A Conversation With Felicia Laabs
Trades, Money, and the Future of Blue-Collar.
Tell us about your business — what made you decide to take on the wild world of money and trades?
I grew up a trades baby. All I knew was trades — my parents, uncles, grandparents… every single one of them were tradespeople, and every one of them owned their own business and worked the daily grind. All I knew was there was no 9–5. It was work for what you want.
I thought my story would be different. I went the college route (the first in my family to do so), got my doctorate, and went into healthcare. During that time, my husband and I started our own landscaping company specializing mostly in hardscapes. I worked 16+ hour days — 10–12 in healthcare — and then came home to run the books and invoicing for the landscaping business. I made vendor calls, typed quotes, and during the first three years, whenever I had days off or got off early, I was on the job site carrying 82-pound blocks, running loads, and helping wherever needed.
I built working relationships with vendors and worked alongside them. I got to know them, their families, how they ran their businesses. And through that, I realized something: people in the trades make good money — but they don’t know what to do with it. They don’t trust the stock market or don’t want to risk it, but they still want their money to grow while maintaining safety and control.
They were tired of running from professional to professional, hearing the same pitch: “Invest early and invest long.” They wanted help, but they didn’t want to do activities that didn’t make them money. That’s how my financial business began. I wanted tradespeople to get the help and information they desired without the headaches, lost time, or the typical “let me manage everything, just trust me” approach — because in the trades, that usually doesn’t go over well.
Tradespeople want to be involved. They want education, knowledge, and non-traditional approaches.
Were you always good with money, or did you learn the hard way like the rest of us?
I think the answer is two-fold. Yes, I’ve always been a super saver — conservative, wanting my money to grow with some risk but not huge risk. But I also think my knowledge stems from my background. Growing up in a trades-business family, my parents were always investing non-traditionally — in their business, real estate, and other avenues that allowed their money to multiply without directly handing it to the government. (Don’t hear what I’m not saying — there’s a time and place for traditional investing too.)
This way of investing wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. There were some tough lessons. But I learned to position myself so that potential losses wouldn’t be detrimental.
What was the moment you realized: “Tradespeople need financial game plans too”?
This answer slapped me in the face. It had always been in front of me, but one day it hit hard.
I was casually talking to a group of baby boomer tradespeople — hardworking folks I interrupted during their morning coffee while waiting for my to-go order. We started talking about life and retirement. Some were happy, but others felt the financial strain. A few had even come out of retirement because they couldn’t afford to stay retired.
All they knew was the classic advice: invest in your 401(k). Put in 15–20% during your working years and you’ll be able to comfortably live off 4–6% in retirement. But they found out this wasn’t the case. Some were struggling. Some returned to work.
Why? Because they didn’t have education on options. Maybe it wasn’t offered, maybe they didn’t seek it — but either way, they were told what to do and trusted it, and now it was falling through.
Their financial professionals didn’t understand their careers or businesses. They lumped them into the same pool as 9–5 workers, giving them standard strategies that didn’t fit their world.
Tradespeople want control, knowledge, education, and options — but they have limited time. That’s where I positioned myself: to bring options and control back to the table, to meet them where they are not only as a financial professional but as a fellow trades colleague who understands what the trenches look like.
Why do you think tradespeople are often overlooked in financial education?
I think they’re overlooked because while their careers aren’t necessarily complicated, they are more complex than a standard job. Tradespeople are smart and stubborn. They can’t just be told what to do. Their schedules are all over the place and hard to coordinate.
Tradespeople want information, time to process it, and to see how it fits both their personal lives and their business lives. They want to know how a strategy will complement both. Because of all this, many professionals shy away.
Me? It gives me motivation and passion.
What’s the most common mistake you see people in the trades make with their money?
They take extreme measures. Usually one of three things:
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Max out their 401(k) and rely solely on that for retirement
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Save money in a coffee can in the backyard
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Keep all their money in the business checking account and use it as needed
All three have pros — but each has long-term consequences.
Do you think money hits different when it’s made with your own two hands?
YES. Absolutely. When you don’t know where your next dollar is coming from, or whether your day will be 10 hours or 16, you protect your time and your money with everything you have.
What does “making your money work for you” actually look like — without the boring finance jargon?
To me, it means:
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Let it work, but maintain control — don’t let it control you
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Put it somewhere it can grow without requiring you to work harder (you don’t have time to buy another job)
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Make sure your money gives you options
I saw a quote the other day that was so impactful:
“Rich people buy time. Poor people sell it.”
What are a few small, no-nonsense money moves anyone in the trades can start today?
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Diversify. Do more than just fund a 401(k) or fill a bucket buried in the backyard.
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Don’t jump on trends just because everyone else is (ex: day trading).
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Build a professional team that understands your needs and goals.
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Balance debt and equity — debt can be useful when leveraged properly.
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Involve your family. Too many clients inherit messy financial situations because the previous generation didn’t plan.
Do you think tradespeople realize how much power they actually have when building wealth?
Absolutely not. I have a love-hate relationship with this industry because there is so much jargon and “just trust me” language.
If I could tell tradespeople one thing, it would be:
Money and building wealth don’t have to be complicated or sexy. You can build one hell of a foundation with the right team, while still maintaining control and options — even if you don’t feel like you know everything.
Why do you think people feel weird or ashamed to talk about money — especially in blue-collar communities?
From what I’ve seen, blue-collar folks are Type A, competitive, and highly goal-oriented. Many make an incredible living, and when people ask, “How did you do that?” they honestly don’t know how to answer — because their success came from passion, grit, and 100% effort.
So saying “I don’t know, I just worked my ass off” doesn’t feel like a real answer.
Most blue-collar business owners started from a hobby or side gig that exploded into something bigger than they imagined. They’re excellent operators in the field, but the back office “just happens.” It works well enough, so they don’t talk about it.
How do you help someone shift from ‘I just work and hope for the best’ to ‘I want a real strategy’?
It starts with building a trusting and working relationship. My job is to look holistically at their situation — what it’s doing now and what it could do.
People naturally want quick fixes or to be told exactly what to do. That’s the standard industry approach. But that’s not my approach.
We are a team.
I want clients to see their whole picture, understand their options, and make an informed choice. I want them to know why we’re doing what we’re doing. I want them to see their hard work being complemented, not ignored.
What would you say to someone who thinks investing is only for rich people or suits?
I’d remind them that “investing” is a broad term. I’d ask what investing means to them and what their end goal is.
Everyone is investing something — if not money, then time. The real question is:
Are those investments complementing each other or contradicting each other?
What’s one story or transformation that made you go, “THIS is why I do this work”?
There are endless stories, but here are two that were both impactful and very different.
Story 1: The HVAC Company Owners
A couple came to me wanting to make sure they were on the right track for retirement. Their savings were okay, not great. Their plan was simply, “We’ll sell the business for top dollar in 15 years.”
They had never considered exit options or tax implications. We talked through everything and discovered they had a key employee interested in buying. We created a plan where the business itself could help fund the transition and buy-out.
In the end, the owners retired with the amount they wanted, the business was sold internally to someone they trusted, and the new owner didn’t have to drown in debt.
Story 2: The Inheritance
A client couple was set to inherit significant money — but also significant tax burdens. Because we already had a relationship, I was able to educate them, provide options, and position the inheritance in a way that reduced the adverse consequences.
Both stories reminded me why this work matters.
How do you help people invest while still enjoying life now?
That’s the whole point. Investing shouldn’t mean locking money away until you’re 60. Done correctly and diversely, you can live now and later. You can make changes along the way instead of waiting decades and realizing you’re stuck.
What’s your favorite part about working with trades instead of talking at them?
Learning their story — their why. You can understand so much about a business just by hearing where it came from. And if at the end of the day I can be an asset and connect them to the right people, then I’ve done my job. No two companies are alike, so none of them should be treated like they are.
If someone says “Budgeting is for boring people,” what’s your spiciest response?
I agree. If you want strict budgeting, connect with Dave Ramsey. There’s a time and place for budgeting, but if it puts you in a box and keeps you there, that’s not budgeting — that’s prison.
Finish this sentence - If your money had a job site review, it would say: Inspection Failed – Reason: Not enough liquidity and too much time with Uncle Sam.
The skilled trades are facing a serious shortage. By 2030, the U.S. could be short over two million tradespeople. We need real hands, real skills, and real talk now more than ever.
How do you feel about this fact, and what do you think some solutions are to turn this around?
This fact is heartbreaking. Growing up as a "trades baby," that’s all I knew — hard-working parents who didn’t know what “9–5” was. They were passionate about their trades because it was who they were. It wasn’t just a paycheck. It was their choice, their passion, their reasoning. They were helping their family and others along the way.
The idea that we could be down nearly two million tradespeople tells us we aren’t making a big enough impact on the youth. How can we change this? Show our passion. Show the youth why the trades are amazing and why they are important. Show them how they can build a career out of passion, not just a job and a paycheck.
I get it — the trades are a grind. You barely work 9–5. You don’t have a lot of “extra” time. But we have to make time to make a presence. Maybe that’s internship programs with schools. Maybe that’s introducing people to what the trades really entail — the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are tired at the end of the day, but we have to show that a career in the trades can last a lifetime.
What’s your go-to metaphor to explain money management to someone who doesn’t care about portfolios?
If you had the choice between a job trailer with no compartments and one with labeled bins and a place for every tool — which would you choose?
Your finances should look the same. You should know exactly what each “tool” is, why it’s there, and how it benefits you.
Why do you believe money is a form of empowerment — especially for tradeswomen?
It gives you options and control — the power to live the life you want, not the life you have to live because you’re relying on someone else.
What’s your biggest dream for how the trades world could shift with stronger financial education and empowerment?
My dream is flourishing businesses, more money in your pocket and less in Uncle Sam’s, companies with high valuations, and business owners who can choose to be owner/operators — or simply owners — without being tied to the job.
If I can help hardworking blue-collar folks see that their passion and grit haven’t gone unnoticed… if they can live the life they want now and in retirement… if their businesses can thrive without them for a week, a month, or a year… if they can sell for top dollar and leave a legacy…
Then I’ve succeeded.
It’s not about products or rates of return.
It’s about impact — and helping tradespeople look back and say,
“I made the right choice.”
"Women investors are not a niche demographic; they’re already a major force in wealth management. Women control a third of total U.S. household financial assets—more than $10 trillion. By 2030, women in the U.S. are projected to own $30 trillion, or roughly two-thirds, of all the personal wealth in the country. Women are also the largest beneficiaries of the current transfer of wealth, living an average of five years longer than men." - Morgan Stanley
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