Episodios

  • When the Dream Needs a Day Job: Turning a Failing Business Into a Side Hustle

    When the Dream Needs a Day Job: Turning a Failing Business Into a Side Hustle
    Mar 10 2026
    In this episode, we tackle one of the hardest truths in entrepreneurship—knowing when a business isn’t ready to stand on its own. Too many people pour thousands of dollars, years of time, and even money from family into ventures that simply aren’t producing enough income to survive. At some point, determination can turn into financial damage. We discuss how to recognize when it’s time to shift gears, get a steady job to stabilize your finances, and move the dream into a side hustle instead of letting it destroy your bank account and relationships. Stepping back from a struggling business isn’t giving up—it’s making a strategic decision to protect your future while continuing to build your vision the smart way.

    Opening Questions
    1. At what point does a business stop being a “startup phase” and start becoming financial self-destruction?
    2. How do you know the difference between “pushing through hard times” and “refusing to accept reality”?
    3. Is it possible that the smartest business decision you can make is getting a full-time job?
    4. Why do so many entrepreneurs treat the idea of getting a job like it's failure?
    5. Is pride the biggest reason people keep pouring money into a dying business?
    Reality Check Questions
    1. If your business hasn’t paid you in a year, is it really a business or just an expensive hobby?
    2. How many months of losses should someone realistically tolerate before reassessing?
    3. If your spouse or family is financially supporting your “business,” are you really running a business?
    4. When you start borrowing money from family to keep a business alive, has it already crossed the line?
    5. Is there a point where continuing a failing business becomes irresponsible to your family?
    Ego vs Reality
    1. Why do entrepreneurs sometimes confuse stubbornness with determination?
    2. Is quitting the wrong business actually a smart entrepreneurial move?
    3. How much of entrepreneurship is about knowing when to pivot or pause?
    4. Do social media success stories make people feel like they must grind forever even when it's not working?
    The Side Hustle Strategy
    1. Why is turning a struggling business into a side hustle often the smartest move?
    2. What are the advantages of building a business while working a stable job?
    3. How does having steady income actually help a business grow smarter?
    4. Why do many successful businesses start as side hustles rather than full-time ventures?
    5. Is it better to grow slowly with stability rather than forcing growth with debt?
    Financial Responsibility
    1. What financial signals tell you it’s time to stop treating something like a full-time business?
    2. Should every entrepreneur set a financial “kill switch” before starting a business?
    3. How much savings should someone realistically have before trying to go full-time with a startup?
    4. Is taking money from family to support a failing business ever justified?
    5. What’s the long-term damage to relationships when businesses collapse after family investments?
    Hard Truths Segment
    1. Is it possible that some ideas are just not viable businesses?
    2. How do you know when the market has spoken?
    3. What’s the difference between “this needs more time” and “this will never work”?
    4. Why is it sometimes smarter to pause a business than destroy your finances trying to save it?
    Encouragement Segment
    1. Does moving a business to a side hustle mean the dream is over?
    2. Can getting a stable job actually accelerate your future success?
    3. Why is patience often the missing ingredient in entrepreneurship?
    4. Is the real entrepreneurial skill knowing when to adapt instead of when to grind harder?
    Powerful Closing Question “Is the goal to prove you're an entrepreneur, or to actually build something sustainable?” Strong Closing Statement You Could Use “A real entrepreneur isn’t someone who refuses to quit. A real entrepreneur is someone who refuses to destroy their future chasing something that isn’t ready yet.”


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    1 h y 2 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 55 | Burning Bridges in the Electrical Industry

    Master The NEC | Episode 55 | Burning Bridges in the Electrical Industry
    Feb 21 2026
    In today’s connected world, burning bridges in the electrical industry can cost you far more than you realize. In this episode, The Electrical Guru dives into the real-world consequences of publicly criticizing inspectors, manufacturers, educators, and fellow electricians—especially on social media.

    The electrical trade is a tight-knit community where reputations travel fast, and opportunities often depend on professional relationships built over years. One emotional post or public rant can quietly damage your credibility, limit future support, and close doors you didn’t even know were open.

    Whether you’re an electrical contractor, apprentice, inspector, or industry professional, this episode delivers straight talk on why professionalism matters, how online behavior impacts your business, and what smart electricians do instead of burning bridges.

    If you’re serious about long-term success in the electrical industry, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

    Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO and Founder of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., the leading electrical educator in the country, discusses electrical code, electrical trade, and electrical business-related topics to help electricians maximize their knowledge and industry investment.

    If you are looking to learn more about the National Electrical Code, for electrical exam preparation, or to better your knowledge of the NEC, then visit https://fasttraxsystem.com for all the electrical code training you will ever need by the leading electrical educator in the country with the best NEC learning program on the planet.


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    47 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 54 | My Thoughts on Home Inspectors

    Master The NEC | Episode 54 | My Thoughts on Home Inspectors
    Jan 30 2026
    This episode is powerful because it focuses on the value of Home Inspectors to the electrician and not just the buyer and/or seller. You may be shocked, pun intended, to learn what Paul Abernathy, a nationally recognized electrical expert, thinks about home inspectors and what they bring to the table for electricians. We, as electricians and electrical contractors, are always looking to grow our business, to increase our exposure, and to simply be the best we can be.

    So, embracing the Home Inspection Industry is very important to an electrical contractor’s success. Yes, I know the actual Electrician likes to bash the stuff in a home inspection report when things are called out that seem frivolous, but at the end of the day, you, the Electrician, are getting paid to either fix the issues or give a detailed explanation of what is acceptable. Once that interaction is done, it’s up to the negotiation between the buyer and seller, and nothing you say in a report, be it the home inspection report or electrical follow-up evaluation, should be biased or one-sided. Simply state the facts, collect your check, and move on.

    Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO and Founder of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., the leading electrical educator in the country, discusses electrical code, electrical trade, and electrical business-related topics to help electricians maximize their knowledge and industry investment.

    If you are looking to learn more about the National Electrical Code, for electrical exam preparation, or to better your knowledge of the NEC, then visit https://fasttraxsystem.com for all the electrical code training you will ever need by the leading electrical educator in the country with the best NEC learning program on the planet.


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    33 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 53 | Do Your Service Techs have Soft Skills?

    Master The NEC | Episode 53 | Do Your Service Techs have Soft Skills?
    Jan 15 2026
    This episode is powerful because it focuses on the importance of soft skills, such as communication and conflict mitigation, that all service employees need to be trained to understand the importance of Soft Skills in the Trades.

    The company's reputation can be destroyed by one bad service call. The results of poor people skills can undo thousands of hours, if not years of hard work, when it could have all be avoided with some soft skills training.

    Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO and Founder of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., the leading electrical educator in the country, discusses electrical code, electrical trade, and electrical business-related topics to help electricians maximize their knowledge and industry investment.

    If you are looking to learn more about the National Electrical Code, for electrical exam preparation, or to better your knowledge of the NEC, then visit https://fasttraxsystem.com for all the electrical code training you will ever need by the leading electrical educator in the country with the best NEC learning program on the planet.


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    38 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 52 | Being the Best Electrician Will NOT Make You Successful

    Master The NEC | Episode 52 | Being the Best Electrician Will NOT Make You Successful
    Jan 15 2026
    🧠 Being the best electrician in the world does not make you the best electrical contractor — and it definitely does not guarantee business success. In this episode, Paul Abernathy breaks down the uncomfortable truth most electricians never hear:

    Technical skill alone does not build profitable, scalable electrical contracting businesses. You’ll learn:
    • Why customers don’t buy your technical ability — they buy your company image
    • The difference between being a great electrician and a great electrical contractor
    • How branding, professionalism, communication, and systems drive real growth
    • Why so many talented electricians fail as business owners
    • What successful electrical companies actually focus on
    If you're an electrician, electrical contractor, service technician, or business owner in the trades, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about success.

    🎧 Listen now and start building a company that grows with or without you.


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    44 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 51 | Overview of Electrically Safe Condition

    Master The NEC | Episode 51 | Overview of Electrically Safe Condition
    Jan 15 2026
    This episode is powerful because it provides an overview of a critical concept: effectively removing electrical power from a circuit or equipment and restoring it to an electrically safe condition.

    This podcast episode will provide a summary and overview of the 2-hour video on FastTraxTube.com, which discusses creating an Electrically Safe Working Condition using NFPA 70E and OSHA 1910.333 practices. This is a great listen before watching the video on FastTraxTube.com for an in-depth understanding of lockout and tagout procedures and all the necessary things to create an electrically safe work environment.

    Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO and Founder of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., the leading electrical educator in the country, discusses electrical code, electrical trade, and electrical business-related topics to help electricians maximize their knowledge and industry investment.

    If you are looking to learn more about the National Electrical Code, for electrical exam preparation, or to better your knowledge of the NEC, then visit https://fasttraxsystem.com for all the electrical code training you will ever need by the leading electrical educator in the country with the best NEC learning program on the planet.


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    32 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 50 | Understanding Thermal Severity in Thermography

    Master The NEC | Episode 50 | Understanding Thermal Severity in Thermography
    Jan 6 2026
    Certified Thermal Electrician™ is the most complete thermal imaging certification program built specifically for electricians, electrical inspectors, and electrical contractors. This video is a sample from our program lesson on Understanding Severity in Electrical Thermal Imaging.

    This professional thermal imaging training teaches you how to safely perform infrared inspections, interpret thermal images using ΔT analysis, apply NFPA 70B & NFPA 70E standards, and write defensible inspection reports that protect both your customer and your license. Whether you are an electrician, master electrician, electrical contractor, facility maintenance technician, or electrical inspector, this course gives you real-world field skills you can apply immediately.

    🔧 What You Will Learn

    ✔ How to properly use thermal cameras for electrical inspections

    ✔ How to calculate and interpret ΔT (temperature difference)

    ✔ How to classify findings using the official Green / Yellow / Orange / Red severity system

    ✔ How to perform thermal inspections on panels, motors, transformers, bus systems, VFDs, and control equipment

    ✔ How load conditions affect thermal results (I²R heating explained)

    ✔ How to avoid common thermal imaging mistakes

    ✔ How to write professional NFPA-compliant inspection reports

    ✔ How to turn thermal imaging into a profitable service offering

    🏗️ Built on Industry Standards This program is aligned with: • NFPA 70B (Electrical Equipment Maintenance)

    • NFPA 70E (Electrical Safety in the Workplace)

    • NETA Maintenance Testing Specifications

    • NEC Article 110 & 310 thermal principles

    🧑‍🏫 Who This Course Is For

    • Electricians
    • Master Electricians
    • Electrical Contractors
    • Electrical Inspectors
    • Facility Maintenance Professionals
    • Industrial Electricians
    • Preventive Maintenance Technicians

    💼 Why Electricians Need Thermal Imaging Most electrical failures begin as heat.
    Loose connections, overloads, phase imbalance, and deteriorating components all show early warning signs long before failure occurs.

    Thermal imaging allows electricians to detect these problems early — preventing fires, outages, downtime, and costly repairs.

    🎓 Get Certified Learn more about the Certified Thermal Electrician™ program here:
    👉 https://ThermalElectrician.com


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    36 m
  • Master The NEC | Episode 49 | Why Calculators Matter for Thermal Electricians

    Master The NEC | Episode 49 | Why Calculators Matter for Thermal Electricians
    Dec 24 2025
    This episode is powerful because it focuses on the free thermal imaging calculators we have at ThermalElectrician.com and how they can be useful to anyone who is using a thermal camera in the field for accurate and reliable results. Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., and creator of the Certified Thermal Electrician program. Taking great electricians and making them amazingly great electricians.

    Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO and Founder of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., the leading electrical educator in the country, discusses electrical code, electrical trade, and electrical business-related topics to help electricians maximize their knowledge and industry investment.

    If you are looking to learn more about the National Electrical Code, for electrical exam preparation, or to better your knowledge of the NEC, then visit https://fasttraxsystem.com for all the electrical code training you will ever need by the leading electrical educator in the country with the best NEC learning program on the planet.


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ask-paul-national-electrical-code--4971115/support.
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    37 m