To The Point - Home Services VIP Room Podcast

Lacey Peevey, VP of WeCo Rooter, joins Chris Yano, Chad Peterman, and Aaron Gaynor in the VIP Room to share how she and her husband John went from operating under a national plumbing brand to building an independent company of their own.After joining the business in 2017, Lacey and John helped grow the operation to nearly $7M. But when the time came to renew their agreement with the national brand, they made the decision to go out on their own.Lacey breaks down what it took to fully rebrand the company into WeCo Rooter, why they were willing to take a step back to build something they could truly own, and how the business is now approaching $6M while continuing to build momentum.The conversation also covers customer service, building trust, training technicians, pricing, growing the average ticket ethically, and the challenges of scaling a plumbing and drain business toward $10M.Plus, Lacey shares what she believes is broken in home services, from customer service and licensing to continuing education and staying up to date with new technology.Timestamps00:00 – Intro & Meet Lacey Peevey02:00 – How Lacey and John Got Into the Business05:00 – Joining a National Plumbing Brand in 201708:00 – Growing the Business Toward $7M11:00 – Why They Decided to Go Independent15:00 – Leaving the National Brand the Right Way19:00 – The Challenges of a Full Rebrand23:00 – Building the WeCo Rooter Brand27:00 – Growing Back Toward $6M31:00 – Customer Service & Building Trust35:00 – Training Technicians Beyond Technical Skills39:00 – Ethical Pricing & Growing Average Ticket43:00 – Scaling WeCo Rooter Toward $10M47:00 – Building Relationships & Finding the Right Training50:00 – What’s Broken in Home Services?53:00 – Final Thoughts & What’s Next for WeCo RooterThank you to our sponsors!Avoca.ai: Special Offer for Podcast Listeners: 4% Rebate, Your First 12 Months - https://avoca.ai/r/tothepointYelp: https://business.yelp.com/homeservicevipSales Ask: Book a free sales visibility session with SalesAsk and mention To The Point to access the exclusive listener offer. https://www.salesask.com/Basic Capital: To The Point Podcast listeners get $0 employer fees for 12 months. Claim the offer and give your team a real path to retirement: https://basiccapital.com/tothepointSend It! Email Marketing: https://www.withsendit.com/Can’t Stop The Growth: https://cantstopthegrowth.comContractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com

What does it really take to take over a family business, expand into multiple trades, and build it into a $20M home services company?In this episode of the To The Point Home Services VIP Room, Chris Yano and Chad Peterman sit down with Mandie Hagan, owner of Rowell Services, a family-owned home services company in New Hampshire offering septic, drain cleaning, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, excavation, and pipe relining.Mandie shares the story of stepping into the family business after the unexpected loss of her father, moving back from Colorado, and helping her mom continue the company. From starting with just a small operation to building a team of nearly 90 employees and pacing toward $20M in revenue, Mandie opens up about the decisions, challenges, and leadership lessons along the way.The conversation covers adding multiple trades, finding the right leaders, moving from top-line growth to focusing on profitability, building an organizational structure, generating leads with a strong local brand, cross-trade referrals, and the personal pressure that comes with running a growing company.Mandie also talks about why Rao Services has remained independently owned, her plans to preserve her father's legacy, and what she's focused on as the company enters its next stage of growth.Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to the VIP Room01:30 – Meet Mandie Hagan & the Rao Services story04:15 – Losing her father and returning home to the family business08:10 – Moving back from Colorado and taking over the company11:30 – How Rao Services began expanding beyond septic15:00 – The lesson Mandie learned from adding multiple trades at once18:00 – Finding the right people for the right seats21:00 – Mandie's role as owner and Ian's transition out of the field24:00 – Building the leadership structure at Rao Services27:00 – Visionary vs. Integrator: Knowing your role as an owner30:30 – Marketing strategies behind a $20M home services business33:30 – The power of cross-trade referrals36:00 – What's actually difficult about growing a larger company39:00 – Dealing with criticism and the pressure of success42:00 – Preserving her father's legacy and the 2027 vision45:00 – What's next for Rao Services?47:30 – Planning for the next stage of growth49:00 – Final thoughts with Mandie HaganThank you to our sponsors!Avoca.ai: Special Offer for Podcast Listeners: 4% Rebate, Your First 12 Months - https://avoca.ai/r/tothepointYelp: https://business.yelp.com/homeservicevipSales Ask: Book a demo and turn your conversations into predictable revenue. Mention To The Point to access an exclusive listener offer. https://www.salesask.com/Basic Capital: To The Point Podcast listeners get $0 employer fees for 12 months. Claim the offer and give your team a real path to retirement: https://basiccapital.com/tothepointSend It! Email Marketing: https://www.withsendit.com/Can’t Stop The Growth: https://cantstopthegrowth.comContractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com

What happens when a nearly bankrupt pool company decides to answer every question its customers are asking?For Marcus Sheridan, it changed everything.After nearly losing River Pools during the 2008 recession, Marcus transformed the business through radical transparency and became the bestselling author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers.In this episode of the To The Point Home Services VIP Room, Marcus breaks down what home service companies need to do to win in sales and marketing today, from being transparent about pricing and building trust to adapting to AI and changing customer behavior.He shares why pricing estimators can drive more leads, what makes AI recommend one contractor over another, why speed-to-lead matters, and how sales teams can build trust without relying on outdated or manipulative tactics.If you want to win more customers and stay ahead of where sales and marketing are heading, this episode is packed with tactics you can put to work right now.RESOURCES FROM MARCUSWant to add a pricing estimator to your website?Check out PriceGuide: https://priceguide.aiWant to see how AI views your business?Run your AI Trust Signals check: https://aitrustsignals.comWant to learn more from Marcus?Explore his books, including They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers: https://marcussheridan.com/booksPut the customer’s questions first.Learn more about Question First: https://questionfirst.comTimestamps00:00 - Welcome Back to the VIP Room & Marcus Sheridan Introduction03:30 - Marcus' Story: River Pools Nearly Goes Bankrupt08:00 - How the 2008 Recession Changed Marcus' Approach to Marketing12:00 - The Origin of They Ask, You Answer15:00 - Why Businesses Need to Become Obsessed With Their Buyers18:00 - Should Contractors Give Pricing Over the Phone?22:00 - Why Customers Get Frustrated When Companies Hide Pricing26:00 - How a Pricing Article Generated $35M+ in Sales29:00 - Why Pricing Estimators Can Transform Lead Generation32:00 - AI Is Changing Search Forever35:00 - What Makes AI Recommend One Contractor Over Another?38:00 - The 3 F's of Innovation: Fear, Faster & Friction41:00 - The "Mother of All Review Pages" & AI Trust Signals44:00 - Why Contractors Need Awards & Expert Author Pages47:00 - Speed-to-Lead & the Future of AI Voice50:00 - Showroom vs. In-Home Sales52:00 - Why Homeowners Should Know Who Is Coming to Their Door54:00 - Stop Selling With Manipulation: The Power of Discovery56:00 - Why 80% of Sales Training Should Focus on the Opening58:00 - Teaching Homeowners to "Call Your Baby Ugly"59:00 - Marcus' Final Advice for Home Service ContractorsThank you to our sponsors!Avoca.ai: Special Offer for Podcast Listeners: 4% Rebate, Your First 12 Months - https://avoca.ai/r/tothepointYelp: https://business.yelp.com/homeservicevipSales Ask: Book a demo and turn your conversations into predictable revenue. Mention To The Point to access an exclusive listener offer. https://www.salesask.com/Basic Capital: To The Point Podcast listeners get $0 employer fees for 12 months. Claim the offer and give your team a real path to retirement: https://basiccapital.com/tothepointSend It! Email Marketing: https://www.withsendit.com/Can’t Stop The Growth: https://cantstopthegrowth.comContractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com

What does it take to build a home services company that lasts for more than seven decades?In this episode of To The Point Home Services VIP Room, we sit down with Bobby Ring, President and CEO of Meyer & Depew Co., to talk about the incredible 73-year history behind the company and how a family-owned HVAC business has continued to evolve through multiple generations.Bobby shares how Meyer & Depew grew from a small commercial-focused company into a thriving $14M HVAC business, the lessons he learned working alongside his father, and what he is doing differently as his own son becomes part of the next generation of leadership.We also dive into the challenges of working with family, empowering the next generation of leaders, building a culture that lasts, and why Bobby believes contractors need to get really good at their core business before expanding into additional trades.From failed attempts at adding electrical to deciding whether to eventually sell the business or pass it down, Bobby gives an honest look at the decisions that come with leading an independent home services company.Plus, the guys discuss why a $10M to $20M business should not be undervalued, the impact of joining Nexstar, how to improve closing rates, and one of the biggest problems in the home services industry: contractors not understanding the true value of what they provide.If you're building a family business, leading an independent company, or trying to grow your home services business without losing what made it special in the first place, this episode is for you.Timestamps:00:00 Welcome to the VIP Room03:00 Meet Bobby Ring and Meyer & Depew Co.06:00 The 73-year history of the business12:00 Bobby’s journey from employee to owner16:00 Working with family and preparing the next generation21:00 How to build a culture that lasts26:00 Empowering leaders and letting go of control30:00 Generations of comfort and trust34:00 Marketing a 73-year-old HVAC brand38:00 Why Meyer & Depew hasn’t added another trade43:00 Why bigger isn’t always better in home services46:00 Joining Nexstar and getting better at HVAC49:00 What’s broken in the home services industry52:00 Understanding pricing, margin, and the true cost of doing business55:00 Staying independent or selling the businessThank you to our sponsors!Avoca.ai: Special Offer for Podcast Listeners: 4% Rebate, Your First 12 Months - https://avoca.ai/r/tothepointYelp: https://business.yelp.com/homeservicevipSales Ask: Book a demo and turn your conversations into predictable revenue. Mention To The Point to access an exclusive listener offer. https://www.salesask.com/Basic Capital: To The Point Podcast listeners get $0 employer fees for 12 months. Claim the offer and give your team a real path to retirement: https://basiccapital.com/tothepointSend It! Email Marketing: https://www.withsendit.com/Can’t Stop The Growth: https://cantstopthegrowth.comContractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com

Jack Hope, Owner of Hope Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, joins the VIP Room to break down the journey from a small plumbing company to a business that did roughly $62M in 2025 and is pacing toward $75M.Jack shares how he and his partner started Hope Plumbing, the pivotal role Nexstar played in helping them build systems and scale, and why they spent years focusing almost exclusively on plumbing before expanding into HVAC and, more recently, electrical.The conversation dives into the strategy behind dominating specific neighborhoods, why old-school tactics like door-to-door canvassing still work, how to know when it's time to add another trade, and why Jack believes having the right people in the right positions becomes the biggest growth lever once you reach scale.He also shares his most underrated and overrated KPIs, why he believes average ticket can be overrated, and the importance of building trust with customers instead of simply maximizing every individual call.Timestamps00:00 – Intro & Meet Jack Hope 03:30 – Building Hope Plumbing From the Ground Up 07:00 – The Early Days & Learning From Mistakes 11:00 – The Nexstar Turning Point 15:00 – How Hope Took Over Its First Market 19:00 – Why Door-to-Door Canvassing Still Works 23:00 – “Win One Zip Code at a Time” 27:00 – Why They Stayed Focused on Plumbing 31:00 – Going From $2M to $60M+ in Plumbing 35:00 – Adding HVAC Through Acquisition 39:00 – Why Electrical May Be Easier Than HVAC 43:00 – The Opportunity in the Electrical Market 46:00 – What’s Broken in Home Services? 48:00 – The Health of the Trades Workforce 50:00 – Jack’s Rapid-Fire Growth Questions 51:00 – Best Growth Lever Under $10M vs. Over $50M 53:00 – Most Overrated & Underrated KPIs 55:00 – Jack’s Advice for Growing Home Services Businesses 56:30 – Final Thoughts & OutroThank you to our sponsors!Avoca.ai: Special Offer for Podcast Listeners: 4% Rebate, Your First 12 Months - https://avoca.ai/r/tothepointYelp: https://business.yelp.com/homeservicevipSales Ask: Book a free sales visibility session with SalesAsk and mention To The Point to access the exclusive listener offer. https://www.salesask.com/Basic Capital: To The Point Podcast listeners get $0 employer fees for 12 months. Claim the offer and give your team a real path to retirement: https://basiccapital.com/tothepointSend It! Email Marketing: https://www.withsendit.com/Can’t Stop The Growth: https://cantstopthegrowth.comContractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com