Toolbox for the Trades

Want to build an undeniable brand that speaks to the consumer? Well, have a seat on the couch because the brand therapist is in.   Hear our conversation with Dan Antonelli, President and Chief Creative Officer at KickCharge Creative: Why disruption matters in branding How a weak brand slows your business down How to build the foundation for a premium brand    More information about Dan and today’s...

David Noseworthy, Vice President of Corporate Development at Friendly Home Services Group, has worked on both Bay Street and Wall Street but now his focus has turned back to the trades with a very specific goal in mind: unlocking latent potential in employees. Why, you ask? Because David and the Friendly Group believe by unlocking the latent potential of each employee, you unlock the potential of...

In this episode, I interview Sean McGuire, Director of Innovative Technologies at Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) about what it’s like to work beside contractors working with advancements in technology.  A true tech detective for the trades, Sean encourages listeners to plan for the future, consider augmented reality, and much more. Join us as we discuss: - Top technology tips...

Today’s guest joined ServiceTitan after running marketing for one of the biggest brands in the trades. If you want to learn how to take your marketing to the next level (and why it’s so important to do your math), you won’t want to miss this episode.  In this episode, I interview ServiceTitan’s own Sarah Ghirardo , Sr. Marketing Operations Manager, about her best wisdom for marketing in the trades...

Business leaders make all kinds of mistakes, but here’s a huge one: You look at your top line and think that makes you successful. In this episode, I speak with Mike Disney , CEO at CEO Warrior , and Mary Anglen , Senior Advisor at CEO Warrior , about the nine pillars needed to build a true foundation for success — and other common errors of leaders in the trades. Join us as we discuss: Why you ne...

When you’re focused on creating five-star experiences for customers, you have to create five-star experiences for employees, too. Serving people as a core value extends to customers and employees both. Cassie Pound , Co Owner and Vice President at Quality Heating, Cooling & Plumbing , grew her HVAC company from 10 to nearly 50 employees by focusing equally on customer experience and employee e...

The mindset and outlook has changed in the water treatment industry in the past couple of years. It’s more future-minded and community-oriented than it has ever been before.  In this episode, I speak with Water Quality Association ’s Kathleen Burbidge , External Affairs Associate Director, and Eric Yeggy, Technical Affairs Director, about harnessing the opportunity to have a voice together and bol...

When you create an ad for your services, do you lead by asking potential clients where they went to college, whether they can juggle or how much they owe the IRS? That would be insane, right? Well, in today’s hiring market, leading with a litany of requirements is just as crazy. That’s one of the many insights Jody Underhill , Senior Partner at Rapid Hire, brings in today’s episode that will help...

When you learn that your child will have many medical needs before he is born, you have to grow your business fast. Marriages with a special needs child are 70% likely to fail, and marriages with a co-owned business are 50% likely to fail. But today’s guests, Richard and Felicia Flourny, Owners at A-Total Plumbing , have not only survived but thrived, growing their solo business to 32 employees an...

If you’re focused on what’s important, you don’t get tied up in messy distractions day in and day out. Getting the data, the training, and the decisions to your people — and then trusting them to do their work — is key. In this episode, I speak with Tom Howard , VP Customer Experience at ServiceTitan , about focusing on what matters in customer experience. Join us as we discuss: - Why Tom left fin...

Certification isn’t required, but you decide to get it anyway. Licensing, together with field experience, gives you the ability to educate your customers about aerobic septic systems online — making you the county’s premier installer. In this episode, I speak with Courtney Van Delden , VP and Septic System Specialist at Van Delden Wastewater Systems , about how her online thought leadership has gr...

Entrepreneurship is a natural next step for a lifelong learner who enjoys management and working with people. It stems from the realization that you just can’t carry the cast iron bathtub up the stairs by yourself and flourishes into a successful pre-apprenticeship program and tight-knit team of employees. In this episode, I interview Jessie Cannizzaro , Master Plumber and Founder at Milestone Plu...

You and your brother sit down to decide once and for all: Yes, we’re going to outright buy the company from Dad. A year later, you’ve rebranded, switched to 100% residential, and added two divisions. How? In this episode, I interview Jeremy Lewis , President at Gleason Heating, Plumbing, Air and Electric , about how he transformed his family business within the past 12 months. Join us as we discus...

If you’re a long-time listener, you know the drill. Today, I’m going to recap some of the best tips, tricks, and tactics shared by this season’s guests. I’m Jackie Aubel , Senior Content Marketing Manager at ServiceTitan and host of Toolbox for the Trades. Join me for a recap of all the amazing guests we’ve heard from this season. Listen to our guests speak about: - How to have a successful busine...

Apprentices are rewarded for education and initiative. Teams are rewarded for doing things the right way. Managers are rewarded when customers are satisfied… and not in quarterly bonuses, either. Tune in to an astounding companywide incentivization program based on processes and growth. In this episode, I speak with Mario Martinez , COO at Scott's One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating and Benjam...

Today’s guest dropped out of high school because he said he couldn’t pass anything. But he earned his master plumbing license on his first try. HVAC license, too. About a decade ago, he was making $20/hour and broke. Today he’s just added an HVAC team to his $3.3 million dollar business. In this episode, I chat with Russell Furr , President at Culpeper Home Services , about the struggles and reali...

It’s no small thing to take over as third-generation president of your 100-year-old family business. Especially when you think you can do everything yourself… at first. Today’s guest candidly shares the leadership lessons he acquired the hard way in a family business that’s existed since February 1922. In this episode, I interview Rob Birnie , Owner and President at Thos R Birnie & Sons Ltd ,...

You should place these 6 Ps prominently on your home service website: product, place, price, promotion, people, and personality. Yeah, we said price. In this episode, I chat with Chris Yano , CEO at RYNO Strategic Solutions , about what he’s learned from his depth of 14 years’ experience marketing for home service businesses. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - How Chris final...

One way to reach the Spanish speaking population of the U.S. market is to make your ads in Spanish, not in English with Hablamos Español pasted on. In this episode, I chat with Mario Campirano , Owner at Express Electrical Service , about his pride and passion for marketing to Spanish speakers and uplifting his local community. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - Mario’s journ...

Working with your spouse can be absolutely ego destroying at best. At worst, it can ruin your business and your relationship. Ready to learn from a couple who succeeded? In this episode, I chat with Sarah Casebier and Brad Casebier , Owner and President, respectively, at Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning , a company they built from scratch that now brings in $50M in revenue. Here are some to...

Women bring something unique to the trades industry, to their customers, and to their employees. The female contractors who stand out most are the ones who are hungry to improve. In this episode, I chat with Desiree Grosman , Business Coach at Female Home Service Pros , about the 4 top challenges facing female owners in the trades. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - The diffi...

People become seriously sick, injured, or die because of conditions in buildings maintained by people doing work they shouldn't be doing. You may think it’s rare, but it isn’t. Look, experience doesn’t necessarily mean skill. Skilled work requires education, proper training, and ongoing learning and development. A culture of learning is created by leaders who learn. In this episode, I chat with Wi...

There’s no money for Christmas presents. We’ve got to try something — anything. Let’s start a company.  Since its founding in 2017, Viva Electric has evolved from just three vehicles to three locations. Today’s guest is the person with the vision for business growth and adaptation that has made the company what it is today: a family.   In this episode, I chat with Maegan Giler , COO and Co-Owner a...

Being a solo dispatcher is like playing a huge game of chess every day. But the necessary skills for success change when you’re a dispatch manager with six dispatchers under you.   So, how exactly does the role change when the dispatch team scales?  In this episode, I chat with Barbara Pfeiffer, Dispatch Manager at The Eco Plumbers , about the delightful complexity of scaling your dispatch team. ...

Play ball! It’s a beautiful day for a podcast, folks. Today’s is shaping up to be a barnburner. In this crackerjack episode, we break out the baseball wordplay as I chat with Margie Baker, Operations Manager at 1-Hour Heating, Ben Franklin Plumbing, and Mr. Sparky Electric, about how to attract more women and Gen Z/millennials to the trades. The bases are loaded with topics such as: - The advantag...