Trades & Careers

Electrician, lineman, welder, plumber. How to get in, get certified and get paid what the work is worth.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

The Kids' Game Needs an Umpire, and It Might as Well Be You

Leagues are short on officials and the reason isn't the rulebook. How to start calling games, and how to handle the dad in the bleachers.

GuideFitnessCal BrennanSep 29, 20267 min

The pickleball shot that breaks wrists is the one you chase

Wrists, ankles and Achilles tendons fail in predictable ways on the court. An eight-minute warm-up and one rule about lobs keep you playing.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideMarriageNina CastellanSep 29, 20267 min

The Saturday pickleball date works if nobody coaches

Mixed doubles with your spouse can be the best hour of your week or a silent drive home. The difference is almost never the paddle.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

PartnerDude.com

Sports6 min read

Your Kid's First Game Should End Before They Want It To

The first live game has one job: making them beg for the second. What to bring, what to teach them to watch, and when to walk out.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideBRO SeniorsCal BrennanSep 29, 20266 min

Starting a pickleball group that beginners actually stay in

Courts and paddles are the easy part. The group lives or dies on whether a nervous first-timer shows up for week two.

GuideHobbiesDean ShawSep 29, 20267 min

The Garage Wall Is the Best Dinking Partner You'll Ever Have

A roll of painter's tape, a bucket of balls and thirty minutes. The solo pickleball drills that actually carry over to open play.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

GuideSportsMarcus ValeSep 30, 20266 min

Hand Your Kid a Pencil and Baseball Finally Makes Sense

A box score is a whole game folded into a few inches of type. Teach your kid to write one and you'll never lose them in the fifth inning again.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideBRO SeniorsCal BrennanSep 29, 20267 min

Pickleball at seventy, and the one move that ends most seasons

The small court, the friendly rotation and the new crowd are real. So is the backward stumble. Learn it right and you'll play for years.

GuideMomsRay OkonkwoSep 28, 20266 min

Set the Prom and Grad Budget in January, Not in April

Senior spring gets expensive one small yes at a time. One number, two columns and an envelope keep it sane, and teach your teen something too.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideSportsCal BrennanSep 30, 20266 min

Backyard Speed Drills Only Work on Fresh Legs

Most backyard speed sessions are conditioning in disguise. Short sprints, long rest and a tennis ball will do more for a young athlete.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideDadsSam OrtizSep 28, 20265 min

The no-questions ride home is harder to keep than to make

Any hour, any place, no questions in the car. Saying it takes a minute. Keeping it at 2 a.m. is where kids find out if you meant it.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideMomsNina CastellanSep 28, 20266 min

The Grad Party Teenagers Won't Want to Leave

Keep it dry, keep it safe, and make it the best night in town. The rules work when the party's good enough that nobody wants to leave.

StorySportsMarcus ValeSep 30, 20267 min

Nobody Owns the Stanley Cup, and That's the Whole Point

Every other champion gets a new trophy. Hockey hands back the same one, with your name hammered into it. The history explains why it still means more.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

GuideBRO SeniorsSam OrtizSep 27, 20266 min

Join the Club, Then Take the Job Nobody Wants

In any choir, guild or fishing club, newcomers become friends through the coffee urn, the sign-in sheet and the third visit, not through talent.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Moms6 min

Your Kids Are Watching What Your Values Cost You

Sports7 min

Football Legalized the Forward Pass to Survive, Then Ignored It

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideBRO SeniorsNina CastellanSep 27, 20267 min

Tag the Story Before You Sort the Stuff

Most of what you own is worth less than you think. The part that's priceless is the story, and it goes when you do unless you write it down.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

BRO for Her5 min read

Stop saying "I know it's old-fashioned, but"

The apology you tack onto your own choices does more damage than the people who question them. Drop it, and say what you mean.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

Older articles

Older Trades stories