Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

John teams up with Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers, to break down the exact marketing strategies that move the needle for home service businesses. Whether you’re HVAC, plumbing, or any trades business, you'll learn how to prioritize channels that capture demand today—before wasting money on ones that might (or might not) pay off later. Struggling to turn marketing dollars into real leads?...

Struggling to find great technicians or keep your best employees around? This episode is your playbook. We break down battle-tested recruiting strategies that helped scale real home service businesses—from plumbing and HVAC to general trades. You'll learn how to treat recruitment like a sales pipeline, maintain momentum year-round, and create a company culture that people want to be part of....

Looking to break into the home service industry through business acquisitions? In this episode of Jackquisitions , we sit down with Elias Yusef, a 24-year-old entrepreneur who’s quickly making a name for himself by acquiring and scaling blue-collar service businesses. Based in Denver, Colorado, Elias shares how he transitioned from selling appliances to owning a fast-growing plumbing company, usin...

Curious how AI is transforming the way home service businesses handle customer calls and convert leads? In this episode of Owned and Operated , John sits down with Rafi, from Avoca—an innovative voice AI platform purpose-built for the trades. Together, they dive deep into how AI is reshaping call center operations, reducing reliance on human CSRs, and boosting conversion rates across the board. Fr...

Want to grow and scale your plumbing business with proven strategies for sales, operations, and fulfillment? In this episode of Owned and Operated , we break down exactly how to build a successful plumbing company—from optimizing pricing structures and boosting conversion rates to training teams and improving customer experience. Hosts John Wilson and Jack Carr share their real-world experiences g...

The Ultimate Playbook to Buy & Scale Small Businesses Want to grow your business through smart acquisitions, direct outreach, and personal branding? In this episode of JackQuisitions , we dive deep into the art of buying small businesses and building relationships that close deals. Host Jack sits down with an experienced operator to explore what it really takes to acquire businesses, from cold...

Want to grow your HVAC, plumbing, or roofing business using AI, lead generation, and marketing automation? In this episode of Owned and Operated, we dive into how artificial intelligence is transforming the home service industry. Host John Wilson sits down with James Zaner from Modernize to explore cutting-edge strategies for using AI-powered tools to generate high-quality leads, automate operatio...

Looking to supercharge your business growth through smarter marketing, AI integration, and automation? In this episode of Owned and Operated, we sit down with Sam Preston and Ethan Wright from Service Scalers to dive deep into the strategies that are transforming small and medium-sized businesses. Whether you're just starting to invest in digital marketing or optimizing operations with AI, th...

From Investment Banking to HVAC Ownership: Will’s First 90 Days Scaling a Service Business Looking to scale your HVAC or home service business effectively? In this episode of Owned and Operated , we sit down with Will, a former investment banker who’s now leading an HVAC company, to unpack real strategies for rapid, sustainable growth in the trades. Whether you’re acquiring your first business or...

Looking to grow your home service business with smarter marketing? In this episode, uncover expert strategies to elevate your brand, dominate local search, and drive real results through modernized media tactics. Tony Castellucci from Wanamaker Advertising joins us to break down how service businesses can shift from outdated marketing methods to high-converting digital strategies that work in 2025...

Looking to grow your junk removal business or expand your service-based company? In this episode uncover actionable business strategies, marketing hacks, and scaling secrets that fuel sustainable growth in the service industry. From humble beginnings during the pandemic to building a mission-driven brand, Walter shares his blueprint for success and the powerful role of community impact. Learn how...

Looking to grow your towing business or break into the towing industry? In this episode, Jack Carr hosts Matt Saskin from East Coast Towing to explore proven towing business strategies, effective growth tactics, and the latest towing industry trends. Matt shares his unique journey from a tech background to becoming a successful towing company owner, covering topics like AI-powered call center solu...

Thinking about buying a roofing company or scaling your home service business? John and Jack almost bought a roofing business—but after a deep dive into the financials and seller materials, they walked away. In this episode, they reveal why the deal didn’t work, the red flags in roofing business listings, and what you should know before buying or building a home service company. From key takeaways...

As the busy summer season approaches, scaling your home service business requires the right strategy. In this episode, we break down how to set and achieve ambitious revenue goals, optimize operations, and staff up for success. From improving workflows to leveraging AI and overseas labor, we’re sharing the growth strategies you need to scale efficiently without skyrocketing overhead costs. 🚀 In T...

In this episode we discuss Air Pro Solutions, a once-thriving HVAC company, crumbled under $250 million in debt, exposing the dangers of aggressive acquisitions, reckless spending, and poor financial planning. From sponsoring the Miami Dolphins to underestimating inflation, rising interest rates, and integration challenges, this deep dive breaks down how their strategy led to one of the biggest HV...

How to Scale a Roofing Business to $20M+ | Marketing, Leadership & Growth Strategies. Eddie Griffin, owner and president of Brown Roofing in Connecticut, shares his journey from starting in the roofing industry at just 13 years old to building a multi-million-dollar business. From hands-on experience to mastering business strategy, Eddie reveals how he scaled Brown Roofing to $20M+ in annual r...

💧 Plumbing pro Kenny Bush joins us to talk about building a plumbing business, branding, and mastering SEO to dominate local search! From scaling Da Vinci’s Best Plumbing to leveraging Google reviews for massive growth, Kenny shares key insights for anyone in the trades. Would you start a business without a game plan? 🔧 💡 If you're in the trades or thinking about launching your own busines...

Plumbing influencer Roger Wakefield joins us to talk about building a plumbing business, mastering Google My Business (GMB) and Local Service Ads (LSAs), and how social media has transformed the skilled trades industry. With hundreds of thousands in sales coming from GMBs and a mission to train the next wave of tradespeople, Roger shares insights on how he turned Texas Green Plumbing into a powerh...

Looking to streamline operations for your HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business? In this video, we break down multi-touchpoint SOPs to help you improve efficiency, enhance customer service, and boost profitability. Whether you're managing service calls, optimizing workflows, or improving team coordination, having solid standard operating procedures (SOPs) is key to scaling your business. 🌟...

In this episode, John and Jack discuss strategies for maintaining profitability during slower business periods, including effective discounting, optimizing inside sales, and the importance of proactive planning.  Shout Out to FieldPulse FieldPulse is a really awesome Field Service Management platform that helps you save hours every week and keep operations running smoothly. If you're looking...

Take control of lead generation and keep your service board full with proven outbound strategies, smart software like Hatch, and multi-channel marketing. Learn how to drive demand, boost team productivity, and navigate slow seasons with confidence. Special Thanks to Modernize We’ve been using Modernize them for our water quality leads, and it’s been smooth sailing from day one.  If you’re serious...

Paul Reed from Northwest Roofing shares his journey from chasing business opportunities to running a multi-state roofing business including the route to building permanent locations and what it really takes to scale a roofing company. Whether you're a roofing pro or just looking to grow your home service business, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Special Thanks to...

Jamie Smith, VP of Marketing at Modernize, joins us to break down the secret to finding the best leads for your home service business. We tackle the big question: Are lead aggregators worth it? Jamie explains why Modernize isn’t just another lead aggregator but a smarter way to generate high-quality leads using data-driven strategies. If you want to stop wasting money on bad leads and start closin...

Anand Subbaraj, former Head of Product at Microsoft, joins us to share his journey from big tech to building Zuper, a game-changing field service management platform. We dig into why he left Microsoft to tackle a massive industry problem, the challenges of launching a tech startup and how Zuper is reshaping field service management with flexibility, automation, and a seamless customer experience....

Tyson Chen from Avoca is back to break down how AI is changing the game for home service call centers. We dive into Avoca’s AI tools—like Coach for CSR training and Responder for automated call handling—that have helped us book more jobs while cutting costs. We also get into the real challenges of bringing AI into traditional call centers and what’s coming next in the AI space.  If you want to kno...