Steven Walus, President of Great Lakes Snow Systems in Elgin, Illinois, joins Phil to share his journey from shoveler to skid steer operator to business owner through a five-year seller-financed buyout. From starting with two trucks and all subcontractors to building relationships with municipal contracts, Steven reveals why asking about succession planning opened the door to ownership, why seller financing keeps both parties invested in success, and how networking with successful operators eliminates the need to reinvent the wheel in business growth.

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Great Lakes Snow

Key Learnings

Ask About Succession Planning Early - When the owner's kids showed no interest in taking over the business, expressing genuine interest in ownership opened the door to acquisition conversations.

Seller Financing Aligns Interests - A five-year buyout structure where payments depend on business success keeps the seller invested in helping the new owner succeed.

Municipal Work Provides Stability - City contracts for parking lots, cul-de-sacs, and dead ends create a reliable foundation around which to build commercial accounts.

Opportunity Comes from Preparation - Being ready when the skid steer operator quit with the door open led to advancement from shoveling to equipment operation.

Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Successful people in any trade are willing to share knowledge, so model their success rather than trying to figure everything out alone.

Snow Is Recession-Proof - Unlike landscaping services that customers can delay, snow removal is a necessity and emergency service that remains stable during economic downturns.

Start Where You Are With What You Have - Beginning as a shoveler without money or a business plan still led to eventual ownership through consistent effort and expressing interest.

Network at Every Event - Industry conferences, symposiums, and networking events provide access to knowledge and solutions from people who've already solved your challenges.

Trade Shortage Creates Opportunity - Fewer people willing to do the work means more opportunities for those committed to buckling down and growing in the industry.

Equipment Expertise Matters - Understanding what works (like John Deere 244s for specific applications) helps others avoid research time and expensive mistakes.

Small Challenges Have Been Solved - Problems that seem big to growing businesses are often small potatoes to established operators willing to share solutions.

Stay Ahead of Industry Trends - Investing in liquids, metal-plus plows, active edges, and new technology keeps companies on the forefront of industry growth.

Reflection

Have you had conversations with business owners in your area about their succession plans, and are you positioning yourself as a potential successor when they're ready to exit?

Are you networking enough with successful operators to learn from their experiences, or are you trying to solve problems that others have already figured out?

What challenges in your business seem overwhelming that might actually be simple solutions for someone with more experience who would be willing to share their knowledge?

Chapters

00:21 - Welcome Steven Walus

01:40 - Great Lakes Snow Origins

05:12 - Structuring A Buyout

07:53 - Valuation Help From Snow...

Joel Wollum, President of The Emerald Companies in St. Cloud, Minnesota, joins Phil to share his journey from dairy farm kid to newspaper press operator to lawn care entrepreneur. From starting with a $100 garage sale mower and manually lifting snowblowers into trucks 15 times per storm, to building a business that still serves customers from 28 years ago, Joel reveals why referrals are better than being the biggest, why daily podcast listening beats jamming music, and how waving at competitors keeps you positive even when they don't wave back.

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Episode Chapters

00:22 - Welcome & Guest Intro

01:41 - Joel’s Early Roots

04:23 - The First Snow Removal Hustle

07:25 - Overview of Emerald Companies

09:02 - Why Exit HOA’s?

11:00 - Going All In on Brine

13:01 - Scaling Brine Production

15:01 - Mentors & Brine Support

17:06 - Can You DIY Brine?

18:09 - Technology & Forecasting

20:16 - Joel’s Equipment Setup

24:23 - Cycle Times and Routing

25:59 - Industry Events & Education

28:56 - Peer Group Insights

30:06 - Advice for Newcomers

32:00 - Pride & Customer Referrals

33:15 - Please Like, Share & Subscribe!

Key Learnings

Referrals Beat Being the Biggest - Customer referrals create more excitement and satisfaction than being the largest company in town because they prove you're doing good work people want to recommend.

Daily Learning Compounds Over Time - Listen to podcasts, YouTube, and educational content every day instead of just music because there are valuable lessons available everywhere.

Problems Are Perspective Issues - When your truck transmission fails, remember you have a truck to repair while many people don't have that problem to worry about.

Wave at Competitors Regardless - Keep a positive outlook by waving at competitors driving down the road, even if they don't wave back, because attitude matters more than their response.

Nobody Is Smarter Than Anybody Else - Everyone has something to teach you, so keep your ears open and pick up lessons from whoever is willing to share.

Fancy and Shiny Doesn't Matter - Focus on doing good work and getting positive customer feedback rather than having the biggest, fanciest, or shiniest equipment and operations.

Figure It Out as You Go - You don't need to know everything before starting; Joel didn't know how to spell "retaining wall" when a customer asked him to build one, but he figured it out.

Original Customers Prove Longevity - Still having customers from 28 years ago demonstrates the value of consistent service and relationship building over time.

Peer Groups Provide Monthly Value - Regular peer group calls with contractors from different regions offer insights about equipment, routing, brine, and techniques you wouldn't hear otherwise.

Industry Education Never Stops - Attend conferences like SIMA, engage with Snow Fighters Institute, and participate in educational opportunities to continue growing your knowledge.

Simple Marketing Can Work - Hanging flyers at senior centers and creating colored handouts with your life story can generate business when you're starting out.

Plan Equipment Logistics Better - Think through how equipment will load and transport before buying it; Joel learned this lesson loading snowblower tractors 15 times per storm.

Reflection Questions

Are you focusing more on being the biggest company in your market or...

Cam Roberts, President of Laser Pavement Solutions and host of "Stripe It Like It's Hot" podcast, joins Phil to share his journey from facility maintenance to running a pavement and snow removal business in British Columbia. From lessons learned hiring contractors in small towns, to bleeding money for the first three years, to building a podcast that's now 151 episodes strong, Cam reveals why leadership cannot be outsourced to AI, why exceptional people are essential for growth, and how business owners should focus on protecting culture and finding future talent rather than staying in the weeds.

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Episode Chapters

00:19 - Welcome and Cam Roberts Intro

01:26 - Laser Pavement Solutions Overview

02:47 - Moving North & BC Life

03:59 - Early Background and Roots

05:14 - Facility Maintenance Lessons

08:21 - Glass Trade and Accident Pivot

11:21 - Starting Line Striping Business

12:38 - Why Snow Wasn’t the Plan

14:40 - Snow Business Today and Fleet

17:23 - Tech and Customer Communication

19:31 - CRM That Scales Sales

21:28 - Fast Growth vs Profit

22:46 - Hiring an Accountability Leader

24:38 - EOS Self Implementation

26:31 - The Power of Snowfighters Institute

29:46 - Cam on Starting His Podcast

32:50 - Leadership in the AI Era

35:12 - The CEO’s Role According to Cam

38:25 - Visionary vs Integrator

Key Learnings

Unprofessional Contractors Create Market Opportunities - Seeing unprofessional contractors making good money in small markets can reveal business opportunities for those willing to operate with higher standards.

You Cannot Outsource Leadership to AI - While AI can handle administrative tasks, leadership ability and solving human issues cannot be abdicated to technology regardless of company size.

Exceptional People Are Essential for Growth - Natural talent and owner mentality will get you to a point, but you need exceptional people to help grow your business beyond what you can do alone.

Protect Culture and Find Future Talent - Business owners should focus on two main things: protecting and reinforcing company culture, and actively seeking talent needed 2-5 years from now.

Prime Future Talent with Regular Contact - Meeting with potential future hires quarterly keeps them engaged and ready when you need them, allowing you to grow with confidence knowing people are lined up.

Working in Today Prevents Tomorrow Focus - When owners get pulled into daily operations, it creates internal frustration because their time needs to be spent worrying about tomorrow, not today.

Small Town Experience Teaches Business Lessons - Working in facility maintenance in small communities exposes you to both good and poor contractors, teaching valuable lessons about professionalism and service standards.

Podcasting Builds Authority and Focus - Starting with general content and evolving to focused education for specific audiences (pavement business owners under $1M) creates better results.

Team Unity Requires Constant Focus - Building a team moving forward in a unified direction should consume 50-80% of a leader's thinking, energy, and focus.

Know When You're in the Wrong Seat - Recognizing when you're doing work that isn't your proper role helps maintain clarity about where your time should be spent for maximum impact.

Help Others Avoid Your Mistakes - Creating content and education to help others reach milestones without making the same expensive m...