Kanawha Valley Hustlers

David Crabtree on Drones, Search and Rescue, and Business Lessons

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with David Crabtree about drones, business, and the lessons that come with building something from the ground up. David is working to bring the drone industry into West Virginia through Appalachian UAV Academy. His work reaches from training first responders to exploring how drones can support rural health care, delivery, search and rescue, and other industries. David got into drones after leaving the military. His dad flew remote-control airplanes, and David wanted a way to spend time with him. That interest turned into a passion. After a career in the corporate world, he decided to build a business around drone technology. One of the biggest problems David wants to solve is finding missing people. He wants drones to help locate children, elderly people, and others who need to be found fast. That mission drives a lot of his work. We also talk about the mistakes that come with entrepreneurship. David learned not to buy equipment before the market is ready. He calls that part of paying the “ignorance tax.” You do not know what you do not know, and sometimes the only way to learn is by doing the work and watching the numbers. David also makes a point that every entrepreneur needs to hear. The skill that matters is doing the boring work over and over. Most people get excited at the start, then lose focus when the routine sets in. But the routine is where the business gets built. David believes drones are going to change how we solve problems in West Virginia and beyond. From public safety to cleaning buildings to rural access, he sees drones as flying robots that can collect data, save time, and keep people safer. The post David Crabtree on Drones, Search and Rescue, and Business Lessons [https://www.joejustice.org/david-crabtree-on-drones-search-and-rescue-and-business-lessons/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

AI Can Get Attention, But Can It Build Trust?

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk about why AI may be pushing us out of the attention economy and into the trust economy. AI has made attention cheap. Anybody can now create endless content that looks polished, sounds professional, and feels like it came from a production team with a large budget. That used to be a signal of competence. If you looked good on camera and had strong production value, people assumed you knew what you were doing. That signal is weaker now because AI can copy it. It can make someone look like an expert in seconds. It can generate the kind of content that once took time, skill, and money. But it cannot replace the thing that builds trust: lived experience. The real prize today is not just attention. It is trust. People will still notice polished content, but they will also look for deeper proof. They will check whether you show up across platforms. They will look at how long you have been around. They will want stories, mistakes, process, proof, and evidence that you have done the work. That means business owners need to stop hiding their process. Share how you solve problems. Show what you have learned. Talk about what went wrong and what you would do differently now. Your value is not just information. Your value is applied expertise. A person with 20 years of experience brings something AI cannot fake. AI can pull from human knowledge, but it does not have your history. It does not have your stories. It cannot show the work you did ten years ago or explain how you learned through the problems you faced. People also do not like feeling fooled. If they find out a video, expert, or personality is not real, that can break trust. A real person who shows up with a few rough edges can still build more trust than a perfect artificial version. AI may win a short burst of attention, but trust is built over time. The businesses that keep showing up, share their work, and prove they are real will have the advantage. Attention may be cheaper than ever, but trust is still expensive. That is where the real opportunity is. The post AI Can Get Attention, But Can It Build Trust? [https://www.joejustice.org/ai-can-get-attention-but-can-it-build-trust/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Chris Bautista on Roofing, Hustle, and Building Above Roofing

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Chris Bautista, owner of Above Roofing, LLC. Chris helps homeowners with roof leaks, repairs, replacements, and maintenance inspections. He got into roofing after helping his father-in-law install a roof, and the work stayed with him. Twelve years later, he has built a business around doing the job right. Chris walks me through one of the lessons that shaped him as a business owner. Early on, he underestimated a job and lost money. That taught him to slow down, inspect roofs with more care, ask better questions, and make sure the price matches the work. It is a lesson a lot of entrepreneurs learn the hard way. Charging correctly is not just about profit. It is about understanding the full scope before making a promise. We also talk about what homeowners should know before hiring a roofer. Chris points out that many people do not understand the insurance a contractor should carry. That coverage protects the workers, the contractor, and the homeowner if something goes wrong. He also encourages people to ask about experience and what types of roofs a contractor can install. In the Kanawha Valley, many older roofs are being torn off and replaced with shingles or metal panels when some of them could be preserved. Chris sees staffing as one of the biggest challenges in the trades right now. He wants more young people to see the trades as a career path. Homes and buildings are not going to build or repair themselves, and skilled workers will always be needed. When I ask him what skill every entrepreneur needs, his answer is simple: hustle. The skill he is working on now is patience. Chris also shares that his company name connects to his faith and the belief that we are above and not below. For anyone who wants to reach Above Roofing, Chris points them to the website or his phone number, 304-942-9296. The post Chris Bautista on Roofing, Hustle, and Building Above Roofing [https://www.joejustice.org/chris-bautista-on-roofing-hustle-and-building-above-roofing/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Lee Jordan Builds Battleground Wrestling

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Lee Jordan about Battleground Wrestling and how he built an independent wrestling promotion here in West Virginia. Lee started with a love of wrestling and turned it into a live event business that now runs about six shows a year. Battleground Wrestling has held events across the state, but its home base is now in Winfield. Lee walks me through the early days, when the whole thing was a labor of love. The first big step was buying an 18-foot ring. From there, he helped launch House of Rage wrestling school, where new wrestlers could train, learn the business, and get their first real experience in front of a crowd. One thing that stood out to me is how much work goes into independent wrestling. A lot of people only think about WWE, but the independent circuit is where many wrestlers begin. It is where they train, build their characters, sharpen their performance, and try to climb toward larger opportunities. Lee also makes a point that applies to more than wrestling. Social media helps, but it is not enough. You still have to get out, meet people, hang posters, pass out flyers, and talk to the community. His advice to business owners is simple: do the footwork. Do not just post and pray. We also talk about the practical side of running shows. The best money he spent was on more chairs because more seats mean more people can attend in comfort. The biggest waste has been food and drinks because crowd demand is hard to predict. What I hear from Lee is persistence. Battleground Wrestling is different by design. He wants to bring people together, put on strong shows, and keep building something that feels special to the people who show up. The post Lee Jordan Builds Battleground Wrestling [https://www.joejustice.org/lee-jordan-builds-battleground-wrestling/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Technology, Downtime, and Doing Business with Jannson Williams

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Jannson Williams of Apex Tech to talk about managed IT services, business, change, and why our region needs to keep up with the digital world. Jannson explains that an MSP, or managed service provider, helps businesses run the systems they depend on every day: computers, internet, phones, networks, and the full digital environment. What stands out to me is how he connects technology back to business. This is not just about fixing computers. It is about keeping people working, protecting revenue, and reducing downtime. When systems go down, business stops. Employees sit still. Money leaks out by the minute. That is the problem Jannson wants business owners to understand. Jannson is from Atlanta, but he came here to play basketball at Marshall and fell in love with this area. He sees value in West Virginia, and he does not want the rest of the world to move forward while we fall behind. That mindset drives his work with Apex Tech. He wants local businesses to think ahead, adapt, and use technology as a strength instead of a burden. We also talk about change. In his industry, change never stops. Cybersecurity, systems, tools, and threats keep moving. Jannson believes business owners have to stay ready, even when change feels uncomfortable. In the rapid-fire round, he shares that quality business cards were one of the best $100 investments he made. His biggest waste of money was using a TV as a computer monitor. His advice to entrepreneurs is simple: learn how to network. In his view, relationships can open doors that skill alone cannot. Jannson also shares that his faith in Christ is the belief he stands on when everything else changes. To reach him, people can find Apex Tech online or contact him directly for IT questions and consulting. The post Technology, Downtime, and Doing Business with Jannson Williams [https://www.joejustice.org/technology-downtime-and-doing-business-with-jannson-williams/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].