Toolbox for the Trades

High season is heating up and this summer we're bringing you some of the best episodes from both our shows on the ServiceTitan Podcast Network. Between new episodes, ones from the past you might have missed, and conversations and checkins from over 5 years and 280 episodes - there's so much to learn about running your trades business better than ever. Original Air Date 11/12/2024 Alan O'Neill trul...

Property data is becoming one of the most powerful tools in the trades, but many contractors are only scratching the surface of what's possible. Brady Campbell , Vice President of Business Development at EagleView , discusses how contractors are using property intelligence to find better leads, target smarter markets, and make more informed business decisions. Brady shares how EagleView evolved fr...

High season is heating up and this summer we're bringing you some of the best episodes from both our shows on the ServiceTitan Podcast Network. Between new episodes, ones from the past you might have missed, and conversations and checkins from over 5 years and 280 episodes - there's so much to learn about running your trades business better than ever. Original Air Date 3/18/2025 How do you create...

What does it take to break through the $4-5 million ceiling that many landscaping companies face? In this episode, we talk with Emily Nickel, Director of Business Applications at Perennial Services Group, to discuss how technology and data can help companies scale smarter, improve profitability, and make better business decisions. Emily shares lessons from her career in landscaping and software, i...

High season is heating up and this summer we're bringing you some of the best episodes from both our shows on the ServiceTitan Podcast Network. Between new episodes, ones from the past you might have missed, and conversations and checkins from over 5 years and 280 episodes - there's so much to learn about running your trades business better than ever. Original Air Date - 7/24/2025 Job costing is e...

High season is heating up and this summer we're bringing you some of the best episodes from both our shows on the ServiceTitan Podcast Network. Between new episodes, ones from the past you might have missed, and conversations and checkins from over 5 years and 280 episodes - there's so much to learn about running your trades business better than ever. Episode originally Aired 3/26/2026. In this ep...

What does SEO look like in a world where AI is answering questions before customers ever click a website? In this episode, Amanda Salvatore sits down with William Haddad , SVP of Product and Optimization at Scorpion , to unpack how AI search is reshaping online visibility for home service businesses. They explore the shift from traditional SEO to AI-driven search experiences, why brand authority a...

In this episode, John Wilson returns to Toolbox for the Trades five years after his first appearance to share what it really took to scale the Wilson Companies from under $5 million to more than $40 million in revenue in under five years. John walks through the messy middle of rapid growth, from tripling his team in a single year to realizing they did not yet have the systems, leadership, or struc...

In this episode, we sit down with Caren Bueno , Service Division Coordinator, Corbett Irrigation , to talk about what it looks like to build a life and a business from the ground up. Caren shares her journey from arriving in the U.S. as an au pair to leading a service division, building systems, and turning day-to-day chaos into something that actually works. She talks about learning in real time,...

Mike Brewner (CEO), Sydney Biancardi (COO), and Clint Hodge (CFO) of Iceberg Home Services join the show to reveal how their distinct leadership styles created a high-performing trifecta. Mike, a trades veteran, started the business in a 12-by-12 shed and transformed it into a dominant force in Central Florida. He is joined by Clint, a non-industry hire from the gaming and finance sectors, and Syd...

Amanda Portinari , Director of Industry Transformation at Ambition Theory , joins the show to discuss a critical leadership shift that is transforming the construction and trades industries. Amanda breaks down the fundamental differences between transactional leadership, which relies on top-down delegation, and transformational leadership, which inspires collaboration and innovation. A core focus...

Yi Wei , System Analyst at Southern Botanical , joins the show to discuss her unique role as the “cardiologist” for the heartbeat of her company's operations. She details Southern Botanical's massive shift from a heavy construction division to focusing exclusively on maintenance and how she helped build the bridge between their business and their software. Yi breaks down her approach to transformi...

Carrie Kelsch , Founder and CEO of A-Plus Garage Doors in Utah, joins the show to discuss her journey from clandestine business owner to the leader of a $48 million enterprise. Carrie shares the specific tactics her team used to jump from $36 million to $48 million in a single year, including a unique “revenue bell” system that gamifies success for the entire office. She opens up about battling ne...

Stephanie Allen , CEO of Airworks Solutions , and Jennifer Bagley , CEO of CI Web Group , join the show to discuss their collaborative mission: JustStart AI. This online community helps contractors move past the doomsday fear of artificial intelligence and into a world of massive operational leverage. Stephanie shares how she transformed her business after a difficult 2025 by cutting marketing spe...

Mark Pyrah , President and Director of Client Care at Peak Landscape , shares a deeply personal account of transforming anxiety into a leadership tool. After 20 years in the industry, Mark discusses how he moved from being a “task master” focused on checkmarks to a leader driven by purpose and SOPs. He breaks down the financial shift that saved his sanity, moving focus from top-line revenue to fre...

Brett Voccola, the Manager of Apprenticeship at Encon Heating & AC , joins the show to share how one Connecticut-based HVAC company is solving the labor shortage by growing its own talent. With 350 employees and a legacy dating back to 1969, Encon recognized that relying on a small, competitive labor pool was no longer sustainable. Brett discusses the development of Encon University, an in-hou...

Abhishek Mathur , the newly appointed Chief Technology & Product Officer (CTPO) at ServiceTitan , joins the show to discuss the transformative power of AI in the trades. With an impressive background at Microsoft, Meta, and Figma, Abhishek explains how AI serves as a force multiplier, automating mundane tasks so contractors can focus on their craft. The conversation focuses on real-world examp...

Keenan Baird , owner of GreenRoots and one of the few Board Certified Master Arborists in the country, dives into the “missing middle market” and the urgent need for modernizing the tree care industry. Keenan shares his journey from dragging branches in the Arizona heat to running a tech-forward operation in Nashville. He reveals how investing in a CRM and building a custom, transparent estimating...

In this episode, Chris and Joe Hoffmann , the CEO and COO of Hoffmann Brothers , reveal the strategy behind building a service empire. They detail their journey of scaling a $9 million family business into a $160 million powerhouse. The brothers discuss the transition from independent careers in the Marines and engineering to taking over their father’s company, emphasizing the importance of humili...

Yocelin Reynoso-Prado, Branch Manager of the L.A. Division at SouthWest Landscape and a 2025 Lawn & Landscape Employee of the Year finalist, joins the show to discuss her rapid rise in the industry and her focus on operational due diligence in landscaping. Coming from a background in medical billing and finance, Yocelin brings a unique perspective to field operations, emphasizing proactive com...

What if helping other contractors grow could earn you real rewards? In this episode, we’re joined by ServiceTitan leaders Naomi Menzer and Ellen Rohr to break down two powerful ways contractors can engage with the ServiceTitan community: the referral program and the brand ambassador program. From cash bonuses and cars to brand-building opportunities and industry visibility, Naomi and Ellen explain...

Brooke and Allie Riley, Co-owners of Riley Plumbing, Heating & Air , join the show to discuss leveraging AI in the trades to transform a 25-year-old business. Brooke, who started the company at age 19 in 1999, shares the “whiplash” experience of moving from paper maps to running a fully AI-powered remote location in Reno with zero office staff. Allie explains how she optimized operational work...

In this episode, we sit down with Travis Wills , Sr. Director of Client Success at Aspire Software , to explore what it takes to grow without chaos. From starting in landscaping as a teenager to becoming employee #19 at Aspire, Travis has seen firsthand how systems, mindset, and people shape success. We dig into why keeping it simple is often the fastest path to scaling, why change management matt...

Justin Blaine , Co-owner of Carter Services in Torrance, CA, provides a unique perspective on banking on the resilience of the trades by detailing his transition from a professional M&A advisor to an owner-operator. Drawing on lessons from his three years in minor league baseball, Justin discusses the necessity of humility, work ethic, and managing failure when entering a new industry. He shar...

John Conway , COO at Redwood Services in Memphis, shares his blueprint for de-seasonalizing your business for year-round stability and growth. Drawing on his experience as a former contractor and Nexstar coach, John details how to mitigate slow seasons by strategically adjusting marketing spend, adding complementary year-round trades (like plumbing), and aggressively nurturing your maintenance bas...