Shows
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Real Reason Growth Gets Harder After $5M - Lance BachmannGrowth gets harder after $5M because effort stops being the constraint and leadership, systems, and financial clarity start to matter more than hustle.Lance Bachmann has built, scaled, and sold multiple companies across home services, technology, and marketing. Today, he partners directly with business owners to help them break through growth plateaus, install real operational structure, and build companies that can scale quickly and profitably.In this episode, we talk about why so many owners get stuck between $5M and $10M, the leadership behaviors that quietly cap growth, and why financial literacy is often the...
2026-02-0332 min
Profit & Grit with TylerScaling a Family Trade Business Without Losing the Culture - Chris MazziniMost family-owned trade businesses don’t struggle because they lack opportunity. Growth exposes cracks in systems, roles, and communication that were never an issue when the company was smaller.Chris Mazzini is a co-owner of Aspinwall Baystate Plumbing, a 50+ year family plumbing, heating, and HVAC business in Massachusetts. He’s lived the shift from paper calendars and day-to-day decision making to real systems, structure, and scale, without losing the culture that built the company.In this episode, we talk about what actually makes scaling a family business hard, where friction really comes from, and what it t...
2026-01-2745 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe “Super User” Risk That Can Cripple Your Business Overnight - Jenny BenbrookMost home service owners think their tech problems are about tools. Jenny Benbrook would argue they’re about structure and intention. She’s spent years inside contractor tech stacks, and what consistently creates chaos isn’t bad software, it’s under-utilization, single-point failure risk, and buying tools without a plan.Jenny is the founder of Powerhouse Consulting Group, where she helps HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses actually get ROI from the software they already pay for. Her background spans marketing, data, and field service operations, giving her a clear view into why most contract...
2026-01-2047 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Rules You’re Living By Are Costing You Millions - Laura KellyMost home service owners think their growth problems are tactical. Laura Kelly would argue they’re psychological. She’s helped hundreds of contractors grow 30% year over year, and what consistently holds owners back isn’t effort or opportunity, it’s owner dependency, unexamined rules, and decisions that aren’t aligned with the life they actually want.Laura is the co-founder of Clover Growth Partners, where she works with HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses to drive revenue, profit, and quality of life at the same time. Her background in psychology shapes how she approaches growth, leadership, and performance, focusing o...
2026-01-1348 min
Profit & Grit with TylerHow to Fix Your Messy Data Before It Kills Your Margins - Bernie OllilaMost home service owners think their systems problem is a software problem. Bernie Ollila will tell you the real issue is messy data, unclear ownership, and buying tools before knowing what you’re trying to fix.Bernie is Head of Partnerships and a partner at Titan Pro Technologies, a ServiceTitan consulting firm that works with growing HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses to clean up operations, pricing, and reporting. He spends his days inside real contractor accounts, seeing exactly where data breaks down and how those breakdowns quietly crush margins.In this episode, Bernie explains why Se...
2026-01-0644 min
Profit & Grit with TylerFrom Cleaning Copper Pipes to Tracking Billions in Contractor Revenue - Kevin LeSageMost home service owners think marketing problems are solved by buying more leads. Kevin LeSage will tell you the real issue is knowing what actually turns into revenue.Kevin is the founder of SearchLight Digital, a data and attribution platform used by thousands of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies to track what marketing really produces. His story starts in a very familiar place, cleaning copper pipes in his dad’s plumbing business. That early exposure shaped how he views marketing today, not as clicks or impressions, but as jobs booked and dollars earned.Before launching Se...
2025-12-3043 min
Profit & Grit with TylerGoing Deep, Not Wide, in Home Service Marketing - Dave CarrollMost home service owners think marketing is about getting more leads. Dave Carroll will tell you it’s really about focus, discipline, and doing fewer things better than everyone else.Dave is the founder of Dope Marketing, a software and print platform built for home service businesses that want better jobs, not just more volume. His path wasn’t linear. Dave grew up around drugs and crime, went to prison in his early twenties, and came out with no safety net, no resume, and no margin for error.After prison, Dave started a window cleaning comp...
2025-12-2356 min
Profit & Grit with TylerHow SwiftPro hit 3.4 Million in Nine Months - Tyler GriffinMost home service owners think growth is about getting more leads. Tyler Griffin will tell you growth is really about what breaks next.Tyler is the founder of SwiftPro, a residential HVAC and plumbing company in Northern Virginia that scaled fast in its first year. He didn’t start with a perfectly built operation, a polished brand, or deep industry roots. He started from scratch after a tough private equity experience, with personal capital on the line, no reputation, and no margin for error.Within weeks of launching, SwiftPro was shut down by Google and ef...
2025-12-1653 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Real Reason Your Hiring Pipeline Is Empty - Kelly Rowlett PresgraveMost home service owners think they have a “people problem.” Kelly Rowlett Presgrave will tell you most of them have a speed, math, and standards problem.Kelly is the founder of Work With Your Handz, a recruiting company that hires everyone from apprentices to the C-suite for home and commercial service companies. She didn’t come out of HR. She spent nearly 30 years married to a second-generation owner who grew a plumbing company from 10 techs to 170 employees, added HVAC and electrical, and eventually exited. From that front-row seat she saw what growth really takes, how much v...
2025-12-0949 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Pay System Top Home Service Companies Use to Double Revenue - Ryan ShankMost home service owners think their revenue problem comes from not enough leads. Ryan Shank has spent years proving it usually comes from the way technicians are paid, motivated, and measured.As founder of ShareWillow, he’s helped hundreds of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies redesign their pay systems so techs think like owners, reduce callbacks, lift average tickets, and stop leaving money on the table.Ryan built and sold a tech company while getting sober, lived through brutal litigation, and rebuilt himself in a way that made him obsessed with incentives, behavior, and what re...
2025-12-0246 min
Profit & Grit with Tyler8 Steps To Book More, Charge More, Lose Less - Brigham DickinsonMost contractors think they lose jobs on price. Brigham Dickinson has spent decades proving they lose them on connection, tone, and the first sixty seconds of the call. As founder of Power Selling Pros, he’s trained thousands of CSRs and technicians to book more, charge more, and lose less by doing the simple things owners overlook.He built his company from the ground up, weathered personal and financial storms, and learned that people don’t want information first, they want to be understood. Brigham turned that insight into a framework that helps service businesses raise conversion, lift...
2025-11-2546 min
Profit & Grit with TylerHow To Survive a Cash Crunch Without Losing Your Team - Steve CarrollMost contractors think growth just means more trucks, more techs, and more jobs. Steve Carroll knows the real risk is building a big revenue number on a weak foundation. As co-founder and CEO of Kelso Industries, he’s helped turn a near-bankrupt first acquisition into a billion-dollar MEP+ platform by protecting payroll, understanding cash, and building around the right partners instead of quick exits.He started in a small Oregon town, worked with his hands, then climbed the corporate ladder at Walmart, where he helped scale a division from 15 million to 250 million in three years. That season ta...
2025-11-1848 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Race to the Face No One Talks About - James HatfieldMost contractors think they have a marketing problem. James Hatfield knows it’s usually a speed and trust problem. As president of LiveSwitch, he helps service companies win more jobs by getting face to face faster, qualifying on video, and turning “free estimates” into efficient, high-confidence closes.He grew up blue collar, built a painting and power-washing company, then went to business school to make the numbers plain English. That path, ladders to tech, led him to build tools that help owners sell quicker, train better, and keep more margin.In this episode, James breaks down r...
2025-11-1150 min
Profit & Grit with TylerMost Contractors Price Themselves Broke Without Realizing It - Danielle PutnamMost contractors think they have a sales problem. Danielle Putnam knows it’s usually a pricing problem. As the CEO of The New Flat Rate, Danielle has helped service companies across the U.S., Canada, and Australia add billions in revenue by turning guesswork into systems that sell for you.She grew up in the trades, handing out flyers for her dad’s company at seven years old, and later built a business that changed how contractors price, present, and profit. Her five-option menu system replaces pressure with psychology, helping technicians sell more without ever “selling.”In thi...
2025-11-0445 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe $3 Million Shutdown That Saved My Business - Teddy Slack JrMost contractors think shutting down a division means failure. Teddy Slack Jr. learned it can be the smartest move you ever make. After running a $3 million environmental company that looked successful on paper but was drowning in debt, Teddy made the brutal call to close it. That decision, and the lessons that followed, became the foundation for SimpleTank, a debt-free, fast-growing tank removal company built on discipline, data, and real profit.He shares how chasing top-line revenue nearly cost him everything, why factoring and debt made things worse, and how starting over forced him to focus on...
2025-10-2851 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Name, the Wrap, the Win - Dan AntonelliMost home service owners think branding is just a logo or wrap, but Dan Antonelli knows it’s the difference between being invisible and unforgettable. Dan started painting signs by hand at fifteen, learning how clarity, color, and layout decide whether someone even notices your business. That passion grew into KickCharge Creative, a 60-person agency that’s built thousands of home service brands across the country.After decades in the industry, Dan has seen what most owners miss—a weak brand quietly taxes every marketing dollar, keeping your booking rate low and your cost per lead hi...
2025-10-2151 min
Profit & Grit with Tyler5 Roadblocks Keeping Home Service Companies Stuck at $3–5M – Patrick LangeMost 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 turned his attention to helping others avoid the same mistakes.Today, as the owner of Business Modification Group, he’s one of the leading brokers for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies, havi...
2025-10-1450 minProfit & Grit with TylerFrom $6M to $40M in HVAC Revenue Without Adding More Markets - Matt PozdaMost 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 eventually spinning off construction completely.Today, as CEO of Call Dad HVAC, Matt runs a 40 million dollar business across eight Carolina markets with a goal to reach 100 million in the same footprint. His...
2025-10-0744 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Pay-for-Performance Model That Attracts A-Players - Mike AndesMost 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 PTO shaft, he realized his business couldn’t survive if everything depended on him. That turning point forced him to design systems, create margin, and eventually launch tools like Copilot CRM and P4P Software to help other ho...
2025-09-3042 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe $2.2 Million Lesson Every Home Service Owner Should Hear - Chris LeeMost 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 before hiring is critical, and how charging premium prices actually created loyalty instead of pushback.We get into the hard lessons from running on bank balance accounting...
2025-09-2347 min
Profit & Grit with TylerFrom $800 Short to $12M HVAC Entrepreneur – Katy HigginsHere’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 million in revenue. In this episode, she shares how she overcame bias as the first female comfort advisor in Utah, why she built sales and installs b...
2025-09-1643 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe $1M Revenue Leak: How Chiirp Fixed Home Service Follow-Up - Ryan FennMost 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 consistent follow up, plus how real relationships beat feature lists when you are competing with the big all-in-one systems.We get into the moment Chirp found product market fit...
2025-09-0955 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe HVAC Crisis That Built a $5 Million Business - Jack CarrMost 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 scrambling to keep the phones answered and units running, to building a $5M business with a clear plan to hit $20M by 2030. He breaks down...
2025-09-0245 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Costly Marketing Gap That Goes Beyond the Truck Wrap - Sarah GhirardoMost 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. She explains why marketing without math is the biggest mistake owners make, how personal branding can fuel growth, and what it really takes to stand out in today’s competitive tr...
2025-08-2637 minProfit & Grit with Tyler5 Red Flags That Kill Profits in HVAC and Plumbing - John WilsonClick 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, fighting through financial chaos, and building a leadership team capable of running a $30M+ operation.You’ll hear how John turned low moments including la...
2025-08-1940 min
Think Business with TylerThank You for 200+ Conversations - Tyler MartinAfter 200+ episodes, I’m hitting pause on Think Business with Tyler. In this solo episode, I share why I made the decision, what I’ve learned from these conversations, and where I’m headed next. If you’ve enjoyed the stories and insights here, I’d love for you to join me on my new show, Profit & Grit, where I dive deep into the real challenges and wins of home service entrepreneurs.
Listen in for a heartfelt thank you and a look at what’s next.
My links:
www.profitandgrit.com
w...
2025-08-0404 min
Profit & Grit with TylerStuck at $1M-$10M? The Free Marketing Hack Home Service Businesses Miss - Michael VenidisAfter 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 out "how"• Companies in the $3-5 million range shouldn't jump immediately to paid advertising• Larger businesses must thoroughly vet marketing agencies by examining reporting systems and industry specialization• Your Google Business Profile does more heavy lift...
2025-07-2945 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Home Services Masterclass: Profit, Apprenticeships, and Exit Strategy - Lou HobaicaLou 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• Created a streamlined 8-week apprenticeship program to build the right team culture• Focused on selling themselves first—"You'll like a Hobica"—not just their services• Discovered $1 of labor carries $3 of overhead while parts/equipment only carries $0.50• Used flat-rate pricing and strategic...
2025-07-2257 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Hidden Trifecta Driving Growth in Top Home Service Companies - Brennen SmithBrennan 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 never receive any response—representing massive lost revenue• Top companies implement systematic follow-up across multiple channels (call, text, email)• The shift from lead-centric to relationship-centric business models creates sustainable growth• AI tools for call handling and customer communication are creating competitive advantages• Tracki...
2025-05-2742 min
Profit & Grit with TylerWhy Your Home Service Business Needs a Weekly Dashboard - Daniel FeltDaniel 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 business decisions• The critical 42.5% payroll-to-revenue ratio that serves as his primary profitability indicator• Why he abandoned handyman services despite rapid growth when the numbers showed poor margins• How he leverages micro-influencers (5-20K followers) through service trades i...
2025-05-2049 min
Profit & Grit with TylerWhy HVAC Techs Leave and How to Make Them Stay - Danielle WernertDanielle 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 • Creating training dashboards to track certifications, headcount, and employee tenure spotlights retention issues• Asking technicians what they want to learn rather than assuming their training needs• Gamifying training engages hands-on learners better than traditional classroom settings• Technician turnover costs $50,000-$70,000 per employee...
2025-05-1340 min
Profit & Grit with TylerTurning Seasonal Gaps into Gold with Matthew EfirdMatthew 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 outdoor pest control primarily to residential customers• Created Lighting Pros to solve the seasonal employment problem and keep quality team members year-round• Positioned both businesses as premium services with a "charge more and be worth it" philosophy• Average lighting job now exceeds $10,000 by focus...
2025-05-0657 min
Profit & Grit with TylerThe Bank That Gets Tradespeople with Dillon CarawayDylan 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 Bank takes an industry-focused approach rather than regional, lending nationwide to specialized industries• The bank has been the #1 SBA 7A lender by dollar volume since 2017• They evaluate businesses primarily on cash flow coverage rather than tangible collateral• The crit...
2025-04-2940 min
Profit & Grit with TylerMake It Extraordinary in the Trades with Jacob LawsonJacob Lawson transformed from an offshore oil worker to founding a thriving commercial flooring enterprise focused on making life extraordinary. His journey from starting with a "Home Depot card and a prayer" to scaling a multi-million dollar operation demonstrates how strategic business decisions and personal development create sustainable success.• Built a flooring business specializing in polished concrete and epoxy coatings with a 90-10 commercial to residential ratio• Developed a personal brand and philosophy around "making life extraordinary" based on four pillars: health, wealth, relationships, and purpose• Made a strategic pivot from residential to commercial work after...
2025-04-2243 min
Profit & Grit with TylerFrom Pole and Brush to Profit with Dallin HusoDallin transformed a pool maintenance startup into a premium brand through strategic marketing, team-first culture, and systematic growth while maintaining work-life balance.• Starting at 21 with just basic pool equipment and door-knocking for clients• Reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad as the catalyst for entrepreneurial mindset• Creating distinctive branding with Flamingo Pools to stand out from competitors• Developing subscription-based pricing model with no long-term contracts• Rejecting the concept of "slow seasons" through diversified service offerings• Implementing performance-based compensation (80% base, 20% incentives)• Building culture that prioritizes results over micromanagement• Using three-interview process with personality assessments for...
2025-04-1540 min
Profit & Grit with TylerTrust-Based Sales Will Make Your Home Service Business Thrive - Gary RawdingGary Rodding transformed from aspiring musician to successful business owner by building companies that prioritize trust, quality, and people over aggressive sales tactics. His innovative approaches to sales training, cash flow management, and team building have created sustainable growth for Symphony Concrete Coatings and Symphony Home Improvement.• Building businesses that prioritize customer education and trust over aggressive sales tactics• Differentiating through consultative selling in an industry known for pushy tactics• Hiring people without sales experience to avoid entrenched bad habits• Using unconventional interview questions like "tell me a joke" to assess character and composure• Cr...
2025-04-0844 min
Profit & Grit with TylerSuccess Starts After Dark in the Trades with Cinco WinstonCinco Winston shares his journey of starting a line striping business with zero customers lined up, investing in equipment, and building a profitable company in just six months through determination and strategic relationship building.• Left a construction job to start True Line Striping in Waco, Texas• Identified market gap in parking lot striping services• Invested in quality equipment including a $10k striping machine• Works unconventional hours (often 3am-6am) to accommodate client needs• Built client base through persistent door knocking and networking• Developed relationships with property managers and decision-makers• Now receiving more inbound l...
2025-04-0136 min