We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alicia L Hampton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alicia L below.

Alicia L, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

One thing that needs to be changed in the educational system is the hands on experiences or work based learning opportunities. Creating a space and time for employability skills, demonstrating work ethics and hard-skills with an emphasis on soft-skills. This should take place from our community business owners, small businesses as well as big fortune 500 companies engaging with Trade schools and/or high schools to provide the real life experience. In addition the educational system should incorporate self awareness, introduce inner self peace, holistic or spiritual enlightment. This could include but not be limited to prayer, meditation, real communication (between self, others and God), grounding oneself for clarity within and adopting a belief system. Teaching how to find oneself, who are you, what are your talents or gifts, who are you and where do you want to go, more than anything, why are you here, what is your purpose. No one should leave this earth without knowing these things. How can you assist and what do you bring in this living space we call the world???

Alicia L, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born in Munster, IN and raised catholic in Gary, IN. I attended catholic schools my entire life up into college, where I received an A.S. Degree in Accounting from Commonwealth Business College, another A.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Business from Alabama Southern. I joined the United States NAVY after college and ended my military career as a E4 Petty Officer Gunnersmate./Welder. I held many Engineering positions for companies like Siemens Heavy Duty Industries designing Gear boxes, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designing injection molding machines, My work experience extends to companies like US Steel Corporation as an OSHA Safety Team Leader/Steel Worker, HHHunt Homes as an Accountant, Ivy Tech Community College as a Welding Instructor and many more jobs in between.

As a business owner, I started out rather early in my life. While attending college at Commonwealth Business College, I paid my way through college as a bodybuilder and weight trainer at a local gym during the day, went to college at night and sold lingerie to exotic dancers at local gentlemen’s clubs around the Chicago area. I eventually bought a storefront in Miller Beach, IN off of a tax sale for a little under 2K. My next business venture happened to brew while I was working at US Steel Corporation, when I decided to go to Barber college at Lil Lou’s Barber College located in Gary, IN. My son was three years of age at the time and I was a single parent due to multiple domestic violence situations. I figured I needed a trade to have under my belt just in case I lost my Steel Mill job or got laid off. Low and behold in the steel experienced on the biggest layoff they have ever seen, one US Steel plant completely shut down. I was laid off for over six months, within that time due to a very bad domestic issue, out of fear I moved myself and my son to the East Coast in New Jersey where I cared for my sick and elderly grandmother who eventually passed away no more than a few months after we relocated. I used my barbering skills and connected with the first black barbershop in Atlantic City called Sonny’s. Being the second female barber in Atlantic City and marketing myself, I became well known rather quickly. I served on the parents school board located in Atlantic City, provided free cuts for grade schooler twice a year and promoted safe sex awareness fundraisers for the United Aids Awareness Organization. Mr. Sonny had a niece who was the other female barber in Atlantic City whom I teamed up with and opened a couple of barbershops in the area, Violet Mae’s, as partners. Jamillia Lawrence, Owner of Violet Mae’s, is not just a business partner but I owe the world to this woman as I became her protégé in the Barbering game and she healed me spiritually. Jamillia Lawrence with the help of God, prayer, belief, dedication and hard work assisted me to who I am today. I could not have done any of the self improvements, being spiritually awakened, and finding myself and purpose without her assistance. New Jersey will always hold a special space in my heart and soul because this is where I started my spiritual journey that landed me here back home in the Northwest and Owner of Strike & Walk Da Cup Welding, LLC.

Strike & Walk Da Cup Welding, LLC, (SWCW, LLC) was born during COVID-19, in March of 2020. I was working at a local community college when I realized that my personal views and beliefs were not in alignment with the College any more. After the 3rd year, I began to see that 80% of my students that were going through my program were not receiving job placement. I would run into some of my graduating students who would be working at low quality jobs due to the lack of job placement resources. I personally began to feel bad, as I would do recruiting promising jobs with high pay, get them through the program to find them still at low quality jobs. I wore many hats within this college like recruitment, instructing, job placement, counseling, working six days a week including Sundays. I love what I do and none of these things were a job to me but I noticed I began to share my personal and spiritual beliefs to assist my students through tough times, stressful moments, tragic situations and traumatizing events. I woke up one day and said, ” What I bring to this career is beyond what is expected at a state college level”, I am doing something far more than just providing welding training. What I want to do is far and beyond this, I need my own school so that I can incorporate what is missing out of everyone’s lives….. – MEANING – PURPOSE – INNER SELF HEALING – HIGH MORALE – CONFIDENCE –

This was the ending and the start of a new life and change for what being a Welder really meant. I definitely can teach almost anyone to weld but I wanted to teach more. I want to teach welders how to be a person, a real person. How to keep their career through the stressful times, the hard days, dealing with messy people, the old timers and their ways, how to communicate with co-workers/management, how to properly interview, how to manage time, balance life/school/work/relationships and more importantly how to heal oneself, etc.

What SWCW,LLC., brings to the table is phenomenal and nothing like any other welding training facility. We are rooted, relatable, real and down to earth. We provide welding training for the young, experienced, new to the game and hobbyist. We also hold a 92% job placement rate. A student would receive a 24 week long program, which will include three sets of eight week long courses. Students will have a one week break between each set of eight week sessions. In completion of this program a student comes out with the following certifications:

*** AWS Welding CERTIFICATION
*** OSHA-10 Safety Certification
*** Job placement
*** Certificate of Completion for Safety and Oxy-Fuel Cutting Techniques

Courses break down below:

*1st 8 weeks includes: OSHA-10 certification codes (self-paced), welding kit include (steel toe boots, welding hood, welding jacket, three sets of welding gloves for each welding process, chipping hammer, wire brush, welding bag, beanie, safety glasses, welding instruction booklet)
-Oxy-fuel cutting training/safety
-1G flat, SMAW (stick), GMAW (MIG) and Intro to GTAW (TIG) or FCAW (flux-cored)
-45 min lectures once a week
-1st 8weeks Written test

***2nd 8 weeks includes:
-2G, 3G, T-joints,
-U-joints, V-joints, Butt joints, Intro to 3G,
-Industry visitations from: Boiler Makers, Pipe Fitters, Iron Workers, Brick Layers, Local 150, Daifuku, Refax, etc.
-45 min lectures once a week
– 2nd 8 weeks written test

***3rd 8 weeks includes:
-Submit 3G AWS certifications test coupons
-Fabrication
-Soft skills: mock interviews, Resume writing, cover letter, reference page, career application submission, begin trade union application process

***Total cost for a 24 week course: $3,480. Payment plans are welcomed. State funding is undergoing approval.

*** All classes
-Monthly community service ( Optional not required)

***Advance classes include:
-Pipe welding ( SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW)
-Flux-cored
-Fabrication
-Welding Business Entrepreneurship ( Want to own your own welding company)
-Specialty metals (stainless steel, aluminum, maganism, etc.)

SWCW, LLC partnership with MANY local businesses, non-for profit organizations and network outside of our local are as well. Some of these companies are but not limited to:
– the Crossing School Business & Entrepreneurship
– Toyota Material Handling
– Vidimos, INC.
– American Welding Society
– Lake County Juvenile Superior Court
– Local 597 Pipefitters
– Local 374 Boilermakers
– Local 395 Ironworkers
– BAC Local 4 IN/KY Bricklayers
– Refax, INC.
– Daifuku
– T & B Tubing
– Hobart Electronics
– Wayne’s Tank
and many many more

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My initial capital came from my savings. I turned my side hustle into funding my “purpose”. I manufactured and fabricated bar b que grills in my fathers garage, became the neighborhood welder and did small welding jobs to save money. I started a small welding business first and later added the teaching component a couple of years later. Some of the welding jobs were with the Gary Fire department, small repairs at The Railcats Baseball stadium located in Gary, IN and PM for Onsite Equipment Repair, also located in Gary, IN. I personally funded the opening of my 1st location in South Bend, IN. SWCW, LLC. was renting a shared space with a pallet company called RUBA, Inc. located in South Bend, IN throughout the winter months of 2020 and had to relocate due to the selling of the building to a church. I partnered with the Crossing School of Business & Entrepreneurship located in Hammond, IN, who provided us space for the welding trade school. SWCW, LLC. currently shares this space now with two other businesses under the same building. This building was once owned by an Italian mobster in the early years and then the Boilermakers Local 374 moved in. About 2 years ago, the Boilermakers built their own Union hall in Hobart, IN. This was a great set up as the welding lab was already prepared for welding and welding booths. This partnership was a direct gift from God.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As stated before during my time with a local community college, I stepped out on a limb and tried to develop a network with a company formerly named Hoist. The small local college I was employed with at the time shut me down and refused to move forward with this company claiming that it would not be a good decision to do business with them. My thoughts were to establish a partnership for graduating students to potentially be employed after certification through their welding program. After multiple attempts, the local college continued to say “No”.

Once I opened SWCW, LLC. the passion to work with this company was still there, so I attempted one last time but under my own company of course and Hoist loved the idea and agreed to partner up with SWCW, LLC. I even went a step further and inquired about developing an internship program for high schoolers. Because I rent space from the Crossing Highschool it only made sense to add welding into their curriculum. Hoist was then bought out by Toyota Material Handling during the time of our transition and partnership. Toyota Material Handling heard about my proposal and agreed to take SWCW, LLC. Highschool welders that attended the Crossing School of Business and Entrepreneurship and provide paid internships for them to obtain “work based learning”, employability skills and hands on experience in a real live work environment. TMH adjusted their work space specially for the students, provided special management and work that was suitable for their welding skill level and met productivity for the company as well. Students began welding on TMH most sold and prized products that would be for very important clients. The Crossing students were well compensated, received high quality training and experience through this internship program. This program was designed for Juniors and Seniors that made it through the Crossing ” 3 step leveling program”, they had to meet academic/behavior goals as perquisites for the Internship. THM handling has also hired one of the graduated seniors, who is currently employed with them making over $20/hr for his first job straight out of high school.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.walkdacup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strikewalkdacup/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-l-hampton-9b322421b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClA9jd_9o-LDDtmi0R0bwnw