Episodes

  • From Sobriety to 4,000 Lights: A Journey of Grit, Growth and Opportunity in the Electrical Trades

    From Sobriety to 4,000 Lights: A Journey of Grit, Growth and Opportunity in the Electrical Trades
    Apr 10 2026
    In this powerful episode of Build Without Barriers, Kris Georgeson sits down with Carol Orozco, Human Resources Generalist at SunWest Electric, ABC instructor and electrical committee member, to share her remarkable journey into the trades. Carol began her electrical career at age 36 after getting sober and searching for a new direction in life. Nearly a decade later, she has led teams installing 4,000 lights on a major project, transitioned from the field into HR leadership, and now trains the next generation of electricians in the classroom. She opens up about the realities of entering construction later in life, navigating job site challenges as a woman, and the resilience it takes to keep showing up every day. Carol also shares how safety, mentorship and culture are shaping a new generation of apprentices, and how SunWest Electric has grown from just a few women in the field to significantly expanding female representation in recent years. From handing out business cards at gas stations to inspiring students to see the bigger picture of a career that can change their lives in four years, Carol’s passion for the trades is contagious. This episode is a testament to second chances, steady persistence and the life-changing power of opportunity in construction.
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    23 mins
  • Aaron Viveros on Second Chances, Mentorship, and the Electrician's Path

    Aaron Viveros on Second Chances, Mentorship, and the Electrician's Path
    May 14 2026
    Aaron Viveros walked up to a construction trailer outside San Antonio Hospital with nothing — his grandfather dying in the ICU upstairs, his family counting on him, and a willingness to work. The conversation he had at that trailer launched a twenty-year career. Today, he's the 2024 ABC Southern California Teacher of the Year, a master trainer, a licensed contractor, and the kind of mentor whose former apprentices still text him on Saturdays from the parking lot of the testing center after they pass their state exams. In this episode of Build Without Barriers, host Chris sits down with Aaron for a conversation he rarely has out loud. Aaron talks about overcoming addiction and homelessness, the "iron sharpens iron" mentors who shaped him, why he calls the National Electrical Code "our secret language," and the daily habits — showing up early, staying late, doing what needs to be done rather than what you want to do — that turn first-year apprentices into master electricians. He also opens up about the wall in his classroom covered in state certification slips, the squirrel-and-acorn lesson he gives every apprentice about California's seasonal construction work, and his core message for anyone facing a crossroads: don't be afraid to fail, because the door you don't open is the one you'll never walk through. Whether you're considering the trades, mid-apprenticeship, or starting over after a hard chapter, Aaron's story will meet you where you are. Listen now, and visit TradesForAll.org to explore California's four core trade pathways — Electrical, Plumbing, Low Voltage, and Sheet Metal HVAC.
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    44 mins