Profit & Grit with Tyler
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Profit & Grit is the no-BS weekly podcast for home service business owners and blue collar entrepreneurs. Each episode features real strategies from successful contractors and industry experts in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and other trades. Hosted by Tyler Martin, a fractional CFO for home service businesses and the trades, Profit & Grit dives into growth, cash flow, hiring, pricing, and leadership. If you own or want to grow a business in the trades, this home service podcast will help you build a stronger, more profitable company.
38 Episodes
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Most 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...
Most 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 hel...
Most 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 replac...
Most 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...
Most 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...
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 turned his attention to helping others avoid the same mistakes. Today, as the owner of Business Modi...
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 eventually spinning off construction completely. Today, as CEO of Call Dad HVAC, Matt runs a 40 mill...
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 PTO shaft, he realized his business couldn’t survive if everything depended on him. That turning ...
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 before hiring is critical, and how charging premium prices actually created loyalty instead of pu...
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 million in revenue. In this episode, she shares how she overcame bias as the first female comfort a...
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 consistent follow up, plus how real relationships beat feature lists when you are competing with the big ...
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 scrambling to keep the phones answered and units running, to building a $5M business with a clear plan to...
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. She explains why marketing without math is the biggest mistake owners make, how personal branding c...
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, fighting through financial chaos, and building a leadership team capable of running a $30M+ opera...
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 parties or focusing on hiring before creating training systems • Door-to-door sales should be viewe...
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 $24 and a secondhand mower in 1982 • Built business by constantly asking "how can I improve?" in eve...
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 out "how" • Companies in the $3-5 million range shouldn't jump immediately to paid advertising • Larger busi...
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 • Created a streamlined 8-week apprenticeship program to build the right team culture • Focused on selling th...
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" - delegate $20/hour tasks and focus on $500/hour activities • Using social media consistently since 201...
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 in three years what his first couldn't accomplish in ten • Transformed his business model from be...
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