Profit & Grit with Tyler

Most home service owners chase growth by adding trucks, techs, or new territories. Patrick Lange learned that more isn’t always better, and sometimes growth hides real financial cracks. Patrick started in the pool industry, growing his service company fast before realizing that bigger often meant less profit. Long routes, callbacks, and overhead ate into margins until he sold the business and turn...

Most home service owners think growth means opening new markets. Matt Pozda proved you can scale to 100 million without adding a single zip code. When he bought Sky HVAC, he thought it was a 50/50 mix of service and new construction. It was 98 percent construction. That painful surprise forced him to rebuild everything from the ground up, separating divisions, learning capacity management, and eve...

Most owners think profit comes from endless growth. Mike Andes says profit comes from clarity, knowing your close rates, raising prices with intent, and building systems that work without you. Mike built Augusta Lawn Care into 190+ locations across three countries, all while creating a pay-for-performance model that rewards A-players and keeps crews accountable. After a near-death accident with a...

Most owners think growth is the prize. Chris Lee says growth without discipline is what bankrupts you. Chris went from six locations in his first year to bankruptcy and $2.2 million in debt. Ten years later, he built Solgen, a solar and roofing company, and sold it for $233 million in just five years. In this episode, he shares how ego nearly cost him everything, why designing a five-year roadmap...

Here’s a draft in the exact format you want, using Katy Higgins’ transcript: Most people think HVAC growth is all about marketing. Katy Higgins says it’s about grit, culture, and building around what you know best. Katy went from being a single mom selling furnace tune-ups to launching True Pros in her garage, where she was $800 short of workers comp. In less than two years, she’s pacing $10–12 mi...

Most home service owners think they have a sales problem. Ryan Fenn says it is a follow-up problem. Ryan went from knocking on doors fixing windshield chips to building a seven-figure online course, then turned that same funnel thinking into Chirp, a lead conversion platform for the trades. In this episode, he walks through the two levers that changed everything for him, speed to lead and consiste...

Most trades business buyers expect a rough start. Jack Carr got a full-on fire drill. He bought an HVAC company across the country, packed up his life, and drove 32 hours, only to find out his entire team had quit. No techs, no support, no HVAC experience. Just a dispatcher, a wrench, and the middle of summer in Tennessee. In this episode of Profit & Grit , Jack shares how he went from scrambl...

Most contractors think of branding as a nice truck wrap or a catchy logo. But what if the real gap costing home service owners millions is invisible to customers and hidden in the numbers? In this episode of Profit & Grit, Sarah Ghirardo, marketing leader at ServiceTitan and former head of marketing at Service Champions, shares how she helped grow a $21M HVAC company into a $55M powerhouse. Sh...

Click below to book a complimentary intro meeting and learn how to get control of cash flow in your business while scaling with confidence. How do you take a family plumbing shop from $1M to over $30M in less than a decade? In this episode of Profit & Grit , John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Plumbing & Heating and host of Owned and Operated , shares his raw journey of scaling through acquisitions...

Door-to-door sales expert Lenny Gray shares his proven six-step sales system for home service businesses that works for even shy reps and maintains ethical standards. He breaks down why most sales teams fail before they start and how owners can build systems that produce consistent results without sacrificing margins or reputation. • Most businesses fail at door-to-door by outsourcing to third par...

Jim Penman transformed a lawn mowing side business into an empire of 5,500 franchisees across three countries by obsessing over service quality and putting franchisees first. His journey from history PhD student to founder of one of the world's largest franchise networks demonstrates how character, consistent improvement, and unwavering standards create sustainable growth. • Started with just...

After a near-death experience being shot and left for dead in a park, Mike Venitas found his superpower in genuine gratitude and turned it into a thriving career helping home service businesses grow and scale. • Marketing strategies differ dramatically based on company size and stage • Businesses under $1 million should focus on building networks and finding "who" rather than figuring ou...

Lou Hobica built a multi-trade home service company from the ground up, achieving 30% net profit margins before selling it for a life-changing amount. His journey showcases how focusing on profitability metrics and customer experience can transform a traditional trades business into a profit powerhouse. • Transformed his father's small refrigeration business from 5% to 30% net profit • Create...

Jason Payne transformed his roofing company from zero to $13 million in five years by mastering delegation, brand building, and consistent leadership. He shares his journey of creating a thriving blue-collar business through innovative marketing, purposeful hiring, and financial discipline. • 80% of any job can be delegated while 20% is your unique value and personality • The "$2,500 rule&quo...

Joey Henderson shares his 35-year journey from Navy submarine technician to HVAC business owner and now traveling trainer, revealing how he built and sold two successful businesses while discovering what truly drives profitability in the industry. • Started in HVAC reluctantly after Navy service but quickly found his passion • Built and sold two HVAC businesses, with his second company achieving i...

Andy Hobica brings a refreshing perspective to HVAC sales by transforming the traditional approach of pushing products to genuinely helping customers solve problems, generating over $7 million in personal sales annually. • Starting his career at age 10 working in installation for his family's 72-year-old HVAC business, progressing through every position • Finding his stride when transitioning...

Joshua Griffin shares his journey from humble beginnings in a trailer park to building and selling a successful HVAC business while growing a YouTube channel with 150,000 subscribers. He openly discusses the challenges he faced as an entrepreneur, his innovative marketing strategies, and the ultimate decision to walk away at the peak of his company's success. • Growing up in a trailer park wh...

Rachel Evans turned her firing as an HVAC sales technician into the catalyst for launching California Mechanical, a thriving San Diego-based HVAC company built entirely on word-of-mouth referrals. • Took her contractor's license exam while nine months pregnant • Gave herself a three-month runway to build momentum before potentially returning to employment • Landed two installation jobs just b...

Gil Cavey shares his powerful journey from addiction to successful HVAC business leadership, revealing how rock bottom reshaped his management philosophy toward empathy, accountability, and second chances. He demonstrates how investing in people creates returns that transcend typical business metrics while building a company where technicians want to grow their careers. • Second-generation HVAC pr...

Sam Preston transformed from failing at three different agencies to building Service Scalers, a $5M+ marketing agency for home service businesses by focusing on what he does best and hiring people who excel at everything else. • Sam's early agencies failed because he tried to be everything to everyone - "I'll be your influencer, marketing, email marketing, website, social media&quot...

Brennan Smith reveals how top-performing home service businesses unlock hidden revenue through simple yet powerful changes to their lead management process. Companies earning $2-20 million look beyond traditional lead generation to maximize their existing sales pipeline. • Responding to leads within 60 seconds during business hours drastically improves conversion • 43% of contact form submissions...

Daniel Felt shares how he scaled Kura Home to nine locations nationwide by building a weekly financial dashboard that guides real-time decisions instead of relying on delayed monthly reports. He reveals the exact metrics that drive his 19% profit margin and why focusing on bottom-line results beats chasing revenue. • Weekly financial dashboards outperform monthly P&Ls for making timely busines...

Danielle Warnert of Upskilled Consulting shares proven strategies to stop the revolving door of technician turnover and build training programs that create loyal, skilled employees who actually stick around. • Including field experience from week one prevents tech disappointment and improves retention • Building robust career paths and technician scorecards shows clear progression opportunities  •...

Matthew Efird transformed seasonal business challenges into thriving enterprises by creating complementary companies that operate year-round and positioning his services as premium offerings. He shares his journey from Mosquito Joe franchisee to founding Lighting Pros, now a successful franchise system focused on quality over price competition. • Started with Mosquito Joe franchise providing outdo...

Dylan Caraway, Senior Loan Officer of Service Contractors at Live Oak Bank, shares insider knowledge on how trades businesses can secure financing for growth, acquisitions, and succession planning. His team specializes in understanding the unique value of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors, helping them access capital when traditional banks may not recognize their true worth. • Live Oak Ba...