The Kee To Growth

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Ryan Englin, founder of Core Matters, host of the Titans of the Trades podcast, and author of "Hire Better People Faster." The conversation dives deep into the intersection of marketing, recruiting, and leadership for service-based businesses, especially those in the trades. The discussion opens with Ryan's personal journe...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Tiffany Mitchell, co-founder and owner of Half Moon Plumbing and Electric, to unravel the story behind the company's explosive growth and the branding that set it apart in the Tulsa, Oklahoma market. The conversation opens with a playful but powerful moment about shoes—how even the smallest choices, like footwear, can rein...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Cory Hutcherson to unpack the often-overlooked growth potential found in your contact center. The conversation focused on Cory's unique background in the trades—shaped by growing up around his father, a transformative figure in the HVAC industry, and learning the ropes of authentic customer experience from an early age. Co...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Sharissa Martinez of Mr. Sparky San Antonio to talk about the real journey of growth inside a family-owned trades business. The conversation focused on what it means to evolve from new construction electrical work to a residential service operation, and how that shift created opportunities for the next generation. Sharissa...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, Jen McKee sits down with author and leadership advisor David Mead for an honest, insightful conversation about building sustainable business growth far beyond traditional marketing tactics. They dig into the messy middle of entrepreneurship, highlighting the real moments of struggle and alignment that ultimately shape a company's brand and results. The...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Marc de Schweinitz, the CMO at A Plus Garage Doors, for an inside look at marketing in the home services industry. Marc shares his journey from working in advertising at Google to leading marketing efforts at one of the largest woman-led garage door companies in the US. Together, they dive into what it really takes to grow a ser...

In this episode of the Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with CJ Todd, founder and CEO of Kreadiv—a company focused on bridging the trust gap between vendors, contractors, and their audiences within the home services industry. Jen kicks off the conversation exploring the origin of the company's name, which is the phonetic spelling of "creative" and designed to stand out in a crowded...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with service industry leader and sales expert Andy Hobaica for a lively, real-world conversation on sustainable business development in the trades. Andy, a third-generation member of his family's company, shares insights from a lifetime in HVAC and home services, opening up about the evolution from repair-focused operations to...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Marko Sipila, founder of HVAC Quote AI, to unpack how online pricing tools are changing the game for contractors who want to stay relevant in today's Google and AI-driven landscape. Together, they dig into the deep shift happening as search engines like Google and AI assistants like Gemini increasingly prioritize direct answers...

In this episode of the Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Everett Lippel, a seasoned HVAC industry leader, content creator, and podcast host. Jen and Everett dig into what's really working right now for home service businesses amid a shifting marketing landscape and increased competition from larger private equity groups. Everett brings seventeen years of hands-on experience as a top-p...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Bill Rossell, CEO of LB Capital and the Build It to Sell It movement. Bill shares his journey from a seasoned digital marketer to leading multiple roofing companies across the nation, offering a unique perspective on what it takes to build, scale, and ultimately sell (or simply strengthen) a trades business. The conversation cut...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Jarod Smith, founder of Clogbusters Drain Cleaning Repair in Des Moines, Iowa. Jarod shares his unconventional journey from launching his first plumbing company at just 18, to completely shifting his business model and culture within the drain cleaning industry. Listeners get an inside look at how he challenged industry no...

In this episode of the Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Paul Olsen, chief innovator at So Good Team and a seasoned entrepreneur in the trades. Paul shares his journey from plumbing apprentice and pump truck driver to CEO of multimillion-dollar companies, and how his transition from Koala Cooling led to the birth of So Good Team. The conversation digs into the evolution of marketing f...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Roslyn Fitzgibbons—co-founder of Eco Plumbers and founder of Bring Your Moxie—to talk about the power of community for leaders in the trades and the critical balance between business systems and people-first growth. The conversation begins with Roslyn's journey from being heads-down in operations for nearly two decades to intent...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Kaela Reedy, founder of Elevated HQ, to talk about the wins and messy challenges of building and simplifying operational systems in the trades. The conversation kicks off with Kaela sharing her move from general manager at Pink Collars to launching Elevated HQ, a consulting firm focused on guiding trades companies toward o...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Dustin Vetter, the founder of Fast Air Repair, to uncover the real-life journey behind scaling a home service business from the ground up. Recorded live at EPIC in Las Vegas, Jen gets personal with Dustin about his unlikely path into entrepreneurship—learning HVAC in prison, overcoming adversity, and building a company kno...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, Jen McKee sits down with Ruth King—a powerhouse in home services and a true trailblazer for women in HVACR. From her beginnings in the industry in 1987 to co-founding Women in HVACR, Ruth shares the "messy middle" of starting an organization that has grown from awarding a single $1,000 scholarship to distributing $55,000 in scholarships. The conversati...

In this inspiring episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Michelle Jeppesen of Sendgym for a practical, down-to-earth conversation on marketing and mindset in the home services industry. Drawing from a decade in the trades, Michelle shares her journey from running a CSR call center to developing hyper-targeted marketing tools for home service pros, unraveling how psycho...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes bestselling author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz for an authentic conversation around the realities of scaling a business, managing profit, and building resilience as a leader in the trades. Mike, known for books like Profit First, Clockwork, and The Pumpkin Plan, opens up about his journey from business success to deep stru...

On this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Facebook ads pro and fellow podcast host Krystal Hobbs to dig deep into the messy middle of marketing for HVAC and home services. The conversation kicks off with Krystal's origin story—how she grew up immersed in residential construction, saw the untapped potential of social media, and quickly doubled an HVAC client's busi...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Erica Leonor—an industry leader in CSR development, mindset coaching, and leadership in the trades. Erica shares her authentic journey from personal growth exploration with her mom, into running Voxa, a company focused on turning customer service representatives into powerful brand leaders. Listeners are invited into a war...

On this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes powerhouse guest Danielle Putnam, CEO of The New Flat Rate, to dig into what sustainable, non-reactionary growth really looks like for leaders in the trades. Danielle shares her unique perspective as someone whose entire family is immersed in contracting and trades, offering a relatable take on daily business realities. They unr...

In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee sits down with Brigham Dickinson, the founder of Power Selling Pros, for a transformational conversation on sustainable business development, leadership, and service marketing. Brigham shares his personal journey—from experiencing the messy middle of entrepreneurship after his first business went under, to founding Power Selling Pros and...

In this episode of The Kee to Growth Podcast, host Jen McKee welcomes Yossi Wachtel, owner of Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electric in Los Angeles. Yossi shares his journey from launching a property management-focused plumbing business during the 2007 economic downturn to strategically transitioning into the residential market—a move that required a total mindset and business model sh...

Episode Description What does real, sustainable growth look like in today's entrepreneurial world—especially for home service leaders and agency owners? In this episode of The Kee To Growth Podcast, Jen McKee sits down with Lyn Askin, a longtime agency founder turned certified EOS implementer, to unpack the gritty realities of scaling a service business. You'll hear stories of messy beginnings, tu...