks faced by companies today. He also reflects on the resilience required to thrive in this volatile field and encourages the next generation of engineers to gain diverse experiences.