Guest: Anthony Mound — Owner, Trust 1 Services

Guest Links: Website: https://trustoneservices.com/

This episode breaks down why most plumbing and HVAC companies get stuck at $5 million and what it actually takes to push past that ceiling to $10 million and beyond. Anthony Mound started Trust 1 Services in 2020 with nothing, moved to Boston with a garbage bag of clothes, got laid off from the union for doing too much side work, and turned that into a company on pace for $12 million this year, fully self-funded with no partners and no outside investment. He explains why the real difference between five and ten million is building a structurally sound leadership team so you stop being directly integrated into everything, why you shouldn't add another trade until you're at least 25% bottom line profit, and how implementing a daily huddle with clear department targets was one of the simplest but most impactful moves he made. The conversation gets into DISC profiles for hiring and firing, why having your personal name on the truck creates pricing and perception problems as you scale, the tools driving efficiency at Trust 1 including Hatch, Scribe, Loom, MacData, and Claude, and why customer surveys weeks after the job reveal problems that Google reviews never will. Anthony also shares his take on the balance between driving numbers hard and maintaining a culture people actually want to stay in, why the technician mindset and the growth mindset aren't opposed if you put the right people in the right seats, and why most owners stuck at five million are overcomplicating the basics instead of nailing booking rate, close rate, follow-up systems, and marketing efficiency.

Guest:
John Conway – COO, Redwood Services

Guest Links:
Website: https://redwoodservices.com/

This episode breaks down why “going rate” is one of the biggest myths in home services, and why undercharging has far less to do with the market than it does with fear, weak systems, and misunderstanding what customers are actually buying. It explains why homeowners do not usually say yes or no based purely on price, but on the value, professionalism, and overall experience delivered during the service call, and why owners who obsess over being the cheapest often limit their ability to invest in training, benefits, and better customer service. The conversation dives into what gross margin really tells you, why HVAC and plumbing owners should track it relentlessly, and how charging the wrong price quietly destroys a company even when call volume looks strong. It also covers how to raise prices without losing customers, why most owners overestimate price sensitivity, and how to think about average ticket, conversion rate, and call count as the three numbers that truly drive the business. Beyond pricing, the episode gets tactical on how to stop “teaching technicians to sell” and instead train them to follow a thorough process that naturally leads customers to better decisions, including full-system inspections, option presentation, and slowing technicians down enough to focus on quality instead of just quantity. It also explores membership strategy, why 350 memberships per technician creates stability, how to build real perceived value into maintenance agreements, and when it actually makes sense to add another trade like plumbing or electrical instead of chasing shiny objects too early. Overall, this is a highly practical roadmap for contractors who want to price correctly, build a healthier gross margin business, and scale with systems that create both better customer experience and better financial performance.

Guest:
David Katz – HVAC business owner / operator

Guest Links:
Website: https://trioheatingandair.com/

This episode breaks down what actually happens when a home service company grows from $5 million to $10 million+, and why getting there fast can make the business feel dramatically harder before it gets easier. It explains how rapid growth exposes weaknesses in structure, process, labor management, warehouse systems, cash flow controls, and leadership capacity, and why many owners who say they “don’t want” to scale are often really dealing with limited belief or a lack of clarity on how to do it. The episode dives into one of the biggest mistakes operators make while trying to level up: copying systems from much larger companies before they fit the current stage of the business, which creates a “Frankenstein” operation full of mismatched processes, extra meetings, awkward communication, and unnecessary work. It also unpacks a major leadership lesson learned through painful experience—owners cannot solve every problem from the office, and at a certain point they need to put their boots on, get back into the field, and come as close to the real problem as possible before trying to fix it. The conversation goes deeper into what that looks like in practice, including discovering that an apparent install problem was actually a warehouse problem, implementing vendor-managed inventory to simplify operations, and learning that many tools small companies assume are “too advanced” can actually work much earlier than they think. It also covers the emotional side of scaling: recruiting top talent over years instead of days, showing appreciation intentionally, creating more fun inside the company, protecting team morale during stressful financial moments, and recognizing that leadership at this level is not just about numbers but about stability, energy, and trust. Overall, this is a tactical and honest episode for contractors who want to grow without blindly copying bigger players, and who need to hear what scaling really costs before they chase it.