In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers, to break down one of the most overlooked (and misunderstood) marketing channels in home services: Nextdoor.

They unpack why Nextdoor feels annoying—but works incredibly well when used the right way. From neighborhood recommendation posts to organic storytelling, this platform behaves less like Google Ads and more like a digital referral engine.

John and Sam discuss why salesy ads and coupons usually flop, while real-world job photos, personal narratives, and community-driven content quietly generate high-intent leads. They also explore how small operators are winning big by treating Nextdoor like a mix of Google Business Profile + Facebook Groups, and why larger companies struggle to replicate that authenticity.

The conversation covers the three ways to win on Nextdoor (ads, organic posting, and commenting), common mistakes contractors make, and how operators can turn technicians into content creators to scale neighborhood trust—without blowing up their marketing budget.

If you’re looking for more phone calls, higher close rates, and marketing that actually feels like referrals—this episode breaks down how to think about Nextdoor the right way.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Nextdoor behaves more like referrals than traditional lead gen
• The three ways to market on Nextdoor (and which ones actually work)
• Why organic, narrative posts outperform coupons and ads
• How small, local operators beat larger brands on trust
• The role of social proof in neighborhood-driven platforms
• How to turn field techs into authentic content creators
• The biggest mistakes that get contractors ignored—or kicked off

Host: John Wilson

Guest: Sam Preston

💼 Shoutout to PayPerCall.io

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💼 Shoutout to ReferPro

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Owned and Operated listeners get 20% off plus discounted onboarding

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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.

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack break down what “smart investing” actually looks like for home service operators—starting with the truth most owners miss: if you run a business, you’re already an investor. You’re investing money, attention, and people every day.

They start with a practical framework for P&L investing (software, headcount, SG&A): if your business sells for a multiple, then any new expense should produce a return that justifies that multiple—otherwise, you may be quietly reducing enterprise value.

From there, they unpack the difference between balance sheet investments (trucks, equipment, inventory) vs P&L investments, why banks and buyers mostly care about EBITDA, and how focusing on fewer initiatives can drive more profitable growth.

Then they shift into the “outside the business” conversation: when diversification helps, when it’s a distraction, and how operators can think in two buckets—cash-flow assets that fund life, and enterprise-value assets that build wealth.

If you’re adding software, hiring leaders, buying equipment, or debating real estate vs reinvesting in the core business—this episode gives you a clean way to think about ROI, focus, and capital allocation.

What You’ll Learn

• Why every operator is an investor (capital, people, and attention allocation)
• A simple rule for P&L expenses: should this generate a 3x+ return based on your business multiple?
• The difference between investing on the balance sheet vs the P&L

🎙️ Hosts

• Host: John Wilson — https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
  
  
• Co-host: Jack - https://x.com/thehvacjack
  
  
  

💼 Shoutout to Quick Staffers LLC

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💼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

💼 Shoutout to PayPerCall.io

Stop paying for leads that don’t convert. With PayPerCall.io, you only pay when your phone rings with a qualified customer. Real calls. Real results.

👉 Book your free call

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 of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Aizik Zimerman of Jay Blanton Plumbing (Chicago) to break down the remote staffing playbook that most home service operators still aren’t using.

John and Aizik start with a real-world story from a contractor event—how one company allegedly went from $0 to $6M using yard signs, and how Aizik tested it immediately (including the “don’t put them on every corner” lesson).

Then they go deep on what actually drives scale: building a remote-first, offshore-heavy team that works in the real world. Aizik shares how his business grew to 140 employees with 50+ overseas team members, and how he structures offshore hiring across accounting, install coordination, marketing, recruiting, dispatch, and fleet coordination.

They break down the “hub and spoke” model: keep your US leaders focused on thinking and decision-making, then build specialized offshore roles to handle execution—so your business moves faster without bloating payroll.

If you’re trying to expand coverage, build specialization early, or you’ve wondered whether recruiting + dispatch + ops coordination can really be offshored, this episode is the blueprint.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “if it can be done remote, it can be done from anywhere”
• The hub & spoke model: US leaders + offshore execution pods
• How Aizik offshores technician recruiting (and why it’s a massive unlock)
• Which roles are easiest vs hardest to offshore (CSR vs dispatch/install coordination)
• How to reduce “overemployment” risk with real systems (Zoom rooms, accountability layers)
• Why you should default to remote-first hiring at any size—even at $500K/year
  
  

🎙️ Hosts & Guest

Host: John Wilson
Guest: Aizik Zimerman

💼 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

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💼 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 $1,000 off your first placement h

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.