Most contractors feel like they’re stuck in a business that never stops demanding MORE.

More leads… more hiring… more problems…

Yet somehow never more profit.

If you’ve ever felt like your home improvement business is controlling you instead of rewarding the effort you’re putting in, this episode is a must!

Because by the end of this conversation, you’ll see exactly how one owner built a simple, repeatable contractor KPI system that scaled a brand-new bath business from $0 to $12M in just 2.5 years — while keeping profit high, culture strong, and stress low.

The system isn’t complicated.

It’s not expensive.

And it’s not reserved for “big companies.”

It’s a straightforward set of KPI principles and leadership disciplines that ANY contractor can put in place, starting TODAY.

In this episode, Chris Hermes of USA Showers pulls back the curtain on the KPI framework, leadership disciplines, and mindset upgrades that helped him:

• Dial in the KPI formula contractors use to hit 15–20% net profit while scaling
• Open new markets quickly without drowning in problems
• Escape the “wearing five hats” trap most owners NEVER get out of
• Earn 760+ 5-star reviews in 2.5 years
• Build a culture where people are HUNGRY for results (instead of waiting to be told what to do)
• And build a business that supports his life… not the other way around

If you want your company to feel easier, simpler, and more predictable so you can scale without burning out…

This is the episode that shows you how.

Key Highlights:

(0:00) Intro

(3:57) How a “raging serial entrepreneur” scaled from $14M to $60M

(5:30) The trajectory of taking a bath business from $0 to $12M in 2.5 years

(7:52) Why Chris built his business around his LIFE (not the other way around), and how other contractors can too

(9:09) The missing discipline most contractors skip… and why it keeps them stuck

(10:11) The Contractor KPI system that makes growth predictable (and keeps your people chasing targets)

(12:26) The wild “USA Showers Jamboree” ritual that keeps the whole team aligned and hungry

(14:23) The real formula behind scaling fast with 15-20% net profit

(16:42) Chaos vs. Discipline: the brutal fork in the road every home improvement owner faces

(17:32) The 33/33/33 trap that silently destroys your profit while tripling your stress

(19:19) The dangerous hiring mistake owners make when they feel overwhelmed… and why “unicorns” won’t save you

(21:00) How to build world-class sales & marketing systems even if you’ve never done it before

(21:51) How being “dumb” in the right rooms unlocks unfair growth

(26:49) The hidden conditioning that holds contractors back from wealth

(29:25) The 2-part mindset shift Chris used to rewire his relationship with money… and actually keep more of it

(30:54) A “success leaves clues” shift that quietly turns small contractors into $20M machines

(36:04) How one “give-back” idea became their biggest culture hack and motivated the entire team

(39:35) The best piece of business advice Chris ever received (and why it still drives his decisions today)

(40:22) Why every contractor (big or small) needs to attend this one event in 2026

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for $100 off: https://thewealthycontractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

When a $100 million company can't hit its sales goals for 18 months, what do you do?

You call Charlie Gindele.

In this episode, Charlie walks us through a real-world sales department turnaround that increased close rates by 35% in just 30 days—and kept the momentum going month after month.

But here's what makes this episode so valuable: Charlie uses this case study to break down the exact fundamentals every contractor needs to master, regardless of size.

Whether you're doing $400K a month or $30 million, the principles are the same. The one-call-close process works. Pricing strategy matters more than you think. Sales manager accountability is non-negotiable. And when you get these and other fundamentals right, the results are predictable.

Charlie doesn't just tell the turnaround story—he shows you how to apply these strategies in your own business. From the three questions that force customer commitment before talking price, to why a 40% close rate might actually be a red flag, to how he exited weak sales managers and built a winning culture.

This is a masterclass in sales fundamentals from the wisest man in home improvement.

Key Highlights:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:07) Welcome to Episode 252 with Charlie Gindele

(2:56) The $100M Company That Couldn't Hit Its Sales Goals for 18 Months

(6:03) The "Finance Savings Plan" That Killed Urgency

(11:43) The One-Call-Close Process: 3 Questions That Changed Everything

(16:19) How Integrity & Accountability Increased Close Rates by 35%

(20:36) Changing the Culture from "Stuck" to "Winning"

(23:20) The Fundamentals Work—No Matter Your Company Size

(26:02) The One-Call-Close vs. "Professional Visitor" Sales Models

(30:20) Stop Throwing Leads at the Wall and Hoping They Stick

(31:44) Why Charlie Never Misses Accelerate LIVE!

(33:19) Charlie's Shelby Story: The 2009 GT500KR with 76 Miles

(37:09) Closing Thoughts

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for an extra $100 off: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Learn more about The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheWealthyContractor.com/coaching/success-society

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

When Ken Wood and his partner Mick launched Five Star Bath Solutions in 2019, the top revenue for other locations in their franchise network was roughly $1 million/yr.

When they said they were going to build a $5-6 million business, people looked at them like they were from Mars.

This year, they're hitting $9 million.

But redefining what was possible required some brutal lessons—like learning to "own it before delegating it," accepting that sometimes good people can't scale with your business, and realizing that what got them to $3M would never get them to $10M.

In this raw, tactical conversation, Ken pulls back the curtain on:

• The accountability, tough love, and breakthroughs that happen when you're in a room with other ambitious contractors who are actually implementing and growing.
• The "Hire 3 to Get 1" philosophy that accelerated their growth (and why betting on just one person sets you up to fail)
• Advice for when you want to hire a unicorn on a $70k budget
• Why shifting from loyalty culture to results culture is painful but necessary
• The two responsibilities owners should give up last
• The thing to say to a great person you have to fire (and who to make the bad guy)
• What "working ON vs. IN your business" actually looks like when you're doing $9M and planning for $30M
• And his Stephen Covey-inspired approach to building a business (and life) worth having

Ken also shares the story of bumping into Mick at church after the 2008 crash, how Accelerate LIVE! completely rewired their thinking about what's possible, and why he comes back from every Success Society meeting ready to hit the ground running.

Key Highlights:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:34) Welcome to Episode 251 with Ken Wood

(01:50) From Corporate to Crash to $9M: Ken & Mick's Origin Story

(05:22) The Brutal Lessons That Got Them Here

(06:22) The Event That Opened Their Eyes to What's Possible

(08:54) Why Your Franchise Is Capping Your Growth (And What to Do About It)

(14:08) "Hire Three to Get One"—The Hiring Advice That Changed Everything

(18:38) Are You the "Technician," "Manager," "Builder," or "Visionary?”

(19:43) Why Ken Had to OWN Marketing Before Hiring For It

(26:59) The Last Two Things You Should EVER Give Up as an Owner

(28:50) How to Shift from Loyalty Culture to Results Culture (Without Being a Jerk)

(32:25) The Thing to Say to a Great Person You Have to Fire—And Who to Make the Bad Guy

(38:04) Stop Relying on Aggregators—Find 20% New Lead Sources Every Year

(42:03) Why You Should Work ON Your Business vs. IN Your Business

(43:03) Ken’s Parting Advice: The Peer Group "Worth 5 Times the Price of Admission"

(47:18) Meet The Group That Helped Fuel Ken’s Success

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

👉 Join us for our next Discovery Day on November 11th: TheEntryDoor.Info

Additional Resources:

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for $100 off: https://thewealthycontractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

We've hit a major milestone—Episode 250!

And there's no one else I’d rather celebrate with than Brian Elias, my very first guest on The Wealthy Contractor Podcast and true industry trailblazer.

If you don’t know him, Brian is the founder of 1-800-HANSONS, which he grew into one of the largest home improvement companies in the country before selling to private equity. These days, he's doing it all over again with Refloor—having already scaled to 15 markets across 12 states and selling 50+ jobs per day.

But this episode is about more than Brian’s incredible story. It's about the mindset, marketing psychology, and hard-won lessons that separate struggling contractors from industry titans.

Listen in as Brian E. opens up about:

• Why he’s getting back into face-to-face marketing in 2026 (and which channels he’s targeting)
• The "Mom's Problems" framework that will make your marketing convert
• How you can "reduce to the ridiculous" to close more sales
• The psychological triggers all your marketing messages need to hit
• Where his confidence REALLY comes from (it’s not what you think)
• …And why most contractors are “fishing with the wrong lure”

Whether you're grinding to hit your first million or scaling past eight figures, this conversation will challenge how you think about marketing, leadership, and building the business (and life) you actually want.

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Key Highlights:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:10) Welcome Back: Brian Elias Returns for Episode 250

(2:50) Refloor Update: 15 Markets, 12 States, 50 Jobs Per Day

(6:08) The Joy of Being Outsmarted by Your Own Kid

(8:21) The Power of Faking it Till You Make it

(10:04) Why You Should Treat Sales Calls Like Job Interviews

(12:17) How His Father’s Mistakes Fueled His Success

(14:02) Why Face-to-Face Marketing Is Making a Comeback

(16:16) The Fishing Lure Framework: How to Think About Marketing

(17:43) Using Psychological Triggers to “Romance” Homeowners

(26:59) Why 95% of Cars on the Road Aren't the Cheapest

(29:32) The Hardest Thing About Leadership

(37:18) "Reducing to the Ridiculous": The $129/Month Close

(40:57) Lessons from the First Time Around

(41:40) Hire for Attitude, Not Just Experience

(44:48) Why You Should Interview 8 People Per Day

(47:10) Final Thoughts: Start with the End in Mind

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for $100 off: https://thewealthycontractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What if the fastest way to grow your business was to stop doing everything yourself?

When Ryan Keene started MODE Renovation, a one-day bathroom remodeling business, he was just 24 years old. Four years later, he’s about to hit his first million-dollar sales month and working less than ever before. So how on earth did he get there so quickly??

According to him, he just implemented what he was told.

In this episode, Ryan shares the wins, struggles, and turning points that helped him go from installer, to owner, to leader—and how building a strong community of peers and mentors helped him get there.

You’ll hear how he built an in-house call center from scratch at an early stage (with zero experience), hired a sales manager before he could afford it, raised prices the smart way, and built a culture where people actually want to show up and win.

This one is loaded with lessons—especially if you’re stuck in the weeds, hesitant to spend money, or feeling like it’s all on your shoulders. Ryan proves that with the right mindset, community, and systems, you can scale faster and more profitably than you ever imagined.

Whether you’re just getting started or trying to push past a plateau, this episode will leave you with the one thing you need most: permission to go bigger.

Key Highlights:

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Half Brian’s Age, Twice the Man: Meet Ryan Keene

(03:00) “Smile and Dial”: How Ryan Built a Call Center from Scratch

(07:05) Leads Aren’t Dead (You’re Just Doing it Wrong)

(09:25) Tracking KPIs… Even When You Don’t Know What “KPI” Means

(10:38) Why Entrepreneurship Feels So Damn Lonely (And How to Fix It)

(15:54) Can’t Afford to Hire? That’s Exactly Why You Should

(17:30) Press the Business Like a Race Car: Test, Break, Rebuild

(18:30) The Counter-Intuitive Way Ryan Increased His Close Rate

(22:47) Increase Prices Without Losing Sales (Yes, Really)

(27:47) Recruiting New Reps (And Why You Should Treat Them Like Leads)

(31:55) The Bounty Board: Competition That Drives Sales

(35:00) Building Culture That Actually Means Something

(42:02) The Mindset Shift Leading to a Million-Dollar Month

(47:45) Stop Deciding and Start DOING

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Get your tickets for Accelerate LIVE! 2026, and use code PODCAST26 for $100 off: https://thewealthycontractor.com/events/accelerate-live

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What do hundreds—maybe thousands—of today’s home improvement business owners have in common?

They have all been influenced by Rob Levin, who has helped shape the home improvement industry as we know it. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve either worked for one of his companies, learned from someone who did, or competed against them.

It all started back in the ‘80s, when Rob quit his CPA job to help grow AMRE (American Remodeling) from a single office surviving on an SBA loan to $300M in revenue across 56 locations.

Rob’s story isn’t just a nostalgic trip through time—it’s a blueprint for scaling a sales-driven, systemized, and profitable company.

Listen in as Brian and Rob discuss how he trained and led more than 600 salespeople, oversaw 2,200 employees, and created systems so effective that dozens of his former team members went on to start their own companies. He also shares how he did it all with the mindset and precision of a CPA-turned-COO who believed success wasn’t just about hustle—it was about math, discipline, and leadership.

This one is part history lesson, part MBA class, and part gut check. And it proves that while a lot has changed in the industry, the fundamentals haven’t. Whether you’re just getting started or running $20 million a year, there’s something in here for you.

Key Moments:

(0:00) Intro

(1:10) Meet Rob Levin: The Man Who Trained an Industry

(3:47) From SBA Loan to $300M Empire: The AMRE Origin Story

(8:43) Tips for Building a High-Performing Sales Team

(10:16) The Math Behind Million-Dollar Sales Teams

(13:07) The 3-Month Rule: When to Pull a Sales Rep Off the Field

(17:48) The Hard Calls Every Owner Must Be Willing to Make

(21:01) How Financial Discipline Built a Powerhouse

(24:47) Determining Your Marketing Costs

(30:41) Revenue Growth & Gross Margin: Where Most Owners Mess Up

(37:51) Rob’s Blueprint for Building a Sustainable Business

(45:11) A Cautionary Tale About The Power of Belief (And a Lost RBA License)

(50:39) Mentorship, Legacy & Lessons from Industry Giants

(54:41) Rob’s Final Word: What Really Makes a Business Work

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Learn more about Discovery Day at The Wealthy Contractor Success Society: https://TheEntryDoor.info/

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/

What if every day you started with zero leads and still ended the week with a packed pipeline?

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Not according to this week’s podcast guest, Samantha McGuinness. On top of being a master of face-to-face marketing, she is also insanely good at “making leads out of thin air” (it’s kind of her superpower).

From knocking on doors and setting up booths to generating $100,000 from a peach festival, Samantha’s helped companies like Renewal by Andersen Toronto generate $10M+ in revenue from “make” marketing systems.

In this episode, Samantha and Brian dive into how elite companies create their own opportunities, the systems behind effective appointment setting (hint: get straight to the point), and why you should avoid gimmicks and “trinkets” that waste time and money.

🔑 Key Moments:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:28) Meet Samantha: From landscaping startup to $10M+ in face-to-face marketing

(5:18) Using social skills to get more leads

(8:22) Why tests like the DISC profile can be misleading when hiring

(11:20) How to make leads out of thin air

(12:54) How old-school gimmicks can hurt face-to-face marketing

(15:18) The controversy over “trinkets” (and why you should avoid them)

(17:24) Building a $10M+ department through systems and events

(19:37) Defining “make marketing”: events, home shows, canvassing, and retail partnerships

(25:29) Why every single person in your company should help find events (and how to incentivize them)

(29:15) What should (and should NOT) be on your booth table and displays—and why salespeople should never staff a booth

(33:01) Recruiting & hiring: Who thrives and who flops (Ever hire an actor?)

(43:50) The importance of make marketing in today’s market

(46:09) Best advice: Be 100% authentic in life and business

(50:55) Closing thoughts & resources

👤 About Our Guest

Samantha McGuinness is the founder of Enabled and the Face-to-Face Marketing Network, where she helps home improvement companies build profitable in-person marketing systems. Her systems and SOPs have generated millions in revenue for contractors nationwide.

👉 Subscribe to hear more stories, strategies, and secrets that top contractors use to grow their home improvement businesses and enjoy more success, wealth, and freedom.

Additional Resources:

⚡ Brian’s book, The 7 Secrets To Becoming A Wealthy Contractor, is now available. Visit https://www.TheWealthyContractor.com/ for a free copy (just pay shipping).

⚡ Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWealthyContractor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheWealthyContractor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TheWealthyContractor/