Gabriel Potter: Lessons From the Line Trade

High voltage worker stories:
GABRIEL POTTER

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JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN

Prior roles: apprentice, groundman, material handler
Location: san diego, ca

years in the trade: 11 years

@potterpace

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When the pressure goes up, you don’t need to move faster, you need to become more deliberate.

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When the pressure goes up, you don’t need to move faster, you need to become more deliberate.

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Stories in the trade

This series hands the mic to the folks who keep the lights on—how they got in, what they’ve seen, and where the trade’s headed

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How did you first get into the trade?

I got into the trade mostly by chance. A friend of mine had gotten a job as a material handler and started telling me about what linemen did and what the trade was like. At the time, I really had no idea what a lineman even was, but the way he described the work immediately caught my attention. I fell in love with the idea of becoming a lineman.

I was working for a local electrical contractor at the time, and shortly after that conversation, I decided I was going to start figuring out how to get into the trade. That was really the beginning of the whole journey for me.

looking back, what was the moment you knew this was the career you wanted?

Once I decided I wanted in, I was pretty relentless about it. I reached out to the yard foreman at Hampton Tedder every Monday morning at 6 a.m. for about a year. Eventually, he called me back and told me he had a job for me as a material handler.

I spent about two years as a material handler, then roughly 18 months as a groundman. As a groundman, I went straight onto a hard-money crew and got a real introduction to the work. From there, I was accepted into the Cal/Nev JATC and started my apprenticeship.

It definitely wasn't an overnight process. Looking back, I think the fact that I was willing to keep calling every week for a year just to get an opportunity probably tells you how badly I wanted to make a career out of it.

What’s something people outside the trade completely misunderstand about what you do?

I don't think most people realize that the distribution poles, transmission towers, substations and really the electrical grid they depend on every day exist because people in this trade physically build and maintain them.

A lot of people hear "lineman" and basically think we're electricians. They don't see everything that goes into constructing and maintaining the infrastructure that gets power from where it's generated all the way to their homes and businesses.

Once you've worked in the trade, you look at the electrical grid completely differently.

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Come in humble. Work hard. Ask questions. Listen to the older hands.

I’m alive and thankful. It just goes to show how important communication and situational awareness are.

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This trade is hard on the body so having some money working for you is a good thing to set up for your future.

Come in humble. Work hard. Ask questions. Listen to the older hands.

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What's one day from your job that you'll probably never forget?

My first day as a first-step apprentice is something I'll probably never forget. We had five or six crews working a tap-line clearance and backyard reconductor. There were crane-set pole change-outs, secondaries, mid-spans, you name it. We had a backyard line-and-buck takeoff pole that was a same-hole set.

My lineman looked at me and basically said, "Alright, Gabe. Now's your moment." So there I was, on my first day as an apprentice, getting handed something that felt way beyond me. I was able to work out most of the pole myself, with my lineman there when I needed him.

That's always stuck with me because I was immediately given a task that seemed almost impossible at the time. Then I did it. There was something incredibly rewarding about realizing, on my very first day, that I was capable of more than I thought I was.

What’s been the most high-pressure situation you’ve ever had to handle?

It's hard to narrow it down to one situation. In linework, there have been plenty of times working energized where the margin for error is extremely small.

For me, the pressure isn't necessarily about being scared, it's knowing that what you do affects everyone around you. You have to trust your training, communicate with your crew, slow yourself down, and stay focused no matter what's happening around you.

Those situations taught me that when the pressure goes up, you don't need to move faster, you need to become more deliberate.

Who had the biggest impact on your career, and what did they teach you?

I'd say one of the biggest influences on me was my foreman at the time, Sean Schmille, from Wichita, Kansas.

What always stood out to me about Sean was how calm he could remain through long hours, endless nights, and all the pressure that comes with this work. On top of that, he was working away from home in California while having a wife and three kids back home. Through all of it, the guy kept his faith day in and day out.

He also had a sense of humor about the realities of the trade. There's one thing he told me that I'll probably never forget:

"Gabe, if you come into work every day expecting to get screwed, then every day you won't be disappointed."

There was definitely humor behind it, but there was also a lot of truth. This trade isn't always going to go your way. Plans change, hours get long, jobs go sideways, and sometimes you just have to accept what's in front of you and keep moving forward. Watching Sean do that while staying calm and grounded in his faith had a big impact on me.

What’s one lesson from this trade that’s made you a better person, not just a better worker?

That you never really know what somebody else is going through.

You spend a lot of time with the people you work with in this trade, sometimes more time than you spend with your own family. You see guys on their best days and their worst days. You work alongside people dealing with things at home, missing their families, going through relationships, financial problems, or just carrying things they don't necessarily talk about.

It's taught me to give people a little more grace. Somebody can show up, put their tools on, and do their job right next to you while carrying something you know absolutely nothing about.

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People totally misunderstand the brains and dedication this trade takes.

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You have to trust your training, communicate with your crew,

slow yourself down, and stay focused no matter what’s

happening around you.

I’m alive and thankful. It just goes to show how important communication and situational awareness are.

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I think someone who’s a self starter and can focus on the task at hand is gonna do very well in this trade.

You have to trust your training, communicate with your crew, slow yourself down, and stay focused no matter what’s happening

around you.

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What’s the hardest part of this career that people never really see?

I think the hardest part is everything the trade can demand from you outside of the actual work.

People see the pay, the big jobs, the storms, and maybe the excitement that comes with being a lineman, but they don't always see the sacrifice behind it. The long hours, working nights, traveling, living out of hotels, missing birthdays and holidays, and sometimes having very little control over where the next job is going to take you.

There's also an uncertainty that comes with the trade. You can be working endless overtime one year and wondering where the next job is coming from the next. You learn pretty quickly that nothing is guaranteed.

Linework has given me a lot, and I'm grateful for the career I've had, but I've also learned that making good money and having a good life aren't necessarily the same thing. Finding that balance between being a lineman and still having a life outside of linework is probably one of the hardest parts of the trade.

What’s a moment in your career that you’re most proud of?

Becoming a Journeyman Lineman. It took years of working as a material handler, groundman, and apprentice to finally get there. Topping out was the moment all of that work and sacrifice finally came together.

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Don’t pretend to know something you don’t, especially when your safety and the safety of the people around you depend on it.

I’m alive and thankful. It just goes to show how important communication and situational awareness are.

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My advice to anyone thinking about getting in the trade is do it, you won’t regret it! There are so many avenues that you can take. Best job I’ve ever had.

It’s a lot harder to teach somebody to have a good attitude, stay humble, and genuinely give a damn about the people they’re working with.

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Have some heart for the trade, and care about your work,

not just the income.

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What separates a great hand from an average one?

I think a great hand is somebody you can trust.

Obviously, skill and experience matter, but some of the best hands I've worked around weren't the guys trying to prove how much they knew. They showed up, paid attention, stayed a step ahead, and weren't afraid to admit when they didn't know something.

A great hand makes the entire crew better. They look out for the guys around them, they don't cut corners when it matters, and when things start going sideways, they're somebody you want standing next to you.

At the end of the day, you can teach a lot of the skills that come with linework. It's a lot harder to teach somebody to have a good attitude, stay humble, and genuinely give a damn about the people they're working with.

If someone walked up to you tomorrow and said they’re thinking about joining the trade, what would you tell them?

I'd tell them to go for it, but make sure you understand what you're signing up for.

This trade can completely change your life. It can give you opportunities, financial freedom, experiences, and a sense of accomplishment that's hard to find anywhere else. There's something pretty incredible about looking back at a job and knowing, "We built that."

But don't get into it just because you heard linemen make good money. The money comes with sacrifice. There are going to be long days, nights without sleep, time away from home, layoffs, traveling, bad weather, and plenty of moments where you're going to question why you chose this career.

Come in humble. Work hard. Ask questions. Listen to the older hands. Don't pretend to know something you don't, especially when your safety and the safety of the people around you depend on it.

And if you stick with it, enjoy the process. I spent years trying to become a lineman, and sometimes you get so focused on reaching that next step that you forget you're already living the experience you once wanted so badly.

Where do you see your career going from here?

That's actually something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

Linework has been such a big part of my life, and I don't see myself ever completely separating from the trade. But as I've gotten older, I've started thinking more about how I can take everything this career has taught me and turn it into something bigger.

Whether that's moving into a different role within the electrical industry, building a business of my own, helping the next generation of guys coming into the trade, or even using social media to show people what this life is actually like, I'm pretty open to where it takes me.

I don't have the next ten years perfectly mapped out, and I think I'm okay with that. I just know I want to keep growing, keep challenging myself, and eventually build something that gives me more freedom while still staying connected to the industry that gave me my start.

What’s one thing you’d change about this industry if you could?

I think I'd change the idea that you have to tear somebody down in order to build them into a good hand.

This is a tough trade, and I absolutely believe there needs to be accountability. You need thick skin, you need to be able to take criticism, and sometimes you need somebody to tell you exactly what you're doing wrong, especially when mistakes can have serious consequences.

But there's a difference between holding someone accountable and making someone afraid to ask a question or admit they don't know something.

Some of the best linemen I've worked around were demanding, but they also wanted to teach. I'd like to see more of that passed down to the next generation—keep the standards high, keep the toughness that makes this trade what it is, but remember that we're ultimately trying to build better hands, not just prove how tough we are.

When you look back at your career, what do you think this trade gave you that you never expected?

Probably the people and the perspective. I've met some incredible people, worked alongside guys from all walks of life, and built friendships through some pretty difficult situations.

I got into linework because I wanted a career. I didn't expect it to shape so much of the person I'd become outside of work.

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It’s a lot harder to teach somebody to have a good attitude,

stay humble, and genuinely give a damn about the people

they’re working with.

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We’re High Voltage Industries

High Voltage Industries started because the most dangerous and essential work in America is also the most invisible. You put your lives on the line every single day and people don't even know what you do.

We're here to share your stories and honor the sacrifices you make so people can flip a switch every day. And we make gear for those who literally risk their lives to keep the world running.

This is your story

Working in conditions others won't face, taking risks others can’t even imagine, solving problems others can't understand, carrying responsibility others can't handle. The grid doesn't maintain itself.

We're telling that story.