Metal Monday Podcast – Transcript
[Intro Music]

Nick:
All right, another Metal Monday!

Brett:
Yes sir!

Nick:
With my friend Brett. How you doing, man?

Brett:
I’m good, man. I’m good. I’m feeling like I’m ready to be back to work—like, at work, you know?

Nick:
Yeah, you had a hybrid week?

Brett:
Yeah, it was. My kids had spring break last week, so I was able to do a little bit of work, a little bit of kid time—a lot of kid time, a lot of family time, which I love doing. But I also love what I do, so I start chomping at the bit. I’m like, “All right, I’m ready to go again.” It’s a good feeling.

Nick:
You can’t turn it all the way off either. That’s just the nature of what we do for a living—at least in our roles. My wife has learned to accept it.

Brett:
Yeah, you’ve got a good wife. She might not always love it, but she gets it. It’s not a 9-to-5 for us, and especially not for you. Your role is even more intense than mine.

Nick:
I think both our roles are similar. The stress is different, but they both come with the hours and territory of what we do. I don’t expect anything different from what I’m putting in. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you’ll get the results. It doesn’t mean taking away from family—it just means some days require more from you.

Brett:
Exactly. There’s no such thing as a perfect 50/50 balance. Some weeks might be 80% work, 20% family, and other weeks the reverse. Even when I’m on vacation, there’s still a work component.

Nick:
And not everyone has a position like that—you earn those. It’s a privilege.

Brett:
You earn the right to leave on a Wednesday at 2 PM.

Nick:
If someone resents that, maybe they haven’t paid their dues yet. I’m not here to judge that—it’s up to those who see the day-to-day. You pay the piper one way or another: pay now or pay later. But the work’s gotta be done.

Brett:
100%, that’s just how it is.

Nick:
Hey, real quick—I gotta give a shout-out to Leo. Jay’s mom is our number one supporter. She watches every Monday, likes, shares—it’s amazing. Probably our only consistent fan like that.

Brett:
Is there anyone more of a hustler than Jay’s mom? Total gangster.

Nick:
We’ve been going to their house every other Monday or Tuesday for dinner. My daughter’s getting one of their baby cats, so we’re hanging out there. I already see Jay a lot, but now I get to see his wife and mom too. Family dinners have been great.

Brett:
Love that.

Nick:
So here’s your shoutout. Thank you, Leo. We appreciate you. Jay—thank you too. You raised a good one. Jay’s a straight-up gangster.

Brett:
Yup. See Jay’s mom, then see Jay—you get it. 100%.

Market Talk
Nick:
So, what are the markets doing?

Brett:
LME copper is up. Starting to close the gap. This morning COMEX was at $5.17, but now it’s back to $5.10. LME is up to $4.57. I think COMEX will have to come down—I don’t see LME rocketing to $5.

Nick:
That should help exports if the gap closes.

Brett:
Exactly. The current arbitrage is putting pressure on copper exporters. COMEX says one price, but people aren’t paying that. Customers don’t always understand—we’re not getting that full price.

Nick:
We deal with that in steel too. Price of new steel goes up $100–$200/ton, but we don’t get that same bump.

Brett:
Yeah, remember all those months where new price goes up and our price goes down? People on both sides get frustrated.

Nick:
The good thing for us is we own TV Pipe, so we see it firsthand and fight that same fight.

Brett:
Exactly. And when we see prices moving up, we try to get ahead on inventory. It doesn’t always work—we’re guessing too—but it’s an educated guess.

Nick:
Live to fight another day.

Brett:
I posted on LinkedIn—I sold six loads of copper at $4.82–$4.87. I was happy… then I saw it went higher. Maybe I left 10–20 cents on the table.

Nick:
But you’ve also seen the other side—when you hold too long and it tanks.

Brett:
Those days are harder to digest. The grinder in you wants to hit the top, but the realist knows you don’t go broke taking a profit.

Nick:
Exactly. You just have to average out. Win a few more than you lose.

Brett:
Yup. Take care of customers, pay fair prices, don’t be overexposed, and keep scrap moving.

Nick:
“Ten Scrap Commandments” coming soon?

Brett:
I like it! Working on the other nine.

Nick:
Let’s put it up on the whiteboard soon.

Brett:
Cool, cool, cool.

Wrap-Up
Nick:
Thanks, Brett. Thanks, everyone! Keep grinding. Have a great week. “Bulls vs Bears” coming next week—we’ll talk ferrous markets. April’s here—let’s get this party started.

[Outro Music]