Liam McComas is 25, works in construction, and believes Gen Z owes it to themselves—and the trades—to earn trust before expecting it.
Most content about Gen Z in the workforce falls into one of two camps: either the younger generation doesn't want to work, or companies need to change everything to keep them around. Liam McComas rejects both. At 25 and two years into his career as a project engineer at Neumann Brothers in Des Moines, Iowa, he's made a choice most people his age won't: the responsibility for earning trust on the job site belongs to the younger generation first.
Liam grew up playing football from third grade through college at the University of Northern Iowa, trained by old-school, hard-nosed coaches who taught him that if you don't know the play, that's on you. That foundation—control what you can control, be coachable, show up prepared—is exactly what he carries onto the job site every day.
If you're a young tradesman, apprentice, or project engineer trying to figure out how to earn respect faster, or if you lead a team and want to understand what separates the ones who make it from the ones who quit, this episode is for you.
IN THIS EPISODE
(00:00) – Introduction & Guest Background: Liam McComas joins the show fresh off a conversation at the Master Builders of Iowa conference, where his perspective on Gen Z accountability turned heads in the room.
(04:00) – How Athletics Built the Foundation: Liam explains how football under hard-nosed coaches taught him the single mindset that transfers directly to the trades: control what you can control, or it controls you.
(09:00) – What Gen Z Gets Wrong About Earning Trust: Younger workers want results now—but tradesmen can see through the ones who talk more than they deliver, and the credibility gap opens fast.
(15:00) – How to Take Work Off Your PM's Plate: The practical moves Liam made in year one—meeting minutes, submittals, file systems, being ready for the conversation before anyone asks—and why that earns trust faster than anything else.
(22:00) – The Musco Lighting Story: How running closeout on a major commercial project in his first year—hundreds of submittals, warranties, product data—taught Liam what it actually means to earn a senior PM's confidence.
(29:00) – Instant Gratification vs. Delayed Gratification: Why the "I did one good thing, where's my respect?" mindset is the fastest way to lose the room—and what Liam tells himself when the recognition doesn't come.
Key Takeaways
Tradesmen can't be fooled—if you're the talkative one who doesn't do the work, they'll see through you immediately, and you'll lose credibility before you've even had a chance to build it.
Earning trust starts with one question: what can I do to take work off my PM's plate? Be prepared before you're asked, not after—that's what separates the ones who get trusted with more from the ones who stall out.
Instant gratification is the single biggest threat to a young tradesman's career—you will not get a pat on the back every time you hang conduit, and expecting one is a sign you're not ready for what the trades actually demand.
If you're starting tomorrow: show up, know you were hired for a reason, ask questions freely, and understand that the foreman who speaks bluntly to you today had someone speak twice as bluntly to them—it's not personal, it's the trades.
About the Guest
Liam McComas is a Project Engineer at Neumann Brothers, a commercial construction and historic restoration firm based in Des Moines, Iowa. He studied Construction Management at the University of Northern Iowa, where he also played football for four and a half years. Two years into his career, he's already led complex project closeouts and earned a reputation for being exactly the kind of young professional the trades need more of.
Liam brings an athlete's accountability to the job site—owning mistakes, staying prepared, and building trust through consistent action rather than words. He met Andrew at the Master Builders of Iowa conference, where his take on Gen Z responsibility in the workforce sparked a conversation that resonated far beyond the room.
Keywords
Gen Z in the trades, earning trust on the job site, skilled trades career, construction career advice, young tradesman, project engineer construction, trades workforce, coachability in construction, skilled trades workforce, generational gap in construction, construction onboarding, trades mentorship, Liam McComas, Neumann Brothers, Andrew Brown, Lost Art of the Skilled Trades, Master Builders of Iowa, workforce development, delayed gratification, Gen Z work ethic, trades accountability
RESOURCE LINKS
Liam McComas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-mccomas/
Liam McComas on Instagram: @liam_mccomas
Neumann Brothers Website: https://www.neumannbros.com/
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