$30 Million in HVAC Sales. 78% Close Rate. Population: 75,000. That’s Cody Kropp’s reality—and he’s doing it all in rural Idaho. In this powerhouse episode of The Successful Contractor , Bob Houchin digs deep with one of the most consistent and impressive closers in the industry. Cody’s 15-year journey from oil-change tech to $30M HVAC titan is packed with street-smart wisdom, mindset gold, and killer sales tactics that actually work . 🔥 You’ll hear: How Cody went from changing oil in Alaska to...
Jul 25, 2025•1 hr 13 min
$835,000. One technician. One truck. All sold and installed . At just 26 years old , Shiloh Gill of Cool Hand Electric is already a two-time Crown Champion . In this episode, he reveals how he built a repeatable, scalable sales process that led to $835K in electrical sales —all while running the work himself. A former real estate hopeful from Brazil , Shiloh shares the mindset, systems, and daily practices that turned a motivated young man into one of the nation’s most effective residential elec...
Jul 10, 2025•1 hr 41 min
Tariffs and refrigerant changes are hitting HVAC contractors hard—costs are rising, inventory is tight, and homeowners are hesitant. If your techs, salespeople, and CSRs are all saying something different—or worse, using fear without facts—you’re losing trust and sales. In this fast-paced, high-impact interview, CertainPath coaches Miki Stone and Esti Jaacovi share what successful HVAC companies are doing right now to thrive in this uncertain environment. ✅ Control the message before your team c...
Jun 27, 2025•50 min
Logan Cysiewski is a top-performing roofing sales professional with Krumm Exteriors in New Richmond, Wisconsin. He’s rewriting the rules on how to win jobs—and win big. From earning the trust of homeowners to mastering CertainPath’s proven sales process, Logan breaks down exactly how he’s sold over $4 million in just a few short years… all without ever being "salesy." Whether you’re a rookie in home services or a seasoned veteran looking to sharpen your edge, this conversation is packed with rea...
Jun 14, 2025•1 hr 14 min
Jason Barbee is a plumbing technician who didn’t just sell — he installed nearly $1M in residential plumbing last year. Even more impressive, Jason is a 5-time Plumbing Sales Crown Champion; he’s 26 years old and already sold & installed over $4M in residential plumbing in his short career. From humble beginnings helping his future father-in-law lift water heaters, to dominating full-service residential calls today, Jason shares the real story behind his rise — and the mindset shifts that ch...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Blayne Ippolito went from addiction and homelessness to managing a team of high-performing electricians and selling and installing over $680K in residential electrical work with $1M in his sites this year. His journey is raw, powerful, and packed with lessons for anyone in the trades. In this episode of The Successful Contractor , Blayne opens up about the pain that shaped him—and the purpose that drives him today. Now a sales manager with MZ Electric in Littleton, Colorado, Blayne trains his te...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 43 min
Jared Dean isn’t winging it — he’s a master HVAC sales tactician. With over two decades in the industry, Jared has developed a precise, proven process that earns trust, overcomes objections, and closes premium HVAC systems at a staggering $25K average ticket with a 64% closing percentage. Jared works just three days a week in the field, serves full-time as a pastor , and still sold $3.5 million last year. In this conversation, he opens up his playbook — step by step. What you’ll walk away with: ...
May 17, 2025•2 hr 24 min
Back by overwhelming demand, Sean Mitchell returns to The Successful Contractor — and this time, he’s not holding anything back. 👉 Missed Sean’s first appearance ? That episode took the HVAC world by storm — racking up views and igniting conversations across the trades. Before you dive into this one, go watch Part 1 and see where it all began. But make no mistake — this is the episode everyone’s been waiting for. In this 2-hour masterclass , Sean lays out his entire sales process — from first c...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 58 min
In this powerful episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with retiring coach, trainer, and mentor Michael Zeller — a man who’s impacted thousands of lives through his 40-year career in business, leadership, and service. This isn’t just a retrospective. It’s a masterclass in life and business. From growing up in a working-class Long Island family to building a body shop, scaling through Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and eventually becoming one of the most beloved coaches at Cer...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Carl DiBene, the Director of Training at CertainPath, to uncover game-changing strategies for running a profitable home services business. With decades of experience—including managing $500M in sales at one time —Carl shares hard-earned lessons and proven tactics to help contractors succeed. 🔹 The $500M Sales Mindset: Learn how Carl helped scale massive home service businesses and what takeaways you can use today. 🔹...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 18 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Josh Moran, Founder & CEO of VitalStorm , a premier digital marketing agency for the home services industry. If you’ve ever felt lost in the world of search marketing—wondering where your money is going and why your ads aren’t converting—this episode is for you! Josh shares hard-earned insights from years of helping contractors maximize their digital presence, grow their revenue, and avoid costly marketing mistake...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 16 min
n this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Austin Rohleder, Marketing Director at Integrity Home Exteriors, to break down how they grew from a $6.8MM business in 2019 to peaking at $14.5MM. From digital marketing to canvassing to TV ads, Austin shares his insights into what works—and what doesn’t—for home service companies looking to scale. Key Takeaways from This Episode: The Growth Story: How Integrity Home Exteriors nearly doubled in size in just a few years...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 19 min
How does a small, family-run electrical business scale from $750K to $4M in revenue? Jayme Luersen, dispatcher-turned-operations manager at Home Team Electric, shares her incredible journey of transforming a business through training, technology, and leadership. In this episode, we cover: · From Data Entry to Leadership: How Jayme went from doing paperwork to managing a high-performance team. · Scaling a Family Business: How Home Team Electric grew from five employees to 19—and what you can lear...
Mar 07, 2025•50 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Mike Bears from Paul the Plumber to break down the incredible 200% growth that took their business from $4 million to $12 million —in just three years! How did they scale so fast while maintaining quality, profitability, and customer satisfaction? Mike shares the hard-earned lessons, systems, and strategies that transformed their company into a multi-trade powerhouse. Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: · The Ga...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 12 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin interviews Sonya Fryar and Missy Jones of CertainPath about how to build and manage a thriving call center. These two industry experts share their best-kept secrets for creating a positive call center culture, hiring the right team members, and tackling the biggest challenges head-on. Whether you’re a small business owner just starting out or managing a growing team, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring storie...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Brandon Oswalt, owner of Oswalt Sewer, Rooter, & Plumbing Repair in Bossier City, LA. Brandon’s story is nothing short of inspiring—from dropping out of school in eighth grade to building a thriving plumbing company with over 100% growth in just two years. Brandon shares the strategies that helped him achieve remarkable growth, including how he leveraged CertainPath to streamline operations, improve pricing, and c...
Jan 31, 2025•56 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Rob Mafes, owner of Global Cooling in Clermont, FL, to uncover the inspiring story behind his business transformation. Rob shares how he grew his HVAC company by a stunning 67% in just a year, all while working remotely from Italy. Learn how he tackled the challenges of pricing, hiring, and processes to create a thriving company that now operates like a well-oiled machine. Key moments include: · The importance of send...
Jan 24, 2025•55 min
What does it take to transform a modest family plumbing business into a multi-million dollar powerhouse? In this episode of The Successful Contractor, Bob Houchin sits down with siblings Grace, Noah, and Levi Dean of Dean’s Plumbing in Beaverton, OH, to unpack their incredible journey. From growing up in a household of ten siblings and homeschooling to taking over their parents' basement-run business, the Deans share the challenges and triumphs of scaling to $4.5MM with 25% net profit. Discover ...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor , host Bob Houchin sits down with Brian and Britt Simcox of Brigham Heating and Cooling, Inc., a family-run business in Utah with over 40 years of history. The Simcox’s share how they turned a legacy business into a thriving $2M operation through perseverance, process implementation, and a commitment to continuous improvement. From navigating the early days of shoebox accounting to utilizing cutting-edge software and streamlined processes, their journ...
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 22 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor, host Bob Houchin interviews Devoe Ward, Strategic Account Executive at Trane Technologies, to discuss the upcoming refrigerant changes impacting the HVAC industry. They delve into the phase-out of R-410A and the introduction of R-454B, the challenges contractors face, and the tools and training needed to adapt. Devoe shares valuable insights on how manufacturers, distributors, and contractors can prepare for this transition, while highlighting Trane ...
Dec 13, 2024•25 min
On this episode of The Successful Contractor, host Bob Houchin speaks with Carol and Kerry Adkins, the dynamic couple behind OnTime Service. Learn how they transformed their company from a company doing new construction electrical work into a multi-trade, residential services $27 million powerhouse with multiple locations and service offerings across Alabama. With guidance from CertainPath, formerly Success Group International (SGI), Carol and Kerry embraced proven systems and strategies that pr...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 30 min
In this episode of The Successful Contractor, host Bob Houchin sits down with Julian Burrell, owner of You and Us Mechanical in the Bronx, New York. Julian shares his inspiring journey from growing up in Jamaica to building a growing HVAC business in one of the toughest markets in the world. They dive into his early career struggles, including being laid off during the 2008 recession and dealing with unpaid government contracts, to finding a path to success through mentorship and education. Juli...
Nov 15, 2024•31 min
In this episode, we sit down with Ginny Fowble and David Ford from Linn’s Plumbing to explore how they leveraged CertainPath’s strategies to turn their small-town family business into a thriving $2 million operation. Ginny, who transitioned from a career in banking to take over the family business, shares her journey of navigating the complexities of running a trades company and how CertainPath (formerly SGI) provided the roadmap for success during uncertain times, including the pandemic. David,...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 15 min
In this insightful episode, we sit down with Brian and Janal Reid, owners of Serveway Heating and Air Conditioning, to explore their journey of building a thriving HVAC business. Learn how this dynamic husband-and-wife team went from working out of a pickup truck to running a successful company that’s smashing growth goals year after year. They reveal their secret to success, including: · Why hiring for culture is more important than skills. · How their faith-driven leadership has shaped their b...
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 22 min
In this value-packed episode, Bob Houchin sits down with Chris Vance, a marketing expert and coach at CertainPath, to discuss the key strategies every home service contractor needs to scale their business. Chris dives deep into actionable marketing insights for the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing trades, covering everything from branding basics to advanced digital marketing tactics. Whether you’re a two-truck operation or looking to grow TO A $100MM home services business, Chris shares p...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Listen as we uncover the secrets behind Kline Electrical Services' astonishing growth. 18 months ago, Matt Kline started Kline Electrical Services in Hagerstown, MD, with nothing more than a dream. Fast forward to 2024, and Kline Electrical Services is on track to hit $1.6MM in sales with impressive profit margins. Discover how Matt transformed his start-up into a thriving business by leveraging CertainPath’s proven systems and strategies. Matt shares his journey from a career in franchise gyms ...
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 24 min
From losing money and frustration to everything changed in 18 months. From $2.7MM in sales to $6.5MM in 18 months… and making money. And now the company is on target to do $10MM at the end of 2024. This is the story of Ron Frame of Champion Exteriors in Hainesport, NJ. Ron is a fourth-generation roofer. He knew there must be a better way to run a roofing business. He found CertainPath and has transformed everything. Along the way, he’s lived by the mantra: “Burn it to the ground.” It means that ...
Aug 30, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, Bob Houchin sits down with CertainPath’s Brandon Marshall to discuss the importance of building a strong legacy in the home service industry. They explore the challenges faced by today's contractors and the critical role of leadership in overcoming them. Discover how emotional intelligence, team development, and a focus on personal growth can transform your business. Learn about Brandon's exciting new programs, The Pride and Synergy Camps, designed to help you become a better le...
Aug 23, 2024•1 hr
In the morning, Juan Carlos Conchas is an electrical service & install manager, as well as sales trainer, for Pacific Coast Home Services in San Jose, CA. In the afternoon, he straps on his tools, takes a call or two, and sells close to $1MM in residential electrical every year. (In 2023, he sold $860K.) Yes, Juan Carlos is a CertainPath Electrical Sales Crown Champion… by selling part-time! Juan Carlos never sold a thing before going to work for Pacific Coast. But when he was sent on a call...
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Kaleb Thompson is a service technician and roof replacement technician for Good’s Roofing in Burton, MI. He sold an impressive $2.4MM in residential repairs and replacements last year. Kaleb has been in the roofing industry since he was 23. He began running his own sub crew, installing new roofs for Good’s Roofing. Eventually, Kaleb accepted a position as a repair technician for Good’s Roofing, and after a few additional years, Kaleb was talked into trying sales. He’s clearly blossomed in that r...
Aug 02, 2024•50 min
