In this episode, John Wilson and co-host Jack Carr unpack one of the biggest transitions in home service — going from owner to operator. What does it really take to scale beyond yourself? We dive deep into building layers of leadership, knowing when to delegate, hiring vs. promoting internally, and what the first real leadership hire should look like.
From service managers and field supers to accountability systems and EOS, this one’s for owners ready to break through bottlenecks and build real organizational depth.

You’ll hear real playbooks from $1M to $40M+ companies—how John and Jack each handled growth bottlenecks, where they stumbled, and what they’d do differently.

What You’ll Learn

Bottlenecks by Design: How to identify when you’ve outgrown your org chart.
First Leaders: The real tipping point for adding service managers, CSRs, and field supers.
Hiring vs. Promoting: When internal leadership makes sense—and when it doesn’t.
Accountability That Sticks: How to keep KPIs and culture aligned as you scale.
Delegation Done Right: The tasks owners should’ve offloaded yesterday.
Revenue-Focused Management: Why your first manager should drive numbers, not just tech skill.

🎙️ Hosts
John Wilson
Jack Carr

Shout Out to FieldPulse 🚀

FieldPulse is an incredible Field Service Management platform that helps you save hours each week while keeping your operations running smoothly. If you're looking to streamline your processes, stay competitive, and focus on what truly matters, FieldPulse is a game-changer!

📅 Book your demo HERE

🔨Sponsored by WeSupplyTrades — Thousands of Plumbing, HVAC, and Hydronics parts shipped fast.

Sign up free, save big, and get 20% off your first order with code OWNED20 HERE

💼 Big Reputation — Stop chasing reviews and watching competitors outrank you. Big Reputation is the AI-powered review + SEO platform built for home service pros. Automate review generation, respond with AI, track local SEO, and integrate with your CRM. Setup is free, and your first month’s on the house.

👉 Book your demo

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with O&O

• John's YouTube Channel
• Weekly Newsletter
• Owned and Operated

Leave a Review

John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

In this episode, John Wilson and co-host Jack Carr break down how home-service companies can actually future-proof in 2025: flattening org charts, using AI to nuke overhead, building adaptable teams, and keeping a balance sheet that can take a 30% punch. We get into real numbers (gross margin, overhead targets, EBITDA), how to think about “risk on” vs. “risk off,” and why the middle of the market gets squeezed when big operators cut costs with automation.

You’ll hear play-by-plays on automating call centers, choosing what to systematize vs. keep human, when to de-lever, and how to bob-and-weave against giants who pass cost savings straight into marketing.

• People vs. Systems: The two ways to future-proof—and how to train for adaptability.
• Automation That Moves the P&L: Where AI actually drops overhead (call center, dispatch, admin).
• Healthy by Design: Gross margin, overhead, and cash targets that create real nimbleness.
• Debt & “Risk Off”: How interest rates change the game and when to prioritize de-levering.
• Competing with Giants: What to do when national players cut cost structures by ~8–10 pts.
• Numbers First: Why you can’t future-proof if you don’t know your break-even.

• John Wilson
• Jack Carr

🔨Sponsored by WeSupplyTrades — Thousands of Plumbing, HVAC, and Hydronics parts shipped fast.

Sign up free, save big, and get 20% off your first order with code OWNED20 HERE

💼 Modernize is how smart contractors scale.

With inbound calls, live transfers, and branded programs, Modernize connects you to ready-to-buy homeowners. Over 9M leads delivered and $4B+ in revenue generated.

👉 Start growing

Shout Out to FieldPulse 🚀

FieldPulse is an incredible Field Service Management platform that helps you save hours each week while keeping your operations running smoothly. If you're looking to streamline your processes, stay competitive, and focus on what truly matters, FieldPulse is a game-changer!

📅 Book your demo

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with O&O

• John's YouTube Channel
• Weekly Newsletter
• Owned and Operated

Leave a Review

John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Brandon Schlicter—better known as Investment Joy—to unpack how a viral laundromat video turned into a portfolio of laundromats, car washes, rentals, and now a fast-scaling commercial roofing company. Brandon shares the mindset shift from small plays to bigger bets, why he assumes success (and plans for failure), and how social media distribution can attract capital, deal flow, and talent.

You’ll hear the real numbers on union commercial roofing (margins, ticket sizes, pay cycles), how to decide between lots of small jobs vs. fewer big ones, and why “every business either sells or shuts down.” We also dig into storm-driven market entry, travel crews, and what it actually takes to scale estimation capacity and cash flow when receivables hit seven figures.

💡 What You’ll Learn

• Media → Deal Flow: How one laundromat video sparked investor interest, partnerships, and bigger acquisitions
• Think Bigger (On Purpose): Moving from $25k houses to $20M+/yr roofing—building the steps between vision and execution
• Union Commercial Roofing 101: Typical gross margins, role of prevailing wage, crew structure, and why residential often doesn’t pencil

🎧 Featured Guest

🧠 Brandon Schlicter — Investment Joy

YouTube: @InvestmentJoy

🎙️ Hosted by John Wilson — x.com/@WilsonCompanies

🚀 Huge Shoutout to SupplyHouse!

When it comes to fast turnaround times, SupplyHouse has our back! With 250,000+ SKUs covering plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, they make sure we get the right materials—fast and hassle-free.

💡Their Trademaster program offers free shipping, returns, and discounts, all with no membership fee. Use promo code SH5 for five percent off your first order— Code is valid through 9/30/2025.

🔗 Check them out & level up your supply game here

💼 Extra Special Thanks to Service Scalers!

We’ve been partnering with Service Scalers to maximize our Local Service Ads (LSAs) and optimize our Google My Business profiles, and the results have been incredible. With hundreds of thousands in sales and 900+ calls in a single week, GMBs are now our top-performing organic lead channel.

Want to learn how Service Scalers can do the same for you?

🔗Check Them Out Here

Send Us Mail!

More Ways To Connect with O&O

• John's YouTube Channel
• Weekly Newsletter
• Owned and Operated

Leave a Review

John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.