Episode 113: Kayleen McCabe: General Contractor, TV Host, Trades Advocate, Brand Ambassador, & Good for Morale

Today Brad speaks with Kayleen McCabe, a general contractor, TV host, keynote speaker, and trades advocate.

Kayleen was featured on DIY Network’s Rescue Renovation for five seasons, where she saved almost one hundred ill-fated home renovations, from an NFL running back’s kitchen to a coalmine-turned-man-cave.

As an advocate of trade careers and education, Kayleen’s goal is to shed light on the rising demand for trade professionals that’s outpacing vocational training—and to help restore America’s respect for the trades in the process.

Listen in as Kayleen explains that education, particularly if you desire to be in the trades, is not only found in the classroom, and how she is working to inspire America’s youth to embrace the trades.

She shares how she was inspired to become “Mister Rogers with a sledgehammer” and educate the masses on the importance of the trades after realizing that television has negatively influenced the public’s opinion on the construction industry.

Brought to you by Pella Windows & Doors

Topics Discussed: 

• [02:38] Why construction is generally under-promoted as a career path

• [05:41] Kayleen’s thoughts on the student debt crisis

• [09:27] The limitations of a college degree

• [14:21] Kayleen’s experience on Rescue Renovation

• [22:59] How much planning goes into each project before filming starts

• [34:37] Dealing with challenging clients on the show

• [36:08] How TV impacted Kayleen’s passion for construction

• [38:11] Kayleen’s work at the McCabe Foundation

• [41:40] How Kayleen hopes to influence women in the trades

• [49:14] The value of hard work

• [51:13] Kayleen’s experience starting her own company before her breakthrough on TV

• [55:46] Why the youth are at an advantage today if they want to get in the trades

• [01:00:35] What Kayleen does for fun and what she has planned for the future

Connect with Guest:

• Website - https://www.kayleenmccabe.com/

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kayleenmccabe/

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kayleenmccabe

• Twitter - https://twitter.com/KayleenMcCabe

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/KayleenMcCabe

Connect with Brad Leavitt: 

• Website - https://www.aftconstructionpodcast.com/

• Instagram - https://instagram.com/aft_construction

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aftconstruction

• Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/aft-construction/aft-construction

• Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ph/AFT_CONSTRUCTION/

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzB4R_DHPVV1SPh7RUfR5jg

Key Quotes by Kayleen:

• College is important. We need architects and engineers, and that does take a college degree; however, the best architects are the ones who went to a job site and learned how gravity works in real life.
  

• You don’t get anywhere in life without working really hard. The harder you work, you are rewarded. Now I’m at the point where I can choose the projects that I work on. I don’t work 18-hour days anymore; but, [it took] 15 years. It wasn’t overnight.