The Fire Time Podcast

While we prepare Season 12 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to his own article, "When Nothing’s on the Table, Avoid the Urge to Eat Your Own" (released in the November 2023 issue of The Fire Time Magazine). To hear more audio articles from our magazine, subscribe to the Fire Time Magazine Pod...

While we prepare Season 12 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to Tim Rethlake's article "It's Cruel to Be Kind". To hear more audio articles from our magazine, subscribe to the Fire Time Magazine Podcast: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine. Read The Fire Time Magazine Reader Edition online: h...

While we prepare Season 12 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to Jodi Connors-Harrington's article, "Creating Comfort in the Chaos". To hear more audio articles from our magazine, subscribe to the Fire Time Magazine Podcast: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine. Read The Fire Time Magazine Read...

In this bonus episode, Tim walks through the FTN HPBExpo guide. Click here to download it as a PDF so you have an intentional plan to win this year in Nashville! Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.patreon.com/itsfiretime. Nominate someone for the HPBExpo Ultimate Awards Show: https://www.hpbexpo.com/awards/

While we prepare Season 12 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to Matt Bradley's article, "Business Lesson from Benjamin Franklin: Part One". To hear more audio articles from our magazine, subscribe to the Fire Time Magazine Podcast: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine. Read The Fire Time Magaz...

While we prepare Season 12 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to Brandi Biswell's article, "Office Managers: Differentiators in Organizational Success". To hear more audio articles from our magazine, subscribe to the Fire Time Magazine Podcast: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine. Read The Fir...

While we prepare Season 12 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to his article, "Ending Well: How a Rhythm of Reflection Increases Wisdom and Fortitude" To hear more audio articles from our magazine, subscribe to the Fire Time Magazine Podcast: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine. Read The Fire...

In this episode, we round out Season 11 by answering questions that have come in over the last few months. In this episode, Tim responds to these questions: Can you get to $3 million without advertising? Should you run your advertising in-house or outsource it? What do you do when a customer has a price objection? How do you get your team to write up more estimates? Do you have any resources on ge...

Every retailer in our industry wants to eliminate the extremes that the seasonality of our business causes—but how do you do that? In today’s episode, we invited Clay Dennis (Owner, Part Time Business Partners) back to the show to talk about how businesses in our industry can win sales—and grow—regardless of the season or economic climate. In this conversation, they cover: Why service after the sa...

The issue of electrification isn’t going away—so how should our industry react in light of those facts? In today’s episode, Tim shares a panel discussion that he moderated in New Brunswick, Canada between Gaëtan Thomas (former CEO of New Brunswick Power and member of the Federal Net-Zero Advisory Body reporting to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change), Christian Romeroll (Vice President...

Everyone looks at the facts before making a decision rather than just trusting their emotions, right? Wrong. The truth is that most people make decisions emotionally and then justify it logically—but why is that? In today’s episode, Tim sits down with Scott Hammer (Director of Sales and Marketing at Striven) to talk about marketing, sales, and decision making. Their conversation covers: Why it rea...

How do you take over a legacy business and run it when you’re 20 years younger than many of the people who work there? In today’s episode, Tim sits down with Daniel Hammer (Sutter Home & Hearth) and Kyle Titsworth (The Fireplace Showcase) to talk about that transition of leadership. Both Daniel and Kyle took over successful legacy companies at a young age and each has had a different set of strugg...

A lot of companies think that marketing is about getting your business in front the customer—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Marketing is simply explaining the problem you solve for your customers. In this conversation, Tim brings on his friend and marketing professional Tyler Anders with Hoffman York, Inc. (an Integrated Marketing Agency out of downtown Milwaukee) to talk about the h...

Most companies struggle to grow their installation teams because they don’t have a good way to train new people. And whether companies realize it or not, the lack of installers is the biggest lid on the growth of our entire industry. In today’s conversation, Tim sits down with Mark Stoner (President of Ashbuster’s Chimney Service, Parter at SureFire Training Academy, and serial entrepreneur) to di...

One of the hardest things in business is taking over an existing team or organization. How do you inspire people to move into a new direction without tearing down the good things that have come before you? In today’s episode, Tim sits town with Jill McClure, the new CEO of the Hearth, Patio & BBQ Association (HPBA) to talk about how to lead change with clarity and purpose. In this conversation you...

Most salespeople in our industry struggle because they don’t have a clear process to follow when they’re working with customers. This results in them wandering from feature to feature before leaving the customer with the vague instructions of “so let me know when you’re ready.” For today’s episode, Tim shares a keynote address that he gave in the summer of 2023 in New Hampshire about how to take c...

The value of expressing gratitude often takes a backseat to marketing investments. But in reality, gratitude can be your most potent marketing tool. In today’s episode—the final installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim talks with Brandi Biswell, an owner of Flew's Brothers Chimney Service and a coach at the CVC Success Network. Together, they dive into the many wa...

Every sale has momentum, and pursuing the opportunity is essential to maintaining this momentum as time goes on. Just how do you do this? In today’s episode—the sixth installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim has a conversation with Dennis Deakin, the sales manager at Sutter Home and Hearth, whose wild career has shown him the importance of pursuing the opportunity...

Put simply, sales is communicating wisdom to the point of bringing people to a decision. When it’s time for the decision, you must perform a call to action.  In today’s episode—the fifth installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim meets with Alan Rush, the Owner of Rush Profits and a Partner at SureFire Training Academy, a master of knowing when it’s time to call the...

Empowering the customer with choice is a cornerstone of effective sales. But how do you guide them through the process while ensuring they always feel in control? In today’s episode—the fourth installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim sits down with Jonah Lindley, Branch Manager for Ash-busters Chimney Service, who excels in demystifying the process for customers s...

If you really listen to a customer’s problems, then you should know exactly what they need to solve them. In today’s episode—the third installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim talks with Ryan Hall, the Field Operations Chief and Senior Tech at Winston’s Chimney, who has one of our industry's most impressive life redemption stories. Ryan is well suited for discussi...

Sales is not about bombarding customers with product information, but rather about taking a step back and truly comprehending what they need. In today’s episode—the second installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim talks with Matt Bradley, the Partnership Manager at WhyFire and editor of The FireTime Magazine, about arguably the most important step of the Seven-Step...

Very few retailers make their customers feel welcome and comfortable when they enter the store. As a result, connections with customers are shut down, and potential sales are lost. However, a genuine and well-crafted greeting holds the power to forge meaningful connections and drive sales. In today’s episode—the first installment of "The Seven Steps of The Sales Process Revisited" series—Tim has a...

Businesses are experiencing the waning of the once-ridiculous demand from the Covid years and have a newfound hunger for the Seven-Step Sales Process. To begin Season 11 of the podcast, we are setting out to explore how each step of the Seven-Step Sales Process is executed by industry professionals who embody them. By hearing from these experts, the seven-step process will be expanded upon and exp...

While we prepare Season 11 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from our industry publications. In this final Fire Time Magazine Rapid Reaction episode, Tim reacts to an article by Tyler Anderson titled “Let’s Get Personal: 4 Ways to Accelerate Advocacy for Your Business”. Published in the February 2023 issue of The Fire Time Magazine, this article highlights...