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EP #36 – Why Tradespeople Can’t Trust Social Media w/ ‪@tomkatgastraining‬

by | Aug 6, 2025

Overview

In this episode of the FieldRocket Podcast, host Tulloch Priest sits down with Derek Robins, also known as ‪@tomkatgastraining‬, an experienced gas engineer and training centre owner with over 50,000 YouTube subscribers.

He shares his insights on the growing influence of social media and online communities like Gas Chat in the trades.

Highlights

Can you trust everything you hear or see on social media?
  • (1:15) Social media has been a great tool for promoting Derek’s business – but you can’t believe everything you hear or see on it. 
  • (3:45) There is a lot of misinformation out there – even some of the big influencers are wrong. 
  • (4:50) There seems to be a norm of “good enough” in terms of carrying out all the tests when servicing a boiler, for example. 
  • (6:20) Social media groups (like Gas Chat) has a lot of banter, but there’s a lot of good advice in there too. Take it all with a pinch of salt. Look at training manuals, listening to trainers, and take that as the gold standard. 
How Derek got started with YouTube
  • (7:45) Derek on working alone: he’s always preferd to have business partners and people working with him. 
  • (9:07) How Derek got started with YouTube. Vaillant saw some of his initial videos and asked him to collaborate. 
  • (11:05) Derek put together some gas-related quizzes. Despite some positive feedback, there was some detractors. 
  • (14:20) You’ve got to be out there to win jobs, so social media plays a massive part in the industry and engineers get lots of work from Facebook etc. 
What social media offers, and how you can get started with it
  • (15:30) Being active on social media provides a level of trust. They know your face and it makes a brand more relatable. 
  • (20:09) Tips for those that want to start a YouTube channel: Dont take the comments too seriously, don’t think your first videos are going to be your best, and don’t think it will make you a multi-millionaire. Think of it as complementing your job, and do it if you enjoy it.