Pest in Class: Expert Voices in Pest Management

While change can be viewed with some trepidation, it’s also necessary for a company to scale effectively. Many in the pest control industry have started to realize how important it is to transition their operations to software that can make their work faster, more accurate, and more efficient. That’s what inspired Melanie Espinola to help get her company to the next level. She understood that to m...

Pest control marketing and branding can be very generic, bland, and forgettable for the most part. Many in the business don’t consider how important it is to visually communicate what your brand stands for and how you serve the wider community. Building your brand not only involves creating awareness but also rolling out marketing initiatives that are relevant, useful, entertaining, and memorable....

Pest control operations can be a sticky business without the proper tools in place. Critical elements like routing, tech training, and customer data management can turn into critical issues if leaders don’t have processes in place to keep track of it all. That’s why the first thing Zeus Martinez did after becoming the COO of Newtown Termite & Pest Control was to get away from pen and paper and...

Pop the champagne and call it a wrap, season one of Field Famous has come to an end! Over the past 21 episodes, we’ve heard from some of the best in the industry – their stories of how they grew their businesses, how they manage their teams, and how they face the challenges of doing their best to make our food, homes, and workplaces stay pest free. Join us for a quick look back at this past season...

When you reach for a can of bug spray, you want it to work fast and wipe out that pest. But have you ever given thought to what went into making that can of Raid or Sevin, or what formulas go into professional pest control applications? Cassie Krejci , known on social media as “Cassie the Bug Doc," is here to answer that and more as we dive into her work as an entomologist for Rentokil Initial . C...

Different software systems can offer similar looks. "It bills. It schedules. It has mobile apps," says Mark Stewart, a strategic account executive for FieldRoutes. "But the key is efficiency. That's what is changing the game. "It's all about, 'How do I make my employees' lives easier?'" Stewart is a seven-year veteran with FieldRoutes who previously played roles in digital transformation processes...

The customer comes to your pest control business with a problem. Their stress is up.  Bringing that stress down should be a key part of the sales process and customer retention. "The faster that we can take control of the discussion, the faster that we can create comfort in our organization, the faster that we can give them a description that makes logical sense, and the faster that we can get a c...

Brad Pitts has built his new role as a consumer services consultant off years of experience and examples accumulated in the pest control industry. Chief among his teachings today is how to value team members: Not just in hiring good ones, but in retaining them. "If employees view it as a career, they're going to stay with you, if you treat them the right way," says Pitts, whose resume includes sto...

Pete Schopen isn't necessarily taking the road less traveled.  But he's taking a road. Lots of them.  Schopen, who founded his own pest control company after leaving sports broadcasting, sold Schopen Pest Solutions in 2023. Now he travels the country, with his wife, Tami, in their RV, meeting with pest control companies and sharing his lessons learned, some of them the hard way, about business fin...

Sports teams and athletes benefit from the guidance of a knowledgeable coach.  Can pest control teams? Absolutely.  Sheri Spencer Bachman, the owner of Pest Control Business Coach, is patrolling the sideline for them, converting her knowledge gathered as owner of Spencer Pest Services into strategies and techniques that can help a pest control business thrive. "I help pest control business owners...

Andrew de la Chapelle, a senior consultant with PCO Bookkeepers, sees common pains in accounting and the pest control industry. Some accountants lack industry experience but still get hired to work with pest control companies. And some companies will use their own staff for accounting but can fall short of having enough experience.  And that’s where PCO Bookkeepers and de la Chapelle can bridge ga...

Getting a business off the ground and making growth happen is not for everybody. Allan Draper, CEO of proof. Pest Control, entrepreneur, investor, and podcast host explains why it’s the only option for him to FieldFamous podcast host Dr. Christopher Fasano.  Draper discusses why an early attempt at starting a pest control business didn’t quite work out and his journey to where he is now. He shares...

Most of us couldn’t do this. But a former practicing dentist who is now a pest control company owner can find an easy parallel between the two careers.  "How it's the same thing is we help our clients, just as we helped our patients, solve problems that are painful," Carl Braun, the owner of Quality Pest Control in Omaha, NE, tells FieldFamous podcast host Dr. Christopher Fasano.  "It's just a dif...

How does a pest control business keep the cash flowing and employees paid and retained during the slow winter months? Host Dr. Christopher Fasano sits down with Scott Young, president of Certified Lights, to discuss how he successfully added holiday lighting services to his pest control business and eventually evolved from Certified Pest to Certified Lights. The two discuss the original company’s...

Dr. Christopher Fasano talks to Keith Robinson, board-certified entomologist and vice president of pest control services at Fine Tune, about his 30-year career and what he has learned along the way. From veteran to industry veteran, Robinson has learned a thing or two about building relationships that get you places. “These people are on LinkedIn,” he says. “If you can find them on LinkedIn and co...

Brian Starnes embraces automation. But the co-founder and CEO of Pest SOS isn't all-automation, all-the-time. "Where connection is necessary, that's where you've got to be able to hone in on your people and keep that there," he tells Field Famous host Dr. Christopher Fasano. "That is what people want to buy." Starnes, whose company provides phone sales, customer service, scheduling, and billings a...

What began as a way to improve their service business, slowly evolved into one of the leading providers of software to the field service industry. Andy Deering, general manager of ServSuite by FieldRoutes and co-founder of ServicePro sits down with host, Dr. Christopher Fasano to share his perspective on running a good business, the dynamics of working with family, the evolution of software and se...

Having a board-certified entomologist on the staff of your pest control business isn't as far-fetched of an idea as you might think. Most certainly, the training that one can provide is something no business should go without. In this episode, Chelle Hartzer of 360 Pest Consulting gives us an inside look at how pests think and act to infiltrate homes and food storage areas and how to stay a step a...

Oftentimes it’s the little things that lead to big wins or major setbacks. That’s a lesson that’s served Christopher Harkins of Pitbull Pest Control well over his five years and counting in the industry. Setting the right expectations – and re-leveling them if necessary – learning from successes and missteps, providing employees with autonomy and accountability, and more are discussed in this epis...

Did you know that malaria kills a child every minute? In this episode, Jonathan Kidwell, senior officer for partnerships and development of United to Beat Malaria, and Dr. Christopher Fasano discuss the dangers posed by mosquitoes, the challenges of fundraising, and the crucial role partnerships play in the fight against this lethal and preventable vector-borne disease.  3:45 Malaria causes, death...

In this episode, Field Famous host Dr. Christopher Fasano discusses the vital role of science in pest control with Dan Baldwin, vice president of technical services for Hawx Pest Control. Together they examine the role of technical expertise and confidence in ensuring pest management businesses can live up to their promises to their clients. They also touch on making pest management more than a jo...

Trent and Amanda Ragar didn’t initially choose to get into pest control service. But in making the transition to a new industry after years in the green with northwest Arkansas lawn care customers, Amanda Ragar knew right away what had to happen: “We needed to hire people that were smarter than us,” she says. Closing the knowledge gap has opened Natural State Pest Control for growth.    In this Fi...

People don’t like change, but change comes anyway. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Fasano, with Breanna Neerland of Kwik Kill Pest Control, digs deep into the benefits of working with family, advocating for technology, and the many benefits of efficiency. They discuss the role of education in providing excellent customer service and how the organization, Professional Women In Pest Management (PWI...

Is your business doing enough to ensure service managers are making their technicians and other direct reports great? Phil Cooper, who has moved from second-generation pest control company owner to become the chief executive officer and chief transformation officer of TRNZ4m, shares his insights and advice on the topic in this episode of the Field Famous podcast.    Listen as Cooper and Field Famo...

Does anybody ever wake up and say, “I want to be in pest control”? In this episode, Adam Creed joins Dr. Christopher Fasano to talk about how he got into the industry and how his sales background informs his storytelling approach to recruiting the right people. He also touches on the critical role efficiency plays in boosting profitability, staff retention, and, ultimately, growth.  Learn how ABC...