Blue Collar Cash: How Ken Rusk Built Success from the Ground Up

Ken Rusk has worn many hats: ditch digger, entrepreneur, life coach, and bestselling author of Blue Collar Cash. On this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi sit down with the Wall Street Journal bestselling author to talk about creating a fulfilling life, designing your future with purpose, and why sometimes the best business school is one that starts with a shovel.

From Ditches to Bestsellers

Ken started with a shovel in hand and built a life and business around hard work, vision, and simplicity. His book Blue Collar Cash champions the idea that a college degree isn’t the only path to success – and that trades, when pursued with intention, can be just as (if not more) rewarding.

The title of the book came from a mix of Ken’s experience and a brilliant moment of validation from his publisher. As the lead editor at HarperCollins confessed, she had gone to a Big Ten college, racked up debt, and watched her blue-collar friends thrive financially. The phrase “Blue Collar Cash” captured exactly what she – and many others – were seeing in real life.

The School of Shovels

One of Ken’s standout philosophies? The “School of Shovels.” Ken believes every repetitive, physical job holds a deeper purpose. For him, it’s not about white collar vs. blue collar. It’s about designing your life based on what you want, then doing the work to get there – and about thinking beyond the mundane, into the bigger purpose of what you’re doing.

Creating a Life by Design

Mandi and Amani were especially curious about Ken’s approach to life design – a method he uses to help others define and visualize the future they want. It’s not just mindset fluff. Ken dives into the neuroscience behind visualization, explaining how shifting a dream from your mind to your hands (like sketching or building a puzzle) helps your brain own it – pushing your body to chase it almost automatically.

This simple practice has helped Ken and countless others move out of a reactive lifestyle and into one of intention, goal-setting, and fulfillment.

Where Did All the Trades Go?

Ken points out a few cultural shifts that led us to the point of blue collar jobs declining. First, the removal of shop classes from schools. “You used to be able to walk down the hall and see someone fixing a transmission or baking a cake,” Ken said. “You could accidentally discover how cool it was to be a carpenter.”

But then computers replaced vocational programs. And kids traded building tree forts for building in Minecraft. Add to that the pressure from colleges and universities that suggest success only comes with a four-year degree, and you’ve got a recipe for a serious shortage of skilled tradespeople.

The Opportunity: Real Jobs, Real Money

The truth is there are thousands of high-paying, high-demand jobs just waiting to be filled. After hurricanes damaged over 10,000 elevators in Naples, Florida, elevator repair specialists were flown in from across the country, making $150-$200k a year.

So how do we make trades as “sexy” as tech or book deals? It starts with redefining success.

“Is it the piece of paper on your wall that you want, or is it to live well?” Ken asked. “Because those aren’t mutually exclusive.”

When you start with your ideal lifestyle in mind, you can reverse-engineer your career path. There are countless ways to get there – and not all of them involve college debt or corporate ladders.

The Power of Mentorship

Ken credits two major mentors with helping him carve his path. His dad, a Marine and successful entrepreneur, and his first boss – the “Mick Jagger of home improvement” – who gave Ken front-row access to what living fully could look like. From buying cars to throwing parties, Ken got to see the behind-the-scenes of success and service.

Now, he’s paying it forward.

“Every company needs people,” Ken said. “You can bounce around within those walls, learn everything you can, and eventually move up – or move out and start your own thing.”

What Makes a Successful Workplace Culture

Ken has been in business for over 40 years, long before “culture” became a business buzzword. He’s seen the landscape shift firsthand – and according to him, the companies thriving today are the ones that invest in their people.

“You better separate yourself,” Ken shared. “With color, with sound, with celebration, with financing, with that overall caring...with a goal-driven or timed pathway-driven atmosphere.” With help wanted signs on every corner, companies can no longer rely on paycheck alone to attract and keep top talent.

The takeaway? If your workplace doesn’t feel different – in a good way – your best people may not stick around.

What Employees Really Want: Purpose and Possibility

Ken also emphasized that successful leaders create environments where employees feel supported not just professionally, but personally. “They care about my future as much as I do,” he explained. “In fact, they might ask me about my future more than I even ask myself.”

That kind of intentional support opens the door for people to dream bigger – both inside and outside the company walls.

Connect with Ken Rusk

🔗 Connect with Ken Rusk and check out his book and course on his website