Every home service operator has a failure story.

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jack Carr (CEO of Rapid Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric in Nashville) to break down the biggest business mistakes they’ve made — and what those mistakes actually cost.

From a $13,000 ad spend weekend that only generated $7,000 in revenue… to overpaying vendors for an entire year… to discovering $80,000 per month in unnecessary purchasing — this is a candid conversation about the operational blind spots that quietly drain profit.

The surprising takeaway?
Most major failures weren’t dramatic. They were data problems. Process problems. Cash flow misunderstandings. And hiring financial leadership too late.

If you’re scaling a home service business — or planning to — this episode could save you years of expensive lessons.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The $13K marketing mistake and how capacity planning changes everything
• How tightening purchasing controls instantly improved margins
• Why most contractors overpay vendors (and don’t even know it)
• The hidden cost of software bloat and subscription creep
• Construction vs. service cash flow — and why mixing the two can hurt
• Why hiring a controller earlier would have changed everything

💳 Extra Special Thanks to Coast!

Coast is the smart fuel card built for home service businesses. Set custom spend controls, stop fuel fraud in real time, earn rebates, and use it anywhere Visa is accepted — no more station restrictions or admin headaches.

Want to see how much you could save?

🔗 coastpay.com/ownedandoperated The Coast Visa® Commercial Card is issued by Celtic Bank. All card accounts subject to credit approval.

🛒 Extra Special Thanks to Contractor Commerce!

Contractor Commerce turns your website into a 24/7 sales engine for service contractors. With guided pricing, online service and membership sales, and deep system integrations, your site pre-qualifies customers before the phone ever rings.

Visit contractorcommerce.com Book a demo to see how Contractor Commerce turns your website into a 24/7 sales and qualification engine.

💼 Shoutout to Quick Staffers LLC

Need trained HVAC & plumbing CSRs at a fraction of the cost? Quick Staffers LLC specializes in placing top-tier global talent with the best SOPs and scripts.

🔥 Get $500 off your first placement here

Connect:

John Wilson - https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
Jack Carr - https://x.com/thehvacjack

#HVAC #P

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• Weekly Newsletter
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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.

If someone handed you $5 million… would you buy an HVAC business or a security/alarm business?

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Stephen and Collin from the Entry Exit Podcast to debate where they’d place the bet.

HVAC has massive buyers, big platforms, and strong exit demand — but it’s also weather-driven, cyclical, and much less “truly recurring” than most operators think. Security (especially commercial security) can offer real monthly RMR, faster tech upgrade cycles, and sticky accounts — but it comes with licensing complexity, scope creep, and higher-stakes failure points.

If you’re thinking about acquisitions, roll-ups, or just want a clearer lens on what $5M can actually buy in different trades, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• The $5M question: Why the “best” business depends on your goal (sleep-at-night vs. build-to-sell)
• Recurring vs. sticky revenue: Security RMR vs. HVAC memberships (and why they aren’t the same)
• Commercial vs. residential: Where security wins, where HVAC wins, and how each segment behaves
• Roll-ups and multiples: What’s getting bought right now and why commercial fire/security is heating up
• Geography matters: Why Texas (and other growth markets) changes the math

💼 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

💼Shoutout to Avoca AI!

Looking to train your call center and improve technician performance? Avoca AI helps teams identify issues, improve call quality, and drive results from start to finish.

🔗 Schedule a demo

📞 Sponsored by Quo — The Modern Business Phone for Service Pros

Missed calls mean missed business. Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is the AI-powered phone system that logs calls, creates summaries, and automates follow-ups — keeping your team connected and customers happy.?

🎁 Start your 7-day free trial and get 20% off your first six months

🎙️ Hosts
Host: John Wilson — https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
Guests: Stephen + Collin — https://www.entryandexit.co/

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.

Firing employees is one of the worst parts of owning a home service business — and the bigger you get, the more often it happens.

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Jack Carr (Jack Acquisitions / TriR) to break down a practical framework for terminations that’s fair to the employee and protects the team.

They walk through how to diagnose whether performance problems are caused by the employee or your systems, how to use clear expectations + coaching + PIPs to create a clean decision path, and why keeping a toxic “top performer” can quietly cost you your best people.

What you’ll learn:

• The first question to ask before any termination: “How did we get here?”
• GWC: Do they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it?
• How to run a Performance Improvement Plan that’s real (not vibes)
• When to make a fast decision vs. when to coach longer
• Why the “people who got you to $1M” usually aren’t the people who get you to $10M
• The hidden cost of avoiding the hard conversation: culture + trust + retention

If you’re struggling with when to coach, when to cut, and how to do it without guilt — this episode is the playbook.

💼 Extra Special Thanks to Service Scalers!

If you’re spending $10K–$30K/month on marketing but still don’t know what’s actually driving booked jobs… you need to check out Booked Solid.

It’s a small, in-person workshop March 3rd–5th in Akron, Ohio, where operators build a real 90-day marketing plan covering Google Ads, LSAs, SEO, Facebook, and follow-up systems.

🎟 $2,500 — save $500 with code BOOKEDEARLYBIRD (limited seats).

🔗 Learn more here:

💼Shoutout to Avoca AI!

Looking to train your call center and improve technician performance? Avoca AI helps teams identify issues, improve call quality, and drive results from start to finish.
🔗 Schedule a demo

💸Sponsored by CFO Made Easy

Built a strong trades business? Let’s take it to $10M and beyond. CFO Made Easy offers part-time CFO services for home and trade service businesses—helping you boost cash flow, maximize profit per tech, and make clear growth decisions.

📈 Free Offer: Book a 45-min Financial Insight Session to uncover growth blockers.

Host: John Wilson — https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
Guest: Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack

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.