18. Four Questions That Beat 'What Do You Want to Do When You Grow Up?'

Trent Bellinger was told college was the only path. He went and got the degree — then realized the thing that actually set him apart was the 4,000 hours he'd already spent in his dad's shop. Now he runs career and technical education across two Michigan counties, and his whole job is making sure kids see every door, not just the one everybody points at. We get into grades, purpose, the skills nobody can take from you, and a pallet story that became a rule he keeps on his wall. CHAPTERS 00:00 — Who's at the table today 05:44 — Why a 2.0 and a 4.0 end up in the same place 06:22 — The eagle that can't swim 07:32 — What everything's really built on 11:06 — Kids can't be what they can't see 16:43 — The high schoolers who built a house 18:44 — The graduate who broke the spreadsheet 20:08 — Four questions that beat "what do you want to be?" 25:17 — What a small town shouldn't tell its kids 31:01 — The best communication class he ever took 37:37 — Volunteering and your next job 44:56 — "I don't need an excuse. I need the pallets." 46:12 — The legacy question ABOUT THE SHOW Built in the Midwest sits down with the people behind the trades — truck drivers, linemen, heavy equipment operators, and the educators, employers, and recruiters who shape the next generation of them. Real conversations about work, career paths, and what it actually takes to build something in this part of the country. Hosted from Escanaba, Michigan by Midwest Truck Driving School. New episodes every Friday. Discover your Ikigai here: https://ikigaitest.com/ Listen wherever your get your podcasts: https://built-in-the-midwest.captivat... Midwest Truck Driving School: midwesttruckdrivingschool.com North Country Heavy Equipment & Electrical Line School: https://ncheschool.com/ 💬 CONNECT Facebook:   / cdlmidwest   Instagram:   / midwesttruckdrivingschool   TikTok:   / midwesttruckdrivingskool