This week on the Owned and Operated Legends series we sit down with the unstoppable powerhouse of HVAC Ismael Valdez, founder of Nexgen. From starting in the trades at 18 to building an empire in just four years, Ismael shares his journey to revolutionizing the contracting industry. Special Thanks to Avoca AI Coaching and Training Looking to train your call center and technicians back on their calls? Get better performance today with the power of Avoca AI, as your staff learns their pain points ...
Dec 17, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 156
In this episode of "Owned and Operated," hosts John Wilson and Jack Carr are joined by guest Nathan Lenahan, co-owner of Bart's Heating and Air. Nathan shares his journey of rapidly scaling his HVAC business through strategic home service acquisitions, growing from a $1 million revenue company to over $10 million. He discusses the challenges and considerations involved in merging companies, including integrating cultures, compensation structures, and deciding whether to rebrand under a larger, m...
Dec 10, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 155
In this episode of Owned and Operated , John Wilson welcomes Luke Weiden from Deljo Heating and Cooling . They discuss the importance of profitability in business sustainability and strategies for operating more efficiently. Luke shares his experience in partnering with Heartland Home Services, his approach to cost management, and the significance of leadership development. They’ll talk about field efficiency, head count reduction, and optimizing service calls. They also explore how improving fi...
Dec 03, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Join John Wilson in this special episode of Owned and Operated, with guest Chris Bache, CEO of Hatch , sharing insights on how Hatch software has transformed AI in customer service and the power of the SMS campaign. He explains how AI can streamline customer follow-ups and improve response rates by automating initial contacts. Chris also discusses the evolution of Hatch, starting as a small company to becoming a major player in the industry, helping over 2000 businesses optimize their sales proc...
Nov 26, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 153
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated,' host Jack welcomes John and Justin from LEAP Partners to talk about what goes into the world of private equity home service business roll-ups. The two share a useful look into the importance of understanding your business's financials, the role of culture in acquisitions, and the unique approach of LEAP Partners in supporting business growth. Whether you're a current business owner or looking to buy or sell, this episode offers practical advice and inspir...
Nov 19, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 152
He’s back! John is joined by Sam Preston, the dynamic CEO of Service Scalers, a marketing powerhouse specializing in helping home service businesses scale fast, for a recent livestream Q&A for the Owned and Operated Facebook Group. If you’re looking to grow your business and dominate your local market, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Learn more about Service Scalers, get your own home services business website, and dominate the SEO and Google Ads game, then check them out today. S...
Nov 12, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 151
Owned and Operated continues its new Legends series, focusing on the stories of the home service industry’s most successful entrepreneurs, this time joined by Aaron Gaynor. The founder of Eco Plumbers, Aaron shares his incredible journey from losing everything to building a $75 million service business. He discusses the importance of setting a bold vision, focusing on one trade in one location, and the power of building relationships in the industry, as well as creating a reputable brand, levera...
Nov 05, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 150
A new episode of 'Owned and Operated' is here, with the incomparable Ellen Rohr joining Jack and John as they talk about her expensive journey through the world of plumbing, what leadership means, and why open book management leads to success. They talk about Ellen’s journey from plumbing to business success, strategic approaches to overcoming debt through proper pricing, and the personal evolution of founding successful ventures like Benjamin Franklin the Punctual Plumber and Zoom Drain. Now wo...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 149
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack are joined by Sagan’s Jon Matzner to talk about the use of global talent and hiring overseas to enhance business operations, beyond just saving costs. What is the importance of systemization and automation in building a high-leverage business model? Jon also goes through the evolution of the Sagan system, which starts with global talent as an entry point and extends to include automation and decentralized leadership. What are the dynamics of r...
Oct 22, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 148
In this episode, Jack is flying solo and speaks with Rory Tyer, a new owner of an independent garden center in South Carolina, about his journey in entrepreneurship through acquisition. Rory shares his experiences and challenges in acquiring and operating a local nursery, discussing factors such as location, customer demographics, and the dynamics of retail vs. wholesale businesses. The conversation also touches on the significant learning curve, managing inventory, and engaging in new marketing...
Oct 15, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 147
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John explains the world of home service business growth with CEO Peter Lohmann, focusing on how branding can serve as a powerful lead-generation tool. John and Peter explore the journey of scaling a home service company, including the challenges, insights, and opportunities that come with driving marketing efforts and building operational efficiency. Key takeaways from this episode include the critical role that marketing and branding play in generating lea...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 146
This episode of Owned and Operated features Chris Hoffman, CEO of the $130M Hoffman Brothers, continuing the "Legends Series," where industry leaders are highlighted for their massive influence and expertise in the home services space. Chris shares his journey with John and Jack, scaling Hoffman Brothers from a modest family business to a multi-million-dollar industry leader, operating out of St. Louis and Nashville. The discussion covers business strategies, leadership challenges, and Chris’s o...
Oct 01, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 145
It’s Breaking $5M Workshop week, and Jack and John are together in the studio for the first time! What happens when you get these two together? They talk about call centers, that’s what. They break down organizational changes driven by AI, adjustments to call center compensation and the broader implications for business efficiency. They’ll also stress the importance of continuously negotiating with vendors to reduce costs and increase profitability. Networking and learning from industry peers is...
Sep 24, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 144
John and Jack welcome Joe Crisara from Service MVP, a mainstay in the home services business. Joe shares his extensive experience spanning 47 years in the trades industry, detailing his journey from a service technician to a successful entrepreneur. He discusses how implementing call by call management and personalized customer service can drastically improve business outcomes. Joe also highlights the importance of using technology like Hatch and Rilla to streamline workflows and enhance custome...
Sep 17, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 143
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated,' John Wilson talks with owner Brian Sloan from TR Miller to discuss the nuances of business management and growth in HVAC and plumbing. What was the process for Brian of transitioning from a hands-on operator to a business owner mindset, learning the intricacies of multi-location management, and finding the importance of strategic partnerships? Brian shares his experiences with TR Miller’s growth trajectory, the lessons learned from slowdowns and operation...
Sep 10, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 142
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated,' host Jack Carr interviews Wyatt Smith from Upsmith to discuss employee retention and the psychology of incentives for skilled workforces. Wyatt shares a look into UpSmith’s mission to gamify the skilled trades industry using software that provides immediate feedback and recognition to technicians while bolstering your employee retention strategy, and how this approach boosts performance and revenue. Wyatt also breaks down the significance of timely reward...
Sep 03, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 141
In this episode of Owned and Operated, hosts John Wilson and Jack welcome back Home Service Engine Founder Danny Peevey to discuss the complexities and challenges of making KPI, data-driven decisions in the home services industry. What starts with a talk on the importance of site visits and peer comparisons then turns to the complexities of ServiceTitan and the importance of knowing what to do with all that data. Do your employees know how to effectively use KPIs and the data you’re gaining from...
Aug 27, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Owned and Operated continues its new Legends series, focusing on the stories of the home service industry’s most successful entrepreneurs. John Wilson and Jack Carr are joined by special guest Chad Peterman, President and CEO of Peterman Brothers–a $120M home service empire with over 700 employees and eight locations. Follow along as Chad discusses how a centralized operation opened the door for expansion, the realities of recruiting and marketing for a large organization, and the power of podca...
Aug 23, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Owned and Operated continues its new LEGENDS series, focusing on the stories of the home service industry’s most successful entrepreneurs. John Wilson is joined by special guest Matt Ballard of Sunrise Mechanical, a $55M HVAC and plumbing company that works in small residential, commercial, and new construction. Matt discusses the balance between working in the two worlds of new construction and residential home services and how it led to being in over 6,000 homes in one year while also spending...
Aug 21, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 138
Owned and Operated kicks off its new LEGENDS series, focusing on the stories of the home service industry’s most successful entrepreneurs. John Wilson and Jack Carr are joined by special guest Tommy Mello, founder and CEO of A1 Garage, which operates in over 20 states, with over 50 locations. The talk with Tommy covers his insistence on a strong company culture, how partnerships drove his company to new milestones, and the reasons why networking in the home service space is so important to const...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Are you focused on business leads in your home service company when the seasons change? This week, Jack and John talk about weak months during peak HVAC season, big victories coming from major talent hires, and the power of specialty equipment paying for itself almost immediately. However, the big topic of conversation covers home service business leads, generating those leads when times get quiet, and the various avenues an owner has available to source customers. Episode Hosts: 🎤 John Wilson:...
Aug 13, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Even vacation can’t stop John from talking about the new, heavy equipment for his drainage excavation business doubling as a marketing strategy! He and Jack talk about the nature of working in HVAC, drains, and excavation, why pipelining is great, and just how much a machine for drain cleaning can cost a business–and how much it makes back when you start to tie upsells into your sales practices. Do you know the difference between the excavation and pipelining business? Find out. Episode Hosts: �...
Aug 06, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 135
John joins the show this week from the middle of the woods as he and Jack discuss creating your home service business organizational structure, org charts, and the issues with hiring leaders. It’s also peak HVAC business season and that means an inevitable downturn. Are Jack and John prepared for an HVAC shoulder season? Will John find his way out of the woods? Give a listen to this week’s show, hear about organizational structure for small business owners, and get a massive knowledge level-up o...
Jul 30, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 134
July heat got you down? Then you must not work in the HVAC business, because things are hotter than ever for Jack and John, as they talk about trying to keep up with the massive summertime HVAC rush, the stretch of record-breaking home service sales records, and growth all around. But that begs the question: When you’re making summer hay what are the best moves to make in regards to expansion, future plans, and increasing your place in the market? Join Owned and Operated this week as the show br...
Jul 16, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 133
It’s June Q&A time, as John tackles strategies for increasing revenue per plumber and HVAC technician, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and tips for managing warehouse inventory and consignment. He’ll also get into hiring team leads, implementing incentive-based compensation plans, rebranding strategies after acquisitions, and navigating successful business models like new construction. Want to make sure you’re live for the next livestream? Learn more about John’s exclusive Facebo...
Jul 09, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Join John Wilson and Jack Carr on 'Owned and Operated' as they look into the cutting-edge world of AI-powered call centers for home service businesses with Tyson from Avoca AI . Discover how AI is transforming the efficiency and effectiveness of call centers in the trades, optimizing everything from after-hours calls to specialized CSR allocation. Tyson shares his extensive background in AI, his journey into the trades, and the groundbreaking features of Avoca's platform. Learn about best practi...
Jul 02, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Join John and Jack as they talk about hitting major milestones, training programs, and strategies that have significantly increased their average ticket sales. Learn about the importance of call-by-call management, creating effective options for customers, and improving service quality. We also discuss exploring customer needs early, the impact of nuanced training, and optimizing service processes. Episode Hosts: 🎤 John Wilson: @WilsonCompanies on Twitter Jack Carr: @TheHVACJack on Twitter Serv...
Jun 25, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Today's episode features a special guest, Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers . Join us as Sam visits our shop and shares his insights on revolutionizing home service marketing. We discuss the evolution from traditional marketing methods to leveraging digital strategies, AI, and SEO to drive leads and business growth. Learn about the challenges and successes in the industry, fresh marketing approaches, and how Service Scalers is setting new standards. If you're in the home service industry or co...
Jun 18, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 129
In this episode of 'Owned and Operated,' Jack and John revisit their previous discussion on how to use and integrate AI into their home service business endeavors, analyzing its transformative impact over the past few months. They reflect into their experience with Avoca, an AI-driven call center software, and discuss its role in enhancing CSR coaching and overall call center efficiency. The hosts highlight initial successes seen in just a few weeks, the potential for field operations, and their...
Jun 11, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Join John Wilson on this special episode of ' Owned and Operated ' as he dives into the world of home service businesses, focusing on plumbing, HVAC, and electric growth. It’s the end of the month and that means it’s time for John’s first Live Q&A with questions from the OaO private Facebook group! He answers pre-submitted questions about building business blueprints, recruiting for small operations, pricing during slow periods, and integrating new brands after acquisitions. Want to be there...
Jun 04, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 127
