Toolbox for the Trades

You’re a secretary for a little while, but you’ve been watching the technicians, and you want to give it a try.  So you become an apprentice. You’ve been in the field for a little while, but you see a need to open a new location, and you write up a business proposal.  So you become a general manager. As a GM, what’s the key to your success? (Other than a phenomenal work ethic and passion for the i...

The way to unlock a lot of growth and scale your business is to stop being the funnel. Sometimes the owner believes everything has to go through me. A business coach will help build relationships, improve processes, and keep owners from becoming a bottleneck.  In this episode, I interview a business coach and client about how their relationship has doubled business. Jim Corcoran is Head Coach at B...

Did you just write something on that resume? Big mistake. Did you make a note about the candidate’s kids?  Big, big mistake. And what about documentation for injuries and accidents?  If you didn’t take a witness statement, you failed. In this episode, I interview c about her love of processes and why she spends so much time thinking about things that could go wrong. To throw some much deserved lig...

To reach beyond the phone book generation, home service companies must leverage digital marketing.  That means understanding brand, messaging, and omnichannel. Today’s guest literally wrote the book on digital marketing for plumbing and HVAC contractors, and he walks us through how digital can bring in more calls (and potentially grow your business from garage-level to golfing vacations). In this...

What’s your company’s purpose?  For that matter, what’s your own purpose for being in this business at all? Answering these questions can ignite passion in your recruits.  Skeptical? In this episode, I interview Ben Stark and Chris Hunter , Owners at Go Time Success Group , about how they became business success coaches for home service companies. In this episode we discuss: - Ben and Chris’s ment...

You clock in, you clock out, you know the basics, but you want to elevate your profession. What you need to do is start studying your craft. Want to unlock unbelievable opportunities by becoming an extraordinary professional? Learn from manufacturers, engineers, peers with three decades of work experience, and even your customers to find out how to go beyond your day-to-day.  Today’s guest, Ben Di...

Leader is not a synonym for firefighter. With the one notable exception — actual firefighters — if you spend all day putting out fires at your business…  You’re too busy to lead.  That’s one of countless lessons today’s guests, Eric Sprague & Larry Wilberton , Owners of Blue Collar Consulting and MorningTechMeeting.com , have learned over their many years working together — lessons they’re now...

Wouldn’t it be so much easier if customers and new hires could read your mind? Well, why can’t they? Today’s guest, Josh Kelley, Owner at Magic Broom Chimney Sweeps , has perfected documenting everything his customers and employees need to know, saving time, money and endlessly repeating himself. In this episode, we discuss: - The power of searchable onboarding documents - How YouTube videos can m...

It’s one of the age-old conundrums in leadership: We promote people because they are good at their jobs and, when it comes time to lead, they aren’t prepared. It’s easier if I do it myself. I used to be a tech, I’ll cut him some slack. These are the statements of a manager. But people don’t follow managers, they follow leaders . If you’re struggling with leadership, today’s guests have the answers...

One of the best things about the trades is how far you can go if you have the drive and are committed to lifelong learning. It’s not uncommon to hear stories like that of Julian Scadden , who went from a high school dropout to President & CEO at Nexstar Network . He joins me on the latest episode to share exactly how he pulled it off. We discuss: - The Be Dumb Quick movement - Why leading star...

Three seasons. It’s hard to believe. The more I do this podcast — and we’ve done over 50 episodes at this point — the more I am blown away at the incredible work being done by contractors across the world. Like the incredible work being done by this season’s guests: Eddie McFarlane , Lauren Vahey , Mary Jean Anderson , Brad Pesek , Kathy Nielsen , Steve Solla , Shane Jaeger , Crystal Williams , Er...

Do one thing really well — this is how Zoom Drain & Sewer Service has grown to become a go-to provider for drain cleaning services. In today’s episode of Toolbox for the Trades, I sit down with Steve Solla , General Manager at Zoom Drain & Sewer Service . What we talked about: - Steve’s progression into the trades and his journey within Zoom Drain - Tools and training used by Steve, to imp...

What do a computer mouse, airpods and your home’s insulation have in common? They were all invented by NASA. It’s proof that often the best improvements come from outside your business. Recognizing this in his hiring, marketing and strategy is one of the ways Josh Crouch , Founder at Relentless Digital and Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development at Professional Services Port Washing...

It’s never easy for a family when a loved one dies. But if, like many in the trades, that loved one is in charge of the family business, it can make it even more difficult. That’s why you need succession planning. My guest today is Trevor Lively , President at Blue Jay Irrigation , who, along with his dad who was diagnosed with cancer, suddenly felt the pressure for succession planning in the wors...

Let’s face it — most owners in the trades don’t like marketing. And it makes sense. Most people get into the trades because they like, well… the trades. But that doesn’t mean you have to hate marketing and branding. It just means you need to turn it into a game, not a chore. Take it from Crystal Williams , Creative Director at Lemon Seed Marketing Firm and an expert in winning the marketing game....

Everyone wants the right people for the job. But in an industry facing a talent shortage, that’s not enough. It’s more important to hire the right personality for the job. That’s how President Josh Bigelow approaches hiring at Great Dane Heating & Air Conditioning , and that piece of wisdom has helped the company grow tremendously over the last two decades. In this episode, Josh and I discuss:...

Some shops are happy trucking along as a lifestyle business. And there is nothing wrong with that. But if you want to grow aggressively, you need to learn about acquisitions. That’s one of the secrets John Wilson, Owner at Wilson Plumbing and Heating , has learned rapidly growing the family business from its comparatively small roots into a sprawling operation. What we talked about: - The secrets...

No matter what you want to achieve in your business, there is no silver bullet that’ll get you there overnight. Success is a byproduct of crafting the correct systems and procedures. That focus is how Chisholm Brunner , Carrier and ICP National Accounts at Carrier Corporation , has gone from success to success throughout her career. In this episode, we discuss: - Why systems and processes are the...

If you want loyal customers, you need to influence them. But how do you do that without feeling shady? In the latest episode, Keith Mercurio , Sr. Director of Executive Success at ServiceTitan and Founder and CEO of Ethical Influence Institute , shares the secrets of ethical influence and how they can elevate your leadership. We discuss: - The power of ethical influence - How poor messaging shrink...

Have you thought about your exit strategy, or does the word sale sound too much like the end ? Well, the truth is, there is a lot more to a sale than you may think. In this episode, Brian Cohen , Business Strategist, SF&P Advisors , covers the ins and outs of mergers, sales, and acquisitions. We discuss: - The many shapes a sale may take - Navigating private equity - The importance of knowing...

How well is your marketing working? Which channels work best? What’s your cost per lead? If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. That’s one of the first things Megan Bedford , Owner at Mugyver Consulting , looks at when assessing the marketing performance of a business. She joins me in the latest Toolbox for the Trades to go over how to market like a pro. We discuss: - Why internal systems...

When your technicians are empowered to invest in themselves, they indirectly invest in your company too. Ergo, growth in your techs means growth in your business. Everybody wins! Today’s guest, Brad Pesek , is the CFO at McWilliams & Son HVAC company. In addition to tips for incentivizing your technicians to grow professionally, Brad shares… - The transferable skills he took from teaching high...

Growing a business can be challenging to manage — especially when there are mergers and acquisitions involved. But getting it right can mean the difference between $40k a month and $40k a day.   At least, it did for Shane Jaeger , President of Operations, The Lawton Group, who joins me on the latest episode to discuss how he pulled it off. What we talked about: - How Shane looks at mergers after s...

Your customer service is just as important to your business as the quality of your work. People hire people who are understanding and compassionate. And that starts at the top. Lauren Vahey, the Director of Customer Experience at Nicholson Plumbing & HVAC , joins Jackie in this episode to discuss compassion in customer service, as well as… - What real work-life balance looks like in the trades...

No warehouse? No problem. It’s 100% possible to operate your service & repair business completely remotely. Take it from Tersh Blissett , CEO of Service Emperor and host of the Service Business Mastery podcast. He was running a team of technicians sans warehouse long before we even heard about COVID. In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Tersh talks to Jackie about… -His journey from the...