David Heimer interviews Brandon Jacob and Matt Michel on stage at Service World Expo. Brandon and Matt are in the middle of a unique research project about the fears and emotions of selling your business; information people typically don't discuss, but you need to know. They've interviewed many business owners who sold businesses in a variety of industries. They discuss some of their findings and the upcoming book.

• The fear of selling
• The highs and lows of selling your business
• DIY versus professional support
• Who should be on your business sale team
• Worrying about employees
• Keeping the sale a secret and what to do if discovered
• What does the acquiring entity want?
• Post sale emotions
• Advice for business owners

Katy Higgins knows the pain of a failed partnership. After tremendous growth in a new HVAC company, she walked away from her partnership. She floundered for a while and then restarted powerfully, created a new company, and is experiencing a reaffirming growth. In this episode, Katy tells us about:

• Her start in the HVAC industry
• Winning the Western Regional Comfort Advisor contest 3 years in a row while being the only woman comfort advisor
• Rejecting a “roaming” sales rep job
• “Sometimes the only ship that doesn't sail is a partnership”
• Advice for women entrepreneurs
• The power of community
• Her website, and what makes it different
• Creating trust
• Team meetings

David Heffner is the Director of Community Outreach for Winsupply of Indianapolis. Prior to that, David was a successful one-man plumbing company that was acquired. And before that he served in the US Marine Corps. David has a heart for service, is incredibly knowledgeable about our industry, and loves to teach and help others. His career, his introduction to plumbing, his experiences growing and then intentionally shrinking his company are fascinating and full of great lessons. In this episode you'll hear:

• How attempting to change a light bulb led to a plumbing career
• Providing great service to others
• What a Director of Community Outreach does
• Why WinSupply of Indianapolis is one of the top Winsupply locations
• Why and how to grow and then intentionally shrink a company
• The acquisition of a one-man plumbing company
• How to fail at retirement
• Cycling across Iowa (RAGBRAI) and Indiana (RAIN)
• Supporting the Marines and Veterans
• Service Above Self

Bryan Baer grew up in our industry, drafted into it by his father and stepfather. He grew to love the industry, and eventually, with his wife, started a residential services company. They enjoyed modest success, but Bryan was working too hard, wearing too many hats, and felt like something was missing. He met a remodeler, they became friends, joined forces, and created a new company. They joined Service Nation Alliance, and with the help of a great coach, Lou Hobaica, they’re changing everything to pave the way to become a business empire. They’re already growing at an amazing rate, but they’re gunning for much, much more. Can friends be fifty-fifty business partners and aggressively grow a company? How do you merge companies, change the company name, the branding, the culture, and the marketing all at the same time and not go crazy? Listen and find out…

Sarah Blackhall is Vice President of Creative for Service Nation. She has many areas of responsibility at Service Nation, including Service Nation Events: Service World Expo and the International Roundtable. We could talk about a lot with Sarah, she's an expert in Design, she's a talented leader and communicator, but today we're going to focus on Service World Expo. Sarah gives us a peak behind the curtain to learn about the planning, the speakers, the breakouts, the AMAZING PARTIES, and how to get the most from Service World Expo.  By the way, Profiles in Prosperity will be on the Podcast Stage at Service World Expo, interviewing a brilliant industry veteran – I'm looking forward to seeing you all there! Who else will you see there? All the leading contractors and the best speakers:

• Matt Michel - Be The Best
• Daymond John from Shark Tank
• John Formica - Making the Customer Experience Magical
• Andy Hobaica on Sales
• Dan Antonelli
• And many, many more!

Sarah also discusses how to successfully network at Service World Expo, what you can't miss if you're a "first timer",  getting value from the expo vendors, and how you can create implementation plans with coaches at Service World Expo.

Don't miss the leading Residential Service event!  Register at www.ServiceWorldExpo.com.  October 15-17, 2024. Disney Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando Florida

Jessica Young is the Operations Manager, and co-owner with her husband Doug, of Young Plumbing Services in South Carolina. Like many, Jessica entered the trades part-time to help her husband and then got sucked into a full-time job. Without a lot of business knowledge they struggled, but got growth and profitability after joining Service Nation Alliance. Jessica has become a knowledgeable, influential leader in the contracting world. She shares their inspiring story here, and gives us a preview of her upcoming presentation at Service World Expo.  In this episode you’ll hear:

• The value of industry connections
• How incorrect pricing caused Jessica and Doug to attend Service World Expo
• Why they joined Service Nation, and what that’s done for them
• Growing 30% per year
• Projecting the right company image
• How a degree in English pays off
• The important company culture at Young Plumbing Services
• Being a Service Nation Advisory Board Mentor and how that’s like a Homeschooling Parent
• A preview of Jessica’s speech at Service World Expo
• Why contractors should attend industry events
• Getting Women in The Trades

Isn't it fun to follow companies and people over time and find out what happened?  I’ve been able to interview many interesting people since I started this podcast in 2016.  In this episode we’re going to catch up with four people that I interviewed in the past: The amazing Jason Henderson, who started and grew a company faster than anyone I know. Liz Friesen, who with her husband, Mark, is growing a solid plumbing company in Colorado. Richard Flournoy, who turned his company into a powerhouse, sold it, and is now venturing into a totally different industry. At the end, we’ll wrap up with an incredible story: Brandi Szeker who was a marketing manager at Service Nation, known for her creative marketing videos, became a viral influencer, left our industry and became a best-selling author. It’s a great story, and she has powerful advice for contractors. You'll enjoy and learn from their stories!

In this episode of Profiles in Prosperity, we sit down with Bill Henzler, President and Founder of Quality Degree, Inc., a leading multi-trade residential service company based in Royersford, Pennsylvania.

Bill opens up about his experiences with Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how these conditions have influenced his approach to managing and growing his company. This discussion is particularly relevant, considering the high number of individuals in our industry who are also dyslexic or have ADHD. We deeply appreciate Bill’s initiative to explore this important topic.

Our conversation also covers:

• Bill’s journey into the industry
• Innovative thinking
• Strategies for organizing with ADHD and Dyslexia
• The importance of collaborating with the right people
• - Diversifying into additional trades such as pest control, duct cleaning, handyman services, and remodeling
• Cross-marketing strategies across different trades
• A business model designed to support smaller contractors
• Practical advice for contractors

Join us for an insightful and inspiring discussion with Bill Henzler on Profiles in Prosperity.

How often do you get information and advice from a member of the Hall of Fame? Steve Miles joins us for a wide range of topics:

• Selling his company
• Is it a good idea to involve employees in a company sale?
• Working with Private Equity
• Current role post sale
• Recruiting – "kissing frogs"
• Great ideas for a digital billboard
• Artificial Intelligence
• Being a Service Nation Mentor and advisory boards
• The value of participating in industry events
• How Steve Miles learned from industry events, what to do
• Marketing
• Growing your business
• Learning from others
• Office and shop design
• Visiting other contractors

We welcome Eric Dutton back to the podcast. Eric is the founder, ex-owner, and ex-president of Dutton Plumbing, a large, wildly successful plumbing company. Eric is well known for his humor, but also for being a great leader and a very smart businessman. Eric's been on our podcast before. We learned about the creation and growth of Dutton Plumbing (episode 1), Five Business Rules (episode 39), Leadership in a Difficult Time (what Eric was doing with his company during COVID – episode 57). In this episode we catch up with Eric and find out what's happened with his company in the intervening 4 years. One big turning point: Eric sold his company and after managing the transition for more than a year, retired. Eric talks about the aspects of selling that aren't discussed a lot: the personal, emotional, and non-financial aspects: what it feels like, what you do after, what personal adjustments are needed. Eric also discusses his "Ericisms", his amazing retirement party, the grit required to be successful, his use of a Tony Robbins coach, losing his local fame, becoming anonymous, the value of excitement, and advice for business owners who need to plan for their exit. Eric Dutton is an incredibly smart guy, and a very savvy businessman. Don't miss this!

Jeremy Lowe has done just about everything in our industry: Service Technician, Sales, Installation, Management, General Manager, and for the last 20+ years has been on the Flat-Rate Pricing side of the industry with Calahan-Roach, Profit Rhino, and Service Fusion. Along the way he's amassed tremendous experience and great insight into our industry. I have a lot of respect for Jeremy for his dedication to helping contractors and making our industry better. In this episode Jeremy tells us about his career, the connection of Calahan-Roach, Profit Rhino, and Service Fusion, and gives us powerful advice for contractors. Jeremy's a great resource for you: listen and learn!

Other items discussed:

• The Calahan-Roach database
• Working with NASA
• Planning for a business exit
• Knowing your numbers
• Leadership
• Developing a culture
• Jeremy's new podcast: Tips for the Trades