Lasting Business Solutions Podcast

Leadership Isn't About a Title—It's About Ownership What separates good organizations from great ones? In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, we sit down with Eric Muller, CEO of Dream Alive, to discuss the leadership principles that have helped grow the organization from serving just 20 students a year to impacting more than 2,500 young people. One lesson stood out above the r...

What does it take to go from technician to leader? In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, host Renee Lucas sits down with Travis Ross, Field Manager at LCS Heating & Cooling, to discuss his journey from working in HVAC installations to leading a team of technicians. Travis shares the mindset shifts, daily habits, and leadership lessons that helped him grow into a successful...

In Part 2, Renee Lucas sits down with her behind-the-scenes podcast producer Heather Sherrill, to unpack a real-life hiring failure that caught their team completely off guard and the hard lessons that came with it. After a structured hiring process and high confidence in their candidate, everything changed just one week into the role when the new hire unexpectedly resigned. In this episode, Renee...

What happens when a “perfect hire” doesn’t work out? In this episode, Renee Lucas sits down with their behind-the-scenes podcast producer Heather Sherrill to unpack the real story behind hiring for a high-level Operations Manager role and the unexpected outcome that followed. After surpassing one and three million in revenue, the business reached a critical growth point. With increasing pressure o...

What does it take to build a brand that truly stands out? In this episode, we sit down with Brian Miller, owner of Standout Wraps, to talk about branding, leadership, team culture, and the small details that separate average businesses from exceptional ones. In this conversation, you’ll discover: How solving customer pain points creates long-term loyalty Creative ways to keep business flowing duri...

In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, Renee and Travis Lucas break down their Q1 2026 business review, sharing real insights on scaling a small business, improving leadership, and closing the gap between strategy and execution. They unpack their core framework—Focus, Implement, Measure—and discuss the challenges of business growth, including staying focused on high-impact proj...

In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, host Renee Lucas sits down with Emily, co-owner of Lemon Seed Marketing, a branding and marketing agency specializing in the home services industry. Together, they break down one of the biggest misconceptions in business: the difference between simply having a logo and building a brand that actually drives growth. Emily shares practical, r...

In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, Renee Lucas interviews Travis Lucas about one of the most important foundations of any successful business: trust with your clients.  Whether you run a service-based business, lead a team, or work directly with customers, trust is the difference between a one-time transaction and a long-term relationship. In this episode, you’ll learn: The...

In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast , Renee Lucas sits down with Travis Lucas to talk about one of the most important and most overlooked tools for hiring and retention: employee benefit packages.  Renee and Travis break down: The non-negotiables every strong benefits package should include  Why working with an insurance broker and offering supplemental insurance can make a b...

What does it really take to turn a job into a lifelong career—especially in an industry where women are still breaking barriers? In this powerful episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast , host Renee Lucas sits down with Nikita Jenkins of LCS Heating and Cooling to talk about her journey from simply trying to pay the bills to building a meaningful, long-term career in HVAC. With seven yea...

Running a business in constant fire-drill mode isn’t just exhausting. It’s contagious. In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, Renee Lucas sits down with Travis Lucas to talk about why intentional planning is one of the most powerful leadership skills for business owners. When leaders live in chaos, it shows up everywhere: missed priorities, anxious teams, and reactive decision-...

What if self-care wasn’t about stepping away from your business, but learning how to pause inside it? In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, host Renee Lucas sits down with Enneagram expert and coach Jen Stanley to talk about self-care for business owners who feel constantly “on,” responsible, and stretched thin. Together, they unpack why so many leaders burn out, not from lack...

What can a better business practice group do for your business? In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast , Renee Lucas interviews Riley Senter, LCS Marketing and Customer Experience Manager, about his firsthand experience when Renee and Travis welcomed their better business practice group into their company. Rather than focusing on business theory, this conversation breaks down th...

In this episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast, host Renee Lucas sits down with her husband and co-owner of LCS Heating and Cooling Travis Lucas to tackle a critical leadership principle: simplify and clarify. With statistics showing that 50% of small businesses fail within five years, and 80% of the remaining businesses fail between years six and ten, this conversation dives into the h...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast: Indy’s Launchpad for Sustainable Growth, Success, and Leadership. In this episode, Host Renee Lucas (LCS Heating & Cooling) and Andy Liechty (F.C. Tucker) unpack practical sales strategy that scales without burnout. Andy shares his “crockpot vs. microwave” approach to sales, the Delete–Delegate–Double Down framework for time management, and th...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast! After celebrating 20 years in business, Renee and Travis Lucas , co-owners of LCS Heating & Cooling , are sharing their biggest business lessons from two decades of building, breaking, rebuilding, and growing a service-based company.  Inspired by Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell, they created “20 Years and Learning,” a collecti...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast: Indy’s Launchpad for Sustainable Growth, Success, and Leadership. In this episode, host Renee Lucas sits down with Michael Talbot, founder of Guardian Angel Restoration and a disabled U.S. Army veteran who lost his home multiple times to catastrophic flooding and mold. Out of his personal tragedy, Michael built a mission-driven company dedicated t...

Practical mindfulness for business owners If the only moment you truly control is this one, how would that change the way you lead today? On this week’s episode of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast , host Renee Lucas sits down with Aimee Morgan (WBE-certified agency CEO, author of The Chaos Antidote ) about mindfulness in the workplace . Aimee frames mindfulness as the skill of being fully pr...

Thinking about starting your own business? Don’t make this common mistake! Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast: Indy’s Launchpad for Sustainable Growth, Success, and Leadership. In this episode, host Renee Lucas, co-owner of LCS Heating & Cooling, sits down with Kris Cole, co-owner of Marigold Catering Company and House of Marigold restaurants, to talk about the realities of entr...

3 Warning Signs You’re Headed Toward Burnout (And How to Stop It!) Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast: Indy’s Launchpad for Sustainable Growth, Success, and Leadership. In Part 1 , host Renee Lucas interviewed her husband and co-owner of LCS Heating & Cooling, Travis Lucas, about the hurdles of rapid business growth . In Part 2 , Renee and Travis tackle one of the most overlooke...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast: Indy’s Launchpad for Sustainable Growth, Success, and Leadership. In Part 1 of a 2-part series, co-owners of LCS Heating and Cooling, Renee and Travis Lucas get real about owner mindset, mental health, and the hidden challenges that come with rapid business growth. “You can only take hard work so far without other things.” — Travis Lucas This epis...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast! Are you wearing all the hats in your business? Struggling to lead, manage, and grow your team at the same time? In this episode, Renee Lucas, co-owner of LCS Heating and Cooling, sits down with Install Manager Dylan Southwood to explore how adding the right leadership can transform your business operations, strengthen your company culture, and red...

🎙️ Is This Debt Worth It? Building Smart Business Credit | Mark Knaack on The Lasting Business Solutions Podcast In this episode of The Lasting Business Solutions Podcast , host Renee Lucas sits down with financial expert Mark Knaack to unpack a critical but often misunderstood topic: business credit . From understanding the difference between personal and business credit to rebuilding after bankr...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast ! You’ve heard the story of how LCS began in Episode 1, Part 1 and Part 2 . Now get a behind-the-scenes look at Renee Lucas’s personal journey, co-owner of LCS and host of the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast. From navigating ulcerative colitis and grieving the loss of close friends to running a business with her spouse and losing another to a hu...

Welcome to the Lasting Business Solutions Podcast !  If you don’t know how to network in an effective manner, it can be a complete waste of time. So how do you make meaningful connections that actually benefit your business? In this episode, Renee Lucas welcomes back Brody Dell, the 2024 BNI Member of the Year, to share actionable tips on how to maximize your networking efforts and build relations...