The Turn: Blue Collar to Billions

Iconic Founders Group•www.iconicfounders.com

You've fought hard for your business. Growth was earned, not given. Maybe you've scaled, maybe you've sold— but who have you become in the process? This isn't another podcast obsessing over multiples and deal structure. We get to the heart of what you're actually going through. Hosted by Kory Mitchell, CEO of Iconic Founders, we sit down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real— businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Because the real story isn't just how you got here—it's about the lessons along the way. About the Host, Kory Mitchell: Kory Mitchell is the host of The Turn and the founder of Iconic Founders Group. He's lived the founder's journey—building a small regional specialty contracting business with his family into a national ($200m)brand and navigating two transactions, including a 9-figure exit. With 25+ years in the specialty contracting industry, Kory learned how personal and high-stakes the decision to sell can be. Now he guides founder-led companies through legacy-preserving transactions and serves as a board member for several large national specialty trades businesses, bringing an operator's perspective to strategic growth. About Iconic Founders: Iconic Founders Group provides expert guidance for blue-collar industry founders ready to grow and sell their businesses while preserving legacy. We work with founder-led businesses doing $3M–$20M in profit across specialty contracting and trades—including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, roofing, concrete, environmental services, tree services, excavation, asphalt paving, restoration, and more. Whether you're seeking liquidity, finding a partner to scale, or protecting the team and culture that made you great, Kory and the Iconic Team serves as a trusted advisor throughout the entire process—from readiness to strategic buyer alignment, all the way to a proud and well-earned close. Learn more at www.iconicfounders.com. Built Something Great? We Want to Hear Your Story. Whether you're in the thick of scaling, contemplating an exit, or reflecting on lessons learned, we'd love to connect. Visit us at www.iconicfounders.com and subscribe to The Turn wherever you get your podcasts.

Last refreshed: June 2nd, 2026 at 6:45 PM

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Episodes

12x EBITDA—and Still Regrets Selling

What if you got exactly the number you dreamed of—and it was still the wrong decision? Danny Namerow built Farryn Electric from scratch on lessons his electrician father taught him the hard way: diversify, don't work for builders, and never let one client own your business. He pivoted to service work, adopted flat rate pricing, built a tight crew of six, and watched his margins soar. Then a private equity firm called three times. On the third call, he listened—and walked away with 12 times EBITD...

May 27, 2026•32 min•Ep. 9

Didn't Want to Sell. Then Life Changed.

Jay Maier started a tree service company in Rochester, Minnesota at 29. No business background. Parents were educators. He paid himself $36,000 a year on $180,000 in revenue and reinvested everything else into equipment and people. He scraped, clawed, and grew—slowly and conservatively. The real shift came around 2005 when Jay stopped doing the work and started developing the people who did it. He realized his best value wasn't trimming trees—it was making sure everybody knew exactly what to do....

May 12, 2026•21 min•Ep. 8

Started Over at $3M, Built to $200M

Jerry Schill spent 20 years building a landscaping business with his brother. Design-build, residential, creative work—chasing every shiny object along th way. But then they split. Jerry took the maintenance side and rolled back to $3 million. He'd admit that he was scared. But he got laser-focused. And from 2012 to 2019, he took the business from 0% recurring revenue to 93%. He ditched residential entirely, built a "business in a box," and grew to $16.5 million before partnering with Argon Capi...

Apr 28, 2026•24 min•Ep. 7

Family Business to $410M Exit

Tony Mallinger joined his family's roofing products manufacturing company in 2001. His dad bought it in the late eighties for about $2 million. By the time Tony led the first sale in 2020, it was doing $62 million. Four years later, after two acquisitions under private equity, they sold again—for $410 million. But this isn't just a growth story. It's a family business story. Three brothers, a father who wanted to treat everyone the same, and years of misalignment that made the success feel hollo...

Apr 14, 2026•35 min•Ep. 6

15 People to $50M in Profit

Bryan Carruthers started his first company in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis, right after college. A tiny consulting firm called Consilium. He sold it to a publicly traded business a few years later. Then he went the private equity route—got backing, bought a 15-person shop, and built it into a national $50 million EBITDA business in under five years. Then he sold it to one of the largest consulting firms in the world. Most founders are obsessed with ownership percentage. Bryan was obse...

Mar 31, 2026•30 min•Ep. 5

Bootstrapped to Over $70M

Chris Meyer didn't stumble into entrepreneurship—he trained for it. Two and a half years at Ernst & Young, 400 business plans reviewed, and a clear list of criteria for what he wanted. In 2006, he found it: a $5-6 million materials company called Mintech that specialized in turning industrial byproducts into construction and environmental solutions. He was 27, had never worked in the industry, and put everything on the line to buy it. What happened next sounds insane on paper. Take-or-pay co...

Mar 17, 2026•35 min•Ep. 4

Measure Value, Not Revenue

Tom Heaviland bought a one-truck landscape company with his dad in 1985. They each put up $11,000. Thirty-five years later, he sold it to BrightView—the largest player in the industry—for millions. But getting there wasn't linear. He lost his biggest contract overnight when a developer pulled out. His dad died suddenly in 1997. And for seven years, he was stuck splitting everything 50/50 with his stepmom who even didn't work in the business. The real turn came when Tom stopped asking "how much c...

Mar 05, 2026•20 min•Ep. 3

Two Exits. Totally Different Outcomes.

Kris Birch started working in his dad's lawn and snow business in 2005. Fifteen years later, he sold it to a national brand. The deal looked good on paper, but within a year, most of the team was gone and the business had been absorbed into corporate machinery. When he finally walked away, he discovered something important: he'd already started building his next company. But Kris’s story is a little different because most founders think you only get one shot at an exit. Kris got two. After the f...

Feb 17, 2026•38 min•Ep. 2

The Hardest Part Comes After the Exit

Today’s guest is Adam Mopsick. Adam started a construction business in Miami in 1996. Twenty-five years later, he sold it to private equity for life-changing money. The 2008 recession killed his GC business and forced him to reinvent, building an owner's rep firm from scratch that grew every quarter for six years. When he finally got the exit everyone dreams of, he discovered the hardest part wasn't the deal. It was figuring out who he was without the business. Most founders think the exit is th...

Feb 03, 2026•34 min•Ep. 1

Introducing The Turn: Blue Collar to Billions

Welcome to The Turn . Host Kory Mitchell sits down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real—businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, tree services, roofing, and construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Not M&A theory or deal structures, but the real stories from founders who've scaled and sold. The challenges that nearly broke them. What they wish someone had told them before they sold...

Jan 16, 2026•1 min•Ep. 1

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