Profiles in Prosperity

In an age of rising customer acquisition costs and fast-changing digital tools, how can contractors stay competitive? In this episode of Profiles in Prosperity, David Heimer talks with Christian Dunwoody, Director of Business Growth at Scorpion. Christian shares how Scorpion partners with contractors to attract high-quality leads, optimize ad spend, and build brands that stand out in today's AI-dr...

In an age of braggadocio and bravado, could your most powerful leadership superpower be humility and authenticity? In this episode of Profiles in Prosperity , David Heimer talks with Schalee Sanchez , author of The Humility You Want and the World Needs . Schalee shares her personal journey and shows why humility isn't about playing small — it's about showing up with strength, clarity, and purpose....

For the first time, a law firm has joined the Service Nation rewards program, and it's a big one—Frost Brown Todd, a national firm with over 700 attorneys and a strong focus on home services. In this episode, David Heimer speaks with partners Jason Brace and Wes Scott about their backgrounds, the firm's nationwide reach, and their deep experience advising residential service contractors. Jason and...

We welcome back Chris Michel, Training Director at Service Nation and author of The Red Chair Experience. Chris dives deep into the DiSC personality assessment system — what it is, why it matters, and how contractors can use it to build stronger teams, hire smarter, and improve communication professionally and personally. What You'll Learn: What DiSC is and how it differs from other assessments Wh...

Brian Stack is the president of Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Electric in Avon Ohio, close to Cleveland. Stack is very much a family-owned business: Brian's parents started the business. The business is managed by Brian, his three siblings, and their Dad. The business has been wildly successful. This year Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Electric won two Service Nation growth awards j...

Tucker Yarbrough is one of the smartest people in our industry. I'm not the only person who thinks so; Tucker was named to our industry's 40 Under 40, and Yarbrough and Sons was recognized with the Contractor of the Year award. We interviewed Tucker in episode 109 where we heard about the beginnings of Yarbrough and Sons, and how their family business became so successful. Every time I talk with T...

Zak McMorrow is the founder and owner of Osceola Air in Florida. As is the case with many business start ups providing Residential Service, Osceola Air enjoyed growth, but lacked the business tools and organization to get to the next levels. In 2020 Zak and his team joined Service Nation Alliance and since then have created impressive growth: a compound annual growth rate of 51 percent! They won S...

Roy White is the founder and owner of Fixed Right and Guaranteed in Maryland. Fixed Right and Guaranteed was recently named "Contractor of the Year". Roy and his team have built incredible growth with a focus on team development, culture, and leadership. Roy is incredibly thoughtful about his and his company's impact on others and their legacy. This year Roy and team are on a mission — 'The 7-7-7...

Would you like to receive a FREE Marketing package worth $150,000? Crystal Williams is a creative innovator. Working with Lemon Seed Marketing, Service Nation, and an amazing team of top vendor-partners, Crystal created The Great American Brand Story Contest. Ready to take your marketing to the next level? The Great American Brand Story Contest is your opportunity to transform your HVAC, plumbing,...

Saffer Plumbing is a 4th generation, 80 year old plumbing company in Baltimore. Chris Saffer is the president. He and his team have achieved amazing growth. In this episode you'll hear: History of the company. Getting certifications. Try and try again. Working with family. The different colored trucks for cobranded with local charities: SPCA, ARC of Baltimore, Joseph Groh Foundation, Women's Shelt...

Joseph Garcia, Chief Technology Officer of LeadsNearby, discusses his company's role as a full-service digital marketing agency for service contractors, highlighting their focus on automation, AI integration, and client strategy. He reviews how their AI platform acts as a 24/7 smart assistant for contractors, handling various aspects of customer interaction and business operations. Joseph talks ab...

Would it be good if you could help your techs and service manager be more productive? If you could get 1 - 2 more service calls per week per tech, and reduce call backs... would that be good? Of course it would! Logan Marshall explains how Bluon is making huge productivity impacts in our industry. You need to hear this!

What do you have to do to improve your business? Learn from others! Attend industry events like... The Boston Summit. It's going to be a great event. Jim Hinshaw and Jazmine Colson tell us WHY successful contractors attend Service Nation events, and what you'll miss out on if you fail to come. BONUS: Jim's got some deals for you!

Four years later I get another chance to interview the amazing Lori Stickling! Lori and her husband Delayne own Covenant Plumbing in Bloomington, Illinois. Four years ago I interviewed Lori shortly after they joined Service Nation Alliance and were in the early stages of changing their business. So, what happened? I'm happy to report they've grown substantially. How did they do it? Listen and lear...

Brian Carpenter is the Vice President of Mark Carpenter Plumbing, Heating, and Air in Clovis, New Mexico. The combined statistical area they serve is less than 70,000 - and yet they're thriving and enjoying strong growth. How do they do it? Brian is a very smart guy with great experience. In this episode Brian talks about: How Brian Carpenter joined our industry as an adult, without trade experien...

Bailey McCormick is the General Manager of Air Bros in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Her career has been one of tremendous personal and professional growth. She's taking her experience and knowledge to a new company and doing great things there. How did she do it? What are her secrets for success? What career advice does she have? In this episode you'll hear: The accidental way Bailey McCormick joine...

The great Dave Rothacker makes his 10th appearance on our podcast to tell us about his picks for the top business books for 2024. Dave reads more business books in a year than anyone I know. He has tremendous insight into our industry and so his recommendations are perfect for all of us. Plus, Dave provides a useful technique for getting creative ideas and resolving issues.

Here's something different. Normally we talk with HVAC and Plumbing companies and their supporting vendor-partners, but today we're talking with Nathan Nelson of Empire Fence. Empire Fence is a large, successful company serving the Residential, Residential New Construction, and Commercial markets. It's interesting and instructive to talk to people in similar but different industries; it's a wonder...

Lou Hobaica more than just a successful contractor. He is an original thinker, a superb coach, a marketing genius, a master motivator, and a kind community philanthropist. If you're in the industry, it's possible you've heard the phrase “You'll lika Hobaica.” That's the tagline for Phoenix-based Hobaica Services, which has been in business since 1952. Lou Hobaica, is an industry icon, a Service Na...

The old saying about advertising is that you know you're overspending by 50%, you just don't know which 50% to cut. Measures of opens and clicks are interesting, but they only give you limited information. What you need is a way to accurately measure which ads are working and be able to tie those ads directly to revenue. Enter Kevin LeSage and Searchlight. Kevin grew up in our industry helping his...

Doug Jackson is the 31 year old General Manager of Jackson Services, a large, recently acquired residential services company. Doug was recently named to the elite 40 Under 40 group. He started in HVAC at a young age and by his mid 20's had done every job in the company. After becoming GM, he led the company to spectacular growth in just a few years. How did he do it? In this episode Doug talks wit...

David Heimer interviews Brandon Jacob and Matt Michel on stage at Service World Expo. Brandon and Matt are in the middle of a unique research project about the fears and emotions of selling your business; information people typically don't discuss, but you need to know. They've interviewed many business owners who sold businesses in a variety of industries. They discuss some of their findings and...

Katy Higgins knows the pain of a failed partnership. After tremendous growth in a new HVAC company, she walked away from her partnership. She floundered for a while and then restarted powerfully, created a new company, and is experiencing a reaffirming growth. In this episode, Katy tells us about: Her start in the HVAC industry Winning the Western Regional Comfort Advisor contest 3 years in a row...

David Heffner is the Director of Community Outreach for Winsupply of Indianapolis. Prior to that, David was a successful one-man plumbing company that was acquired. And before that he served in the US Marine Corps. David has a heart for service, is incredibly knowledgeable about our industry, and loves to teach and help others. His career, his introduction to plumbing, his experiences growing and...

Bryan Baer grew up in our industry, drafted into it by his father and stepfather. He grew to love the industry, and eventually, with his wife, started a residential services company. They enjoyed modest success, but Bryan was working too hard, wearing too many hats, and felt like something was missing. He met a remodeler, they became friends, joined forces, and created a new company. They joined S...