Roofing Podcast: Hook Better Leads

Guest: Noah Berglin — Co-Founder, Owl Roofing Guest Links: Website: https://owlroofing.comA year ago he said don't join the roofing industry. Now he runs a roofing company. Real numbers, no spin.Noah Berglin came on this podcast a year ago and vented about how rough it was to be a roofing sales rep in the Twin Cities. That episode kicked off him leaving his company and co-founding Owl Roofing. This is the honest one-year check-in: $4 million sold, $5 million collected, aiming for $7 to $10 million, with roughly 50/50 retail and insurance work. He explains why the insurance model is quietly converting to retail whether contractors like it or not (3:42), why door knocking underperformed expectations (17:18), and why he thinks financing is the actual future of roofing (27:46).You'll learn:Why actual cash value and roof payment schedules are turning insurance jobs into retail salesThe real split: what's working and what isn't at the one year markWhy sold and collected are different numbers, and why deposits are the scariest trap in roofingHow much cash a roofing company should carry into winterThe $30K storm response budget sitting ready for digital billboards and postcardsWhy 100 doors a week got harder when leads went upThe dad joke yard sign strategy and how to A/B test 500 signs at a timeWhy you're not competing with other roofers, you're competing for attention

Guest: Brianna Skiffington — Founder, Free Agency | Co-Founder, Space Heroes HVAC Guest Links: https://callspaceheroes.com | https://freeagency.ai | https://cxc.aiA fractional CMO who spent 10 years marketing the trades just started her own HVAC company. Goal: $10M next year.Brianna Skiffington runs Free Agency, publishes Moneyball Marketing, and just launched Space Heroes HVAC in Huntsville, Alabama, remotely. She built the website with Claude in three days, is budgeting 25 to 30% on marketing through 2030, and is finally testing everything she's been telling clients to do for a decade (44:59). The conversation also gets into lead aggregators most roofers dismiss (14:38), the satellite GBP playbook after running 50 of them (40:00), and why marketers should stop pitching against each other.You'll learn:The lead aggregators everyone says suck that actually work (Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, Yelp, Modernize)The car insurance story behind her "call three times in one minute" ruleWhy speed to lead beats everything and how to wire it into your CRMHow to open a satellite GBP the right way (citations first, internet bill, Chrome hack)Why you check the top 3 reviewed companies before betting on LSAs in a new marketThe voice memo to blog pipeline she runs with field techs from 800 miles awayTim's backlink reverse-engineering play: write for what AI wants to cite, not your ideal customer (35:00)

Guest: Sam Tacheny — Owner, Tacheny Exteriors Guest Links: Website: https://tachenyexteriors.comTwo Twin Cities roofing competitors sit down and share everything. Culture, sales systems, PE horror stories.Sam Tacheny runs Tacheny Exteriors in the Twin Cities and reached out to talk shop instead of treating the competition like the enemy. The conversation gets into why private equity is flooding the roofing market and what happens when it goes wrong (14:36), the Roscoe bankruptcy that left homeowners with unfinished work, why family owned businesses should act like enterprise companies anyway, and Sam's three recommendations for building a sales team without wrecking it (21:22).You'll learn:Why most price objections are actually a lack of discoveryHow to find your real core values instead of aspirational ones on a wallWhy you need one documented selling system, not "here's some videos, good luck"Why the insurance game is getting harder and retail should be your focusWhat to watch for in PE acceleration clauses before you signThe hook, open loop, and pattern interrupt formula for contractor video (32:56)

Guest: Tom and Karen Belko — Owners, Vector Services Guest Links: Website: https://callvector.comHow this HVAC and plumbing company went from $3M to over $10M in two years. Three moves did it.Tom and Karen run Vector Services in the Twin Cities doing HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and drains. In 2023 they were nine employees running white vans out of their houses. Now they're pushing $12.5 million and hiring a sales director. They break down the three moves that got them there: going deep on Service Titan instead of treating a CRM like a bolt-on (2:38), the Kick Charge rebrand with Dan Antonelli that put their wraps all over the metro (18:44), and hiring people smarter than them and actually getting out of the way (19:54).You'll learn:How to get technicians to actually adopt new softwareThe follow-up dashboard and daily report that holds salespeople accountableWhy your CRM setup IS your business process, not an add-onThe difference between a high performing salesperson and a real sales leader (25:06)Why family owned beats PE-backed when you're recruitingThe yard sign and wrapped bus strategy for cities that ban billboards

Guest: Lance Bachmann — Founder & Owner, LB Capital | MN Exteriors Guest Links: Website: https://lbachmanncapital.comLance Bachmann grew up in foster care and group homes, went bankrupt in his 30s, and now runs LB Capital, a home service platform on track for $150 to $175 million in revenue with 14 roofing companies under MN Exteriors, all funded with his own money and zero private equity. In this episode, he explains why roofing in 2026 is where HVAC was 30 years ago, breaks down the LB Capital 50% partnership model and why retaining local brand equity is non-negotiable, and gets blunt about the three metrics that actually matter. It's a raw conversation about energy, marriage, haters, gratitude, and why most people overcomplicate a business that comes down to sold revenue, gross profit, and net income.You'll learn:Why roofing in 2026 is where HVAC was 30 years ago (and why PE can't find good companies)The LB Capital model: 50% equity, operational control, and full playbook accessWhy retaining local brand equity beats consolidating under one nameHow adding roofing to an HVAC and plumbing business added $15M in revenueThe three metrics that actually matter: sold revenue, gross profit, net incomeWhy 50% gross profit almost guarantees 15 to 20% net if operations are rightThe daily automated text report he gets at 6am (leads, booking rate, close rate, average ticket, rehash)Why he fired his own mother from bookkeeping over a mindset mismatchWhy he never discusses business with his wife (and why he thinks no one should)How bankruptcy happened: no financial literacy, not a bad economyWhy he owns real estate outright so he can never go bankrupt againSauna, ice bath, prayer, and cutting alcohol: the energy management routineThe Man in the Arena principle and why haters don't get attentionWhy he'll sell the platform but only to someone who keeps him leading it"We have obstacles, not problems" and the gratitude mindset behind it