Podcasts about heating

Most contractors think branding is about logos, colors, and marketing. It's not. The strongest brands in the trades do something much more powerful: they attract great employees, create loyal customers, and make growth easier. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Levi Torres, founder of High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, to discuss how consistent branding became the foundation for one of Colorado's fastest-growing home service companies. What started as a simple idea—a high five at the end of every service call—evolved into a recognizable brand that helps attract top talent, improve retention, and create a culture employees are proud to be part of. Levi shares how High 5 uses social media, training systems, operational consistency, and employee development to build a company that technicians actively want to join. They discuss: • Why branding is a recruiting tool, not just a marketing tool • How company culture influences hiring success • The power of consistency in building trust • Why social media has become a recruiting engine • Creating clear career paths for technicians • Building training systems that support growth • How documentation makes scaling easier • Expanding into HVAC and electrical without losing culture • The role of AI in coaching and employee development • Why employee experience directly impacts customer experience If you're struggling to hire quality people, improve retention, or scale your service business, this episode will show you how a strong brand can solve more problems than you think. Timestamps 00:00 Building a Social Media Presence 06:12 Naming the plumbing business 08:06 Starting to focus on plumbing 10:54 Importance of personal growth in business 14:23 Adapting Branding During Covid 18:02 Switching to social media strategy 20:02 Social media's role in recruiting 23:38 Training technicians to show passion 26:50 Building a Trusting Work Culture 30:15 Employee system review meetings 35:14 Setting up HVAC systems 38:10 Following systems for success 41:22 Customer acquisition strategies and shifts 44:01 Rotating manager-led training sessions 47:49 Utilizing AI for company growth 49:52 Experience with automatic recording systems 54:37 Understanding team roles and strengths 56:42 Balancing revenue and company culture Follow the Host and Guest Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Joshua Crouch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-crouch/ Levi Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levi-torres-9b4b97103/ Connect with Us • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmasterypodcast • Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly powered by: UpFrog: upfrog.com  MarketStorm is an AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/  Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail!: https://www.callrail.com/sbmpod CompanyCam: https://companycam.com/  Breezy: Capture 25-30% more clients with Breezy AI Agents. Use code 'SBM' to book a demo and get $500 on us: https://getbreezyapp.com/schedule-demo PhoneTAP: Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo 

Patrick Lemmon and Seth HarrisIn this episode, Patrick and Seth discuss the principles of traditional and orthodox building methods, the importance of local materials, and the future of sustainable construction. They explore how craftsmanship, local culture, and thoughtful design can create enduring and meaningful structures.Keywords:building, masonry, traditional construction, local materials, sustainability, architecture, craftsmanship, Vermont, masonry revival, orthodox Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Built Environment and Human Flourishing03:00 Personal Journeys in Craftsmanship and Building Traditions05:58 The Philosophy Behind Orthodox Masonry08:54 The Importance of Teamwork in Craftsmanship11:50 Learning from Nature: Building with Local Materials15:00 Challenging Traditional Building Practices18:02 The Historical Context of Building in Vermont21:04 The Concept of Housewrights and Holistic Building23:57 The Impact of Industrialization on Building Practices27:03 The Relationship Between Building Materials and Environment29:59 The Future of Building: Embracing Local and Sustainable Practices40:02 The Impact of Flooding on Homes41:56 The Evolution of Building Materials43:50 Ventilation and Heating in Masonry Homes50:04 Design Principles in Architecture52:00 The State of the Building Arts Movement01:03:04 Optimism in Building PracticesOrthodox Masonry is a design/build firm specializing in structural masonry and timber frame construction. Creating buildings that are both structurally and aesthetically resilient, we offer an alternative to disposable construction. https://www.orthodoxmasonry.com/about

South Side Jake from South Side Plumbing and Heating comes on The Fan Hotline to quiz Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on sports trivia for this weekly segment!

Matt Litchford of Brown's Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical shares the story behind the company's growth over the past 20 years. He discusses how founder Brandon Brown built the business from the ground up with a small loan, as well as his own 25-year career in the electrical trade and what led him to join the Brown's team.Matt also talks about the expansion of the company's services to include electrical work, the challenges of building customer awareness, and the importance of hiring trustworthy employees. He emphasizes the value of following industry codes and standards, as well as the role community support and the CVABC have played in helping Brown's grow into a trusted local business.

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 06/13/26: Rich Dykstra Sr., HVAC Hall of Famer for Doornbos Heating and Air Conditioning, talks beating the heatwave. Rich lets listeners in on common issues you may face like ice buildups, condensate leaks, dirty coils, clogged filters, and more! For more information on Doornbos, visit doornbos.com or call 708-831-2281.

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago, David Hochberg is joined by HVAC Hall of Famer Rich Dykstra for Doornbos Heating and Air Conditioning to talk the incoming heat wave. Next, Mike Huston of Lindholm Roofing talks leaky roofs. Then, Rose Pest Solutions' Marketing Director Janelle Iaccino, A.K.A. ‘The Bug Girl,' prepares you for a bite-free […]

This episode features Mike Bryant from Bradshaw & Bryant, psychic Ruth Lordan, Solidarity HealthShare co-founder and president Chris Faddis, and Sabre Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning owner Steve Hucovski with homeowner tips. 

Andy Cam and Todd Glister talk about when Plumbing & Heating Engineers should do certain things. They talk about how a Plumbers day could unfold in an ideal world... and then what really happens and also share some stories of having the best and worst timing ever! 

Today on Galway Talks with John Morley:  9am-10am  73,000 Students Exempt from Irish as New Report Warns of Growing Crisis  Homes Damaged and Bus Torched as Violence Erupts in Belfast  Galway Research Calls for National Coastal Erosion Masterplan  10am-11am Family Carers Cutting Back on Food and Heating as Cost of Caring Soars  Motors   'Veruca Salt' Joins Galway Comic Con for Willy Wonka Anniversary Celebration  11am-12pm Financial advice   Record Entries as Network Galway Prepares for Businesswoman of the Year Awards  60 Brave Fundraisers to Take the Leap in Galway's First Urban Abseil 

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, recap the USMNT's 2-1 loss against Germany and preview their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Paraguay!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

In this episode of the WB Download, host Jeff Wieland sits down with Trent Morris of A1  Mechanical Heating and Cooling to explore one of the most important components of any custom home, heating, cooling, and indoor comfort.With nearly four decades of HVAC experience, Trent shares why comfort should always take priority over efficiency when designing a home's mechanical systems. He walks listeners through the HVAC design process, explaining the importance of detailed load calculations, proper ductwork design, static pressure, air filtration, zoning, insulation, and window performance. Trent also discusses the evolution of heating and cooling technology, including the benefits of multi-stage and variable-capacity equipment, smart thermostats, and modern indoor air quality solutions.Beyond the technical side, Trent shares his personal journey into the HVAC industry, the mentors who shaped his career, and how A1 Mechanical invests in training, workforce development, and giving people second chances through meaningful careers in the trades.Key Topics Covered:HVAC design for custom homesLoad calculations and comfort-driven system sizingStatic pressure and ductwork designMulti-stage and variable-capacity equipmentIndoor air quality and air filtrationZoning systems and smart thermostatsMaintenance best practicesWorkforce development in the skilled tradesWhether you're planning a custom home, interested in building science, or simply want to understand how to create a healthier, more comfortable living environment, this episode is packed with valuable insights from one of the industry's most experienced professionals.A1 Mechanical Heating and Cooling Website or call 937-865-2325Email Jeff your comments, questions, and topic requests, or be a guest on The WB Download.Email: WBDOWNLOAD@wielandbuilders.comSee Wieland Builders custom home gallery  www.wielandbuilders.comReceive inspiration monthly in our monthly newsletter See podcast behind the scenes photosFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Houzz , LinkedIn or Pinterest 

South Side Jake from South Side Plumbing and Heating comes on The Fan Hotline to quiz Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on sports trivia for this weekly segment!

Police Officer pulls a gun on Co-Worker who was Heating up Fish in the MicrowaveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Jered Williams Show, host Jared Williams and guest Eddie Burkhurst break down a real profit-and-loss statement from Prospector Plumbing and Heating, walking listeners through total income, cost of goods sold, gross profit, overhead, and net profit while explaining how to read the numbers, spot problems above or below the gross-profit line, and use percentages and efficiency metrics to guide pricing, labor, materials, and marketing decisions.

This episode features Mike Bryant from Bradshaw & Bryant, Restaurant Gal, psychic Ruth Lordan and Sabre Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning owner Steve Hucovski with homeowner tips.

Send us Fan MailWe had the absolute honor of sitting down with an absolute industry powerhouse, Mary Jean Anderson, former owner and CEO of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air.In this episode, Mary Jean peels back the curtain on the exact strategies that allowed her company to average a staggering $3.6 million in growth every single year placing the right people in the right seats, and why true leadership requires you to "hire your weakness" to protect your own business goals.If you are a contractor ready to take your plumbing, HVAC, or electrical company to a 7 or 8 Figure Business, grab a notebook because this episode is packed with invaluable, real-world business wisdom.Reach Out Mary Jean AndersonInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryjeananderson/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryjean-anderson-68b56714/Facebook This Episode Is Sponsor By Free AgencyTime Stamps: 00:37 – Introducing Mary Jean Anderson02:05 – Managing Stage Nerves After Decades of Team Leadership03:41 – The Anderson Story: From a $3.2M Operation to a $62M Exit05:01 – Building an Actionable Mission Statement That Outlasts Artwork08:50 – How to Help People Become Their Best to Drive a Company Growth09:44 – Mastering Profitability: Inventory Control on a 200-Truck Fleet10:35 – Interview Secrets: Using Negative Prompts and Asset Questions to Filter Talent12:11 – Delivering a 98.2% "Wow Experience" Customer Retention Strategy14:18 – Shifting from Transactional Customers to Lifelong Clients14:50 – Transitioning From Nursing to HVAC: The Art of Hiring Your Weakness15:58 – Breaking Stereotypes: Why Women Are Crushing It in the Trades18:18 – Leveraging Maintenance Agreements to Drive In-Home System Sales19:10 – Launching an Internal Training Institute to Combat Labor Shortages20:17 – The Critical Dangers of Third-Generation Watered-Down Training21:30 – Visionaries vs. Integrators: How Brain Trusts Build Empires22:55 – Let's Start Actively Hiring Women In The Trades25:56 – Launching an Internal Training Institute to Eliminate Labor Shortages27:07 – The Critical Dangers of Third-Generation Watered-Down Training28:21 – Visionaries vs. Integrators: How Brain Trusts Build Empires29:40 – Hire Your Weakness: Why the Best Trade CEOs Leave some Skills to the Experts31:18 – The Cost of Forcing Yourself Into Roles You Hate32:32 – This Episode Is Sponsored By Free Agency 34:00 – Behind the $62M Empire: Mary Jean's Biggest Business M&A Mistake36:30 – How to Connect with Mary Jean Anderson and Final Closing Remarks

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, dissect the 2026 USMNT World Cup Roster from top to bottom, recap their 3-2 win over Senegal, and preview what's to come in Chicago against Germany!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

They evaluate the current NFL wide receiver market and critique Nathan MacKinnon's leadership following his refusal to speak with the media after a playoff loss. The conversation shifts to the feasibility of removing professional sports drafts and ends with a deep dive into the historically poor statistics of Nathan Peterman. 01:36 - Wide Receiver Contract Market 04:10 - Nathan MacKinnon's Leadership 08:05 - Removing Professional Drafts 11:20 - Stefon Diggs Return Rumors 23:31 - Nathan Peterman's Career Stats

Andy Cam and Todd Glister chat to John Cruickshank and Dan Tempest about whether it's fair enough to walk off of a job. Andy and Todd ask John and Dan to share some past experiences and their thoughts and then touch on their own issues with customers too.

South Side Jake from South Side Plumbing and Heating comes on The Fan Hotline to quiz Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on sports trivia for this weekly segment!

Send us Fan MailOverviewIn this episode, we move beyond the industry's obsession with nominal appliance ratings to confront a uncomfortable truth: "The Phantom Efficiency." We sit down with Robert Whitney to discuss why the UK heating sector is currently failing its first major test in the transition to electrification. We explore why we continue to chase theoretical efficiency gains on a spec sheet while ignoring the systemic failure of control strategies in the real world. This is a deep dive into the engineering reality of why our heating systems remain stuck in a high-temperature, on-off cycle, and why "effective control" is the missing link between a building's design and its actual performance.Critical Discussion TopicsThe Myth of Nominal Efficiency: Why the sector prioritises the "sticker" efficiency of an appliance over the reality of how it operates within an integrated system.The "Lobotomised" Boiler: A technical deconstruction of why high-precision modulating boilers are being throttled by outdated switch-live logic, effectively stripping them of the very intelligence we paid for.Transition or Stagnation? Why the shift to heat pumps is exposing the industry's deeper reliance on "rule of thumb" design. We discuss why the lack of systemic control knowledge is one of the greatest barriers to decarbonisation.The Path to Mastery:Why "lifelong learning" and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing—as championed by the BetaTeach ethos—are the only ways to move from phantom efficiency to verifiable performance.Key Technical TakeawaysBeyond the Appliance: Moving the industry narrative from "the boiler is efficient" to "the heating system is optimised."The Physics of Delta T: Robert clarifies why low-temperature flow are not just "nice to haves" but fundamental requirements for both condensing boilers and heat pumps.Data as the Antidote: How community-driven data initiatives (like OpenEnergyMonitor) are providing the hard evidence needed to challenge institutional inertia.About Our GuestRobert Whitney is an independent consultant and former technical leader in the global controls manufacturing sector. With a unique background spanning legacy controls and modern startups, he brings a "no-punches-pulled" perspective on the engineering realities of our current transition.ResourcesRead the latest newsletter: The Phantom Efficiency: Why Boiler Control Strategy Has Become the First Real TestOur thanks to the guild patrons for their continued support: CastRads, Primary Pro, UK Radiators, Payaca, Esby, and Woolsey's Renewables Centre.Support the showLearn more about heat pump heating by followingNathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, wrap their "Road to '26" interview series with a true icon of the modern American pitch: Jozy Altidore.With 115 caps, an MLS Cup title, and an MLS Cup MVP on his mantle, Jozy stands alone as one of the most dominant forces in national team history. As the third-highest goalscorer in USMNT history with 42 goals, he has summited the highest peaks of the sport and carries a rare, elite understanding of what it actually takes to win on the world stage.Now navigating the boardroom as the Chief Soccer Officer of our show partner, Sogility, Jozy is leveraging state-of-the-art, data-tracked training technology to fundamentally revolutionize how this country develops youth talent.We sit down with the absolute legend to dive deep into his legacy and look ahead to the home crucible of 2026, covering:The CSO Mandate: Unpacking his transition from scoring headlines to corporate leadership. Jozy explains how data and sensory tracking tech are designed to close the global development gap and fix America's historical training deficiencies.The Art of the No. 9: A masterclass on the pure, instinctual mechanics of elite finishing. Jozy details the fine line between clinical execution and overthinking in the box, and breaks down his absolute favorite international career goals.Handling the World Stage: What does it actually feel like to walk onto a pitch with the emotional expectations of an entire nation on your back? Jozy shares the mental adjustments required to handle the pressure cooker of multiple FIFA World Cups.The Pochettino Formula & 2026 Mandate: With the tournament arriving at our front door, Jozy issues a direct, filterless reality check for the current player pool. He reveals the exact baseline trait Mauricio Pochettino's squad needs to adopt to ensure 2026 is a success.Whether you want to hear from one of the greatest strikers to ever wear the crest or see the technological blueprint changing the sport's future, you cannot miss this grand finale.Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago, David Hochberg is joined by Center Guard Plumbing's Mike Epping to talk all about gas leak repairs. Next, Jim Brown of The Sarah Leonard Team at Legacy Properties reassures listeners that the housing market is stabilizing. Then, Rob Lindemann, CEO of Lindeman Chimney, Fireplace, Heating, and Cooling, joins […]

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 05/30/26:  Rob Lindemann, CEO of Lindeman Chimney, Fireplace, Heating, and Cooling, joins the show to talk about launching their June SWEEP STEAKS Sweepstakes. For every Sox or Cubs series sweep in June, Lindemann and Happy to Meat You are giving away free A/C cleaning and checks, […]

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, continue their "Road to '26" interview series with St. Louis soccer royalty and a true pillar of the American game—Mike Sorber. Mike didn't just witness the 1994 soccer revolution; he was the tactical anchor and engine room for it. From his legendary days as a SLU Billiken to becoming the first American to play in Mexico's top flight with Pumas, he has navigated some of the toughest, grittiest environments in soccer history. With the World Cup returning to the U.S. in 2026, he joins us at the perfect moment to bridge his historic playing days with his elite coaching career across the USMNT, New York Red Bulls, and St. Louis CITY SC.We get "on the grass" with the mastermind himself to cover:The 1994 Crucible: We dive into what the internal vibe was like in the locker room when players felt they were playing for the literal survival of the sport in the U.S.. Mike breaks down Bora Milutinović's specific tactical mandate for him as the squad's quiet anchor.The St. Louis DNA & Liga MX Trailblazing: We discuss how growing up in the unique St. Louis soccer ecosystem prepared him for a professional career before MLS even existed. He shares how a Midwestern "chip on the shoulder" helped him navigate Mexico's top flight.The Coaching Blueprint: We look at his transition to the tactical board and how much of the high-intensity Red Bull pressing philosophy he injected into the foundation of St. Louis CITY SC. He reveals the behind-the-scenes non-negotiables required to establish a club's expansion identity.The Road to 2026 & Legacy: We ask whether the return of the tournament feels like a true "mission accomplished" moment for his generation. Plus, he reveals the exact trait the current 2026 USMNT roster needs to "steal" from the 1994 squad to achieve real success.Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff    LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ Today's Dropping Bombs episode delivers blue-collar brilliance with Ben Jordan — a former trades worker who started with a two-man plumbing operation and scaled it into a $75M multi-state empire, and lost 204 pounds while doing it.   Ben exposes why 90% of home service businesses stay stuck under $2 million, why a salesman outperforms a plumber every time, and how getting his body right unlocked a completely different business. He also breaks down the subscription model, his five-day-a-week training system, and why he's turning down private equity to build the largest trades training organization in America.   The trades are the most underestimated wealth vehicle in America — and this man built the blueprint. Grab a pen.     

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, break down St. Louis CITY SC's 3-0 win over Austin FC at home!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago David Hochberg is joined by Rose Pest Solutions' Marketing Director Janelle Iaccino, A.K.A. ‘The Bug Girl,' to talk about how Rose Pest Solutions is there for you all year long. Then, Gil Wagner, Operations Manager at Doornbos Heating and Air Conditioning preps your for summer with the benefits of AC maintenance. […]

South Side Jake from South Side Plumbing and Heating comes on The Fan Hotline to quiz Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on sports trivia for this weekly segment!

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, continue their "Road to '26" interview series with the undisputed "Dean of the Press Box"—Paul Tenorio, a senior writer for The Athletic. Paul doesn't just report on soccer; he explains the complex machinery, roster rules, and boardroom politics that actually make the sport move in this country. With his highly anticipated book, The Messi Effect, set to hit shelves on June 2, 2026, he joins us at the ultimate moment to dive into his reporting.We challenge the insider with some analytical rigor just days ahead of the high-stakes May 26 roster reveal to cover:The Messi Effect & The Business of Soccer: Has the arrival of Lionel Messi permanently rewired Major League Soccer's financial ecosystem, or are we operating in a temporary bubble that risks bursting post-retirement? Paul shares behind-the-scenes boardroom insights from his upcoming book.The Soccer Paradox: We take a hard look at soccer's perception both domestically and globally. Are we really looking at a "golden generation"? Do others see it that way?Defining Success & The Post-World Cup Horizon: Is a Round of 16 exit an objective failure for this generation? We explore where the line sits between a respectable run and a missed opportunity, Poch's future past July, and whether U.S. Soccer infrastructure is genuinely prepared for the post-Messi reality.Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has today published key insights from Ireland's National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessment (HCA), highlighting the current challenges and opportunities for Ireland to significantly reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels for heating with significant delivery required to reduce heating emissions by almost 90% by 2050. Heating currently accounts for more than one-third of Ireland's total energy demand and almost one-quarter of national greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of Ireland's biggest climate and energy security challenges. Approximately 90% of Ireland's current heat demand is still met by fossil fuels, with around 80% dependent on imported energy sources. Ireland's biggest energy challenge The assessment also finds that a rapid transition to low-carbon heating technologies including electrification, district heating, renewable gases and waste heat recovery could significantly reduce heating emissions under a high-ambition scenario assessed within the report. Commenting on the Assessment, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O'Brien T.D. said: "Providing a comprehensive overview of the potential for efficient heating and cooling in Ireland, this report also gives us a timely insight into how Ireland can reduce its import dependency on fossil fuels for heating. The report highlights how this can be achieved through energy efficiency measures, electrification, district heating and incentivising indigenous renewable fuels for heat such as biomethane. "We have made major strides in decarbonising many areas of our society and our economy, including in particular the electricity sector. While we are making progress in decarbonising our built environment, more is needed. This report sets out pathways to achieve this." While the overall economic case for rapid heat decarbonisation is strong, the report notes that affordability will be critical to delivering a just transition for households and businesses. It highlights the importance of targeted grants, electricity pricing reform, long-term investment supports and clear policy signals to ensure households and businesses can transition confidently to low-carbon heating alternatives. SEAI noted that important progress is already underway through energy efficiency upgrades, increased heat pump deployment and wider climate action measures, but that significantly greater scale and pace of delivery will now be required to decarbonise Ireland's heat sector. William Walsh, CEO of SEAI, said: "We've looked at how we heat our homes and businesses and identified a number of ways we can break the link with oil and gas for good, giving Irish homeowners and businesses more security and control over their energy costs in the long-term. "Currently in Ireland, we are 90% reliant on fossil fuels for our heating. That means we are at the mercy of international affairs to price one of the core costs to any household or business. "Through coordinating our efforts and accelerating in areas such as the electrification of heating systems in our homes, businesses and public sector – our hospitals and schools, rapidly scaling district heating in dense urban areas, and using renewable fuels in hard to electrify areas like high temperature industrial uses, we can make a big difference. Reducing the amount of heat, we use is also crucial, and this is where energy efficiency measures and retrofitting become so important. "We've made progress in many of these areas, but it's not enough. We need a clear, long-term heat strategy, which puts Ireland on a path to energy independence and recognises areas for investment. District heating for example, a central component of many energy systems in other countries, is a major strategic opportunity for Ireland. "It will require a big effort, and we must do it in a way that protects our most vulnerable, but this assessment helps provide insights to how it can be done." The anal...

Forget range anxiety. The electric vehicle market is evolving fast. Host Trevor Freeman welcomes back Plug'n Drive CEO Cara Clairman to unpack Canada's new EV policies. They discuss the surge in used EV sales and the truth about public charging stations. Plus, learn how low-cost salt-based batteries could disrupt the global auto industry. Discover what these massive shifts mean for transportation and the future of energy. Listen to the full episode today. Related links  Plug'n Drive: https://www.plugndrive.ca/ Cara Clairman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-clairman-84967318/ thinkenergy episode 71 (EV-olving Transportation): https://thinkenergypodcast.com/episodes/ev-olving-transportation/ Geotab: https://www.geotab.com/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-8b612114  Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en      To subscribe using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405  To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl  To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/  --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkenergypod Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkenergypod/  Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkenergypod Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod --- Transcript: [00:00] Trevor Freeman: Welcome to Think Energy, a podcast that dives into the fast-changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional, and up-and-coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback, or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com. Hi everyone and welcome back. So, any discussion about the energy transition or our efforts to reduce emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change or even just the ongoing adoption of what once might have been considered futuristic technology, inevitably will include electric vehicles, or EVs as we're going to refer to them today. Transportation is one of the major interactions with energy, especially fossil fuel-based energy that most of us have. Heating being the other one. For the average Canadian, how they move around, going to work, going to school, shopping, recreation, etc., very often involves getting into a vehicle which up until maybe 10 years ago, would almost 100% for sure have been a fossil fuel burning vehicle with a few very small exceptions. Today, while the majority of vehicles are still internal combustion engines, there is at least a noteworthy percentage of electric vehicles out there. We probably all know someone who owns an EV, or know someone who knows someone who owns an EV. EVs aren't actually all that new. The first EV showed up in the late 1800s, believe it or not, and at that point and into the early 1900s, it really could have gone either way between electric-powered vehicles and internal combustion vehicles. As we know, internal combustion vehicles definitely won out, and the bulk of the 20th century was all about internal combustion vehicles, and still today that's the dominant method of transportation. But, there is some alternate reality out there where EVs just always were the transportation method of choice. Imagine what the world would look like if that was the case here. But alas, that is not the reality we're living in. The more recent modern EV era kind of sputtered a little bit in the mid-1990s, there was a bit of an attempt, it didn't really pan out, but really got going around let's say 2008-2009, and it's been a steady crawl forward ever since. But, if you are listening to this podcast, chances are you already know all this and you've likely either skipped forward or are listening to me on two times the speed just to get through this to the important stuff, which is EV policy. You never knew you were so excited about policy. So, most of us, including governments, inherently know that the move to EVs is a good thing. It's good for the climate, it's good for consumers, they're kind of better vehicles. But, societal changes don't just happen, and they certainly don't happen fast. So, there has been a suite of policy approaches over the past couple of years or many years to help us get there and help us get there a little bit quicker. In the past year, Canada's EV policy has changed quite a bit. Availability mandates are out, and incentives are back in. Tariffs on Chinese-manufactured vehicles are mostly out, so things are definitely changing. And to help us understand these changes and what they mean, and also just to check in on the state of EVs here in 2026, I'm really excited to have Cara Clairman back on the show. Cara is the President and CEO of Plug'n Drive, a non-profit that strives to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles to maximize their environmental and economic benefits. And they do this by engaging with Canadians to help dispel myths and fears and uncertainties around EVs using approaches like their EV Discovery Centre, mobile EV education trailer, and their EVs Are for Everyone tour. And this is really about bringing the EV to the individual, to the person, letting them test drive it, touch it, feel it, ask questions of experts. Now, Cara has actually been on the show a number of years ago where she talked to my predecessor, Dan, about the back story of Plug'n Drive a little bit. So, if you're interested in the organization, I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode. We're not going to get into too much of that here today. Cara is a fantastic individual. She's got more than 25 years of experience working in the environmental and sustainability fields, including at Ontario Power Generation where she was OPG's environmental lawyer and later in the role of Vice President of Sustainable Development. Cara was the 2017 recipient of the Women in Renewable Energy's Woman of the Year award, and the 2021 winner of the Al Cormier EV Leadership Award from Electric Mobility Canada. And as you will hear, she is a big fan of EVs, and she thinks you should be, too. Cara Clairman, welcome to the show. [05:01] Cara Clairman: Thank you so much, Trevor. I'm pleased to be here. [05:03] Trevor Freeman: So, this isn't actually your first time on the show, Cara. It's the first time you and I have spoken on this podcast, but you were on our show with my predecessor, Dan, nearly 5 years ago now, and you talked then about how you took Plug'n Drive from just an idea during your time at OPG, to really a national non-profit that's now celebrating its 15th anniversary. And for our listeners, if you're curious about the back story on Plug'n Drive, definitely dig back in the archives and listen to that episode. But, a lot has changed in 15 years, and a lot has changed even in the 4 and a half years since you were last on Think Energy. EVs have gone from kind of this niche idea you'd maybe see one or two around here and there, to, you know, maybe not quite ubiquitous and they're not everywhere, but it seems like they're going in that direction. They're a lot more commonplace. Everybody knows somebody with an EV, or you see them around most times you're out and about. Um, and they are also a very much talked about cornerstone of our national policy. It's an often-talked-about tool for decarbonization. We're going to dive into some of the specifics throughout our conversation, but just looking at the work that you and Plug'n Drive are doing from your EV Discovery Centre to your EVs Are for Everyone tour, how has your mission shifted? Are you moving from convincing people that EVs are a real thing that worked to helping navigate how to get one, what's the complex web of, you know, incentives, etc. What's the difference in your mission now? [06:36] Cara Clairman: Well honestly, I feel like it's really uh the same in a lot of ways. The big difference, as you pointed out, is that we don't really have to explain what an EV is or that it's a decent car. You know, there's some sort of what I would call EV 101 that most people already know now. And like you said, most people have known somebody, or they've at least heard of it. But I would say there's still a high percentage of Canadians that have never ridden or driven one. Uh, and so that's an experience that we find is really the key, like getting the butts in the seats is really the key to helping people get over the hump. And uh, that's sort of the experience that we focus on. We really try to pair a test drive with every event that we do and encourage people to drive so that they can see the benefits go far beyond just the savings and the environmental benefits, that they're just really super fun cars to drive, and if you're a person that likes a quiet, peppy drive, this is the car for you. [07:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Are people coming to your events knowing, "I'm going down the EV path, I'm going to buy one, I need to check this out," or they're coming in kind of thinking, "What are these people doing here at this event or in this parking lot?" Like what draws people to your events? [08:05] Cara Clairman: More more of the former and less of the latter as time goes on, but it depends on the event we're at. So, if it's just they've made an appointment to come see us, which often is the case, we have an appointment system, uh, then they know a little bit, and they're thinking about it, and they want to try it. Uh, if we're just at a festival or fair, which we do, you know, we just are at some event, and they didn't come specifically to see us, uh, then we still meet a lot of people who are like, "What is this?" you know, uh, and so they're earlier in their journey. But what we find is that they need the awareness building, and then they might, you know, make the move a few years down the road, so it still helps them. It's just they're at a different step. [08:50] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, for sure. No, that makes sense. Okay, so what I really want to dive into here today with you is kind of the shifting landscape, or maybe it's already a shifted landscape, um, regarding EV policy, some of the shifts that we've seen even in the last year or two. Um, so recently, you know, we're here in Canada, the federal government repealed the EV availability standard. So, this was the standard that said we want 100% of cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission by the year 2035. [09:27] Cara Clairman: Right. [09:28] Trevor Freeman: And we're moving towards more of an incentive-based strategy. So, a demand-side push rather than an incentive uh sorry, a supply-side push. Does this transition make sense for the average Canadian? Does it risk slowing down the momentum we've built? Kind of where do you stand on on this shift in our approach to EVs? [09:49] Cara Clairman: Right. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that they repealed what we call a ZEV mandate or ZEV requirement. We were hoping instead of sort of throwing the baby out with the bath water, they would just make the ZEV requirement maybe less onerous and extend the time or something like that, because the benefit of a ZEV mandate um is that it does require dealers to have the vehicles on the lots. And so it actually increases choice, it increases availability, and that's why you hear some people calling it a ZEV availability standard. Trying to explain it to Canadians because it got a bit garbled in the news where it was like, "We're not going to be able to choose a gas car. You're going to be required to buy an EV." Well, that was way down the road. And uh, what it really did in the early years was make sure dealers would have some. And uh, so that's unfortunate, but, you know, got to move on. So, uh, now we're we brought back uh the Feds brought back the rebate, and sales shot up. So, that's good news. And, you know, hopefully, the dealer networks will make the cars available uh in Ontario. The big challenge is that there's still a ZEV availability standard or ZEV mandate in Quebec and British Columbia, which means they get the cars first. And, you know, you do hear, "Oh, this thing doesn't work. This thing is no good." Well, then why do they get the cars and we don't? You know, so it does work. And so, unfortunately, like if you happen to be listening from Quebec or BC, you'll get more choices than we will here in Ontario, and I I, you know, I hope that that, you know, with the demand-side push that, you know, there'll be more showing up. [11:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and we've been through periods where even if you wanted to get uh an EV, even if you wanted if you kind of could afford it, you'd decided this is the right option for me budget-wise, [12:03] Cara Clairman: Yes. [12:04] Trevor Freeman: you're waiting 10 months, or you can't get the option you want and and so [12:08] Cara Clairman: Right. You have to be more tolerant of color or features or whatever. We probably will experience some of that. It's very brand dependent. Like, some brands are very available all across Canada, some aren't. Uh, so it's really quite varied. Um, but um the good news is right now um availability's decent, and there's actually lots available on the used market, and maybe we'll talk about that a little bit later to give people comfort around used, because it's really a great option for people to think about. [12:49] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Let's definitely uh put a pin in that and get back to it. The other big shift I I want to touch on is um or at least it's a big shift that's getting a lot of attention, is the reduction of the previously 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs down to only a little over 6% now, which effectively opens the doors to Canadians to um have access to these vehicles, so they can be sold in Canada. How do you see this impacting you know, availability and adoption of EVs? Is this going to be a game changer? Are we going to see those kinds of sub-$30,000 EVs on the market? Or is this kind of, you know, one small shift in the market? [13:31] Cara Clairman: Well, the one thing it has done is created tons of curiosity and interest. You know, everybody wants to know about it, everyone wants to see one. Um, there are EV spies, as you may know, everywhere, like EV enthusiasts who are watch, and, you know, we saw some news report that there were a few Chinese EVs on a lot, you know, north of Toronto somewhere, and people are like, "Oh, what brand is this?" and But unfortunately, we don't know uh really the answer to this question that you're asking yet. Um, we're told that the first Chinese EVs will be here in the last quarter of 2026. Uh, and we don't even know yet if they might be brands we already have, you know. They could be Teslas, they could be Volvos or Polestars. Which we already have. [14:22] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. [14:23] Cara Clairman: So, uh, we're hoping we'll see some low cost, you know, BYD or Geelys or whatever else, you know, but we don't know. Yeah. And uh, and it will be exciting to watch, and, you know, we're watching and trying to find out when the first vehicles are going to be available or shown, but nobody knows the answer yet. [14:48] Trevor Freeman: Are you getting like when you interact with people that are in the EV market, are you getting more questions about that? Are people kind of excited about this? Yeah, okay. That's good. [14:56] Cara Clairman: Yes. And it's a mixed bag. You know, some people are very wary about it. Um, and what I try to say is look, we already have you know, these phones. You know, so I'm not worried about the whole security and that someone's going to be watching you know, that part of it I really think is a bit of a red herring. We've already gone there, you know, so so and people's information is out there. You know, I mean, so that's not a big concern to me. Um, I think uh the quality we don't have to worry about. Uh, these cars are widely available in Europe, in uh Mexico, and in South America, and they're good. [15:47] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. [15:48] Cara Clairman: So, we don't have to worry about that. It's just going to be Canadians, you know, be willing to give them a try, and we'll see. Most people say that they would, so we'll see. [15:59] Trevor Freeman: And I guess the, you know, it's either you're trying that car or hopefully the presence of these cars, hopefully a little bit cheaper is also influencing what other manufacturers are doing and realizing, "I've got to compete in that marketplace." [16:11] Cara Clairman: Right, exactly, Trevor. Remember, I mean, you might be too young to remember when the Japanese cars first came to Canada in the 80s. And everyone had these exact same concerns. And you know, what it did was it made the American brands improve. And so, you know, I'm hopeful, and just to remember, these are coming in a very low quantity initially. They're not going to change the market in these next couple of years. If, you know, they open up the door more widely, you know, that's a different thing. But for now, it's a really tiny percentage. It's like less than 50,000 cars, and it's something like 3% of the Canadian auto market, so it's tiny. [17:01] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Got you. So, the the new uh or the the renewed incentive that the federal government's brought in Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, um which is providing an incentive for electric vehicles or zero-emission vehicles, um there's a strict $50,000 price cap for any imports, meaning some of those higher-end EVs that are made elsewhere won't qualify for this. Is is $50,000 the right price point? I look at just the price of vehicles in general these days, it's definitely trending up, way higher than I would prefer it to be. Is that the right price point given what's available? Is there enough availability under that price point? Um, and you know, does this affect the kind of conversation that you're having with potential buyers? [17:56] Cara Clairman: Right now, there's not a lot available under that price point. I mean, I think it is encouraging certain brands to bring a version that is below the price point. Uh, and it has increased sales, so there obviously are some that, you know, qualify. Uh, the truth is, gas or electric, it's hard to find vehicles under that price point. Um, so yeah, would I have liked it to have been a little more generous? Sure. Uh, but it is helping, and I do see some automakers shifting prices. I mean, I don't know if you saw that Tesla now has brought out a car that fits just under there. Mhm. So it does do that, and uh it does just encourage people to look. And then maybe they'll buy a used EV. Yeah. You know, so it does sort of open the door, it encourages people to have a conversation, to look around, uh it sparks interest, which is a good thing. [19:04] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and I mean, Ford is looking at how do we come out with a $30,000 truck, and that would qualify for this. [19:11] Cara Clairman: And the Bolt qualifies, the new Bolt, and it's a great car, and the new Leaf, uh, you know, is coming under there. So, there are good cars under there. I mean, Canadians do love their trucks and SUVs, and unfortunately, those do not make it. [19:30] Trevor Freeman: I know. Yeah, you're totally right. Um, so obviously Canadian manufactured EVs are exempt from that price cap. [19:38] Cara Clairman: Yes. [19:39] Trevor Freeman: Are you seeing a game of kind of buy local versus get an incentive? Um, you know, how does this come into play? Is that part of the conversation? [19:51] Cara Clairman: Well, right now, buying local is just about impossible. Yeah. I mean, there's there's literally two vehicles that are made partially in Canada, and, you know, we've heard a bunch of announcements recently that Canadian manufacturing of EVs has either been postponed or gone off the rails altogether, which is really unfortunate, cuz I was really looking forward to being able to buy a Canadian-made EV. Uh, you know, these plans change, they could come back, you don't know. Uh, but right now, it doesn't look that easy to buy a Canadian-made EV. I mean, there's basically the Pacifica and the Dodge Dart. Mhm. You know, that's it uh right now. Uh, and you know, Toyota's going to make some RAV4s, which will be great. Um, you know, Honda just announced they're not going ahead with their plans, um so it's really unfortunate. The thing that I try to remind people is manufacturing is one thing, and EV adoption in a way is completely separate from that, Yeah. because we manufacture cars primarily for the US market. I mean, Canada's almost an afterthought. And so, that's the reason this is happening, it's because of tariffs, it's because of bu- you know, America First policies, it's because of, you know, US politics. And uh, it's really unfortunate for the Canadian auto industry, but it doesn't mean EV adoption won't continue to really grow. It just means we're going to be buying cars that aren't made here. [21:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Well, and that's kind of the next place I want to go with this conversation is our own manufacturing industry, as you've just pointed out, is so tied in with the United States um manufacturing industry and Mexico. That's actually where I grew up in Windsor. My family is an auto family. My first job was kind of in the auto industry. Um, and the intricacies and and interties between those two industries are very, very tight. But, we're at this stage where we seem to be, not seem to be, we definitely are, moving in different directions policy-wise, especially when it comes to EV policy and trade policy in general. Um, that creates challenges and friction. We're trying to build maybe more of a manufacturing base here. The US is trying to pull that back. And that pull is strong. Yeah. It is, yeah. [22:34] Cara Clairman: I mean, they have the population. I mean, we can't fight that very well, and, you know, we'll time will tell. I mean, Trump won't be there forever, but a lot of the damage will have been done. And I know there's a lot of folks really working hard on maintaining the automaker footprint we have here. It's a huge challenge. [22:54] Trevor Freeman: Mhm. Yeah, is there a way to kind of thread that needle for pushing EV adoption? You know, we're kind of falling behind adoption rates that we've seen elsewhere, Europe, Asia, etc. Pushing that while still bolstering our own manufacturing base, trying to maintain these ties with our largest trading partner? Like how how do you I have to admit I'm not an expert on the industrial side, like on the commercial and manufacturing side of things, but from people that are, what I hear is, you know, we may have to let the Chinese, Indian, uh, Vietnamese uh, manufacturers come in and manufacture here in Canada instead of the brands we're used to being manufactured here. And that's something that could happen. That's something that would sort of replace I mean, the ones that are a real problem are the American-made the American brands, you know. They're really feeling the pull to manufacture in the US. Uh, so time will tell. Uh, you know, we may just be making different cars than we were making before. I hope we'll still be making them. [24:14] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, well and there's I mean, you can kind of see the government trying to do exactly what you said, entice companies to do some part of manufacturing here. They've got this tradeable import credit system where, "Hey, if you invest in manufacturing in our country, you get credits to sort of buy your way through our import market. It can offset some of the tariffs that might be in place." You know, that's a mechanism to do exactly what you're saying we might see. [24:41] Cara Clairman: Right. And some of those brands don't mind sending their vehicles anywhere from Canada. You know, they're not as focused on the fact that Canada has what's considered quite a small market, um given our population size. Uh, and I think in the future, well maybe the tariffs are going to change if the American if American politics changes. Yeah. You know, so I do think that's possible, um like I said, some of the damage will have been done if you know, if GM moves production to Detroit or wherever else, you know, they're not going to move back. But um you know, time will tell. I mean, I do think we'll have some manufacturing still in Canada and hopefully more than what it looks like right now. [25:31] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean it'll be interesting to see. As you say, these policies may not be in place forever, but some of the reaction that is going to happen now in terms of do I move my manufacturing base back to the US, that will persist, and you're not going to make two moves, you're going to kind of make a one time tough one. [25:46] Cara Clairman: No, and especially if it creates some job uh you know, a bunch of jobs in the US, the next US president, even if they're Democrat and they get rid of tariffs and stuff, they're not going to move it back. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. [25:57] Trevor Freeman: Okay, so um let's let's kind of zoom back in a little bit here. So, Plug'n Drive, um you've been doing these uh EVs Are for Everyone tours, um kind of as we talked about earlier, giving people access that might not otherwise have access to to understand, try out EVs. And you've been doing this kind of across the board, including in smaller communities. Is there something that you hear differently in a small town, a rural area, compared to a big urban center, you know, Toronto, Ottawa, etc. Oh definitely. [26:30] Cara Clairman: Well, the big thing is they don't have access, as you said. So in a smaller community, they might only have a handful of dealers, and those dealers may or may not carry EVs. And so they really don't get a chance to try them, and trying, as I mentioned at the off the top, is the key to buying. Yeah. And uh, whatever preconceived notion you might have had, you know, it kind of melts away once you get behind the wheel, even just the reality of like, "Oh, this is a great car." You know? And and so, whatever that experience, or whatever they thought it might be, it's it's gone. And uh, and so, it's a really important uh part of the process. And so, that's the main thing in a smaller community, they don't have that. Now, the other thing that we noticed is how far people drive. Now, people do drive farther in a smaller community, but what has surprised us is they don't drive as far as they think. Hmm, interesting. Yeah. And most of us actually don't drive as far as we think. Yeah. We might sit in traffic and stuff, even like us, you know, in big cities. Um, but we don't actually go that many kilometers, or not as many as we think. Um, and they don't either. And, you know, what they do is they, you know, into town, back and forth, for soccer, you know, same as anyone. Yeah. You know, so for for for sports or whatever for their kids, and then shopping or see Grandma or whatever. Um, and then once in a while, a long trip. And that is a thing that weighs heavily on Canadian minds is the road trip. Yeah. We are really obsessed with the road trip, and it's a one-off trip. And this is the thing we can't seem to shake loose, which is, you know, "What am I going to do if I need to drive to" and you fill in the X. Yeah. It could be across Canada, which hardly anyone does, or it could be like my trip to Algonquin, or my trip to Maine, or, you know, not right now, trip to uh, PEI let's say. Um, whatever. It's like, that one-off trip is so important to people, and we try to say, "Okay, yeah, that's more challenging in an EV. It can totally be done now, but it's still harder, and we sort of say try to think about your car for the 98-99%, not the 1% of trips." I might have even said this 5 years ago. Like, it's still a thing that we can't seem to, you know, stop people from fixating on, and we sort of say, "You know, with all the money you're going to save, you can" and we should talk about the savings because people do not understand that. Uh, all the money you're going to save, you can rent a car, or do something else, or what I do, once every 2 years, is swap with my brother-in-law who's got a minivan. Mhm. You know, and you can solve that problem for a one-time trip. Don't make that that's a bad way to choose a car anyway, gas or electric. Yeah. You know, because you're going to spend a lot more on gas hauling around a bigger, heavier car. Uh, so, even if you're not ready, it's a bad idea. [30:04] Trevor Freeman: So, in terms of So, availability of charging is one of them, and there's that road trip idea for sure. There's also, I mean, we hear, and me working at the utility, as people are trying to put chargers in, we hear this a lot. People's preferred charging location is at home. We know that, that's where people want to charge, they want to plug in at home. Yes. Not everybody has a driveway or a garage, not everybody can install a charger at home. So, one of the things the federal government has been doing over the last little while is trying to increase access to public charging. Yes. Where are we at with our sort of public charging infrastructure? Is the network kind of built out to handle those road trips, or to handle that kind of, you know, someone who lives in a multi-res building, a condo, an apartment that can't charge at home? Where are we on that front? [31:18] Cara Clairman: Okay. I would say, as a very early adopter, you know, I had my first EV in 2011, so, you know, from my perspective, the network's amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There was one supercharger, or like, fast, I mean, it was a slow fast charger, uh, in all of Ontario at that time. I mean, so now, there's more than 40,000 chargers across Canada. Uh, there's, you know, about a quarter of those are fast chargers at highway stops and convenient places. If you live in urban suburban Canada, and you commute, it's basically solved. Like, it's so good. I'm- and then, I'm sure someone will listen and say, "Well, for me, it's not." Okay. There- there's still gaps. Is it perfect? No. But it's really quite good, and you just have to go to PlugShare or ChargeHub and take a look, and you'll be shocked at how many chargers there are. I mean, there are a lot. [32:27] Trevor Freeman: For our listeners, PlugShare and ChargeHub are both kinds of resources that map out all the chargers, the status, is it broken, is it fixed, here's what it costs, it's really great resources. [32:39] Cara Clairman: Yes, everything. All the information you need. And all EV drivers will have that app on their phone. Mhm. Uh, then where it is challenging, you know, we got to acknowledge, even like an EV enthusiast like me, got to acknowledge, it's not perfect. Where the big challenges still exist is multi-unit residential, still challenging, and rural remote. Mhm. Still challenging. So, not so much for people who live rural remote, who want to, let's say, drive to town or drive to somewhere, to the city. That's okay. It's if you want to take a really long trip into rural, let's say, from Ottawa to Thunder Bay or Toronto to, you know, Winnipeg. That's still a challenging drive. It's doable, but it's hard. Um, if you're a commuter, which, you know, most of us are, you know, and you can charge at home, I mean, it's done. It's great. I mean, for someone like me, it's fantastic. I mean, I drive about 80 kilometers uh every week, and it's a snap, you know. No problem. Most of the cars have 400-500 kilometers range. I don't even think about it, even on like a minus 30 day. Where where I do think there's the most work that needs to be done is on the MURBs, multi unit residential. And some of the funding that the Feds have put forward for chargers is going into multi-unit, which is great. Mhm. Uh, condos will get done. Condos are getting done. Uh, where it's hard is apartment buildings. I mean, they're so there you need to search for public charging near you. Mhm. And if you're in Quebec, you're probably going to find it pretty easily, BC, it's getting better. Uh, Ontario is still a bit rough, and the Maritimes and the Prairies, super rough. [34:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, we do, Hydro Ottawa actually was a recipient of federal funding to install public chargers. We did a lot of public chargers uh public access chargers in multi-unit residential, you know. It's so important, as you said. Everyone wants to charge at home. Exactly, yeah. And, it's the cheapest, it's and we haven't talked about super low night time prices, and being able to plug in overnight and, you know, right now with high gas prices, people are looking into it. It makes a difference. Well, let's talk about the price then, that's kind of the next barrier, is "Ah, it's too expensive, I can't get into it." Um, tell us about the economics around owning an EV. [35:16] Cara Clairman: So, this is a challenge because people see the higher stick- sticker price, and they say, "Oh, EVs are too expensive." Well, they aren't doing the math, and we are trying to, you try to help, we're trying to help. There's other groups trying to help. We have a great calculator on our website to show the total cost of ownership, and to explain that yes, you pay a little bit more upfront, and the $5,000 rebate if you can get it drops that down to about $5K on average. 5k extra, that's the premium, yeah. 5k extra. Yep. Now, you would make that back in 2 to 3 years easily depending on how much you drive, because electricity is like 1/5 the price of gas, and even maybe more like 1/6 now that gas prices have gone up. Mhm. So, if you're paying $2 a liter, um which I hear, is what, you know, We're not far off, yeah. I don't know, I don't buy gas. Yeah. But, uh, $2 a liter, I'm paying the equivalent of, on time of use, of uh, 28¢, and now on ultra-low, 14¢. Um, I mean, a l- per liter equivalent. For the same driving range, yeah. For the same driving. And so, can you imagine that I can fully charge a 500-kilometer car for like 2 bucks overnight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you just can't believe how cheap it is. And if and so if we can get people to sort of understand the pay now to save later, which is hard for people. Yep. And if they lease, it's easier to understand because then they're not sort of shoveling out that money upfront necessarily. Mhm. It's a winner, you know, economically, you know, leaving aside the environmental and health benefits. Mhm. Uh, and so, we really try to help We have a great tool on our website that shows all this called Find Your EV Match, and you can compare any of your own, like all the historic gas cars, like any car that you own is in there. So, let's say you want to compare a 19 99 or a 2015 Civic to a Leaf or a Bolt, or whatever car you're thinking of, uh, you can do the comparison, and it will show you the savings month by month. Mhm. And then it will show you when your kind of hit that crossover and you're in the money. Yeah. And then you basically feel like you're earning money. [37:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. I will say, as also, as an EV driver, when I I have two vehicles, one's still a gas car and one's uh an EV, when I have to fill up the gas car, I'm I'm always I compare it to my EV that I don't have to fill up, it's it's night and day when it comes to the cost. It's absolutely night and day. [38:09] Cara Clairman: I mean, it's and also the maintenance. So, there's just no maintenance. I mean, obviously there's a little tiny bit. There's brakes, eventually, even that gets delayed because of the generative braking, Longer, yeah. and, you know, windshield wipers and tires, which you do anyway. I mean, I've now had a Leaf, a Bolt, a Model 3, and an Ioniq 5. Okay, and I have literally never had to do any maintenance except brakes, Mhm on any of them. Yeah, that's amazing. And, they've all been the first gen, right? Like my Leaf was the very first gen Leaf, my Bolt was a first gen Bolt 2017, and uh the Ioniq I think was the second year, which is what I drive now. Yeah. And uh, just nothing. And so, it just to me like, I'm almost like, "I can't believe everybody's not doing it! It's so cheap." Now, I understand some people, if you drive 250 kilometers each way and you, you know, I get it. It's not so simple for everyone. You live in a MURB, but if you live in a single-family home, it's a slam dunk. [39:27] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. So, we've kind of covered charging availability, we've talked about the cost implications. There's a battery performance question of is this battery going to be around for 10 years, the life of the car? [39:39] Cara Clairman: Yes. Especially when used, people are worried about it. [39:41] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, is the range going to get me there, and that kind of ties into charging? Where are we at? Have we seen that technology change in the 15 years that you've been in this space? Where are we at with that? [39:51] Cara Clairman: Yeah. In the early years, I always wanted to be honest, right, because it doesn't help to be overly glowing, and then, you know, people are disappointed, you got to be forthright with people where there are pluses and where there are the minuses. In the early years, of course, the range was really low, and so that was a challenge for people who had to drive long distances. Now the range of the EV is great, that's not an issue for most people anymore. Battery life, people used to say, "Well, how long will the battery last?" And the truthful answer 15 years ago was we don't know, Mhm because there was no information. I mean, Yeah, we hadn't done it. We thought we knew because the Prius had a similar type of battery, as a hybrid, and we thought it should be similar, and those are doing well. Well, now we have 15 years of information, and the batteries are lasting so well. Now, you hear in the news the odd story about a battery crapping out, and it really is anecdotal, and so you can't pay attention to it. Um, it's a lemon situation, right, and that's going to happen, right, there are going to be lemons, just like in a gas car. [41:03] Trevor Freeman: Exactly, yeah. You have to get your engine replaced randomly if you have a lemon, it happens. [41:07] Cara Clairman: Yes, it happens. But the data will tell you, and Geotab has some really good data on their website where they studied how long are these batteries lasting, like 15 years later, and it looks like, for the most part, they're going to outlast the body of the car. Like, 20 years, no problem. So, this idea that you would have to replace a battery is really unrealistic, like, most of us will never have to do that. And no one keeps their car for 20 years, or very few people keep their car for 20 years. No, it's a 10 year window, and if you're like most Canadians, 7 to 10 years, uh, you're not going to be replacing the battery. That's not going to happen. And most of them, uh, sort of a typical battery loss, battery degradation over time is 1 and a half to 2% a year. Hm. So, you're going to see some declines, so let's say at year 5, you should be down no more than 10%, and uh uh, so when you look at a used vehicle, you can do a test on the battery and see how it's doing, something called a State of Health check on the battery. It's a test that any dealer can do, like any service center can do. And you can be confident that it's fine. [42:33] Trevor Freeman: Mhm. So, let's say you brought up used vehicles a couple times here. Let's talk about that as an option for people wanting to get into the EV space maybe a bit more affordably. Yes. Like is the supply out there? Are there a bunch of these sitting around waiting to be scooped up? Yes. Great, now let's talk about it. [42:49] Cara Clairman: Yeah, that's a great news story. So, there's there's um a lot of supply, uh, there's, you know, if you think about it, all the vehicles that come off lease or whatever, you know, even there's now 2023s, you know, available, there're there's a lot of availability. And so, you know, you just go on your favorite, you know, auto trader type magazine, and you will see, uh online, there's tons of availability, and uh, you know, what I say to people if they're worried about battery life, they do that State of Health check on the battery. If you're buying it privately, uh, you can ask. Uh, it's only about a hundred bucks, I think it's worth it. Uh, the other thing you could do, if you just can't figure that out or you don't want to figure that out, is just trickle charge the battery overnight and see, you know, what does it say, how many kilometers uh range you have, and compare that to what the manual says it should have. That's sort of a rule of thumb type of test, it's not as good as the actual test, but it'll give you a good idea. So so the, you know, people should not be afraid of a used EV. And uh, also, if you are really concerned, most of them have, you know, the 8 to 10 year warranty on the battery. And so, if you are really concerned, just make sure you're still in in warranty. Yeah. Uh, you know, don't go older than 8 years, and also check, you know, because sometimes there's a kilometer limit and a year limit, so it's like 8 years or 180,000 kilometers, or you know, they're all a bit different, but um check it, and uh that's a great way of sort of if you still have a year or two left on the on the warranty, then you're sort of safe. Yeah. to see like see how it see how it does. And price point wise, these are coming in at like a reasonable for a used vehicle, a reasonable price point. Totally reasonable, you can get an EVs in the 20s, in the well you can get the oldest ones even lower than that, in like, um, apparently my 2017 Bolt, which we still keep and use, we love it, uh, would only be worth like, I don't know, $12 or $15,000. So, they're cheap, and this one got the battery fixed. I always say to people, the Bolt had a recall on the batteries, 2017 to 2019. And most of them got the battery fixed, so, and then the warranty goes back to year 1. Mhm. So, you basically can get a used Bolt that's almost like a new car because it got a new battery put in, and so those are like gems to find, yeah. Uh, so, they're, you know, that's why we're hanging on to ours, it's great. That's great. [45:41] Trevor Freeman: Okay, Cara, we're getting close to the end of our conversation here. So, uh you know, you've been at this for a while, 15 years of Plug'n Drive, um obviously an EV enthusiast on top of that. What's your general feeling about where we're at right now in 2026? Is it where you thought we would be, maybe looking back a few years ago? Is it, you know, we've got a long road to climb here, where are you? What are you thinking here? [46:08] Cara Clairman: Well, I do tend to be an optimist, but I was probably a little overly optimistic about how fast the transition would happen, and we have had some bumps in the road. Uh, but I would characterize all the stuff that's happened in the last year or two as bumps in the road to eventually everyone having an EV. I mean, I do think it's inevitable still, and I think most of even the, you know, automakers would say it's inevitable. The cars are better, mhm they last better, they perform better, and even without all the environmental and health benefits, they have a lot of other econ- economic benefits. Uh, so I do think it's inevitable. It has been slower than I expected. Mhm. Uh, but, um, I'm still really optimistic about the future, uh, and I think Canadians are going to embrace EVs maybe sooner than than some folks, and and I think all what's happened with with Trump and also this war and all these things has actually got more people asking questions about EVs than ever before, so he accidentally actually spurred on the interest in EVs, which is funny. [47:26] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and I think we've seen that over over the years, these sort of starts and fits, and no doubt there will be another maybe slow down, but I I tend to agree, we're we're angling in that direction, and there's really no pulling back now. I would, so my oldest is 13, and I remember probably 5, 6, maybe 7 years ago, thinking, "You know, wow, by the time uh he's driving, he may never drive an ICE vehicle, because it'll just all be EVs." So, we haven't quite gotten there, [47:56] Cara Clairman: Yeah, my kids are in their 20s, and they both learned on electric, and they both have never driven a gas car, because we don't have one. Yeah, yeah, that's great. And so I am hopeful, and BC and Quebec have already passed what I would call the tipping point, mhm and so I do think that it's happening, and it's exciting, and it's also a great industry for young people to get into, so um there's lots of lots of pluses. [48:24] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, it's funny on this show, this comes up a lot, and I think all the things that we talked about from utility space to all the energy transition things, EVs being one of them, distributed energy resources, right like if you're a young person looking of what do I get into, what's the thing that I focus on, my goodness, we've got a whole range of things that are are on the cusp, I think of of really taking off, so EVs being one of them. [48:48] Cara Clairman: Electricity, energy, there's a lot of exciting stuff happening in decarbonization, and it's a great field for young people. [48:55] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so we always end our interviews with a series of questions to our guests, Cara, so I'm going to throw a few at you here. Um, what's a book that you've read that you think everybody should read? Ah. Uh, so professional or personal? Well, you can go either direction. I'll even give you two if you want to do one of each. [49:15] Cara Clairman: Okay. So, professional, uh, I read a book called, I think it's called, We're All in Sales. And it really helped me when I was starting Plug'n Drive. It sort of helps you get over this like, "Ugh, sales." Yeah. Which I think a lot of people have because they don't want to have to ask for money or you know, pitch for money or whatever. And it made you re- It was just helpful in that it talks about how, I mean, we're all in sales in one way or another. I mean, you have to sell yourself, you have to sell your ideas, you have to sell something. Some of us were more direct than others, but it helped me. Mhm. Um, um, and then, for women who are entering the workforce, uh, I read a book called The Feminine Mistake. And it's a play on The Feminine Mystique, which was a huge book in the 60s. Yeah. And, I found it really helpful as a working mom, and have little kids, and it's hard. It's a really hard phase. And that book really really helped me. Um, and then personal, uh, I just read uh a book that I really enjoyed, um, uh, it's actually just been made into a movie with uh, Sally Field, called Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's about an octopus, and it's from the octopus's point of view. [50:47] Trevor Freeman: Oh, very cool. I just saw a trailer for this movie, actually. Finding it. [50:50] Cara Clairman: Yeah. So read the book before you watch the show, Okay. because books are always better than the movie, and more in depth and everything. So it's a great book, especially if you love the ocean and mhm sea creatures and octo- pi? Octopuses? are so smart and it was just really adorable. It was a really fun book to read. It's not like it's great, it's written really well, but it's not hard to access, it's not, you know, it's it's great. [51:21] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. No, that's a good one, that's a good recommendation. Um, so kind of the same question, but um, you know, for a movie or a show, is there something you've watched recently that really has stood out to you that you kind of think everyone should take a look at? [51:32] Cara Clairman: I went back and watched This Is Spinal Tap, Nice. That's awesome. which I hadn't watched. And my husband had never seen it. Oh, gods. And I was like, "What?" Cuz you know, because of everything that happened with Rob Reiner, we went back and we watched it. Still hilarious. Oh yeah, so good. It really stood the test of time, so funny. [51:53] Trevor Freeman: I've got This has come up before with other guests, I've got a list of you know, those movies that were so great for me as whatever, a teenager, that I'm waiting for my kids, ridiculous though. I mean, I have to warn you, ridiculous. I'm waiting for my kids to get old enough that I can bring them into this or that one, and that's on the list for sure. So we'll crank it up to 11 here. Um, so if someone offers you a free round trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? [52:20] Cara Clairman: Oh wow. Uh, I actually just got back from Morocco, and it was so fantastic. Oh, gods. It was so beautiful. Um, but I've never been anywhere in Asia, I'd love to go to Japan. Mhm. I've never been there, and South Korea, because also they're very advanced in terms of technology and stuff, and I there's so many neat things, like autonomous vans and things that they're already using there, and vehicle-to-grid, and all this stuff, and at the base, I'm an electricity nerd, so I I would love to go there. [52:55] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Uh, who's someone that you admire? [52:58] Cara Clairman: Oh my gosh, there's so many people I admire. Um, Louise Arbour. Um, our new, for our listeners, our new Canadian, uh, Governor General, yeah. New GG. That's awesome. She is fantastic. What a role model for women. She became a judge from being a professor. Mhm. Um, she ascended in a way that not very many people have. She worked internationally, she's, and, uh, she's also a really nice person, a really good person. Yeah. And, uh, an accessible person, what I would say is that she's not at all arrogant, she's funny, she's nice to talk to. I had the privilege of working with her when I was a student. Oh, very cool. And, uh, she's just amazing, and I watch her with, she's inspiring. [53:57] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, that's uh I I agree, I've been reading obviously about her because she's in the news right now, and for our listeners, that's our new uh Governor General, and if you're not from Canada, you can look up what a Governor General does for us here in Canada. Um, very, very exciting. Um, yeah, I agree. Um, last question, Cara. What's something about the energy sector or its future that you're particularly excited about? [54:21] Cara Clairman: Oh my gosh, well, you know, aside from all the stuff we've just been talking about, Yeah. um, actually, I saw a YouTube video about batteries uh just the other day, a Chinese battery maker. And what they're doing in batteries is really exciting with salt, you know, salt based batteries that are going to be so cheap. Mhm. And they basically have it, like it's not this futuristic thing, it's a salt-based battery that costs like a fraction, and so the cheapest EVs will get made with those, and that's going to be a game changer. Yeah. That's pretty cool. [55:05] Trevor Freeman: It is exciting to think about. Now that we're really focusing on EVs and letting sort of just that normal technological improvement iterative process happen, Right. how quickly we might see some of these barriers that we just talked about get solved. [55:19] Cara Clairman: Yeah, they're putting their new technology into drones, into like air taxis and all this stuff, mhm. It's now, it's not sort of this Jetson's futuristic thing, it's like really happening, so that's pretty exciting. [55:40] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, now the energy transition is here, we say it all the time on this show. It's here. It's here. When people say EVs are the future, I say no, they're right now. Exactly, yeah, exactly. Um, Cara, it's been great chatting with you, thank you so much for making the time this morning. I really appreciate your insight into what's happening. [55:56] Cara Clairman: Yeah, my pleasure, my pleasure, nice to talk to you too. [55:58] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, hopefully uh we'll talk again in a few years and be talking about how fast it's moved. [56:02] Cara Clairman: I hope so. [56:03] Trevor Freeman: Awesome. Thanks so much. Take care. Okay, you too. Okay, bye. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Think Energy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and it would be great if you could leave us a review, it really helps to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear from you, whether it's feedback, comments, or an idea for a show or a guest. You can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com.

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 05/23/26: Gil Wagner, Operations Manager at Doornbos Heating and Air Conditioning, introduces himself to listeners and talks about the benefits of AC maintenance as well as choosing the right contractor as it gets warmer out this summer. Gil also breaks down their unmatched warranties and guarantees and […]

Book a free strategy call with CertainPath to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ Or call us at: (214) 453-1591 One man. Three trades. $7.9M in twelve months. Here's how Chris Roberts turns a $300 light switch call into a $100,000 job. Chris Roberts isn't a salesman. He's an electrician who learned to sell — and last year he closed $5.1M in electrical, $2.3M in plumbing, and $500K in HVAC personally. The plumbing total happened in roughly one month. He's the first double Crown Champion in CertainPath history. Chris runs sales for Bailey Plumbing, Safety First Electric, and Comfort Heating and Cooling — three companies operating under one roof out of San Jose and Morgan Hill, California. Chris started in the union, watching his electrician's check stay flat while his family kept growing. When the union got slow, he took what he thought was a short-term gig at Safety First Electric — installing, not selling. A few weeks in, the owner asked him to go run a sales call. He brought back $7,000 in signed work. By the end of his first month in sales, his check rewrote his understanding of what was possible. He called his wife and said, "I'm not going back to the union." In this episode, Chris walks Bob Houchin through the exact playbook — every word he uses, every door he opens, every shirt he wears — for turning a single service call into a six-figure multi-trade job. In this conversation, you'll discover: • The $7.9M sales reveal — and why most of the plumbing total came in roughly a month • Why Chris never says the word "finance" on a sales call (and what he says instead) • How a $300 light switch call becomes a six-figure rewire, re-pipe, and drain job • The "Two Costs and One Price" framework that crushes "I need to think about it" • Why Chris wears a different shirt on Day 2 — and what it sells • The 4-option pricing system that lets Bailey charge $70K for a rewire (when competitors price it at $25K) • Why he won't sell a re-pipe to a customer who doesn't need one — and why disqualifying like this builds trust  Whether you're a sales tech trying to break $1M for the first time, a sales manager building a multi-trade playbook, or an owner trying to understand what makes one rep close $7.9M across three trades — Chris's process is a masterclass in stacking trades without losing trust. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle. About The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the Guest Chris Roberts is the head sales manager at Bailey Plumbing, Safety First Electric, and Comfort Heating and Cooling — three home-services companies operating under one roof out of San Jose and Morgan Hill, California. A former union electrician, Chris transitioned into in-home sales his first year at Safety First, then took on plumbing and HVAC sales as the companies grew. Last year, he personally closed $5.1M in electrical, $2.3M in plumbing, and $500K in HVAC — making him CertainPath's first-ever double Crown Champion. Connect CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com Show Notes The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. FOLLOW CERTAINPATH: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/ 

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, continue their "Road to '26" interview series with the ultimate insider—the longest-serving President in the history of U.S. Soccer and current Senior Lecturer of Economics at Columbia University, Sunil Gulati. Known as "The Leader" of the modern American soccer infrastructure, Sunil's reign saw the sport take its most significant strides in our nation's history. From the "soccer in a desert" era to spearheading successful World Cup bids, he has quite literally lived it all.We challenge the professor with some analytical rigor and dive deep into his legacy, covering:The 1994 vs. 2026 Contrast: How the global "sales pitch" changed from an era when the American soccer market was purely theoretical to the reality of the upcoming World Cup.The Economist's Lens: The exact economic hurdles and incentive structures that had to be cleared during the early days of MLS and the professionalization of the USSF.Highs & Lows of the Presidency: The proudest moments watching the USWNT reach legendary status, the true directive behind hiring Jurgen Klinsmann, and a candid look back at how the trying times of the 2017 collapse in Trinidad changed his view on player development.Aspirations for 2026: What a "successful" tournament actually looks like for this country on July 20th, 2026, beyond just the performance on the pitch.Whether you want to understand the business behind the beautiful game or get a masterclass in where American soccer has been and where it's going, this is an episode you cannot miss.Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, break down St. Louis CITY SC's defeat of Houston Dynamo in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, and preview the upcoming Austin FC match at home!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

This episode features Mike Bryant from Bradshaw & Bryant, Restaurant Gal, psychic Ruth Lordan and Sabre Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning owner Steve Hucovski with homeowner tips. 

Some operators try to outspend the competition. Steve Holland built his business by outworking them, out-branding them, and most of all, out-caring them. Chris and Chad sit down with Steve Holland, founder of Mr. Holland's Heating, Air & Electric, to unpack his journey from a chaotic upbringing to building and exiting a successful home services company. Steve shares hard-earned lessons on scaling, acquisitions, branding, radio marketing, and why you cannot sell your way out of operational problems. But the real heart of this conversation is leadership. Steve makes a powerful case that your employees are your most expensive customer, and the businesses that genuinely know, support, and invest in their people will always have the edge. For leaders who want to win with culture, not just spreadsheets, this one hits home.   Additional Resources: Listen to To the Point, wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about To the Point Subscribe to CSTG on YouTube! Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Chad on LinkedIn Chad Peterman | CEO | Author Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Employees are your most important and expensive customer. You cannot sell your way out of dysfunction. Fix operations before trying to scale fast. Branding compounds every other marketing channel. Outwork and out-culture bigger competitors every time.  

Send us Fan MailRyan Jude of the Green Finance Institute (GFI) discusses how to mobilise capital for the UK's green home revolution.OverviewIn this episode, Nathan is joined by Ryan Jude, Programme Director at the Green Finance Institute (GFI) and former Cabinet Member for Climate in Westminster. While Nathan admits his expertise lies in the "weeds" of heat pump engineering rather than the world of high finance, the two find common ground in the necessity of making low-carbon technology the "rational economic choice" for the UK public.From the influence of legendary guitarists like Mark Knopfler and Dave Gilmour to the intricacies of Property Linked Finance (PLF), this conversation bridges the gap between technical installation and the financial mechanisms required to scale the UK's transition to net zero.Property Background & The Financial ChallengeThe UK heating sector is currently at a crossroads. While the "want" for green upgrades is increasing due to volatile international energy markets, the "hassle factor" and upfront costs remains a significant barrier for the average homeowner.Ryan explains that "Green Finance" is not a separate entity, but rather a "tinge" on existing financial products—mortgages, unsecured loans, and infrastructure investments—designed to incentivise sustainable upgrades. The goal is a "Green Economy" where the distinction between green and traditional finance eventually disappears.Key Discussion Points & InnovationsThe Evolution of Green Mortgages: Since 2019, the market has expanded from just four niche products to over 93 today, with an estimated £14 billion annually now flowing through green mortgage products.Property Linked Finance (PLF): Ryan introduces the concept of lending against the land rather than the individual. Based on the "PACE" model in the US, PLF allows the debt to stay with the property, lowering risk for lenders and ensuring the liability passes to the next owner if the current resident moves.The "Hassle Factor" vs. Interest Rates: Evidence from Scotland suggests that a 0% interest rate isn't always the primary driver for consumers. Trust, ease of the customer journey, and the "hassle" of installation are equally critical in determining uptake.The Strategic Partnership: GFI is currently co-running a partnership with the government's Warm Homes Plan, involving major high-street lenders like Barclays, NatWest, and HSBC to design accessible, low-interest, government-backed loans.Energy as an Asset: Discussion on how the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and demand flexibility schemes are turning heat pumps, solar PV, and batteries into assets that can actually reduce monthly outgoings through smart usage.Performance & EvidenceThe impact of current geopolitical events, such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has led to a measurable surge in consumer demand.Solar PV: Requests to major suppliers like Octopus and EDF have increased by over 50%.Electric Vehicles: EV demand has mirrored this uptick, as the cost-per-mile (approx. 8p at home vs. 18p at the pump) makes them the cheaper long-term choice.Scale: Over 27,000 solar installations were recorded in March 2026 alone—the highest in over a decade.Closing ReflectionThe transition to a low-carbon home is no longer just a moral choice; it is becoming a financial necessity. As Ryan notes, success will be achieved when the average consumer wakes up wanting the technology not because it is "green," but because it is the smartest way to protect their household from global energy volatility.Support the showLearn more about heat pump heating by followingNathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

(00:00) What is the deal with all this darn traffic? Hardy's central air is on the fritz and is wondering what's an appropriate time to text the owner of 128 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to get it fixed.(22:10.498)(35:08.496) WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT: Willson Contreras hit his team-leading 10th homer, and Sonny Gray outpitched Seth Lugo as the Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Monday night. Plus, we check in with the NBA and NHL playoffs!Please note: Timecodes may shift by a few minutes due to inserted ads. Because of copyright restrictions, portions—or entire segments—may not be included in the podcast.CONNECT WITH TOUCHER & HARDY: linktr.ee/ToucherandHardyFor the latest updates, visit the show page on 985thesportshub.com. Follow 98.5 The Sports Hub on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Watch the show every morning on YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with all the best moments from Boston's home for sports!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, break down St. Louis CITY SC's 1-1 draw at DC United, and preview the upcoming US Open Cup Quarterfinal at home to Houston Dynamo!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

South Side Jake from South Side Plumbing and Heating comes on The Fan Hotline to quiz Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on sports trivia for this weekly segment!

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, kick off the "Road to '26" interview series with a foundational figure in American soccer, Francisco Carlos. As the founder of what became the United Soccer League (USL) and a 2024 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, Francisco provides a masterclass on how the "machine" of the American game was built from the ground up.In this conversation, we dive into:The $15 Investment: How a simple idea and a trip to City Hall in 1986 birthed the Southwest Indoor Soccer League (SISL), the precursor to today's USL.The Architect's Journey: From arriving in the U.S. from Portugal at 16 to his time at Hartwick College, where he balanced the pitch with student journalism and radio, shaping his future in sports PR and publishing.Building the Pyramid: Francisco discusses his role in creating a multi-tiered league system, including the first national youth leagues (Super Y) and the W-League for women, and why the "pyramid" is essential for soccer to thrive in cities like Des Moines and Boise.1994 vs. 2026: Reflections on how the 1994 World Cup redefined the sport's trajectory and what he anticipates for the 2026 tournament, including concerns about ticket prices and the "sheer magnitude" of the event.The Business of "Soccer Wars": Candid thoughts on the friction between competing leagues (MLS and USL) in the same markets, citing examples like St. Louis and Austin, and the need for a unified "soccer family" in the U.S.Lamar Hunt and Legacy: Stories from his time working with Lamar Hunt and the importance of instilling a "24/7 football culture" across the country.Whether you're a tactical nerd or a business-of-sports enthusiast, this episode traces the legacy of American soccer through the lens of one of its most influential builders.Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

2024 年底，美國政府通過法案要求字節跳動出售抖音國際版 TikTok，否則將全面封禁。消息一出，大批美國用戶集體出走，轉往小紅書「移民」，這波遷徙在全球掀起新一輪關於平台、主權與數位安全的討論。 抖音創辦人張一鳴曾耗費數十年與數百億美元，試圖證明科技可以是中立的，娛樂可以與政治切割。《抖音帝國：TikTok 夾在中國與美國之間的商戰野心》一書，從張一鳴的角度起步，記錄了一個科技烏托邦理想如何在政治現實的重力下一步步妥協。 【聽完這集你會知道】 07:41｜火星人思維落難：張一鳴試圖去中國化以對接全球價值，卻敵不過現實政治引力 10:49｜2017 轉折點：剖析情報法如何強制企業交出個資，讓中立平台淪為情報戰觸手 17:28｜隔離計畫破功：德克薩斯計畫為何防不住後門？揭密數據「查水表」的技術真相 19:56｜Heating 介選風險：人工介入影音加熱器機制，如何繞過演算法實施認知作戰 25:21｜數位韌性判斷：當 AI 模型遵從率成為政治審查指標，使用者應建立防禦性距離 【本集金句】 「當科技發展到一定程度，有心人都會想掌控這股力量。妥協的結果，其實是使用者和消費者在承受。」 主持人： 未來城市頻道總監 陳芳毓 來賓：衛城出版社總編輯 洪仕翰 製作團隊：詹湘淇、錢玉紘、黃柏維、陳繹方、陳瑞偉 ＊百工百業用AI系列 https://futurecity.cw.com.tw/special/ai-work-podcast ＊搜尋「未來城市FutureCity@天下」，追蹤更多城市議題：https://futurecity.cw.com.tw/ ＊訂閱天下全閱讀：https://bit.ly/3STpEpV ＊「聽天下」清楚分類更好聽，下載天下雜誌App：https://bit.ly/3ELcwhX ＊意見信箱：bill@cw.com.tw -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

What does true wellness really look like?In this powerful episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Marine veteran and wellness coach Matthew Merryman joins Rich for an honest and eye-opening conversation about mindset, healing, self-love, meditation, nutrition, and personal growth. What starts as a discussion about fitness quickly transforms into a deeper exploration of trauma, purpose, behavioral change, and learning how to truly live instead of simply survive.Matthew shares how his experience in the Marine Corps shaped his mental discipline while also revealing the challenges many veterans face after service. From meditation and Stoicism to nutrition, sleep habits, and emotional healing, this episode delivers practical wisdom and thought-provoking insight for anyone seeking balance and growth in their life.In this episode, you'll hear: Why wellness starts with understanding yourself  How mindset affects health and behavior  The connection between nutrition and mental clarity  Why meditation and slowing down matter  The importance of self-love and purpose Guest: Matthew Merryman Website: Unity Thru Wellness | HomeSpecial thanks to this episode's sponsor: Eco-Cool HVACIf this episode inspired you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this conversation.Send us Fan MailEco-Cool HVACYOUR FRIEND IN THE SUMMERS & WINTERS! Heating & Air Conditioning Service and Repair, Furnace & BoilDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showRate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett Facebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett Instagram – @conversationswithrichbennettTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTokSponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Hosted on BuzzsproutSquadCastSubscribe by Email

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, break down St. Louis CITY SC's 2-1 win over LAFC, and preview the upcoming match away at DC United!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

This episode features Mike Bryant from Bradshaw & Bryant, Restaurant Gal, psychic Ruth Lordan and Sabre Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning owner Steve Hucovski with homeowner tips. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a significant revolt within the Labour Party due to extreme unpopularity. Simon Constable cites unpopular economic policies, like cutting winter heating allowances, as primary drivers of widespread public discontent. (14/16)JUNE 1930

Hot or Cold 5/13/26 - Presented by Belknap Heating & Cooling full 830 Wed, 13 May 2026 13:53:18 +0000 CUtmvCMiqDaEsGxBcjzOuuKMyxBMjY7q sports The Jeremy & Joe Show sports Hot or Cold 5/13/26 - Presented by Belknap Heating & Cooling Jeremy & Joe is Buffalo's go-to sports talk podcast for fans who want real opinions, smart analysis, and plenty of laughs along the way. Hosted by Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase, the show dives into everything Bills and Sabres — with no sugar coating and no holding back. Whether it's breaking down Josh Allen's latest performance or talking Sabres prospects, Jeremy & Joe bring the energy Buffalo fans live for. New episodes drop Monday through Friday. You can also catch Jeremy & Joe live on WGR 550 weekdays from 6–10 a.m. ET. On Demand Audio is presented by Northwest Bank. For What's Next. © 2025 Audacy, Inc. Sports False https://player.amperwavepodcasti

Send us Fan MailBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, break down St. Louis CITY SC's 1-0 win @ Colorado Rapids, and preview the upcoming match against LAFC at home!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount  on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!