Toolbox for the Trades

The most pressing issue within the trades is the labor shortage. And it’s not just recruiting technicians that’s the problem — it’s training them properly and keeping them happy, too. Mary Jean Anderson , President of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air , has grown her business to $30m in annual revenue partly due to her keen recruiting, training, and retention skills. Mary Jean joins Jackie to d...

Within her first 2 weeks of working in the trades, Kathy Nielsen had started helping Schaal Heating & Cooling scale up to a $6M valuation. Her own business, Operations Excellence , was founded on the same principles: Stay organized and hire great people. In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Kathy joins us to talk about… How she combines analytics with psychology to hire the best people f...

In both white and blue-collar businesses, the culture is what matters in the end. Take it from Ryan Lucia , the founder of Aaron Overhead Doors and Such n Such Media . He started out in the software startup world, transitioned to the trades, and now helps blue-collar folks market their businesses. In this episode, Ryan tells Jackie about… Why culture is #1 in both of his businesses What he looks f...

Stop recruiting for technical experience. Start recruiting for “soft” skills like good communication the ability to learn and adapt. You can teach all the other stuff. That’s one of Eric Knaak’s (Executive VP & GM at ISAAC ) biggest pieces of advice in this episode of Toolbox for the Trades. He and Jackie also discuss… How the trades have supported and employed veterans How to find more opport...

Are you living your life on purpose or by default? At a young age, Chris Crew — President of The Blue Collar Success Group — chose to live his life by design. That decision has affected him professionally and personally ever since. In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Chris speaks to Jackie about… The unique journey that led him to the trades and beyond Tips for technicians who want to level...

Retention: It’s something we all struggle with in the trades. It’s something we haven’t quite yet figured out. Though it’s not a perfect science, Eddie McFarlane — VP of Learning & Development at Haller Enterprises — has a rather revolutionary approach to retaining talented technicians. In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, we talk to Eddie about… How and why he uses change management to...

We really did it! We delivered not 1 but 2 seasons of Toolbox for the Trades in this outrageous, chaotic year. In this episode, host Jackie Aubel walks you through just a few of our takeaways from this standout season. Thank you so much to every one of our guests: We know your raw honesty inspired our listeners. You do so much good in the world. Thank you! Check out these resources we mentioned du...

As a kid, you never had an air conditioner in your house. By 2019, the HVAC company you founded has already installed 20K systems. Then you realize that what you’ve got isn’t a hustle anymore. It’s a business now. In this episode, we interview Ismael Valdez , Owner & CEO at Nexgen , about taking his business from founding to $30M in 4 years. What we talked about: Ismael memorized part numbers...

There are a lot of questions about how to approach mergers and acquisitions in the trades. Turns out, it’s a lot like dating. At least according to AJ Brown , President and CEO, and Will Matson , Group CFO & Head of MFA, from Apex Service Partners . It’s one of many things I learned when I spoke with them about how their services group is operating like a pit crew for its partners in the trade...

Look around your workplace. Where are the young faces? The average age of someone in the trades is around 50. That’s what happens when your industry does things “the way they’ve always been done.” But for Justin Armendariz , Founder & CEO at Better Future Facilities , the average tech in his company is under 30. Justin has brought technology to the forefront in his business and, as a result, i...

Usually, the customer knows why they need your product… HVAC, plumbing — when something happens they’ll call. But what if they don’t know they need your product? Then it’s time to educate them. That’s exactly what Rod Yoder , Director — North American Dealer Sales at Kinetico Water Systems , does. He’s learned some clever techniques over the years to teach his customers the value of the water soft...

How do you get a thriving culture? It starts with leadership. The owner should be the chief people-person in the company.  That’s what Jaime DiDomenico , President at Cool, Plumbing and Energy Today , learned time and time again in his career:  A company is only as good as its owner.  In this episode, we discuss: Why the owner should be the chief people-person Why you need to reinvest in your peop...

When it comes time to buy, your customers need options. And if you’re not giving them the options they need… They’ll go online and find someone who can. That insight is foundational for Joe Crisara ’s success. Now Owner and Business Coach at ContractorSelling , Joe managed to turn a quarter of a million dollars in debt into a thriving business. All by giving his customers options. In this episode,...

First impressions matter. That’s why word choice is so important when we first meet someone…   And why your CSRs need amazing communication skills. They are the first point of contact with your customers — and what they say can set the tone for the whole relationship.  Today’s guest is Angie Snow , Vice President at Western Heating & Air Conditioning and Success Coach at Snow Business Coaching...

When looking for growth, owners often want to add more services. If you can do it all, you cast a bigger net, right? But a jack of all trades is a master of none… And nobody wants to hire a roofer to fix their plumbing. That’s one mistake Mike Claudio , Owner at WinRate Consulting , has repeatedly seen in his years advising owners in the trades. In this episode, Mike explains: How to find your nic...

Growing your business requires community support. If customers recognize and trust your brand, you’ll go far…  And you may just raise a million for charity in the process.  That’s Geoff Gillon , Founder of The Pink Plumber , did and it paid off huge dividends.  He transformed his plumbing business into a lucrative sale by virtue of, well, virtue.  The Pink Plumber became an icon by donating massiv...

Mental health matters.  Yet, for some reason, it’s often overlooked in the trades. It’s time we take mental health seriously. In this episode, I catch up with Stacy Fore , Owner at HVAC Solutions, where she has instituted a reimbursement program for mental health.  We speak about that and more, including: -Why No-BS values are foundational to a thriving culture -Why the trades is the best path for...

Are you thinking about selling your business? If so, why?  It seems like an easy question to answer, but so many can’t Fred Silberstein , President at SF&P Advisors , says if you want to sell, you need a great answer to the question.  In this episode, Fred explains: -How to find your “why” (and what to do when you find it) -Why KPIs are so important for a sale -Why buyers are really buying you...

Growing a business is hard work.  Even more so when you do it with your spouse. But there’s a secret:  Clearly defining your roles. Just ask Rhonda Dowdy , Chief Executive Officer at S&D Plumbing , a business she’s spent the last 40 years building with her husband.  And they pulled it off by knowing their superpowers: Her husband is the visionary; she is the integrator.  In this episode, Rhond...

A lot of businesses in the trades struggle with marketing. But marketing really comes down to 3 things: Providing value, building trust and educating your customers. My guest today is someone who has these 3 things down to a science.  Roger Wakefield , Owner at Texas Green Plumbing , has one of the most fascinating and storied backgrounds of anyone I’ve ever interviewed.  From plumbing to cosmetol...

Has everyone in your office hopped in a van with a tech? If not, they should. Without seeing first hand what they go through, everyone’s work suffers. Since implementing ride-alongs, Vanessa Gonzales , Chief Administrative Officer at Albuquerque Plumbing, Heating & Cooling , has seen everyone — in the office and field — get better at their jobs. I caught up with her in today’s show to pick her...

How well do you know your operations manual?  For many, it’s just something to keep lawyers happy. But it should be your bible for success.  In this episode, I speak with Al Levi , Consultant and CEO at The 7-Power Contractor and Author of The 7-Power Contractor , itself an operations manual for success in the trades.  If Al has learned anything in his lifelong career in the trades, it’s that a ma...

Everyone wants to grow their business. But sometimes, that means becoming less vital to it.  Your systems should be so good your business runs fine without you.  In today’s guest episode, we have another great one from The Home Service Expert .   Tommy Mello and Adam Cronenberg, COO at A1 Garage Door Service, go over how streamlining their systems fueled their explosive growth.  Tommy and Adam dis...

Adding services to your business can be a great strategy… But it can also be scary. So, it’s important to make sure the business is spot on.  And we have another fantastic guest episode today from To The Point that explains exactly how you can.  In it, Host Chris Yano interviews Bobby Jenkins from ABC Home & Commercial Services and finds out how he was able to add so many services to his busin...

There are 3 reasons people buy from you: They know you. They like you. They TRUST you. And there’s only one way to win their trust…   Being consistent. In today’s Toolbox for the Trades Guest Series Episode, Mike Claudio and Ryan Webber , hosts of Big Stud Sales , go over how you can win your customers’ trust through consistency. They explain: -Consistency selling (and why it builds trust) -The im...