Toolbox for the Trades

In this live episode from #Pantheon2025, Chris Petros , ServiceTitan COO, and Martha Hill Harvey , SVP of Platform Strategy at Synchrony , discuss how contractors can leverage the latest consumer trends in the trades to grow their businesses. They break down key insights from the ServiceTitan-Synchrony 2025 Consumer Report, including the importance of providing a seamless web and mobile experience...

How do you turn a kitchen table startup into a thriving HVAC business with five trucks? In this episode, Miranda Deschamps , Office Manager at ServicePlus Heating and Cooling (Ontario, Canada), shares how she and her team use ServiceTitan and AI to drive growth. From surviving a two-week email crash to negotiating smarter with suppliers and building AI-powered inventory systems, Miranda shows how...

What makes a landscaping business truly valuable? In this episode, Amanda talks with Tom Heaviland , CEO of Verde Property Services , about what buyers really look for when acquiring a company. Tom shares his journey from running a family business for 35 years to selling it to BrightView and joining their acquisition team. He explains why strong teams and loyal customers matter most, how to handle...

In this live episode from Pantheon 2025, Mitch Boerner , Director at Legendary Plumbers , shares his unique story of going from the music industry and professional kitchens to scaling a trades business in Victoria, Australia. Mitch discusses how he and his brother, a plumber, grew their company from a garage operation to a multi-service business by focusing on repeatable work and having the foresi...

Jessica Short, GM of Priority Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing , serving the Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario area, joins us to share her unique journey to finding her career passion in the trades. Jessica reveals how she applied empathy lessons from her time in social work to her current leadership role, helping grow her family’s business from 25 employees to a team of 84. She shares the crucial val...

In this special bonus episode, ServiceTitan Co-founder and CEO Ara Mahdessian celebrates the monumental success of the trades in his presentation at Pantheon 2025, highlighted by customer stories of multi-million dollar revenue and major acquisitions. Ara reflects on ServiceTitan's journey, declaring the company's commitment to its customers is the bedrock of its business. He then details a critic...

Two brothers turned a high school project into Stephens Landscaping Professionals , a $22 million business in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. How did they scale while keeping their client relationships strong? In this episode, COO Mark Stephens shares how he and his team balance cutting-edge technology with high-touch service. From data-driven job costing to custom trucks and GPS-guided excavators,...

In this live episode from Pantheon, Karen Edwards , COO of Roofers Coffee Shop , shares her insights on technology adoption in roofing. Karen explains the common pitfalls and success stories she's witnessed, and provides practical advice for contractors who are hesitant to embrace new tech like AI. She also discusses the growing trends in metal roofing and restoration and highlights the importance...

In this episode, Rob Parker , managing director of residential and commercial services investment banking at Piper Sandler , shares tips for partnering with private equity. A former entrepreneur himself, Rob explains how market forces and technological advancements have made the trades an attractive investment for private equity firms. He breaks down the importance of maximizing EBITDA, shares his...

Aspire is leveling up, and so are the landscapers who depend on it. In this episode, we explore what the platform's next chapter means for the industry’s fastest-growing businesses. General Manager Eli Zevin shares how Aspire is evolving to meet the moment, with bold plans to scale smarter, serve better, and bring cutting-edge tech to the field. We dig into how Aspire is restructuring its teams to...

Doug Greenhaw, President and CEO, and Justin Guinnip, COO, at Summit Roofing & Restoration in Atoka, Tennessee, share their journey of scaling a roofing business from modest beginnings to a projected $30 million this year. They dive into how they leveraged a devastating tornado in their hometown into a catalyst for growth, meticulously planning to replicate an $18 million revenue year without...

How do you take a third-generation family business and triple its revenue without losing its soul? In this episode, Brad Barron , CEO of Barron Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing , shares how he led his team through explosive growth: from $15 million to a projected $45 million, all without private equity, mergers, or compromising on culture. Brad talks about building systems that a...

Predictive analytics isn't just for data nerds. Robert Clinkenbeard , CEO at Wilson360 and host of the Commercial Landscaper Podcast, explains how landscaping businesses can leverage predictive analytics to streamline operations, optimize talent, and enhance efficiency. Drawing from his experience scaling his landscaping business from zero to $20 million, Robert shares insights on how owners can e...

In her first year running True Pros in Layton, Utah, Katy Higgins turned her sales skills into a multimillion-dollar HVAC business. Along the way, she faced tough lessons, unexpected challenges, and learned how to celebrate wins no matter what came her way. Katy shares what it takes to lead through chaos, embrace new tools like Sales Pro, and create a workplace where victories are celebrated and c...

What’s really holding your commercial service department back? In this episode, Jennifer Shooshanian , Senior Service Coach at Business Development Resources (BDR), reveals how she transformed an underperforming team into a profitable, high-performing commercial service operation. She also shares the hard-won strategies and lessons she’s learned from over 20 years of managing and coaching teams so...

In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, we sit down with Mike Lowrance, IT Director at LMC Landscape Partners, to explore what it really takes to bring technology into a boots-on-the-ground industry. Starting his career in horticulture and now leading tech strategy across multiple landscape companies, Mike offers a rare insider perspective on how to make digital tools actually work in the trade...

Vertical integration can transform your business without expanding geographically. Branden Dickey , CEO at LocalRoofs and Owner of Conejo Heating, Air, Plumbing, and Electrical , mastered strategic growth by identifying multiple opportunities in every home serviced. From rebranding interior fixtures as household billboards to carefully choosing integration pathways, Branden boosted Conejo's revenu...

Are your job applicants ghosting you? Can anything be done to stop it? In this episode, we talk with Carlos del Pozo , Co-founder of Team Engine , about what is really holding companies back from building strong, reliable teams in the trades. Drawing on his experience as both an Army officer and entrepreneur, Carlos shares practical strategies to streamline the recruiting process, reduce turnover,...

Strategic partnerships can make the difference between stagnation and explosive growth. Joe Delaney , Jordan Dubin , and Sean Slazyk , Cofounders of Guild Garage Group and Galaxy Service Partners , join us to reveal how collaboration and strategic alignment transformed their residential and commercial garage door businesses. Learn how data transparency, shared best practices, and clearly defined r...

Are you staying ahead of the trends shaping the trades? In this episode, we talk with Alec Stevanovski , Editor at Homepros , the digital media outlet bringing sharp, real-time reporting to home services professionals. We dig into rising equipment costs, supply chain pressures, and how 2025’s tariff landscape is hitting the contractor’s bottom line. Plus, Alec offers a refreshingly grounded take o...

Operational excellence is a key focus for Steven Harper , President and CEO at Spectrum Building Services of America . It's a philosophy that fuels his leadership style, his approach to customer service, and his strategic vision for long-term business success. Steven joins us for our final Green and Clean episode to share how lessons from powerhouse brands like Disney and FedEx shaped his leadersh...

Family business transformation takes on a whole new meaning when Tiffany Martin Peters joins us for another episode of our Green and Clean series. As President at North by Northwest Lawns in Austin, Texas, Tiffany walks us through her unexpected path into the family landscaping company, starting with a rocky internship and a firm "no" to working with family — but life had other plans. When Tiffany...

Process improvement is more than a buzzword to Andrew Craft — it’s a growth engine. In this second episode of our special series, Green and Clean , the CFO at Site Landscape Development in the Dallas-Fort Worth area shares how his team doubled revenue by investing in efficient systems, adopting Aspire, and implementing the EOS framework. Andrew brings his tech-forward thinking and financial discip...

Mentorship in the trades can drive lasting impact across careers, teams, and entire industries. In the first episode of our Green and Clean series, Jon Gohl , Director of Client Experience at Aspire Software , shares how early lessons in leadership and the mentorship of industry icons like Kevin Kehoe shaped his career trajectory. From recruiting international teammates to advancing software adopt...

Join hosts Jackie Aubel and Amanda Salvatore as they talk to top service professionals to find out the best tips, tricks, and tactics to succeed in the home services industry. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.