Never by the Book

In a role reversal, I am sharing a podcast in which I'm the guest. Interviewed by Nico Van De Venne of The Everlasting Fulfillment Podcast, we discuss my journey from starting in the plumbing business at 16 to becoming a successful leader. 🔍 Episode Highlights: Work Ethic and Perseverance: Learn how Kelly’s motto, "A little shit now would mean less shit later," perfectly captures t...

I met today's guest on a recent visit to the great state of Texas and learned her incredible story. Dr. Lucette Beall knows what it feels like to hit bottom and rebound to live an extraordinary life. Discovering a devastating breast cancer diagnosis as a newly divorced single mom with no child support then stepping out of her practice to care for her brother after a traumatic brain injury and...

I first witnessed our guest's energy while onstage at a recent conference. He was dynamic, confident, engaging, and the kind of person you can tell at first glance: He’s been through some stuff. Justin refers to himself as a ‘sales savage’  who had taken companies from zero to 1 billion in three years. Wow! He’s vice president of sales and partnerships at CHIIRP, a communication and marketing...

Part three of "I'm in Your Corner" is the last episode of my conversation with friend and former business partner, Oly Olsen. Oly talks about living through the symptoms of a mysterious and disabling illness and coming to terms with changes he needed to make in order to get healthy.  We dive deep into our discussion about his work, his family, and his future.  Reach out to Kelly Sch...

Today I continue my discussion with Oly Olsen, my friend and former business partner. We discuss Oly's determination to be the best of the best as he leaned into the plumbing trade. What drove him to want his name at the top of the chart? Then we talk about his transition to ownership as part of CPI's succession plan. Reach out to Kelly Schols @ https://kellyschols.com

Today I interview longtime friend and business partner Oly Olsen in a series we titled 'I'm in Your Corner'. Oly's story is one of overcoming alcohol and drug addiction at a young age, accepting that academia was not in his future, deciding to become the best plumber that ever lived, and eventually becoming a partner in a multi-million dollar home service enterprise, CPI Plumbi...

How did a plumber go from one million in debt to a multi-millionaire in less than five years?  In 2019 Richard Flournoy, found himself buried in debt. The business was struggling. He needed help.  Three years later, in 2022, Richard became a multi-millionaire. How did he do it? In this episode, you’ll hear Richard’s inspirational journey starting at age 10 when he worked in his dad’s plumbing busi...

I made the acquaintance of  Joseph Bennett and Eli Hans (AKA The Sublime Guys) recently and discovered we have much in common such as views on money, passion to keep things simple, and overcoming obstacles to name a few. In this episode, Part 2, we’ll hear about Eli’s amazing story of dealing with a life-threatening illness, and other challenges musically and artfully told in his stage production:...

I made the acquaintance of  Joseph Bennett and Eli Hans (AKA The Sublime Guys) recently and discovered we have much in common such as views on money, passion to keep things simple, and overcoming obstacles to name a few. Our discussion is split into two parts starting with the Art of Saying NO, and Doing Less as they relate to spending habits. We’ll also unpack Joseph’s book “The Art of Doing Less...

Part Two of To Hell and Back begins with Ed O'Connell's recovery from alcohol addiction and embracing help from others. He reaches out to the Service Round Table community to help him climb out of debt in his plumbing business (a whopping 250K). He meets his wife, Rebecca, who becomes indispensable in the success that O'Connell Plumbing becomes. When I first met Ed, the connection w...

When I first met Ed, the connection was instant.  And it was just because both of us owned successful plumbing companies at the time, our bond went much deeper. We both had a history of alcoholism that almost killed us. Ed's story is definitely more extreme. It includes homelessness, drug dealing, and service in Vietnam. Our session covers a before and after story of sobriety and the immeasur...

After I was first introduced to my next guest, Andrew Biernat, he told my producer, “This guy sounds like me in 24 years!” Which I couldn't help but take as an extreme compliment. Andrew describes himself as an ‘Infectious Energizer,’ Christ follower, devoted husband and father, and The Buffalo Bills #1 Fan. Like me, Andrew has a history of alcohol addiction. Unlike me, he celebrates 7 years...

After nearly two years Kenny Chapman and Kelly Schols reunite for another great conversation. Only this time, in person. They're still talking about mindset, but with a new focus and new material. Kenny just published The Six Dimensions of Change 2.0. These two cover a lot of ground within their provocative and engaging banter. Guaranteed to get you thinking about your life and how you live i...

Trish Jenkins never expected doing her job would land her in prison. Yet Trish learned more in 8 months in prison than in her 20 years in the business world.  After trusting the wrong person, a breach of the Corporations Act meant losing everything, even her family home. Isolated from her husband and 3 little girls and surrounded by criminals, Trish knew she had to master her mind or lose it. In d...

Megan Absten is a former U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Athlete.  After losing her left arm in an ATV accident at the age of 14, she struggled with maintaining her mental health.  After many years of grief and healing and wondering ‘why me,’ she’s learned to own the body she’s in. She approaches her disability with candor, humor, and practicality, using her experience and outlook to help others...

In PART 2 of Need a Lift, Kelly and Ellen pick up where they left off. Kelly starts by asking how a plumber was able to get Ellen's attention and win her hand in marriage. Together they cover a lot of ground. Ellen shares her admiration of tradespeople and their value in society. You'll learn about Zoom Drain , Ellen's secret sauce to business success, and much much more. Check out...

Part One of 'Need a Lift? Be willing to Shift from the Inside Out' with guest Ellen Rohr. Kelly digs in to uncover Ellen's secret to success in founding Zoom Drain, one of the hottest franchises in the home service industry. Ellen is the author of four best-selling business books and regularly shares her knowledge and experience through podcasts, seminars, and magazines like the Huf...

We’ve titled this episode: The Power of Weird in Business with Dan Utt, the self-proclaimed weird guy. Listen in as we talk to people who live outside the box and color outside the lines. As an entrepreneur, brand designer, podcast host, and small business consultant Dan serves as a trainer and coach for workplace leaders. Dan is a unique professional that sees the world (and people) through a ver...

This is part 2 of ADHD: Harness the Power to Lead Yourself and Others.  Intro as usual then we jump right into the middle of a conversation. Basically, right where Part 1 leaves off. If I were to consider our next guest by name alone, the first word that comes to mind is ‘misnomer’.  Because Tommy Mello is anything but mellow. He is a High Energy superstar who lights up everyone around him with hi...

If I were to consider our next guest by name alone, the first word that comes to mind is ‘misnomer’.  Because Tommy Mello is anything but mellow. He is a High Energy superstar who lights up everyone around him with his infectious energy. Tommy Mellow is Owner/Operator, A1 Garage Door Service, the author of  Home Service Millionaire, and the Host of Home Service Expert Podcast. Tommy has many claim...

Denisha Tate-McAlister is an author, speaker, and consultant who guides her clients to live with intentionality and purpose. We've titled today's episode after a defining moment that occurred in Denisha's life as she took a walk in her neighborhood. Spoiler alert: It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride! Hold on to your headphones! Reach out to Kelly Schols @ https://kellyschols.com

Ivonne Delaflor is a spiritual teacher, speaker, and 17-time author (working on book # 18 by the way). She has traveled to 19 countries and has led such an interesting life that I feel like we could do 20 podcasts together and barely scratch the surface of the unique subjects to discuss. In this episode, Ivonne will share some of her core teachings: how to learn from our past, embrace the power of...

Anita 'AC' Clinton is a speaker, podcaster and entrepreneur who uses her superpowers to work with people who want to undercover their true passions to pursue their divine purposes. In this episode, we learn what ignited Anita's passion to help others find theirs. It's one of those stories that belongs in a movie. Whatever your background, heritage, and no matter what generation...

How can your biggest screw-up open the door to your greatest business success?  How can the worst day in your life wind up being one of the best? Tab Piece knows the answer. In spades. When finally forced to take a close hard look at his business’s bottom line, Tab was $750,000 deep in debt. On that day he had two choices. Declare bankruptcy or claw his way out of the mess he’d created. Kelly dive...

Sandee Sgarlata, author, speaker, retired US national and international figure skating coach, and certified life coach who has built a career working with people to help them create lasting and significant change. In this episode we discover what makes Sandee tick: we unpack the loss she experienced as a girl, the addiction she struggled with as a young adult, and we find out how she began her que...