Alternative Employment
Don and Tom step away from pure investing talk to explore how AI, layoffs, and stagnant wages are reshaping career paths—especially for young people and midlife career changers. Drawing on a Wall Street Journal article, they make the case that skilled trades and blue-collar careers are increasingly attractive alternatives to vulnerable white-collar jobs. They discuss service advisor roles, union trades, and apprenticeship paths, then pivot to listener questions on Robinhood bonuses, switching to financial advising later in life, and the risks of moving from AVGE to AVGV. Throughout, they emphasize self-knowledge, discipline, and long-term thinking—whether choosing a career or building a portfolio.
0:04 Why this episode is about earning money, not just investing
0:31 Encouraging parents to rethink college-only career paths
1:15 AI, layoffs, and the shrinking white-collar job market
2:32 Crash Champions and the rise of service advisor careers
3:31 Don’s dealership days and why he left the car business
5:12 Learning to drive stick shift the hard way
6:46 Apprenticeships, $60K starting pay, and growth potential
7:34 Work-life balance in blue-collar vs. white-collar jobs
8:36 Why contractors struggle with communication and planning
9:05 Demand for skilled trades and handyman services
9:47 Labor shortages: factory, construction, and auto techs
10:36 Demographics and the retirement of skilled workers
11:35 Pensions, unions, and taking responsibility for retirement
12:45 Finding yourself in your 20s and career experimentation
13:04 New Tales Told plug and early radio career story
14:23 Listener: Robinhood bonuses and disciplined investing
15:41 Why Robinhood encourages risky behavior
17:23 Listener: Becoming a financial advisor at 55
18:31 Barriers to entry and starting an independent RIA
19:14 Why people skills matter more than math skills
20:45 How AI will reshape the advisory profession
22:07 Shift from brokerage to fiduciary advising
23:18 Listener: Switching from AVGE to AVGV
24:47 Risk tolerance and fund volatility
26:31 Splitting funds and managing behavioral risk