Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha L Blair.
Hi Keisha L, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Lynwood, California, and grew up in Los Angeles. My parents divorced early, and from a young age, I lived with my grandmother until moving in with my father and younger brother in San Bernardino at 13. I graduated from Eisenhower High School early—at 16—but proudly walked with my class in 1991 when I was 17.
My professional journey started well before my career in the trades. At 15, my very first job was in food service at Marriott Hotels. By 18, I was detailing cars, learning to pay attention to small details that matter. Soon after, I landed a technician role at a video arcade, which quickly turned into my first management position in Lakewood, California. That experience taught me early lessons in leadership and responsibility.
At 20, life took a sharp turn—I married, moved across the country to Memphis, Tennessee, and soon after had my first child at 21. With my older brother already working as an electrician, he encouraged me to pursue the electrical trade. So, with a 9-month-old baby, I started my apprenticeship through the IBEW Local Union 474 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Life wasn’t done throwing challenges my way. After my husband and I separated, I hit rock bottom. Pregnant with my second child, I lost almost everything I had. I relied on welfare and food stamps, but instead of accepting defeat, I used my first welfare check ($150) to buy a plane ticket back to California. That leap of faith changed everything—I stayed with my grandmother, gave birth to my daughter, and found my strength again. Determined to reclaim my life, I moved back to Memphis in 1997 and dove back into my electrical apprenticeship. I never looked back.
Education was always a priority for me. Early on, I enrolled at ITT right after high school but didn’t finish. Determined to close that loop, I later returned in 2010 and completed two degrees from ITT—an associate’s and a bachelor’s in Information Technology—and am currently working towards my master’s in Software Engineering Management.
On a personal level, I experienced significant milestones: I was first runner-up in the Swans Debutante Ball at age 16, an event that taught me the beauty of balancing femininity with resilience. After leaving corporate life in 2024, I embarked on a powerful health journey, losing over 80 pounds. More importantly, I took control of my professional path, joining Next Level Speakers Academy to sharpen my skills as a speaker, coach, and entrepreneur.
Today, my mission extends far beyond electrical trades. Through my company and coaching practice, I empower people with my CEO Mindset Framework—teaching leaders and technicians alike to leverage their strengths, master essential soft skills, and truly become the CEO of their own lives. I’m a certified Extreme Execution coach under Dr. Eric Thomas, utilizing the Flight Assessment (rooted in DISC methodology) to bring clarity and direction to those I mentor. My focus now is helping others navigate their own journeys, turning their challenges into stepping stones toward personal and professional greatness.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not—and honestly, I wouldn’t expect it to be.
There were seasons when I had to keep it moving even when nothing around me was easy. I got married young, relocated across the country, became a mother at 21, and started a demanding apprenticeship—all while trying to hold together a marriage that was already falling apart.
When my husband and I separated, I hit one of the lowest points in my life—pregnant, broke, on welfare, and living with my grandmother to regroup and rebuild. It would have been easy to give up, but I made a decision: my circumstances wouldn’t define my future. That mindset carried me through.
Professionally, there were challenges too. Working in the skilled trades and later moving into corporate leadership meant constantly having to prove myself. Being a woman—often the only one—and later a senior manager in a male-dominated field wasn’t easy. I had to learn how to lead, how to advocate for myself, and how to navigate environments that weren’t built for me to succeed.
Even after achieving success in corporate America, I realized titles and positions don’t always equal fulfillment. When I was laid off in 2024, I knew it wasn’t the end of the road—it was the beginning of my next chapter. That moment pushed me to bet on myself, fully step into entrepreneurship, and align my life with the energy, frequency, and vibration I had been teaching others about all along. Stepping fully into my calling as a coach, speaker, and advocate for skilled trades and leadership development. It also triggered a major health transformation, where I lost over 80 pounds—not just to change how I looked, but to match my internal frequency with my external reality.
Today, I honor the rough roads because they taught me how to drive forward, no matter the conditions. Every setback was really a setup—and I’m grateful for every mile of it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Today, I lead Blair Investments, LLC, where our mission is simple but powerful: investing in people, property, and products. I specialize in leadership development, technical leadership training, skilled trades advocacy, and one-on-one coaching through my CEO Mindset Framework: Create, Eliminate, Organize.
I’m known for being a skilled trades advocate who speaks the language of real life. I built my life and career through the skilled trades—starting as an electrician at 21, raising four children as a single mother, earning two degrees, and using my trade skills as a stepping stone to build the life I have today. It’s not just what I did—it’s who I am.
One of my proudest initiatives right now is the Crafting Careers That Build Tour (CCTB), where I travel across the country speaking to high school students about the benefits of skilled trades. My mission is clear: I want to inspire at least one million students to see skilled trades as a powerful, debt-free path to success. I believe it’s time we stop treating skilled trades as a “backup plan” and start presenting them as the life-changing opportunities they truly are.
Through my coaching practice, I also use the Flight Assessment, backed by DISC methodology, to help individuals and teams discover their natural strengths and operate at a higher frequency. I work with maintenance technicians, electricians, and corporate teams to bridge the gap between technical skills and leadership success.
What sets me apart? My energy, my experience, and my heart for people. I’m not someone who just teaches concepts—I’ve lived every phase of the journey: from struggle to survival, from survival to success. My clients and audiences don’t just leave with information; they leave knowing that if I could do it, they can too. And they leave with the tools to make it happen.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something surprising about me is that I actually wanted to be an electrical engineer in high school. I dreamed about going to MIT, but at the time, I didn’t know how to even start the college process. Nobody in my family had been to college, and honestly, I told myself I wasn’t smart enough to figure it out. That fear and intimidation held me back.
At 17, I started attending ITT Technical Institute because my dad worked there, and I received 75% off my tuition. But when he left the company, they told me I’d have to pay full tuition. At 18 years old, with no credit history and no financial backing, I couldn’t afford it—and had to drop out. That’s why going back later in life to earn both my associate’s and bachelor’s degrees meant so much to me. It wasn’t just about the education—it was about closing a chapter I once thought I wasn’t good enough to finish.
Another thing that surprises people: I was a debutante at 16.
Even though I’m known for being tough and confident on construction sites, I spent a big part of my teenage years learning poise, grace, and fine dining etiquette. I even learned to waltz and properly set a formal table. Later, that experience opened unexpected doors: I worked my way up in the food and beverage industry and eventually became a Food and Beverage Director at a luxury resort in Rancho Mirage, California. I developed a deep knowledge of wine, fine dining, and hospitality—all skills most people would never guess from looking at my career in the trades.
That chapter taught me something powerful:
I could thrive in any environment I chose, even if it didn’t look like the world I came from.
Today, I carry those lessons into everything I do. Whether it’s coaching future leaders, advocating for skilled trades, or speaking on national stages, I bring both grit and grace to the table—because I’ve lived on both sides of it.
Pricing:
- Keynote Speaking Topics: Skilled Trades Champion: Inspiring the Next Generation of Builders Leadership Development: Building the CEO Mindset High-Frequency Communication: Elevating Leadership Through Energy, Frequency, and Vibration Personal Growth and Transformation: From Rock Bottom to Resilience
- Workshops and Tours: Crafting Careers That Build — inspiring students to explore AI-resistant, high-paying careers in the skilled trades. CEO Mindset Leadership Development — helping new managers, maintenance professionals, and corporate teams create, eliminate, and organize for success. High-Frequency Communication Workshops — teaching leaders and teams how to align energy and communication styles for maximum impact.
- Booking Inquiries: Personal coaching and leadership development: KeishaLBlair.com School programs and the Crafting Careers That Build Tour: CraftingCareersThatBuild.com Contact Email: admin@keishalblair.com To learn more about Keisha L. Blair’s programs, workshops, or speaking topics, visit KeishaLBlair.com or CraftingCareersThatBuild.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.keishalblair.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keisha_the_electrician/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keisha.blair.90/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keisha-l-blair/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Keisha_The_Electrician
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/@alphaintuitionpodcast
