Forget the Business Gurus: Here’s What It Really Takes to Build a Blue-Collar Company
October 29, 2026
What do Hollywood stunts and commercial equipment repair have in common? For Josh Zolin, both taught him lessons about risk, resilience, and finding his own path. In this episode of Made Locally, host Rahul Jaswa talks with Josh, CEO of Windy City Equipment, about his unexpected journey from stuntman to building an eight-figure service business. Josh shares what he learned on the front lines, why business owners need to understand their operations before handing them off, and how to grow without losing sight of what matters.
Before Josh Zolin became CEO of Windy City Equipment, he was working as a stuntman in Hollywood. But after realizing the film industry wasn’t the right long-term fit, he moved to Arizona and entered a very different world: repairing commercial restaurant equipment. He spent a decade in the field, working alongside technicians and helping restaurants get back up and running when critical equipment failed.
Josh grew Windy City Equipment from a small operation with his father into a multi-branch business operating across two states. The company has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies three times.
So, in this episode of Made Locally, host Rahul Jaswa and Josh explore what it really takes to build and scale a blue-collar service business. Josh explains why buying a business requires far more due diligence than social media success stories suggest, and why outside investors can struggle when they understand the numbers but overlook a company’s people and culture. He also shares how business owners can recognize when they’ve reached their own capacity, bring in people with expertise they lack, and develop a leadership style that balances candor with compassion.
Josh also discusses how to approach marketing without relying on steep discounts, why effective sales starts with genuine curiosity, and why entrepreneurs need to get clear on what they actually want before deciding how to achieve it. His advice to his younger self sums up his approach: don’t wait for permission.
What You'll Learn:
- How Josh’s unexpected journey from Hollywood stunt work to restaurant equipment repair shaped his approach to business
- What entrepreneurs often overlook when buying an existing business or evaluating a private equity deal
- How to recognize when you’ve reached your capacity and it’s time to bring in additional people
- How to balance candor and compassion when leading a team and handling difficult conversations
- Why the right growth strategy depends on your goals, priorities, and the trade-offs you’re willing to make
- How to market a service business without relying on discounts that undermine profitability
Josh Zolin is the CEO of Windy City Equipment, a commercial foodservice equipment service company that repairs cooking, HVAC, and refrigeration equipment. After starting his career as a Hollywood stuntman, Josh moved to Arizona and spent ten years working in the field as a technician before stepping into leadership. Under his leadership, Windy City Equipment has grown into a multi-branch business operating across two states and has earned a place on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies three times.
Josh is also the author of Blue Is the New White, a book highlighting the opportunities and value of careers in the skilled trades. He founded the Blue Is the New White Academy to help blue-collar professionals develop the leadership, communication, and business skills needed to grow.
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