{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Shake Hands Take Names","title":"Ride, Repair, Rebuild","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/094cc4b0\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1821,"description":"In this episode of Shake Hands, Take Names, host AJ sits down with Lee Weir, a Red Seal trades professional, entrepreneur, and founder of Crossroads in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. Lee shares how a lifelong passion for motorcycles evolved into a multi-division business spanning power sports and manufactured housing, now employing around 92 people. He talks candidly about the realities of starting and scaling a trades-based business, the severe shortage of skilled workers, and why passion and willingness to learn matter more than formal credentials. Lee also explains his views on direct-entry trades vs. formal schooling, the red tape around Red Seal certification, and how mentorship, networking, and simple door-knocking still open real opportunities in rural Nova Scotia. Throughout the conversation, he returns to a core philosophy written on his shop wall: “No obstacles, only opportunities.”","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Px7hozJCdzwnsErBm1c-Zplo_IO3c85W1NveMwiE4v4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83OGY2/ZTYwMjk0MjBlM2I3/YTU1MDYwM2JiNTA1/YTZiYy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}