The Kee To Growth

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Roslyn Fitzgibbons—co-founder of Eco Plumbers and founder of Bring Your Moxie—to talk about the power of community for leaders in the trades and the critical balance between business systems and people-first growth. The conversation begins with Roslyn's journey from being heads-down in operations for nearly two decades to intent...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Kaela Reedy, founder of Elevated HQ, to talk about the wins and messy challenges of building and simplifying operational systems in the trades. The conversation kicks off with Kaela sharing her move from general manager at Pink Collars to launching Elevated HQ, a consulting firm focused on guiding trades companies toward o...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Dustin Vetter, the founder of Fast Air Repair, to uncover the real-life journey behind scaling a home service business from the ground up. Recorded live at EPIC in Las Vegas, Jen gets personal with Dustin about his unlikely path into entrepreneurship—learning HVAC in prison, overcoming adversity, and building a company kno...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, Jen McKee sits down with Ruth King—a powerhouse in home services and a true trailblazer for women in HVACR. From her beginnings in the industry in 1987 to co-founding Women in HVACR, Ruth shares the "messy middle" of starting an organization that has grown from awarding a single $1,000 scholarship to distributing $55,000 in scholarships. The conversati...

In this inspiring episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Michelle Jeppesen of Sendgym for a practical, down-to-earth conversation on marketing and mindset in the home services industry. Drawing from a decade in the trades, Michelle shares her journey from running a CSR call center to developing hyper-targeted marketing tools for home service pros, unraveling how psycho...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes bestselling author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz for an authentic conversation around the realities of scaling a business, managing profit, and building resilience as a leader in the trades. Mike, known for books like Profit First, Clockwork, and The Pumpkin Plan, opens up about his journey from business success to deep stru...

On this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Facebook ads pro and fellow podcast host Krystal Hobbs to dig deep into the messy middle of marketing for HVAC and home services. The conversation kicks off with Krystal's origin story—how she grew up immersed in residential construction, saw the untapped potential of social media, and quickly doubled an HVAC client's busi...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Erica Leonor—an industry leader in CSR development, mindset coaching, and leadership in the trades. Erica shares her authentic journey from personal growth exploration with her mom, into running Voxa, a company focused on turning customer service representatives into powerful brand leaders. Listeners are invited into a war...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes powerhouse guest Danielle Putnam, CEO of The New Flat Rate, to dig into what sustainable, non-reactionary growth really looks like for leaders in the trades. Danielle shares her unique perspective as someone whose entire family is immersed in contracting and trades, offering a relatable take on daily business realities. They unr...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Brigham Dickinson, the founder of Power Selling Pros, for a transformational conversation on sustainable business development, leadership, and service marketing. Brigham shares his personal journey—from experiencing the messy middle of entrepreneurship after his first business went under, to founding Power Selling Pros and...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Yossi Wachtel, owner of Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electric in Los Angeles. Yossi shares his journey from launching a property management-focused plumbing business during the 2007 economic downturn to strategically transitioning into the residential market—a move that required a total mindset and business model sh...

Episode Description What does real, sustainable growth look like in today's entrepreneurial world—especially for home service leaders and agency owners? In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, Jen McKee sits down with Lyn Askin, a longtime agency founder turned certified EOS implementer, to unpack the gritty realities of scaling a service business. You'll hear stories of messy beginnings, tu...

On this episode of the Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Matt Tyner, the CMO of Bone Dry Roofing, for an authentic conversation about the messy middle of home services marketing and sustainable business development. With 15 years in the trades spanning HVAC, plumbing, and now roofing, Matt brings a blend of hard-won experience and emotional intelligence to the discussion, unpack...

This episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast invites Laura Kelly, co-founder of Clover Growth Partners, to share her journey from Ireland to the U.S., the realities of entrepreneurship, and how building environments where people can thrive is truly the key to business growth. Host Jen McKee leads a raw, insightful conversation about the messy middle of scaling home service businesses—what happens beh...

Part two of our special New Year's series is here—just in time to embrace fresh energy and intention for 2026. On this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee returns with the finale of our "Key to Growth" compilation, spotlighting more jaw-dropping insights from this year's most impactful guests. If you loved the first half, this second part dives even deeper, layering bold truths, p...

This special Christmas episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast brings you a reflective, gratitude-filled recap of the standout moments and growth wisdom shared by our guests throughout 2025. Host Jen McKee opens up the archives to spotlight the most powerful answers to our essential question: "What is the key to growth?" From personal stories to tactical marketing tips, this episode is a mosaic of in...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Ryan Redding for a rich, no-fluff conversation about the realities of sustainable business development in the home services world. As someone who's both grown and sold a marketing agency, Ryan shares the journey from heading Leveragy to merging with KickCharge Creative, and how that transition led him to launch his coachin...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Zac Garside, president of Prolific Brand Design and renowned email marketing specialist in the home services industry. Together, they unlock honest, actionable insights on why email marketing is often overlooked by contractors, and how revitalizing your approach to this "cockroach of marketing" can nurture relationships, b...

This week on The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Thaddeus Tondu, CEO and co-founder of On Purpose Media, to unpack the real behind-the-scenes journey of building a digital marketing agency from the ground up—right at the onset of the pandemic. Thaddeus shares how On Purpose Media weathered the unique challenges of launching in February 2020, navigating early wins and rapid cli...

In this value-packed episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with powerhouse guests Stephanie Postell (Anchor Heating & Air), Cindi McNew (Tuck and Howell), and Kerry Sweet (Streamline Services) to explore the transformative impact of showing up for your community—and your team. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what authentic community involvement looks like for b...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Jay and Amanda Mahaffey, the powerhouse duo behind the transformation of Tuck and Howell, a legacy HVAC and plumbing company. This episode goes deep into what it really looks like to acquire a "stuck in the 80s" business, face negative numbers, and rebuild from the ground up with unwavering resilience, a modern marketing p...

Get ready to dive deep into authentic growth Join Jen McKee , founder of Kee Hart Marketing , as she hosts a special live episode of the Kee to Growth Podcast at Service World Expo 2025 , featuring Mike Venidis , Owner of Good Golly Garage Doors (Phoenix) and Chief Marketing Officer of Good Golly Garage Holdings . This conversation uncovers the messy middle of entrepreneurship—where strategy meets...

Growth in business rarely happens by accident—it's built on alignment, strategy, and a willingness to face the messy middle. In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Jonathan Banister, founder and CEO of Top Serve Digital, to talk about the reality of building—and rebuilding—a brand in the ever-evolving world of home services marketing. Jonathan shares his remark...

On this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Frank Luersen, owner and general manager of Home Team Electric in Palm Springs, California. Frank takes us through the messy middle of building his business—starting in the grind of new construction, shifting to residential service, and the emotional and tactical pivots that saved the company during hard times. From learni...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Mitch Smedley, founder of Smedley Plumbing in Kansas City and co-owner of a small business consulting agency, to peel back the layers on building a service-based brand that's both community-driven and memorable. Mitch shares his journey from two decades working in the plumbing industry to launching his own company in 2020—...