Cracking the Code

Still stuck in a cycle of posting jobs, waiting, and disappointing results? For many contractors, hiring feels unpredictable with changing labor markets, employee expectations, and stale job postings. On this week’s episode, Kelly Presgrave, President & CEO of Work With Your Handz, breaks down how top contractors bring structure and predictability to hiring. From the one metric that changes e...

Are you incentivizing performance effectively? Most pay plans look good on paper but fail in the real world because they’re too slow, too complicated, or reward the wrong things. On this episode of Cracking the Code, Paul Kelly, Former Owner of Parker & Sons, unpacks the no-ceiling compensation model behind Parker & Sons’ explosive growth. From instant rewards to simple structures people...

Many contractors overlook the easiest path to bigger tickets and faster closes: light commercial jobs. When a business loses heating or cooling, they can’t wait — they shut down. That urgency turns what many think of as commercial work into quick, residential-style jobs that fund fast and close even faster. On this week’s episode Matthew Bratsis, Vice President of Contractor Services and creator o...

Is your follow-up speed costing you thousands in missed revenue? Studies show that if you don’t reach a new lead within a minute, your chances of converting it drop by more than half. In today’s world of instant responses and disappearing attention spans, every second truly matters when responding to homeowners. This week on Cracking the Code, Justin Judd, Vice President of Sales & Partnershi...

How are you performing on lead generation? Many contractors still think lead generation is about ranking on Google and bidding on the right keywords. But the game has changed. You’re not marketing to an audience, you’re marketing to three: traditional search engines, the homeowner, and AI search agents On this week’s episode of Cracking the Code, Jack Nagy, Founder of MTA360, breaks down how...

What’s the fastest path to double your business growth? Chad Petermen, President & CEO of Peterman Brothers, says it’s mastering your call center! Most contractors already have good lead volume, but they don’t properly manage them. The real opportunity is booking more of the calls you’re already paying for, routing the right tech to the right job, and treating the call cente...

Selling an HVAC business isn’t just a financial milestone. It’s a legacy moment that reflects your leadership and the culture you’ve built. Successful exits happen when owners prepare early and treat the transition as the next chapter of their company’s story, not just a transaction. This week on Cracking the Code, David Holt sits down with Austin Radke, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at The...

Too many contractors still rely on quote-driven sales processes that often cause confusion and slow sales momentum, sometimes to a screeching halt. This week on Cracking the Code, Drew Cameron and Russ Horrocks of Flow Odyssey explore a more customer-focused way to sell: menu pricing. Together, they unpack how menu pricing simplifies decisions for homeowners and how shifting the conversation from...

Building a strong customer base is great, but building a referral fan base is transformative. Companies that master unforgettable customer service every time can see remarkable growth. On this episode of Cracking the Code, Mary Jean “MJ” Anderson, retired president of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air, unpacks how wowing customers fulled a leading company built on trust, care, and consistency....

External pressures are reshaping the HVAC industry — from tariffs and private equity, to rapidly evolving homeowner expectations. Yet despite it all, top-performing contractors are growing stronger and finding new ways to stay in control by turning challenges into opportunities. On this episode of Cracking the Code, David Holt sits down with Decision Analyst, a leading marketing research and advan...

Everyone’s talking about AI, but here’s the truth — it won’t replace people and it won’t replace critical thinking. The real competitive edge comes from using AI to inform and elevate your customer’s buying journey. On this episode of Cracking the Code, David Holt sits down with Brigham Dickinson, President and Founder of Power Selling Pros., where he shares how contractors can use AI alongside co...

Tripling a business doesn’t happen overnight. For Barron Heating, AC, Electrical & Plumbing, it came from two core commitments: finding the right people and building the right systems. Video became their tool to earn trust with customers and attract new talent, while training turned green hires into future leaders. On this week’s episode of Cracking the Code, David Holt, General Manager of Co...

Who’s really running your business and what should you focus on? How should you think about finances? The answers to these fundamental questions are often more straightforward than we make them out to be. On this week’s episode of Cracking the Code, David Holt, General Manager of Contractor University, takes you back to the basics. Through a powerful whiteboarding session, he reimagines how you sh...

Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart. Running your own business means long days that stretch far beyond a 40-hour work week, tackling challenges head-on, and sometimes feeling like you’re building the plane while it’s already taking off. On this episode, David Holt, Contractor University’s General Manage, takes you inside the unfiltered life of an entrepreneur. From balancing the dem...

Does selling sometimes feel like you’re pushing prospects too hard? Closing more HVAC jobs can be stress-free for you and your customers when you lead with their priorities and turn selling into problem-solving. This week on Cracking The Code, David Holt, Contractor University’s General Manager and a former contractor, demonstrates his proven stress-free HVAC sales process that makes it easier to...

Does your interview process get the right people in the right roles? This week, Drew Cameron and Gary Elekes build on last week’s discussion about recruiting mistakes, sharing practical strategies for screening candidates over the phone, leveraging multiple interviewers, and asking the standardized questions that reveal who is truly a fit. You’ll discover a repeatable system to streamline your hir...

Hiring the right people is hard enough. What happens when the wrong person is already on your team? In this week’s episode, Contractor University faculty members Drew Cameron and Gary Elekes dive into the real-world challenges of recruiting in the trades, and what happens when personal relationships complicate professional decisions. They share lessons learned from their own experiences and offer...

Do you know how to maximize your operations during the summer rush? It starts with aligning your people, processes, and priorities — then turning every opportunity into measurable results. In this episode, Contractor University faculty member Drew Cameron shares his approach to operational maximization—keeping customers happy, employees motivated, and opportunities fully captured during the busies...

Customers don’t sit in on staff meetings, and they won’t study your mission statement, but they feel the effects of how your business runs every time they interact with your team. In this week’s episode, contracting business expert Gary Elekes shares how internal leadership changes can create real results in the field. He breaks down the steps he took to rebuild trust with his team, strengthen cus...

The best contractors aren’t just skilled — they’re hungry, humble, and always leveling up. Going from a profitable business to a leader in the industry takes more than discipline. In this week’s episode, Mark Matteson, best selling author and TEDx Speaker, sits down with industry titan Paul Kelly, who shares the mindset behind RAISING GOATS; A new program built for contractors who are ready to dom...

The best in-home sales strategies aren’t flashy. Don’t think high-tech, think high-touch. With thoughtful, structured, customer-first selling techniques your team will close more sales without being pushy or too hands off. On this week’s episode, New York Times bestselling author Weldon Long unpacks the psychology behind HVAC buying decisions. Learn how to use tiered pricing to ease objections, re...

What really makes homeowners say “Yes,” when making HVAC purchasing decisions? It’s not always about the price — it’s about the feeling behind your purchase. Even when homeowners trust the contractor and want a better system, that initial sticker shock can trigger doubt and stall the sale. So how do you keep customers engaged without racing to the bottom on cost? On this week’s episode, New York T...

Is Your Business Focused on the Right Numbers? Not all metrics are created equal—and if you’re tracking the wrong ones, you could be missing key opportunities for growth. Real success comes from measuring what truly impacts your bottom line. In this week’s episode, Next Level Business Coaches Bob Larkin and Darrel Yashinsky dive into the core KPIs that matter most for contractors. They’ll sh...

Are you measuring what really matters in your business? Achieving financial success in your business is built on understanding what functions truly move the needle. That starts with knowing which key performance indicators (KPIs) to track, how to track them, and how to interpret what they’re telling you. On this episode, Next Level Business Coaches Bob Larkin and Darrel Yashinsky break down the es...

What’s holding you back from reaching your full potential in business? Success requires concentration on even the smallest processes and aspects of your company. But to truly unlock that success, you first need to examine your mindset. Focus is power. Just like the sun’s focused rays can cut through steel, your energy and attention, when dialed in, can help you achieve remarkable results. On this...