The Workshop
RuggedU
You leave with an AI co-pilot that knows your business — and works for you every day.
Three weeks, live and hands-on, alongside a small group of trades pros facing the same things you are. You'll cut through the hype, learn how AI actually works in plain English, and put it to work where it counts in your business. No code and no tech background required — if you can describe how your business runs, you can do this.
Tuesdays · June 30, July 7 & July 21 · 10:30am–Noon CT
Lifetime Cohort Access Included
Enroll once and you're in every future RuggedU cohort. The curriculum evolves with AI — and so will you.
What You Walk Away With
Three Weeks. AI That Works for You.
An AI Co-Pilot That Knows Your Business
You leave with a co-pilot that knows your pricing, your service area, your services, and how you talk to customers — so it stops giving generic answers and starts answering like someone who actually works there. Yours to keep — and it's not just for you: what you build works for your whole team, so the payoff multiplies as they put it to use.
Get Your Time Back
By week three your co-pilot isn't just answering questions — it's running on its own. You set up a routine that works in the background, like a morning briefing or lead triage, so AI is handling real work while you're out on a call. The few hours you put in pay themselves back in time saved that first month — and that only compounds from there.
You're Not in the Room Alone
You build alongside professionals from HVAC, plumbing, pest control, electrical, and more. Everyone in the room has the same problems. Nobody's doing this alone.
The Curriculum
Learn Claude. Build for Your Business.
This isn't a lecture series. Over three weeks you learn to actually use Claude — the AI you'll build on — and put it to work on the stuff that eats your time. You leave with it running plus the know-how to keep building.
Week 1
Get Comfortable With Claude
Cut through the hype and understand what AI actually does and doesn't do. Learn how to talk to Claude and get real results. Get set up on Claude and start spotting where it could help in your business.
Week 2
Build Your Business Co-Pilot
Teach Claude your business — your services, your pricing, your voice — so it stops giving generic answers and starts working like it actually knows your shop. By the end of this session you have a co-pilot that gets your operation.
Week 3
Put It to Work
Now make it run without you. Set up a routine that works in the background — a morning briefing, lead triage, whatever saves you the most time — so AI is handling real work while you're on the job. Make it reliable enough for your team, learn what's worth building yourself versus paying for, and leave with a roadmap for what to build next.
Every Session is Recorded
The trades don't run on a 9-to-5. Emergency calls, long days, jobs that run over — your schedule isn't always your own. That's why every live session is recorded and available on-demand, and any prep work can be done whenever you've got the time. Join live when you can, catch up when you can't. You won't fall behind.
Who's Running It
Your Instructor
Colin Hirdman
Founder, RuggedAI
Colin has spent over two decades building companies. He co-founded Monkey Island Ventures and built Augurian, a digital marketing agency, and Cloudburst, a custom software studio. He's also spent two decades working with the trades — hiring and working alongside dozens of contractors through twenty years in real estate — so he knows the world you operate in. RuggedAI is where it all comes together — bringing the marketing, technology, and AI know-how he's built across industries to the trades.
His approach is direct. No fluff. No jargon. Just practical, hands-on work focused on building AI that actually fits how your business runs.
Who This Is For
Built for Businesses That Want to Win.
Right for you if:
- You run a trades business — or help run one
- You've never written a line of code — and never will
- You're done losing jobs to faster competitors
- You want AI that actually works in your business
- You (or someone on your team) can commit three weeks
- You're tired of tools built for someone else
Not for you if:
- You want theory without practice
- You're not ready to implement
- You want someone else to do all the work
- You're not in the trades
- You're looking for a generic AI course
What's Included
What You'll Get.
What you need to start putting AI to work in your trades business — and keep building after.
3 Live Weekly Sessions
Build live with Colin, three weeks running. Bring the real bottlenecks — estimates, dispatch, after-hours calls — and work on them together, live.
Direct Access to Colin
Hit a wall building something between sessions? Reach Colin directly all three weeks — not just during class.
Set Up on Claude
You leave with Claude set up around your business — your services, your pricing, the way you work. Not a trial you're left to figure out alone.
A Cohort of Peers
Build alongside other trades operators working through the same problems you are. A small group that gets it.
Forever Access to Recordings
Every session recorded. Miss one for an emergency call or a packed schedule? Watch and rewatch anytime, on your schedule.
Templates & Prompts
Prompts and templates to adapt for trades work — quoting, follow-ups, review requests — so you're not starting from a blank page.
AI Tool Comparison Guide
A clear read on the AI tools out there — what's worth paying for, what's hype, and what fits a trades business.
A Repeatable System
A repeatable way to keep building trade-specific AI after the workshop — so as your business changes, you're not starting over.
Plus lifetime access to every future RuggedU cohort — the curriculum evolves with AI, and so do you.
Seats Are Limited. Lock In Yours.
Tuesdays · June 30, July 7 & July 21 · 10:30am–Noon CT · $497 · Full refund after session one.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Build?
Join RuggedU
Three weeks. Working systems. No fluff. If you show up to the first session and it's not right for you, full refund — no questions asked.
Reserve Your Spot — $497