When I came into the asphalt industry, mid-way through 2022, one of the first calls I took was with the man who people told me was an “asphalt influencer,” and since I was so new I wanted to make sure I connected with him as soon as I could.
I remember not really knowing what to even ask about, because I only had a few weeks under my belt that first time we spoke. However, what I do recall from that conversation with Marvin Joles, the former host of the popular Blacktop Banter podcast, and creator of a massive back catalogue of video and web content on social media, was that the industry was a lot bigger and more complex than I’d previously imagined up until that point.
While most would consider asphalt-pavement to be a niche subculture, the reality is that, like others of its kind, it shares a lot of crossover with other blue collar, trade-based professions. What speaks to the hard working people of the blacktop world has the potential to crossover to all trades-people.
This includes the current shift towards an awareness about mental health. While recent studies have shown the construction industry to be more susceptible to negative outcomes concerning workers who struggle with mental health issues, there’s been an parallel rise of awareness and outspokenness surrounding the topic.
Last year, Jamie Roush, the former president of Dynapac North America, made news by championing major mental health initiatives aimed at encouraging contractors and business owners to be proactive with their employees as it concerns mental health.
With all this in mind, when I heard that Marvin Joles, the asphalt influencer, was taking a step back from his podcast and the multi-media machine, I wanted to sit down and find out why from the source.
Branching Out Into New Territory
I caught up with Joles shortly after he returned from the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) Annual Meeting, which took place in Hawaii in 2025. NAPA has largely been made up of asphalt producers, plant owners, and quarry men, or what blacktop guys jokingly refer to as, “the big guys.” However, more and more pavement maintenance contractors are starting to realize that what happens to the big guys, also effects them, eventually.
Likewise, NAPA is starting to make it more of a point to reach out and build relationships with the “smaller” asphalt companies working in the industry.
Joles, on being part of the NAPA Impact Group and Meeting Planning group. “It’s something I’m really excited about being involved with, because it’s all about how we attract more people to the asphalt industry. We all know there’s an ongoing labor dilemma, and it’s going to get worse when the older generation retires, and we want to make sure that the asphalt industry is positioned as a smart and cool option that young people are aware of.”
Eli Joles on Dynapac Roller at PAVE/X 2025Marvin Joles
NAPA works throughout the year to lobby in Washington on behalf of the asphalt industry at-large, but they also work in less direct ways to influence infrastructure policy, as well as, act as a self-regulatory body for asphalt producers.
For contractors who primarily work with sealcoating, striping, or pothole patching, NAPA meetings have the possibility of feeling a bit overwhelming at times.
“There are big companies, for sure, with hundreds of employees,” Joles explained. “It’s like all the circuitry and hydraulics of a paver. You don’t see any of that from the outside, but it’s all hidden beneath the surface, making everything work the way it does. They work with Capitol Hill, environmental agencies, and other associations so that the rest of us can go out and spread around some asphalt and sealcoat and make a living.”
In addition to seeing how the blacktop-sausage is made, Joles said that it brought about other benefits he’d not imagined ahead of time.
“For me, there were some opportunities that came about that I never would have even had on my radar if I wouldn’t have been there,” he said. “A lot of the bigger contractors at these events have more work than they can even do, and you introduce yourself, what you do, and who knows? You might be getting a call down the line to sub with them. It’s a powerful networking opportunity, you know?”
When One Door Closes, Another One Opens
I finally got down to our recent time together at PAVE/X in Chattanooga, TN, where I first heard the rumors swirling that Blacktop Banter was coming to a close, and I asked him point-blank what the journey was like that eventually led to this big decision for him.
“Life catches up to you, right?” He started with. “I had some really great mentors that spoke knowledge into me when I was young, but the thing is, when you’re young you don’t always want to take that into account. You still have to learn the hard way. There’s a humbling experience that goes along with doing things that way.”
Anyone who’s ever owned or operated a small business understands what kind of grind it can be, not just on you as an individual, but on the people around you, like your family. It takes a special kind of toll. However, most people don’t think of content creation or social media influencer work in the same terms. The reality, though, is that it’s as much of a grind as any other type of business. And, in some ways, it can take a different kind of toll on you, and combined with running a small business on top of it, everything starts to add up.
For those of you reading who run your blacktop crews while also trying to throw videos and pictures of your work up on Tik-Tok, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you know how annoying it can be to keep up with. Now, imagine that small annoyance taking on a complete life of its own, with its own clients and demands equal to the stress and complexity of running your asphalt business. That will give you a small taste of what it can be like.
The End Of The Road?
“I really dug in on Blacktop Banter, I truly enjoyed doing it. I like making content for social media and highlighting our industry,” Joles said of his podcast where he interviewed both people from the industry, and interesting figures from other walks of life.
David Thomas from Oman with Marvin’s friends and family at a PAVE/X 2025 Event.Provided by Marvin Joles
Then, last year, Marvin started to notice a trend in the conversations he was having with his guests and people he met out in the field.
“I had lots of talks on the show about stress, mental health, and I heard lots of stories of how guys dealt with it. At first, I didn’t realize that, hey, maybe this is something I should be looking at internally, for myself. It was as if my subconscious was already trying to help me deal with what was going on inside, but I didn’t realize it yet. I was under a lot of stress and anxiety.”
He hit a brick wall during the week of the first PAVE/X in San Antonio, TX, in 2024.
“I still thought that maybe it was just the stress of that week, but during the gap between PAVE/X and World of Asphalt [2024], things didn’t get any better,” He remembered. “We had [obligations] already in place for World of Asphalt, and we met those, but I felt sort of like I was going through the motions. It all feels like a blur now. And I wasn’t really recognizing what was going on with me.”
After WOA 2024, Marvin started to put the pieces together, and truly understand what was happening to him. He was overwhelmed, over committed, and not really coping with the negative stressors in the healthiest of ways. As the planning for PAVE/X 2025 began to take shape, he had a decision to make.
“I was under some real pressure, and it was during the Fourth of July celebrations last summer,” Joles said. “Eli (Marvin’s son) and I were at a church service actually, and suddenly I was super dizzy.”
The bad news, it wasn’t the holy ghost. The good news, it was his body finally putting its foot down and making Marvin face reality.
After consulting with his primary physician, Joles realized that medication alone wasn’t going to solve the root of the issue: There were simply too many things on his plate, and it wasn’t sustainable.
Joles started seeing someone for regular therapy sessions, and a clearer self-picture began to emerge from within. This led to one of the hardest calls Joles ever had to make when he had to step away from the partnerships and plans he had set up for the coming year through Blacktop Banter.
“I had to tell my sponsors, I had to tell my team, the people we had contracts with that I wasn’t going to be taking on anything new once our current obligations were met,” he said. “Those were some of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had.”
Since he stepped away, Joles’ said that the relief in stress has been significant, though he continues to work through it in cognitive therapy.
“I think we live in a world where people seek affirmation,” Joles explained. “If you want to make content or create a brand for your business, and it makes sense, then I think you should do it. It’s a personal thing, really. But people should think long and hard, and really ask themselves why they want to do it. Because if they can’t answer that questions, then maybe it’s not a good thing to undertake.”
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