Lou Hobaica more than just a successful contractor. He is an original thinker, a superb coach, a marketing genius, a master motivator, and a kind community philanthropist. If you're in the industry, it's possible you've heard the phrase “You'll lika Hobaica.” That's the tagline for Phoenix-based Hobaica Services, which has been in business since 1952. Lou Hobaica, is an industry icon, a Service Nation mentor and coach, and one of the smartest and best business leaders in our industry. In this episode, Lou Hobaica talks about the inception of Hobaica Services, growing the business with the 2nd generation, and the successful recent sale. You'll learn why Lou got into the Wine Cellar business, and how to manage a business with family. Lou also gives us 3 amazing ideas for contractors. Listen and learn from Lou Hobaica and you'll "lika Hobaica" too!

The old saying about advertising is that you know you're overspending by 50%, you just don't know which 50% to cut.

Measures of opens and clicks are interesting, but they only give you limited information. What you need is a way to accurately measure which ads are working and be able to tie those ads directly to revenue. Enter Kevin LeSage and Searchlight. Kevin grew up in our industry helping his Plumber Father as a kid. After college Kevin worked in digital marketing and analytics. Then he returned to our industry to help his Dad and other Residential Service companies. Would you like to know which of your ad campaigns works best for you, and which ones are ineffective? Of course you would! Would you like to know how Searchlight does this? This is information you need to know!

Doug Jackson is the 31 year old General Manager of Jackson Services, a large, recently acquired residential services company. Doug was recently named to the elite 40 Under 40 group. He started in HVAC at a young age and by his mid 20's had done every job in the company. After becoming GM, he led the company to spectacular growth in just a few years. How did he do it? In this episode Doug talks with us about:

• Doug's career at Jackson Services
• Solving puzzles
• Growing from $4 to $23 million
• Growing techs
• Changing the hiring paradigm
• Developing a recruiting program
• The benefits of Service Nation Alliance
• His role post-acquisition
• Getting advice from Lou Hobaica and his Service Nation Advisory Board
• Why it's a disservice to yourself, your company, and your family to not be properly profitable.

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.