Clerics of Marketing

Welcome back to The Clerics of Marketing! Following up on our pivot to a single-service focus, Brian Wires and Adam tackle one of the most common questions we hear: Is email marketing dead? The short answer is no—but the old way of doing it certainly is. If you are buying lead lists or sending the exact same "Storm Season" promotional blast to every customer in your database, you are training your...

Welcome back to The Clerics of Marketing! In this episode, Adam Hour and Brian Wires get honest about the chaotic, ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. With Google search algorithms and ad costs shifting faster than most teams can adapt, the "do-it-all" agency model just isn't cutting it anymore. Instead of being mediocre at everything, Adam and Brian are refocusing on what consistently w...

Today’s episode starts with some classic office banter and a little Dungeons & Dragons energy, then we get right down to business. Adam and Brian pick up where yesterday left off and talk about the real question every electrical contractor is facing heading into 2026: how do you price your work to hit a true 30 percent net profit margin without feeling guilty or scared the phones will stop rin...

Adam’s fired up this morning — fresh snow, no wind, and a big vision for how electricians can win in 2026. In this episode, he lays out what he calls the “Master of One” strategy: stop trying to be everything to everyone, and start becoming the obvious specialist for one high-value problem.   He breaks down why being a generalist is one of the most expensive ways to run an electrical business — mo...

It’s freezing out, and Adam uses that bitter-cold Minnesota morning as a gut-check for business owners heading into 2026: are you about to have a “cold start,” or are you gearing up with a system worth fighting for?   In this solo year-end episode, Adam walks through a practical, no-fluff annual review framework built for electricians, HVAC, plumbing, and MEP contractors. He breaks down what to ac...

In this lo-fi episode, hear a raw, uncut, unedited recording of Adam going over the 2026 Service Program for The Marketing Clerics and how it is going to make a splash in 2026 for the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC spaces! 

Adam jumps on solo the day before Thanksgiving with a wild sentence: “I cloned myself yesterday.” Yep. He’s been testing AI avatar tools that let you record one high-quality video of yourself, then spit out new short-form videos with your face and voice reading fresh scripts. Sounds awesome in theory. In practice? The cheap tool he tried feels stiff and fake, basically the same video over and over...

In this one, Adam and Brian get into a super practical marketing habit most contractors know they should do… but rarely do consistently: capturing job-site photos and stories that actually help you get more work. The usual advice is “take before and after pics,” but that’s too vague to be useful. So the guys break it down into specific shots and simple systems your techs can follow without needing...

In this episode Adam breaks down one of the most misunderstood numbers in the trades. Customer acquisition cost. Also called CAC. If you’ve ever wondered how much you should be spending to get a new customer or whether your marketing dollars are actually paying off this conversation will clear it up fast.   Adam explains what CAC really measures and why it’s not the same as cost per lead. He walks...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian tackle one of the biggest questions every contractor wrestles with. Is my marketing working. They break down why busy seasons can fool you, why slow seasons can scare you, and why neither one actually tells you the truth about your marketing performance.   The guys dig into the real indicators that matter. Steady traffic growth, rising ma...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian kick things off with a hilarious parenting story involving a stunt-happy five year old, a broken baby gate, and an intense scavenger hunt that ends with some gentle psychological warfare. From there, they jump straight into a real conversation about AI and the rising trend of contractors trying to replace an entire marketing department wi...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian are finally back together in the studio and they jump right into the real work behind effective social media for home service businesses. After a fun opener about early mornings, noise canceling headphones, and a full blown NF rap session, the guys shift into a practical, step by step breakdown of how to build a social strategy that actua...

In this solo episode of the Clerics of Marketing podcast, Adam opens up about the daily chaos every business owner understands. Too much to do, not enough time, and the constant pressure to keep moving forward. From that honest moment, he shifts into a practical walk through what it actually looks like to start working with a marketing partner who takes the time to understand your business, your b...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam tackles one of the biggest questions he hears from friends, clients, and even other business owners. Why is marketing so expensive? Instead of giving a fluffy answer, he breaks it down with real numbers, labor hours, and a transparent look at what it actually takes to run high quality marketing for a home service business.   Adam walks listeners th...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam tackles one of the ugliest truths in the industry: most marketers stretch the truth far beyond what actually happened. From inflated case studies to “unicorn” ROI claims, Adam breaks down how agencies twist numbers, take credit for results they didn’t cause, and hide behind shiny headlines that fall apart under real scrutiny.   He shares personal s...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam walks through one of the most important tools in business: the customer journey map. He breaks down what makes someone actually buy from you, call you, or choose your service over another. From defining your top customer profiles to understanding their challenges, motivations, and pain points, Adam explains how to see your business through your cus...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam takes listeners on a deep dive into the world of automation — starting with a fun nod to the “gadget machine” from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He breaks down how The Marketing Clerics is using tools like Make, Zapier, and AI to simplify repetitive tasks, save time, and bring order to the chaos of client management. From automating Google Doc creation...

In this solo episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam opens up about what it really means to build a business — and a life — on a firm foundation. Battling a cold and recording before his morning bus route, Adam reflects on the song Build My Life by Pat Barrett and how its message hit home. From the parable of building on rock versus sand to the hard lessons of scaling too fast, taking on debt, a...

In this solo episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam walks listeners through the EOS Vision Traction Organizer (V/TO) — a powerful framework from Gino Wickman’s Traction that helps business owners create alignment, clarity, and focus. Adam breaks down how The Marketing Clerics uses the V/TO to set goals, define core values, and plan quarterly priorities — even when the company was under $100K in...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian unpack one of the biggest misconceptions in business: the difference between marketing and advertising. They start with a quick chat about government oversight and economics, then dive straight into a practical breakdown of how these two strategies work together — and when to focus on each.   They explain how marketing builds trust and br...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian start off with some lighthearted football banter before diving into a deep and honest conversation about value-based pricing — what it means, how agencies use it, and how it impacts both clients and profitability.   They break down the real costs behind digital marketing services, why “cheap” packages often deliver minimal results, and ho...

This episode of The Clerics of Marketing starts with chaos — cat chaos. Adam and Brian share a hilarious (and slightly tragic) story about rehoming a cat, toilet training gone wrong, and what it’s like raising a five-year-old who’s just a little too hands-on with pets. But what begins with litter box talk quickly turns into an insightful and practical episode about trade shows, networking, and mak...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian kick things off with a hilarious story about the mysterious “6-7” chant taking over school buses — and turn it into a masterclass on how trends actually spread. What starts as classroom chaos turns into a smart breakdown of how ideas move, stick, and influence entire communities — and how home service businesses can use the same principle...

In this episode of The Clerics of Marketing, Adam and Brian tackle one of the most common questions they hear from busy electricians, plumbers, and home service pros: “Do I really need a website when I’m already booked out?” They share practical insights on why consistent marketing matters even when business is booming — and how failing to plan during peak season can lead to painful slow months la...