Podcasts about UTM

If John Wilson and Jack Carr lost everything and had to start a plumbing company from scratch, what would they actually do?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack break down exactly how they'd build a plumbing business from $10,000 to $1 million in revenue using everything they've learned as home service operators.They compare two different paths: staying extremely lean by subcontracting work and proving demand before spending money, or hiring early and building the operation one truck at a time. They cover how they'd land their first customers, where they'd spend their first marketing dollars, when they'd hire, what jobs they'd target, and how they'd build toward four productive trucks.John also explains why he'd eventually use a small acquisition to accelerate the business, including examples of companies he's previously acquired with very little cash down.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• How to start a plumbing company with $10,000• Getting your first customers without a big marketing budget• Subcontracting vs. hiring your first plumber• Why John would prioritize revenue before investing• Using Facebook, Nextdoor, referrals, and LSAs to generate leads• The plumbing jobs Jack would target first• When to add your first truck and technician━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Service ScalersGet more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast YelpLooking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Send Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Your customer database might be worth more than you think.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Faraday founder Alex Coleman to break down how home service companies can turn the data they already collect into better marketing, smarter dispatching, and more replacement opportunities.They cover how Wilson uncovered millions of dollars in opportunities hidden inside old customer records, why equipment data becomes increasingly valuable as a contractor scales, and how back-office automation can tackle permits, warranties, rebates, and other processes that often fall through the cracks.John and Alex also dig into AI in the trades, where automation is actually useful, why AI still needs a human in the loop, and why contractors should think twice before building their own software instead of focusing on the core business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• How old customer data can uncover millions in replacement opportunities• Why equipment age matters for marketing and dispatch• Turning service calls into long-term marketing assets• Using existing customer databases to drive more revenue• Automating permits, warranties, rebates, and back-office work• Why rebates can become a major source of missed profit• How data becomes more valuable as a home service company scales• Where AI is overpromised in the trades━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Alex Coleman / Faradayhttps://www.faraday.so/https://www.linkedin.com/company/faraday-ai/Owned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Profit & GritRunning a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.comSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Slow season doesn't have to wreck your home service business.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how they prepare for shoulder season when inbound demand slows, the call board gets lighter, and every lead becomes more valuable.They cover how to fill the board with outbound calling, when to use specials and discounts, why sales KPIs can actually improve during slower months, and how tightening labor, marketing, and spending can turn shoulder season into a stronger cash-producing period. They also explain why preparing months ahead and building a customer contact list during peak season makes the slowdown much easier to manage.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• Why August and September can be some of the slowest months of the year• How to use outbound calling to fill the board when inbound demand drops• Specials, BOGOs, tune-ups, and other ways to drive shoulder season leads• Why you should lean on proven marketing instead of taking new risks• How to get more revenue from the leads already on your board• Why average ticket and conversion rates can improve during slow season━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjackOwned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━FieldPulseReady to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operatedSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Home service businesses are getting more attention than ever. But are they really as good as they look?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr talk about why HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other home service businesses have become so popular; and why they're still incredibly hard to operate.They break down what makes home services attractive, the mistakes people make when buying into the trades, and where there's still opportunity as more buyers enter the space.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• Why more people are getting into the trades• What makes home services such an attractive business model• Why fragmentation creates so much opportunity• The reality of staffing, seasonality, and competition• Why running a home service business takes more than being smart• The biggest mistake people make when buying a home service company• The difference between buying a business and buying a job━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjackCatalyst https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Quick StaffersHire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Profit & GritRunning a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.comFieldPulseReady to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operatedSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

The way travelers discover short-term rentals is changing—and the biggest shift may be happening before they ever visit Airbnb, Vrbo, or a property manager's website. In this episode of The STR Data Lab, AirDNA Chief Economist Jamie Lane sits down with Jason Cincotta, co-founder of Kismet, to unpack how AI-powered search is reshaping travel discovery, how much revenue it may already be influencing, and why traditional attribution models could be missing a huge part of the picture.The conversation goes beyond the headline numbers. Jamie and Jason explore why AI-driven guests may convert at higher rates, why so much AI research happens “in the dark” without appearing in traditional analytics, and how the rise of AI could change the long-standing balance between OTAs and direct bookings. They also discuss what property managers and hosts can do today—from improving imagery and website experiences to making their property data easier for AI systems to understand.You don't want to miss this episode if you want to understand where STR distribution is headed next.Key TakeawaysAI search is already influencing STR bookings. Traditional referral and UTM data may dramatically undercount the impact of AI-driven travel research.The travel “front door” is changing. Guests are increasingly using AI to research destinations, build itineraries, compare properties, and determine where they want to stay before visiting a booking platform.Direct bookings could gain an advantage. AI can potentially compare OTAs with direct channels and surface properties based on the individual traveler's needs, preferences, and previous experiences.Your website still matters. More AI visibility only helps if your direct booking experience can convert the traffic. Strong imagery, compelling copy, mobile functionality, branding, and a seamless booking engine are becoming increasingly important.Make your property easy for AI to understand. Structured, accurate information about your homes—including amenities, imagery, availability, pricing, and other commercial data—can help ensure your inventory is discoverable in emerging AI-powered search environments.Sign up for AirDNA for FREE

You can be profitable and still run out of cash.In this supercut episode of Owned and Operated, featuring insights from several episodes, John Wilson breaks down the cash flow, sales, and KPI systems that helped him scale a home service business from $1M to roughly $40M in revenue.Learn why profit doesn't equal cash, how to improve average ticket by solving higher-value problems, and the five numbers every home service owner should track to find problems faster and scale with more control.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• Why profitable home service businesses still run out of cash• How to improve cash flow and get paid faster• The systems John would implement at $1M in revenue• How to increase average ticket with a value ladder• Why training and ride-alongs drive better sales performance• The 5 KPIs every home service owner should track• How to diagnose lead, booking, closing, and average ticket problems• Why “number of options” is a critical sales metric• How scorecards and daily KPIs create accountability━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjackOwned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Service ScalersGet more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcastQuick StaffersHire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/Send Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

The biggest decisions in your home service business usually don't feel big when you make them.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down the $1 million decisions contractors make without realizing how much they can impact the business over time.They discuss hiring the right people, choosing technology that can scale, building a membership program, reinvesting profits, making smarter marketing bets, and why seemingly small decisions can shape the next decade of your business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• Why small decisions can compound into million-dollar outcomes• How hiring the right people can change the trajectory of your business• Why your CRM, payroll, phones, and technology stack matter as you scale• How membership programs create long-term customer value• Why reinvesting profits can accelerate growth• Why John and Jack prioritize executors over “strategic” hires• The two areas they would focus on first at $5M: people and leads• How training, KPIs, and better data create a long-term advantage━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjackOwned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━AvocaSee how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oaoService ScalersGet more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcastSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

How do you turn a 33,000-person enterprise into an active network of brand advocates? In this episode of The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast, hosts Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley welcome Camilla Erika Campbell, Social Media Lead at Wood.Camilla oversees social strategy and employee advocacy at Wood, a global leader in consulting, engineering, and operations across the energy and materials markets. In this episode, listeners will learn how to transition an advocacy program from a basic content distribution add-on into a primary, high-performing strategic marketing channel. Camilla shares how focusing on advocate education and post personalization allowed Wood's employee network to deliver 82% of total campaign web traffic, outperforming their main corporate page by 13x. You'll gain actionable strategies on using UTM tracking to prove real ROI, balancing niche industry content with corporate priorities, and re-engaging inactive advocates through direct, human-centric communication. As corporate page reach continues to decline on LinkedIn, marketing and comms leaders need reliable ways to drive authentic reach. This episode provides the exact roadmap to harness your workforce to build trust, boost traffic, and scale employee advocacy. Subscribe to The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast so you never miss an episode!Resources:Want to know how your employee advocacy strategy really stacks up? ⁠⁠Grab your FREE Employee Advocacy Health Check⁠⁠ and see how you compare against your competitors.⁠⁠Book a call⁠⁠ to discover how employee advocacy can benefit your team.Ready to elevate your employee advocacy? Get a free copy of Bradley Keenan's essential book, ‘⁠⁠Employee Advocacy: 101 Cheat Codes⁠⁠' for deeper insights and actionable strategies.⁠Download 'Stop Copy-Pasting Your Employee Advocacy'⁠, a study of 517,374 LinkedIn posts.Subscribe to the Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast on Spotify or your favorite platform to never miss an episode.

The strategies that get your home service business to $3 million will not get you to $30 million.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down why contractors stall at different stages of growth and how the owner's role has to evolve as the business gets bigger.They discuss escaping “hero mode,” building the right teams and systems, reinvesting in growth, and why the owner can ultimately become the biggest bottleneck in the business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• Why the playbook that gets you to $3M stops working as you scale• Why contractors commonly stall between $3M and $10M• Getting the owner out of "hero mode" and building a real organization• Reinvesting profits versus pulling cash out of the business• The systems and positions you need as the company gets bigger• Why adding trades and locations too early can slow down growth━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━AvocaSee how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao Service ScalersGet more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcastSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Revenue attribution is where go-to-market teams go to war. When marketing, sales, and partners are all measured on the same opportunity source, only one team can win any given deal, and the other two walk away frustrated. The result: expensive pipeline calls that turn into line-by-line credit disputes, sandbagged opportunities, and reps waiting out the clock to claim a deal.In this episode, Chris sits down with George Samaras, who leads marketing operations at Ataccama, to unpack how to fix cross-team attribution. Not with a better tool, but with a better system.George shares how he replaced a zero-sum, first-touch model with parallel measurement, where marketing operates as an overlay while sales and partners are credited on their own metrics, so every team can get credit on the same deal and actually row in the same direction. He gets tactical on the infrastructure behind it (universal HubSpot forms, UTM tracking, Salesforce parent-child campaigns), how he used historical data to set pipeline baselines each team is held to, and why he backfilled a year of campaign data to make it work.We also dig into:Why attribution conflict is almost always a people and political problem, not a measurement oneHow to get executive sponsorship, and why you shouldn't start a project like this without itFinding the line between granular enough and overly complexThe real answer to "should I just buy an attribution tool?"If you've ever sat on a pipeline call watching three teams fight over the same dollar, this one's for you.

Every growing home service company eventually hits the same wall. The systems that got you to $2 million will not get you to $20 million.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Brady Jolly and Scott Sharrock of Jolly Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electric to break down what it actually takes to scale a second-generation home service business. They discuss moving from commercial to residential, building a leadership team, using acquisitions to accelerate growth, creating a culture people want to stay in, and the management systems that help businesses continue growing without relying on the owner.The conversation also dives into scorecards, leadership development, AI, private equity, and why investing in people often creates a bigger return than investing anywhere else.In This Episode• Growing a second-generation plumbing company into a multi-trade business• Why residential service changed the trajectory of the company• Lessons from acquisitions, launching roofing, and adding new trades• Building leaders before you need them• Creating a culture that people actually want to be part of• How scorecards and KPIs improve decision making• AI, private equity, and where home service businesses are headed nextConnectJohn Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Brady Jolly + Scott Sharrockhttps://justcalljolly.com/Reimagining Home Services Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@ReimaginingHomeServices ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━YelpLooking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/The Military Veteran (TMV)Hiring a VP, GM, or C-suite leader? The Military Veteran (TMV) specializes in executive search for home service businesses, connecting you with proven veteran leaders who know how to execute, build teams, and drive growth. Select Owned and Operated as your referral source when you schedule a consultation: https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.orgBig ReputationGet more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paidSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Home service marketing strategy isn't one-size-fits-all. In this Owned and Operated compilation, John Wilson sits down with Lisa Appleby and Ethan Wright of Service Scalers to break down the marketing systems, lead generation strategies, SEO, Google Ads, Local Services Ads, reviews, AI, and growth playbooks that help contractors scale from $1M to $10M+.Whether you own an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or other home service business, this episode explains where your next marketing dollar should go, how to generate higher-quality leads, improve conversion rates, and build a marketing engine that scales with your company.In This Episode The marketing roadmap from $1M to $10M in revenue  Where to invest your next marketing dollar  When to use Local Services Ads, PPC, SEO, and aggregators  Why speed-to-lead dramatically increases booked jobs  How online reviews impact rankings and revenue  The biggest marketing mistakes growing contractors make  How AI is changing SEO, Google Search, and digital marketing  The KPIs every contractor should actually be tracking ConnectJohn Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Lisa Appleby https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-appleby/?originalSubdomain=ukEthan Wright https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanwrighttx━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Comfort ConnectTurn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX YelpLooking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Profit & GritRunning a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.comSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

If your organization runs on Epic, you may already have everything you need to prove ROI for your marketing campaigns.In this week's episode, Hedy & Hopp CEO & Founder Jenny Bristow talks about the analytics tools and reporting options built directly into Epic, and how healthcare marketers can use them to connect campaign spend to real patient outcomes and downstream revenue.The Tools Inside Epic Worth Knowing:Chronicles: Epic's real-time transactional database where live data lives. This is also where Reporting Workbench runs: the home of pre-built reports you can pull from any timeClarity: A relational database that runs nightly data extracts. It's a reliable source for deeper historical reportingCaboodle: Epic's internal data warehouse, built for deep campaign analysis and connecting marketing data to clinical and financial outcomesLinkSource: Epic's native tool for campaign tracking. When a patient visits a landing page and schedules an appointment, the UTM parameter from your ad gets attached directly to their patient record, so you can pull downstream data on appointments attended and revenue generatedAnalytics Catalog: A search engine for existing reports already living inside Epic. This makes it easier to find what's already built before starting from scratchSlicerDicer: A flexible, self-service tool for pulling and slicing data out of Epic on your own termsThe big picture: when these tools work together, you can put UTM parameters on your ads, attach them to patient records at the point of scheduling, and pull through appointment attendance and downstream revenue, all within Epic. From there, you can build dashboards that show true campaign ROI and make smarter decisions about where to allocate your media budget.If this all sounds unfamiliar, but your organization is already using Epic, don't miss Hedy & Hopp's free webinar series, Summer School: Epic for Marketers!  ​​Although the series wrapped up this week, you can still access all sessions on-demand when you register. Connect with Jenny:Email: jenny@hedyandhopp.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennybristow/If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear your feedback! Please consider leaving us a review on your preferred listening platform and sharing it with others.

Google is changing Local Services Ads again, and this one actually matters.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston of Service Scalers to break down Google's biggest LSA update yet. With Local Services Ads moving into Google Ads and Performance Max, contractors could see major changes to how budgets are spent, campaigns are managed, and leads are generated.John and Sam walk through what's changing, what could go wrong, and the simple checklist every contractor should work through before the rollout. If Google is an important lead source for your business, this is an episode you'll want to hear before the switch happens.In This Episode:Why Google is moving LSAs into Google AdsWhat Performance Max means for contractorsThe biggest risks during the migrationHow to think about budgets and campaign structureWhat data you need to save before it's goneWhy your Google Business Profile matters more than everWhat to watch for if your lead volume changes overnight━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Sam Preston → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampreston/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Google Ads, Local Service Ads, ChatGPT advertising, AI search, and Google Business Profile are all changing quickly. In this episode of Torsion Talk, Ryan delivers a rapid-fire breakdown of the latest marketing and AI updates that garage door companies and home service businesses need to understand.Ryan begins with an update on Google's plan to move Local Service Ads into the Google Ads platform. While garage door services were not specifically listed in the first phase of the rollout, additional service businesses may be included later in the year. He explains what is expected to remain the same, including pay-per-lead pricing and placements within Google Search and Maps, as well as the removal of BBB callouts from LSA.The episode also covers Google's decision to remove the $50,000 advertising-spend requirement for lead forms, new developments involving Bing, and recent AI model releases from Claude and Gemini. Ryan discusses how these tools are becoming faster, more capable, and more affordable, as well as how Google is already incorporating its latest AI technology into Search, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.Ryan also explains why Google Business Profile is becoming the center of the local marketing ecosystem. As Google connects Business Profiles with Local Service Ads, Google Ads, Maps, and AI-generated search results, maintaining accurate business information, strong reviews, and a trustworthy online presence is more important than ever.Additional updates include Google's efforts to filter suspicious reviews, changes to ChatGPT Ads budgeting, and the addition of UTM tracking for better advertising attribution. Ryan explains how weekly budgets give advertising platforms more flexibility to spend during periods of higher traffic and why improved tracking can help business owners understand which campaigns are actually producing website visits and leads.The episode concludes with an update on Markinuity's internal AI and automation tools. Ryan shares how the team is testing new systems through “breakathons” to make sure they are reliable, resilient, and ready to support real-world marketing and operational needs.For more conversations about garage door marketing, Google Ads, Local Service Ads, Google Business Profile, ChatGPT Ads, AI automation, local SEO, and business growth, subscribe to Torsion Talk on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.Find Ryan at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://garagedooru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aaronoverheaddoors.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://markinuity.com/⁠Check out our sponsors!Sommer USA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://sommer-usa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Surewinder - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surewinder.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stealth Hardware - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://quietmydoor.com/⁠

The fastest-growing home service companies don't scale by spending more. They scale by making smarter operational decisions.In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down one of the biggest hidden expenses in home services: your fleet. They explain why they're moving away from expensive service vans, why the Ford Maverick has become their vehicle of choice, and how rethinking truck stock, inventory, and install trailers can save hundreds of thousands of dollars while making technicians more efficient.They also dive into the future of fleet strategy, from modular trailer systems and simplified inventory to why most branded truck wraps no longer create a competitive advantage. If you're looking for practical ways to lower costs without sacrificing growth, this episode is packed with ideas you can apply immediately.In This Episode:• Why expensive service vans may be hurting your business• How Ford Mavericks reduce fleet costs and fuel spend• Rethinking truck stock to improve inventory control• The trailer system that could replace traditional install trucks• How fleet decisions impact profitability and cash flow• Why most truck wraps no longer stand out• Building a brand that actually differentiates your company————————————————

The fastest-growing home service companies don't fail because they run out of demand. They fail because they run out of leaders.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jim Lose of The Military Veteran to discuss what separates great operators from average managers. They cover how to hire executive talent, build a structured interview process, identify red flags before making an offer, and create leadership systems that scale with your business.From scorecards and reference checks to compensation, coaching, and military leadership, this episode is a practical guide to building the team that takes your business from operator-led to professionally managed.In This Episode:• Why leadership becomes the biggest growth constraint• How to identify and hire A-player operators• The interview mistakes most owners make• Building scorecards that drive accountability• Coaching vs. replacing underperforming leaders• Compensation, incentives, and equity for key hires• The next executive hire growing businesses should make————————————————

Septic may be one of the most overlooked businesses in home services, but it might also be one of the best.In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson brings together two of the biggest conversations we've had on the septic industry, featuring Chad and Kyle from Epic Septic alongside Micah of Homefield. Together, they break down why septic has become one of the most compelling opportunities in home services and what it really takes to build a scalable business in the space.From pumping and repairs to installations, route density, marketing, and franchising, they share the economics behind the business, the operational challenges unique to septic, and the systems they're using to grow across multiple markets. Whether you're looking to buy a septic company or simply want to understand why so many operators are bullish on the industry, this episode is a complete deep dive.In This Episode:• Why septic is one of the most attractive home service businesses• The economics of pumping, repairs, and installations• How pumping creates long-term customer value• Why modern marketing is a competitive advantage in septic• Pricing, route density, and improving profitability• Scaling across multiple markets and states• The infrastructure challenges every septic operator faces• What buyers should know before acquiring a septic business————————————————

NOTES Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert.  Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! SUMMARY Does the LinkedIn Brand Awareness objective actually build brand awareness—or just increase your ad costs? In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox explains why the Brand Awareness objective is one of the most misunderstood features in LinkedIn Campaign Manager. You'll learn why it often costs significantly more than alternative objectives, when it actually makes sense to use it (hint: CTV ads), and which objectives can deliver better awareness and engagement at a lower cost. AJ also covers the latest LinkedIn Ads updates, including campaign naming changes, new thought leader ad capabilities, personalized lead gen forms, and dynamic UTM parameters. If you're running LinkedIn ads and want to make every dollar work harder, this is an episode you won't want to miss. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 170

Not every acquisition is worth making.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson shares the story of one of the biggest acquisitions he chose to walk away from, even though it had the potential to double the size of his business. What looked like an incredible opportunity on paper quickly unraveled as the due diligence process exposed problems with customer concentration, company culture, cash flow, and the financials.John explains the acquisition framework he uses to evaluate plumbing, HVAC, and electrical businesses, why revenue and EBITDA rarely tell the whole story, and the common mistakes first-time buyers make when they become emotionally attached to a deal.Sometimes the best acquisition is the one you don't make.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In this episode, John covers:→ The acquisition that looked perfect—but wasn't→ The biggest red flags uncovered during due diligence→ Why customer mix and company culture matter as much as financials→ How to avoid becoming emotionally invested in a deal→ What every first-time acquisition entrepreneur should know→ Lessons learned from the deals John decided not to buy━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAOSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Most home service companies think they're tracking marketing. They're actually tracking the wrong metrics.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how to measure marketing ROI the right way. They explain why cost per lead is often a misleading metric, how to build a marketing scorecard that actually helps you make better decisions, and the attribution systems they use to understand what's driving revenue across a growing home service business.They also discuss why blended marketing ROI matters more than individual lead costs, how to separate new customer revenue from recurring customers, the importance of clean CRM data, and why every owner—not their agency—is ultimately responsible for marketing performance.In This Episode:• Why cost per lead can lead you to the wrong decisions• The marketing KPIs every home service business should track• How to measure true ROI across every marketing channel• Building an attribution system that actually works• Why clean CRM data is the foundation of good marketing• How to separate new customer revenue from repeat business• The pitfalls of using lifetime value (LTV) to justify marketing spend• Why every owner should own their company's marketing scorecard————————————————

Most home service businesses are using AI the wrong way.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how AI is actually changing the trades and why the biggest opportunity isn't replacing technicians, but removing the operational friction that slows growing companies down. They share how they're using AI across acquisitions, accounting, purchasing, reporting, dispatch, and marketing while keeping the human experience at the center of the business.They also discuss why venture capital is pouring money into home services, how AI is creating a new wave of EBITDA expansion, the software they're replacing with custom-built AI tools, and why the companies that embrace AI as a force multiplier, not a replacement for people, will have the biggest advantage over the next decade.In This Episode:• Why home services has become an AI "safe haven" for investors• What AI should never replace inside your business• Using AI to reduce friction instead of cutting headcount• Replacing expensive SaaS tools with custom AI solutions• How AI is transforming acquisitions and multi-location growth• Why accounting is the biggest bottleneck in scaling through M&A• The balance between automation and human customer experience————————————————

The funnel most marketers grew up on – see the ad, click, browse, add to cart, buy – did not gradually erode. It came apart almost overnight, as shoppers got comfortable discovering, deciding, and buying inside social feeds and LLMs, often in a single moment. Recorded live at K:LDN 2026 in London, this is the close-out conversation for the series, a step back to ask what actually replaces the funnel and what it demands of the brands trying to keep pace. Alicia Esposito of Future Commerce sits down with Kelsey Capps, who leads Klaviyo's product work across analytics, personalization, and AI, and so has a front-row seat to the change. A shopper can now find a product in a TikTok comment, buy it, and post about it before the marketing team has time to react, which means the advance-planning window marketers relied on has all but vanished. Kelsey's argument is that brands have to rebalance, away from a roughly 80/20 split of campaigns over automated flows and toward signal-triggered automation that can react in the moment, like a flow that fires when someone arrives from a ChatGPT referral. Underneath the tactics sits a bigger shift: optimizing your site and product data so the machines doing the discovering can actually surface you, and building an operating model around understanding customers rather than merely targeting them. Her closing note is optimistic. The data advantage that once belonged only to enterprises is now within reach of the smallest brand, and because customer intelligence compounds, the brands that start building the model first are the ones that pull away. What you'll learn What replaces the linear funnel once discovery, comparison, and conversion happen at once Why the advance-planning window has collapsed, and what to do about it How to rebalance from campaigns toward signal-triggered automated flows Why optimizing your product data and brand voice for machines is now table stakes How a single wrong recommendation breaks trust, and why understanding beats targeting Why customer intelligence compounds, and why first movers pull away Pull quotes "Customers don't want to be just targeted, they want to be understood." — Kelsey Capps [13:50] "You can see when someone came to your site from ChatGPT. That's just a UTM source on an event, and a brand could automate a workflow around it." — Kelsey Capps [16:15] "This conversation used to be confined to the four walls of industry events. Now your family and friends are having the same conversations about how their data is being used." — Alicia Esposito [23:01] "Even your smallest mom-and-pop shop can take advantage of their first-party data in a way they just never could before." — Kelsey Capps [24:55] Chapters 0:00 Cold open and introductions 5:23 Perpetual commerce and the collapse of the funnel 6:11 Discovering and buying inside a TikTok comment 11:43 Understanding customers, not just targeting them 14:46 Optimizing your data for the machines doing the discovering 15:40 The vanishing planning window, campaigns versus flows 17:08 Composer and orchestration pulling it together 19:03 Vision in the age of autonomy 22:00 The turkey-sub story, how a bad recommendation breaks trust 23:43 What Kelsey is optimistic about, and the urgency for laggards In-Show Mentions: Learn more about Klaviyo's Composer Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most home service businesses aren't sold for what they're capable of being worth.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Will Schryver  reveal what separates a business that sells for a premium from one that gets discounted. From leadership and systems to pricing, technology, and operational maturity, they explain what buyers actually look for and why preparing for an exit should start years before you plan to sell.They also dive into the current acquisition market, the influx of private equity and family office capital, why AI is accelerating investment into the trades, and the lessons Will has learned since leaving investment banking to buy and grow his own HVAC business.In This Episode:Why EBITDA alone doesn't determine your business valueThe biggest mistakes owners make before sellingInvestment banker vs. business broker: what's the difference?Growing an HVAC company from $1.5M to $3M in 18 monthsWhy private equity is investing heavily in home servicesHow AI is making the trades even more valuable———————————————— 

Social is where discovery happens now, but it is rented land. You can build an audience of hundreds of thousands and still not own the relationship, because the algorithm decides who sees you and the landlord keeps raising the rent. Recorded live at K:LDN 2026 in London, this conversation is about turning borrowed reach into something a brand actually owns. It pairs the person building the tooling with the person living the problem every day. Brett Bernstein, who came to Klaviyo through its acquisition of Gatsby and now leads its new social product, sits down with Kathleen Loftus, Marketing Director at Sculpted by Aimee, an Irish cosmetics brand with a 350,000-strong Instagram following. Kathleen runs brand, creative, PR, influencer, CRM, and paid under one roof, which is exactly why she can trace a viral moment all the way to revenue. She walks through a campaign built on a piece of theater: teasing the discontinuation of a beloved cream blush. The stunt ran as a closed loop, from Instagram to the brand's broadcast channel to a website waitlist, and it sold roughly eight weeks of forecast stock in under a week. Brett and Kathleen then dig into the unglamorous problem underneath the fun: attribution, why the brand rebuilt its entire UTM structure this year, and how so many of the people engaging with a brand never actually hit follow. The payoff is a practical view of what it means to own the social moment: spotting the commenters and lurkers who signal intent, and giving them a reason to move into channels the brand controls. Why Rent Platforms When You Can Own Relationships? What you'll learn Why keeping social, CRM, and paid on one team is what lets social activity connect to revenue How a brand decides what to post when every post has to earn its place, not just chase reach The mechanics of a closed-loop campaign that turned a discontinuation stunt into a sold-out waitlist Why social attribution starts with unglamorous plumbing, and what rebuilding a UTM structure buys you Why most people engaging with a brand on social never follow it, and why following is the wrong metric to chase How to move commenters and lurkers off rented platforms into email and SMS Pull quotes "Not everything needs a million likes or a million views, but it has to have a purpose to be on our channels." — Kathleen Loftus, Marketing Director, Sculpted by Aimee [~7:05] "We sold out eight weeks' worth of our forecasted product in less than a week." — Kathleen Loftus [~9:15] "Instagram is the landlord that keeps raising the rent every month." — Kathleen Loftus [13:23] "You might think they're no longer an active customer, but then you notice their comments on your content. Those are signals we can now unlock." — Brett Bernstein, Klaviyo [14:36] Chapters 0:00 Cold open and introductions 3:18 Meet Sculpted by Aimee, one team across all of marketing 5:46 Showing up on Instagram, posting with purpose 7:12 Reading the data, what social signals actually tell you 7:57 The Cream Luxe discontinuation stunt, a sold-out waitlist 10:15 From social to revenue, rebuilding attribution and UTMs 12:28 Rented land, why following is the wrong metric 14:36 Turning engaged non-followers into owned relationships 15:26 A campaign that nailed it, the Sculpted Society pop-up In-Show Mentions: Sculpted by Aimee Learn more about Klaviyo's new tools Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it really take to build a home service business from the ground up?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Ryan and Aaron Osterkamp of Quality Comfort Home Services to unpack the journey from one technician working out of a house to a company targeting more than $9 million in annual revenue.They discuss the early years of wearing every hat, the decision to bring on an in-house marketing leader years before most companies their size would, why investing in leadership accelerated growth, and the challenges that come with letting go as the business scales. They also share how they've built a strong company culture, approached hiring, and continue reinvesting in the business for the next stage of growth.In This Episode:Building an HVAC business from one truck to a $9M goalWhy they hired an in-house marketing director earlyThe leadership hires that unlocked growthCreating a culture that retains great employeesWhen to reinvest versus take money out of the businessThe hardest parts of delegating as an ownerDeciding between growing HVAC or expanding plumbing————————————————

Managing the leadership challenges that come with being a CEO can be surprisingly lonely.In this solo episode, John Wilson reflects on the last decade of leading Wilson Companies from a team of seven employees to more than 220. He shares the lessons that only come with experience, including imposter syndrome, difficult decisions, the weight of responsibility, and why leadership often feels different than people expect.If you're leading a growing company or stepping into a leadership role, this episode offers an honest look at what it really takes to grow as a CEO.In this episode: Why you never really feel ready to be a CEO  How leadership challenges change as your business grows  The hidden cost of difficult decisions  Why success often feels different than expected  How to avoid becoming the bottleneck  Why your business can only grow as fast as you do Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAOSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Google search is changing. AI is changing how homeowners find contractors. And the marketing strategies that worked just two years ago aren't enough anymore.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Service Scalers CEO Sam Preston to break down what's actually working in HVAC marketing in 2026. From AI search and Google Business Profile optimization to Meta, Reddit, Yelp, and content marketing, they discuss where home service companies should be investing and where they're wasting money.They also dive into rising lead costs, why many HVAC companies are struggling this year, and the marketing playbook operators should follow to stay ahead as search continues to evolve.Whether you're trying to generate more calls today or prepare your business for the next wave of AI-driven search, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can implement immediately.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode:• Why Google and AI search are changing home service marketing• The biggest marketing opportunities heading into 2026• Why Google Business Profile is still the highest ROI channel• How AI is reshaping SEO and content strategy• Why Meta and social content are becoming more valuable than ever• The growing importance of Yelp, Reddit, and other high-authority platforms• The marketing metrics every contractor should track weekly• The biggest mistakes HVAC companies are making today• How to prepare your business for the future of AI-powered search————————————————

If We Had to Start Over, We'd Do This InsteadIf John Wilson and Jack Carr lost everything tomorrow, how would they rebuild?In this episode of Owned and Operated, they tackle one of the biggest questions every entrepreneur eventually asks: would you buy a business, build one from scratch, or take a completely different path?John argues that acquiring a small home service business is still the fastest way to create wealth, while Jack makes the case for starting lean with a service business that requires little capital and can scale quickly. Along the way, they break down the lessons that took years to learn, the mistakes they'd avoid, and the exact playbook they'd use to grow much faster the second time around.In This Episode:Buy vs. build: which strategy wins today?The home service businesses they'd start from scratchWhy marketing and sales matter more than fulfillment early onHow seller financing changes the economics of growthThe fastest path to generating cash flowBranding mistakes they'd never make again————————————————

If you've ever posted something you were really proud of, watched it completely flop, and then spiralled about it for the rest of the day – today's episode of the How I Do Content Podcast is for you!Because I've seen this scenario play out time and time again. When you do something that doesn't work: you make it mean something. You decide the whole strategy is broken or worse, that you're broken. But the one thing you don't do is the thing that would actually tell you what happened: go and look at the data.And I know, I know. The second I say "data," you tense up and go "but I'm not a numbers person." I get it – I'm the creative, messaging, words girlie, not the spreadsheet one. But as my coach always reminds me – data is just information. And when you actually look at it, it's going to make your marketing efforts much more effective. And to help me highlight why data isn't so scary – today I'm joined by the extra magical Rebecca Caldwell.Rebecca is the founder of Three Groves Marketing, where she helps service-based business owners actually use their marketing data and build lead-generating systems, so they can spend their time, money and energy wisely, while building a business that lets them have a really great life.In this episode of the How I Do Content Podcast, Rebecca shares how to make data feel genuinely simple (and dare I say, not scary). We get into where this fear of data really comes from, where to start and how your data might just give you permission to stop doing all the marketing you secretly hate.I guarantee after you finish listening to this episode, you'll look at data a whole lot differently!So let's get into it.CONNECT WITH REBECCA CALDWELLFollow Rebecca on Instagram @threegrovesGet to know your data with Rebecca's Marketing Compass at https://threegrovesmarketing.com/marketing-compass Grab the Free Marketing Measurement Playbook at https://threegrovesmarketing.com/mmp Find out more at https://threegrovesmarketing.com/ WANT MORE?Watch my 13 minute One Offer, 5 Angles Mini Training at https://thesocialbolt.com.au/mini-training/ Join the Micro Messaging Waitlist at https://thesocialbolt.com.au/messaging-waitlist/ Follow me on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/thesocialbolt Find out more at https://www.thesocialbolt.com.au TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODEmarketing data made simple, how to read marketing analytics, marketing analytics for beginners, google analytics for small business, what marketing metrics actually matter, data informed content strategy, how to use UTM parameters, marketing for service providers, stop guessing marketing, how to know what content is working, paid ads for small business, when to start paid advertising, retargeting ads for beginners, reusing top performing content, how to get off the content hamster wheel, why is my marketing not working, data driven marketing decisions, marketing for non numbers people, google search console for beginners, small business marketing strategyBackground Music is Copyright Free. You're free to use this music in your videos.Track: Harry Potter Theme SongMusic promoted by Chayatori RecordsVideo Link:  https://youtu.be/WY8-lVlLhWE 

Political spam texts are flooding phones at scale—and the data shows it's overwhelmingly a Democratic problem, running 3-4X Republican spending on SMS fundraising since 2008. This week breaks down the loopholes that make it legal (peer-to-peer "technology," snowshoeing across thousands of numbers, political speech exemptions) and the burn-and-churn vendor model that profits 7-15% off every dollar raised, no matter how much trust it burns. Plus a look at PACSpam.org, a new tool that lets you paste in a spam text, trace the UTM parameters and ActBlue links back to the vendor and PAC behind it, and log it to a public database. Plus: Giving USA 2025 numbers are in. Total US charitable giving hit a record $617B (a 3% inflation-adjusted bump), bequests jumped 17% signaling the great wealth transfer, and a handful of mega-donors accounted for nearly $18B of $19.2B in mega-gifts.

Stop relying on quality work alone to grow your home service business. Learn why prioritizing marketing and sales is the real key to small business growth.Many tradespeople and contractors believe that doing good work will naturally bring in more clients. That strategy often fails. Why? Because your business needs a steady flow of leads to survive. We break down why the phone needs to ring before you can worry about the quality of the service provided.Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAOSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Political spam texts are flooding phones at scale—and the data shows it’s overwhelmingly a Democratic problem, running 3-4X Republican spending on SMS fundraising since 2008. This week breaks down the loopholes that make it legal (peer-to-peer “technology,” snowshoeing across thousands of numbers, political speech exemptions) and the burn-and-churn vendor model that profits 7-15% off every dollar raised, no matter how much trust it burns. Plus a look at PACSpam.org, a new tool that lets you paste in a spam text, trace the UTM parameters and ActBlue links back to the vendor and PAC behind it, and log it to a public database. Plus: Giving USA 2025 numbers are in. Total US charitable giving hit a record $617B (a 3% inflation-adjusted bump), bequests jumped 17% signaling the great wealth transfer, and a handful of mega-donors accounted for nearly $18B of $19.2B in mega-gifts. -------- NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.The post Spam Texts, Scam PACs, and the Burn-and-Churn Fundraising Machine (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.

When should you rebrand an acquisition, and when should you leave it alone?In this episode, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how they think about branding after acquisitions. They discuss the operational tradeoffs, marketing benefits, cultural impact, and why many of the largest home service companies take completely different approaches.The conversation covers lessons learned from dozens of acquisitions, what customers actually care about, and why building a unified company may matter more than the logo on the truck.Whether you're buying businesses, scaling across markets, or considering a rebrand of your own, this episode offers a practical look at what's worked, what hasn't, and what they're planning next.In This Episode: When rebranding makes sense  Why some operators never rebrand acquisitions  The operational cost of managing multiple brands  How branding impacts culture and recruiting  What customers really notice  The playbook for rolling out a rebrand  Building one company across multiple markets———————————————— 

#367 | Dave sits down with Jess Cook, VP of Marketing at Vector, to talk about how she spent $12K on seven micro-influencers with zero UTM tracking and generated $1.1M in pipeline. Jess also breaks down why she started a brand podcast as an awareness play, how a B2C copywriting background at major CPG brands shaped the way she thinks about brand and standing out in B2B, and what it actually takes to make the jump from content leader to VP of Marketing.Timestamps(00:00) - - Intro (07:00) - - Why influencer marketing made sense as a first channel (12:15) - - Tracking pipeline without UTMs: using keyword alerts (13:06) - - The results: 45 demos, 80%+ ICP, $1.1M in pipeline (15:45) - - Why loose briefs outperform tightly controlled campaigns (20:23) - - How to scale an influencer program when you're a team of two (23:01) - - How to make your podcast an awareness magnet (31:49) - - How to know if your podcast is working when you can't track it (37:01) - - LinkedIn: 37K followers in 3 years and how the content strategy works (44:58) - - Why brand and mascots aren't optional anymore in B2B Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive. Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

If We Started Over Today, These Are the Businesses We'd BuyWhat's the best home service business to start in 2026?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down the industries they'd bet on if they had to start over from scratch today. From HVAC, plumbing, and electrical to restoration, landscaping, roofing, septic, and even trash collection, they debate which businesses offer the best combination of recurring revenue, profitability, scalability, and long-term enterprise value.The conversation dives into what actually makes a great business: recurring revenue vs. high-ticket projects, cash flow vs. enterprise value, ease of hiring vs. ease of selling, and which industries are positioned to win over the next decade. Along the way, John and Jack share lessons from building, acquiring, and investing in service businesses, and reveal which opportunities they're most excited about right now.If you're looking to buy a business, launch a company, or expand into a new trade, this episode offers a practical framework for evaluating where the best opportunities exist today.What You'll Learn:→ What makes a great home service business in 2026→ Why recurring revenue businesses are so attractive→ The tradeoffs between cash flow and enterprise value→ Why restoration may be one of the most underrated opportunities today→ The pros and cons of roofing, landscaping, septic, pest control, and more→ Which business John and Jack would personally choose if they had to start over tomorrow————————————————

Many small business owners struggle with identifying core issues, often guessing at problems instead of relying on concrete data. This video emphasizes the importance of focusing on measurable key metrics within a home services business. By tracking performance metrics like leads, booking rates, and closing rates, owners can significantly improve their business management and gain clear insights into their operational health.Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAOSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's YouTube ChannelWeekly Newsletter Owned and Operated Leave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

How do you go from Tesla to owning a plumbing company?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jared Worthen to discuss buying a plumbing business, transitioning from tech into the trades, and what it's really like to acquire and operate a home service company.After building his career at Tesla and ServiceTitan, Jared spent years searching for the right acquisition before purchasing Drain Doctors, a plumbing and drain cleaning company on California's Central Coast. He shares the realities of business acquisition, SBA-style entrepreneurship, scaling a small service business, and the lessons he's learned during his first 120 days as an owner.From due diligence and deal structure to hiring technicians, implementing ServiceTitan, improving Google reviews, and building a growth-focused culture, this episode is packed with practical insights for anyone interested in buying a business, running a plumbing company, or growing a home service business.What You'll Learn:→ How Jared went from Tesla and ServiceTitan to plumbing business ownership→ The process of buying a plumbing company and negotiating an acquisition→ Common mistakes first-time business buyers make→ What surprised him most during the first 120 days of ownership→ How ServiceTitan, Google reviews, and marketing are helping drive growth————————————————

Most contractors are using AI to save time. John Wilson and Service Scalers CEO Sam Preston argue the real opportunity is much bigger: using AI to replace software, automate workflows, and build custom tools that drive growth.In this episode, John and Sam break down how home service companies are using "vibe coding" to build websites, internal software, dashboards, and automation systems without hiring developers. They share practical ways contractors can reduce costs, improve operations, and create competitive advantages using AI.What You'll Learn:→ What vibe coding is and why contractors are embracing it→ How to replace expensive software with custom AI-built tools→ The framework for identifying automation opportunities in your business→ Why AI should automate workflows, not just assist employees→ How AI can improve margins, reduce overhead, and accelerate growth————————————————

How Speed to Lead Unlocks More Revenue From Every Lead SourceMost contractors think they need more leads. According to Tyson Chen, co-founder of Avoca, most home service companies actually need a better system for capturing, contacting, and converting the leads they already have.In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Tyson Chen to break down the speed-to-lead systems that are helping home service companies double revenue, improve booking rates, and make channels like Angi, Yelp, Meta, Thumbtack, and Google LSA profitable. They discuss the exact follow-up cadence used by top-performing contractors, why most businesses leave revenue on the table, and how AI, outbound calling, and automation are changing lead conversion in the trades.They also explore how private equity-backed platforms are using speed-to-lead to create entirely new revenue streams, why response time directly impacts lead quality and platform rankings, and what contractors need to do to maximize ROI from every marketing channel.What You'll Learn:→ Why most home service companies don't actually have a lead problem → The speed-to-lead process that helps contractors convert more opportunities → Why calling leads beats relying on text messages alone → The ideal follow-up cadence for lead aggregators and paid leads → How AI and automation improve response times and booking rates → Why channels like Angi, Yelp, Meta, and Google LSA work when lead handling is done correctly————————————————

Most people think pet waste removal is a side hustle. Erica Krupin built a real business around it.In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Erica Krupin, founder of Kroopin's Poopin' Scoopin', to break down the surprisingly scalable world of pet waste removal. From starting with a bucket, rake, and a 2007 Chevy Cobalt to building a recurring-revenue service business with hundreds of customers, Erica shares the hard lessons behind growth, leadership, hiring, marketing, and surviving a year that nearly put her out of business.They dive into customer acquisition, churn, pricing, recurring revenue, sales systems, and why answering the phone may be the highest ROI activity in your company. Along the way, they uncover lessons that apply far beyond poop scooping—from financial discipline and resilience to building systems that can scale.What you'll learn:→ How Erica built a pet waste removal company from a side hustle into a six-figure business→ Why 2024 nearly broke the business—and what fueled the comeback→ The economics of recurring revenue in the poop scooping industry→ How spring rush can double a company's size in just a few weeks→ The hiring, training, and retention challenges of running a service business→ Why missed phone calls were costing thousands in lost revenue————————————————

Mai vendégem Bozsoky Szabolcs Zoltán, erdélyi származású magyar futballedző, testnevelő tanár és sportmenedzsment szakember, aki immár több mint 12 éve Kanadában él és dolgozik a labdarúgás világában.   A beszélgetés a Torontói Magyar Fesztiválon, a Hungarofesten készült, ahol Szabolccsal nemcsak a fociról, hanem magyar identitásról, kanadai újrakezdésről, sportkultúráról, közösségről és életútról is beszélgettünk.   Szabolcs Erdélyből indult, Romániában született, magyar állampolgárként érkezett Kanadába, ma pedig kanadai állampolgárként dolgozik vezetőedzőként. A beszélgetésben elmeséli, hogyan jutott el a testnevelő tanári pályától a kanadai futballrendszerig, milyen volt 100 kilónyi csomaggal új életet kezdeni, és mit jelent számára az, hogy büszke magyar emberként dolgozhat Észak-Amerikában.   Szóba kerül a kanadai és európai futball közötti különbség, az utánpótlás-nevelés, a szülők szerepe, a gyerekek sportolási lehetőségei, a Toronto FC, az MLS, a kanadai profi bajnokság, valamint az is, hogy milyen fejlődésen ment keresztül a kanadai labdarúgás az elmúlt években.   Szabolcs jelenleg a University of Toronto Mississauga férfi csapatának vezetőedzője, emellett komoly szerepet vállal a kanadai magyar származású fiatal tehetségek támogatásában is. A célja, hogy minél több magyar gyökerű sportolónak segítsen lehetőséget találni, akár Magyarországon, akár a nemzetközi futball világában.   Beszélünk arról is, hogy mit jelent a CONCACAF A edzői diploma, miben hasonlít vagy különbözik az UEFA rendszerétől, és miért különleges, hogy Szabolcs magyar származású edzőként ezen az úton is komoly szakmai elismerést szerzett.   A beszélgetés végén egy teljesen másik oldala is előkerül: a zene. Szabolcs gyerekkora óta dobol, magyar, román és angol zenekarokban is játszott, több hivatalosan kiadott lemezen szerepelt. Így a futball mellett arról is beszélgetünk, hogyan kapcsolódik össze a ritmus, a csapatmunka, a fegyelem és az edzői gondolkodás.   Ez az epizód nemcsak futballrajongóknak szól. Ez egy történet újrakezdésről, magyarságról, alkalmazkodásról, munkáról, közösségről és arról, hogyan lehet egy idegen országban is felépíteni valamit, amire az ember büszke lehet.   Ha érdekel, hogyan látja egy erdélyi magyar futballedző Kanada sportvilágát, a magyar futball jövőjét és a 2026-os világbajnokság lehetőségeit Észak-Amerikában, akkor ez a beszélgetés neked szól.   Zene:   https://youtu.be/6cPTzGlAwOY?si=5UAJqqNnfxRXfRmM https://youtu.be/9VKlJI0pU3E?si=pHynxf6Vj9Da3aoI https://youtu.be/dzum0pfvdTU?si=3fbU5bC-ovbBm1su https://youtu.be/G5ZxZI2llqs?si=KcirExIvUlFzhMMb https://youtu.be/YlALXoZK100?si=Pc_ptbAeyO-K9XF7   Website: www.mayersharvest.com (http://www.mayersharvest.com/) Kuponkód: MOKA 20% kedvezményért Amazon Store: https://rb.gy/j1eiuy   Iratkozz fel a csatornára további magyar New York-i interjúkért és podcast epizódokért.   https://bit.ly/MOKAPodcatsSign  Kövess minket Facebookon: @mokapodcast Instagramon: @mokapodcastusa Web: mokapodcast.com Spotify  (https://bit.ly/mokapodcast) Apple Podcast  (https://bit.ly/moka2021) [Google Podcast](https://bit.ly/MokaGoogle) [Deezer](https://bit.ly/MokaDeezer) [LibSyn](https://bit.ly/MokaLibsyn) [Facebook](https://bit.ly/MokaFB)   00:00 Bevezető, ambíció és újrakezdés 00:48 Bozsoky Szabolcs a torontói Hungarofesten 02:58 Erdélyből Kanadába 08:11 Sportcsalád, fegyelem és példaképek 12:49 Magyar identitás Erdélyben és Kanadában 14:14 Edző, pedagógus és tehetségkutató 17:37 Magyar foci és kanadai magyar tehetségek 23:26 Kanadai futball, MLS és sportkultúra 30:10 Rush Academy, UTM és CONCACAF A diploma 43:36 Zene, család és magyar sikertörténetek

This week, I'm sharing the books that shaped the way I think about business and helped me scale my family's company from $1 million to $44 million in revenue.These are more than popular business books sitting on a shelf. Each one solved a specific problem at a critical stage of growth, from leadership and operations to hiring, sales, and scaling. In this episode, I break down the lessons that had the biggest impact on my entrepreneurial journey and explain how you can apply them to your own business.Whether you're running a home service company, building your first team, or trying to break through your next growth ceiling, these are the books I recommend most often.In This Episode: The books that changed how I lead and manage  Frameworks that helped scale from $1M to $44M  Lessons on hiring, delegation, and accountability  How great operators use books to solve real business problems  The mindset shifts every entrepreneur needs to grow Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAOSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's YouTube ChannelWeekly Newsletter Owned and Operated Leave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Most contractors wrote off Yelp years ago. But the platform has quietly become one of the most powerful lead-generation engines in the home service space,  powered by AI partnerships with OpenAI and Perplexity that are funneling search traffic directly to Yelp listings. John Wilson sits down with Katy Lightsey, Head of Services at Yelp, to break down exactly how  61 home service leads  are flowing through the platform and what  68 contractor lead generation  actually looks like in 2025. They cover lead costs, close rates, how Yelp Ads and Request a Quote really work, and why  68 how to get more leads  for your home service business may start with the platform you've been ignoring.What you'll learn:→ How Yelp generates 10 million home service leads every month → Why AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are driving more traffic through Yelp → How Yelp Assistant uses AI to match homeowners with contractors → The truth behind Yelp's reputation with contractors → What every business should do to improve visibility and lead flow on Yelp → How Yelp Ads, Request a Quote, and lead pricing actually work———————————————— 

On todays porch talk I'll share a Saturday porch conversation about boredom, asking when I last let myself be truly bored without reaching for a phone, TV, or other noise. While camping in a new camper, I noticed my impulse to fill the quiet with Wi‑Fi, screens, and music, but choosing to stay in the stillness helped creativity come back to life and reminded me of childhood moments when being sent outside to “figure it out” led to play, wandering, and even writing music. I connect this to neuroscience and the brain's default mode network, which supports creativity, problem-solving, and self-reflection, and to the biblical idea of being still. I challenge myself to stop solving boredom so fast, and I invite listeners to complete a short survey about content preferences and join an open summer conversation call.CLICK HERE TO TAKE OUR SURVEY FREE RESOURCES:Listen to our sister podcast the REALIFE Practice Podcast on your favorite podcast app!Ready to discover what uniquely matters to YOU? Click here to take our FREE Intro to the Needs & Values Assessment.Ready to uncover more time on your calendar? This FREE download will help you remove what doesn't matter, so you have space for what does. Click here to get this FREE resource!OTHER RESOURCES:Prefer to watch and listen? Check out our YouTube Channel for the podcast episode on video! Make sure to subscribe so you get all the latest updates.Do What Matters, Live from Rest Not Rush by Teresa McCloy is available now! Banish busyness and discover a new way of being productive around what truly matters. Learn more at DoWhatMattersBook.com https://DoWhatMattersBook.com/?UTM_source=YT&UTM_medium=organicWould you like to discover Life Mapping tools to help you recognize and respond to God in your story? Check out new digital downloads for personal or professional use here.JOIN OUR COMMUNITY & CONNECT WITH ME:Become part of the FREE REALIFE Process® Community! Connect with me and fellow listeners, plus find additional content to help you discover your best REALIFE.Connect with Teresa on: Facebook - The REALIFE Process® with Teresa McCloy Instagram - teresa.mccloy LinkedIn - teresamccloyAbout Teresa McCloy:I'm Teresa McCloy, founder and creator of the REALIFE Process®, a framework designed to empower individuals and groups with the tools, training, and community needed for personal and professional growth. I'm on a mission to help others grow in self-awareness, establish sustainable rhythms, and enhance their influence and impact by integrating faith and work into everyday life. I live with my husband of 44 years on our 4th generation family farm in central Illinois, where you'll usually find me with a good cup of coffee on the porch, tending to my flower gardens, or planning my next adventure. Come pull up a chair and join me there. I'd love the company!

Damon Darnall, known as "The Drone Boss," is the founder of Sky Eye Network, a two-time world record holder, and one of the leading authorities on drone technology and AI-powered aviation. As a member of NASA's UTM board and a pioneer in the drone industry since the early 1990s, Damon has helped more than 37,000 people earn their FAA Part 107 licenses and guided over 14,000 entrepreneurs in launching profitable drone businesses. In this episode, Damon shares how drones are creating massive business opportunities across industries and explains why the market is still wide open for aspiring entrepreneurs. On this episode we talk about: How Damon made his first money with drones back in 1993 Why the drone industry is still in its early stages of adoption The best low-cost drone business opportunities for beginners How drone services are helping real estate agents and businesses grow revenue What it takes to build a six- or seven-figure drone business Top 3 Takeaways The drone industry is still largely untapped, creating enormous opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to get started now. Starting with simple services like real estate photography can generate quick cash flow without requiring expensive equipment or specialized expertise. The key to building a successful drone business is focusing on recurring clients and letting your customers fund your expansion into more advanced services. Notable Quotes "Most businesses don't even know they need drone services yet. That's what creates the opportunity." "You can get started for about $1,500 and begin building a six-figure business." "People will work 60 hours a week for their boss, but won't spend a few hours a day building their own future." Connect with Damon Darnall: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedroneboss/ Website: https://www.thedroneboss.com/ Other: https://dronecommandlive.com A Word from Our Sponsors: - Are you ready to start your own creatorjourney and make it big? Visitwww.fanvue.com today and launch yourcareer! - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to  https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most contractors think offshoring is about saving money. It's actually about creating leverage.John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how offshore teams helped them scale faster, build better systems, and free up key leaders to focus on growth. They share exactly which roles to offshore, what to keep in-house, and the leadership lessons they've learned after managing dozens of remote team members across recruiting, dispatch, accounting, marketing, and customer service.What you'll learn:→ Which roles should be offshored first (and which shouldn't)→ The judgment vs. process framework for hiring decisions→ How offshore teams force better systems and accountability→ Why SOPs matter more than geography→ How to structure dispatch, CSR, recruiting, and accounting teams————————————————

We swapped 40 Ford Mavericks into our home service fleet — and the results changed the way we think about fleet management.Most home service companies are overspending on vehicles without realizing it. A new service van can cost $50,000–$60,000 today. A Ford Maverick? Around $27,000. We now run 40 Mavericks inside a 120+ vehicle fleet — and we've lowered overhead, reduced accidents, improved fuel economy, and still get the job done without sacrificing operational efficiency.In this episode, we break down:→ Why the “you can't run service out of a small truck” argument is outdated→ How we use Packout systems and standardized inventory kits to maximize space→ The sales-to-install model that makes smaller vehicles work at scale→ The real numbers behind fleet costs, efficiency, and utilization→ Why two Mavericks can outperform one traditional service van

Most contractors who can't scale their home service business aren't failing — they're solving the wrong problems at the wrong time.John Wilson sits down with FieldPulse Chief Growth Officer Daniel Eigner to break down the operational chaos that kills growth between $1M and $10M. From contractor CRM setup and price books to job costing, KPIs, and AI tools — they cover what actually moves the needle and why fundamentals beat complexity every time.After working with hundreds of growing contractors, the pattern is clear: most businesses are "loosely functioning disasters" running on hustle instead of systems. This episode is the blueprint for fixing that.What you'll learn:→ Why most contractors focus on the wrong metrics→ The foundational systems every growing business needs→ How CRM, booking rate, and price books drive scalability→ Why overbuilt systems slow growth — not speed it up→ How job costing and financial visibility change your margins→ How AI will reshape operations, reporting, and accounting→ What breaks when your business suddenly gets "100 more" of something————————————————

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, a listener asks how to properly activate Windows 11 on an Apple Silicon Mac using UTM, and whether there are other virtualization options available now that Boot Camp is no longer supported. Continue to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show to hot@twit.tv! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: NetSuite.com/hot