Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

If John Wilson and Jack Carr lost everything and had to start a plumbing company from scratch, what would they actually do? In this episode of Owned and Operated, John and Jack break down exactly how they’d build a plumbing business from $10,000 to $1 million in revenue using everything they’ve learned as home service operators. They compare two different paths: staying extremely lean by subcontracting work and proving demand before spending money, or hiring early and building the operation one truck at a time. They cover how they’d land their first customers, where they’d spend their first marketing dollars, when they’d hire, what jobs they’d target, and how they’d build toward four productive trucks. John also explains why he’d eventually use a small acquisition to accelerate the business, including examples of companies he’s previously acquired with very little cash down. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • How to start a plumbing company with $10,000 • Getting your first customers without a big marketing budget • Subcontracting vs. hiring your first plumber • Why John would prioritize revenue before investing • Using Facebook, Nextdoor, referrals, and LSAs to generate leads • The plumbing jobs Jack would target first • When to add your first truck and technician ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operated https://www.ownedandoperated.com/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Your customer database might be worth more than you think. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Faraday founder Alex Coleman to break down how home service companies can turn the data they already collect into better marketing, smarter dispatching, and more replacement opportunities. They cover how Wilson uncovered millions of dollars in opportunities hidden inside old customer records, why equipment data becomes increasingly valuable as a contractor scales, and how back-office automation can tackle permits, warranties, rebates, and other processes that often fall through the cracks. John and Alex also dig into AI in the trades, where automation is actually useful, why AI still needs a human in the loop, and why contractors should think twice before building their own software instead of focusing on the core business. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • How old customer data can uncover millions in replacement opportunities • Why equipment age matters for marketing and dispatch • Turning service calls into long-term marketing assets • Using existing customer databases to drive more revenue • Automating permits, warranties, rebates, and back-office work • Why rebates can become a major source of missed profit • How data becomes more valuable as a home service company scales • Where AI is overpromised in the trades ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Alex Coleman / Faraday https://www.faraday.so/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/faraday-ai/ Owned and Operated https://www.ownedandoperated.com/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Profit & Grit Running a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.com Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Slow season doesn’t have to wreck your home service business. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how they prepare for shoulder season when inbound demand slows, the call board gets lighter, and every lead becomes more valuable. They cover how to fill the board with outbound calling, when to use specials and discounts, why sales KPIs can actually improve during slower months, and how tightening labor, marketing, and spending can turn shoulder season into a stronger cash-producing period. They also explain why preparing months ahead and building a customer contact list during peak season makes the slowdown much easier to manage. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • Why August and September can be some of the slowest months of the year • How to use outbound calling to fill the board when inbound demand drops • Specials, BOGOs, tune-ups, and other ways to drive shoulder season leads • Why you should lean on proven marketing instead of taking new risks • How to get more revenue from the leads already on your board • Why average ticket and conversion rates can improve during slow season ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operated https://www.ownedandoperated.com/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ FieldPulse Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Home service businesses are getting more attention than ever. But are they really as good as they look? In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr talk about why HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other home service businesses have become so popular; and why they’re still incredibly hard to operate. They break down what makes home services attractive, the mistakes people make when buying into the trades, and where there’s still opportunity as more buyers enter the space. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • Why more people are getting into the trades • What makes home services such an attractive business model • Why fragmentation creates so much opportunity • The reality of staffing, seasonality, and competition • Why running a home service business takes more than being smart • The biggest mistake people make when buying a home service company • The difference between buying a business and buying a job ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack Catalyst https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Quick Staffers Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Profit & Grit Running a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.com FieldPulse Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

You can be profitable and still run out of cash. In this supercut episode of Owned and Operated, featuring insights from several episodes , John Wilson breaks down the cash flow, sales, and KPI systems that helped him scale a home service business from $1M to roughly $40M in revenue. Learn why profit doesn’t equal cash, how to improve average ticket by solving higher-value problems, and the five numbers every home service owner should track to find problems faster and scale with more control. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • Why profitable home service businesses still run out of cash • How to improve cash flow and get paid faster • The systems John would implement at $1M in revenue • How to increase average ticket with a value ladder • Why training and ride-alongs drive better sales performance • The 5 KPIs every home service owner should track • How to diagnose lead, booking, closing, and average ticket problems • Why “number of options” is a critical sales metric • How scorecards and daily KPIs create accountability ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operated https://www.ownedandoperated.com/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Quick Staffers Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

The biggest decisions in your home service business usually don’t feel big when you make them. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down the $1 million decisions contractors make without realizing how much they can impact the business over time. They discuss hiring the right people, choosing technology that can scale, building a membership program, reinvesting profits, making smarter marketing bets, and why seemingly small decisions can shape the next decade of your business. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • Why small decisions can compound into million-dollar outcomes • How hiring the right people can change the trajectory of your business • Why your CRM, payroll, phones, and technology stack matter as you scale • How membership programs create long-term customer value • Why reinvesting profits can accelerate growth • Why John and Jack prioritize executors over “strategic” hires • The two areas they would focus on first at $5M: people and leads • How training, KPIs, and better data create a long-term advantage ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operated https://www.ownedandoperated.com/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Avoca See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

The strategies that get your home service business to $3 million will not get you to $30 million. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down why contractors stall at different stages of growth and how the owner’s role has to evolve as the business gets bigger. They discuss escaping “hero mode,” building the right teams and systems, reinvesting in growth, and why the owner can ultimately become the biggest bottleneck in the business. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • Why the playbook that gets you to $3M stops working as you scale • Why contractors commonly stall between $3M and $10M • Getting the owner out of "hero mode" and building a real organization • Reinvesting profits versus pulling cash out of the business • The systems and positions you need as the company gets bigger • Why adding trades and locations too early can slow down growth ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Connect ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr https://x.com/thehvacjack Owned and Operated https://www.ownedandoperated.com/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Avoca See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Every growing home service company eventually hits the same wall. The systems that got you to $2 million will not get you to $20 million. In this episode of Owned and Operated , John Wilson sits down with Brady Jolly and Scott Sharrock of Jolly Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electric to break down what it actually takes to scale a second-generation home service business. They discuss moving from commercial to residential, building a leadership team, using acquisitions to accelerate growth, creating a culture people want to stay in, and the management systems that help businesses continue growing without relying on the owner. The conversation also dives into scorecards, leadership development, AI, private equity, and why investing in people often creates a bigger return than investing anywhere else. In This Episode • Growing a second-generation plumbing company into a multi-trade business • Why residential service changed the trajectory of the company • Lessons from acquisitions, launching roofing, and adding new trades • Building leaders before you need them • Creating a culture that people actually want to be part of • How scorecards and KPIs improve decision making • AI, private equity, and where home service businesses are headed next Connect John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Brady Jolly + Scott Sharrock https://justcalljolly.com/ Reimagining Home Services Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@ReimaginingHomeServices ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ The Military Veteran (TMV) Hiring a VP, GM, or C-suite leader? The Military Veteran (TMV) specializes in executive search for home service businesses, connecting you with proven veteran leaders who know how to execute, build teams, and drive growth. Select Owned and Operated as your referral source when you schedule a consultation: https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.org Big Reputation Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paid Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Home service marketing strategy isn't one-size-fits-all. In this Owned and Operated compilation, John Wilson sits down with Lisa Appleby and Ethan Wright of Service Scalers to break down the marketing systems, lead generation strategies, SEO, Google Ads, Local Services Ads, reviews, AI, and growth playbooks that help contractors scale from $1M to $10M+ . Whether you own an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or other home service business, this episode explains where your next marketing dollar should go, how to generate higher-quality leads, improve conversion rates, and build a marketing engine that scales with your company. In This Episode The marketing roadmap from $1M to $10M in revenue Where to invest your next marketing dollar When to use Local Services Ads, PPC, SEO, and aggregators Why speed-to-lead dramatically increases booked jobs How online reviews impact rankings and revenue The biggest marketing mistakes growing contractors make How AI is changing SEO, Google Search, and digital marketing The KPIs every contractor should actually be tracking Connect John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Lisa Appleby https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-appleby/?originalSubdomain=uk Ethan Wright https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanwrighttx ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Comfort Connect Turn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Profit & Grit Running a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.com Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Google is changing Local Services Ads again, and this one actually matters. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston of Service Scalers to break down Google's biggest LSA update yet. With Local Services Ads moving into Google Ads and Performance Max, contractors could see major changes to how budgets are spent, campaigns are managed, and leads are generated. John and Sam walk through what's changing, what could go wrong, and the simple checklist every contractor should work through before the rollout. If Google is an important lead source for your business, this is an episode you'll want to hear before the switch happens. In This Episode: Why Google is moving LSAs into Google Ads What Performance Max means for contractors The biggest risks during the migration How to think about budgets and campaign structure What data you need to save before it's gone Why your Google Business Profile matters more than ever What to watch for if your lead volume changes overnight ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Sam Preston → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampreston/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 💰 SPONSORS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Breaking $5M Workshop Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ The Military Veteran (TMV) Hiring a VP, GM, or C-suite leader? The Military Veteran (TMV) specializes in executive search for home service businesses, connecting you with proven veteran leaders who know how to execute, build teams, and drive growth. Select Owned and Operated as your referral source when you schedule a consultation: https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.org ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ CHAPTERS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 00:00 LSA Shakeup Preview 01:02 Migration to Google Ads PMax 09:20 What Stays Same vs Changes 14:27 Budget Risks and Action Checklist 26:31 Stats, Prep, and Final Thoughts Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

The fastest-growing home service companies don't scale by spending more. They scale by making smarter operational decisions. In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated , John Wilson and Jack Carr break down one of the biggest hidden expenses in home services: your fleet. They explain why they're moving away from expensive service vans, why the Ford Maverick has become their vehicle of choice, and how rethinking truck stock, inventory, and install trailers can save hundreds of thousands of dollars while making technicians more efficient. They also dive into the future of fleet strategy, from modular trailer systems and simplified inventory to why most branded truck wraps no longer create a competitive advantage. If you're looking for practical ways to lower costs without sacrificing growth, this episode is packed with ideas you can apply immediately. In This Episode: • Why expensive service vans may be hurting your business • How Ford Mavericks reduce fleet costs and fuel spend • Rethinking truck stock to improve inventory control • The trailer system that could replace traditional install trucks • How fleet decisions impact profitability and cash flow • Why most truck wraps no longer stand out • Building a brand that actually differentiates your company ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr → https://x.com/thehvacjack Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— QuickStaffers Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Breaking $5M Workshop Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

The fastest-growing home service companies don't fail because they run out of demand. They fail because they run out of leaders. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jim Lose of The Military Veteran to discuss what separates great operators from average managers. They cover how to hire executive talent, build a structured interview process, identify red flags before making an offer, and create leadership systems that scale with your business. From scorecards and reference checks to compensation, coaching, and military leadership, this episode is a practical guide to building the team that takes your business from operator-led to professionally managed. In This Episode: • Why leadership becomes the biggest growth constraint • How to identify and hire A-player operators • The interview mistakes most owners make • Building scorecards that drive accountability • Coaching vs. replacing underperforming leaders • Compensation, incentives, and equity for key hires • The next executive hire growing businesses should make ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jim Lose → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslose/ The Military Veteran → https://themilvet.org/ ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Breaking $5M Workshop Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million FieldPulse Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated Quick Staffers Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Septic may be one of the most overlooked businesses in home services, but it might also be one of the best. In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson brings together two of the biggest conversations we've had on the septic industry, featuring Chad and Kyle from Epic Septic alongside Micah of Homefield. Together, they break down why septic has become one of the most compelling opportunities in home services and what it really takes to build a scalable business in the space. From pumping and repairs to installations, route density, marketing, and franchising, they share the economics behind the business, the operational challenges unique to septic, and the systems they're using to grow across multiple markets. Whether you're looking to buy a septic company or simply want to understand why so many operators are bullish on the industry, this episode is a complete deep dive. In This Episode: • Why septic is one of the most attractive home service businesses • The economics of pumping, repairs, and installations • How pumping creates long-term customer value • Why modern marketing is a competitive advantage in septic • Pricing, route density, and improving profitability • Scaling across multiple markets and states • The infrastructure challenges every septic operator faces • What buyers should know before acquiring a septic business ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Chad & Kyle (Epic Septic) → https://epicseptic.com/ Micah Findley (Homefield) → https://www.homefieldonsite.com/ Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Big Reputation Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paid FieldPulse Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Not every acquisition is worth making. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson shares the story of one of the biggest acquisitions he chose to walk away from, even though it had the potential to double the size of his business. What looked like an incredible opportunity on paper quickly unraveled as the due diligence process exposed problems with customer concentration, company culture, cash flow, and the financials. John explains the acquisition framework he uses to evaluate plumbing, HVAC, and electrical businesses, why revenue and EBITDA rarely tell the whole story, and the common mistakes first-time buyers make when they become emotionally attached to a deal. Sometimes the best acquisition is the one you don't make. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In this episode, John covers: → The acquisition that looked perfect—but wasn't → The biggest red flags uncovered during due diligence → Why customer mix and company culture matter as much as financials → How to avoid becoming emotionally invested in a deal → What every first-time acquisition entrepreneur should know → Lessons learned from the deals John decided not to buy ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAO Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Most home service companies think they're tracking marketing. They're actually tracking the wrong metrics. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how to measure marketing ROI the right way. They explain why cost per lead is often a misleading metric, how to build a marketing scorecard that actually helps you make better decisions, and the attribution systems they use to understand what's driving revenue across a growing home service business. They also discuss why blended marketing ROI matters more than individual lead costs, how to separate new customer revenue from recurring customers, the importance of clean CRM data, and why every owner—not their agency—is ultimately responsible for marketing performance. In This Episode: • Why cost per lead can lead you to the wrong decisions • The marketing KPIs every home service business should track • How to measure true ROI across every marketing channel • Building an attribution system that actually works • Why clean CRM data is the foundation of good marketing • How to separate new customer revenue from repeat business • The pitfalls of using lifetime value (LTV) to justify marketing spend • Why every owner should own their company's marketing scorecard ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-carr-770b84117/ Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Big Reputation Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paid Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Most home service businesses are using AI the wrong way. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how AI is actually changing the trades and why the biggest opportunity isn't replacing technicians, but removing the operational friction that slows growing companies down. They share how they're using AI across acquisitions, accounting, purchasing, reporting, dispatch, and marketing while keeping the human experience at the center of the business. They also discuss why venture capital is pouring money into home services, how AI is creating a new wave of EBITDA expansion, the software they're replacing with custom-built AI tools, and why the companies that embrace AI as a force multiplier, not a replacement for people, will have the biggest advantage over the next decade. In This Episode: • Why home services has become an AI "safe haven" for investors • What AI should never replace inside your business • Using AI to reduce friction instead of cutting headcount • Replacing expensive SaaS tools with custom AI solutions • How AI is transforming acquisitions and multi-location growth • Why accounting is the biggest bottleneck in scaling through M&A • The balance between automation and human customer experience ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-carr-770b84117/ Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Avoca See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao Quo Keep every customer conversation in one place with Quo. Calls, texts, and voicemails are shared across your team so nothing slips through the cracks and no opportunities are missed. Learn more: https://quo.com/owned Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Most home service businesses aren't sold for what they're capable of being worth. In this episode of Owned and Operated , John Wilson and Will Schryver reveal what separates a business that sells for a premium from one that gets discounted. From leadership and systems to pricing, technology, and operational maturity, they explain what buyers actually look for and why preparing for an exit should start years before you plan to sell. They also dive into the current acquisition market, the influx of private equity and family office capital, why AI is accelerating investment into the trades, and the lessons Will has learned since leaving investment banking to buy and grow his own HVAC business. In This Episode: Why EBITDA alone doesn't determine your business value The biggest mistakes owners make before selling Investment banker vs. business broker: what's the difference? Growing an HVAC company from $1.5M to $3M in 18 months Why private equity is investing heavily in home services How AI is making the trades even more valuable ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Will Schryver → https://x.com/Will_Schryver Breaking $5 Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Avoca See how Avoca helps home service companies book more jobs with AI that handles calls, texts, follow ups, and dispatching without adding more chaos. Book a demo: https://www.avoca.ai/partners/oao Quo Keep every customer conversation in one place with Quo. Calls, texts, and voicemails are shared across your team so nothing slips through the cracks and no opportunities are missed. Learn more: https://quo.com/owned Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

What does it really take to build a home service business from the ground up? In this episode of Owned and Operated , John Wilson sits down with Ryan and Aaron Osterkamp of Quality Comfort Home Services to unpack the journey from one technician working out of a house to a company targeting more than $9 million in annual revenue. They discuss the early years of wearing every hat, the decision to bring on an in-house marketing leader years before most companies their size would, why investing in leadership accelerated growth, and the challenges that come with letting go as the business scales. They also share how they've built a strong company culture, approached hiring, and continue reinvesting in the business for the next stage of growth. In This Episode: Building an HVAC business from one truck to a $9M goal Why they hired an in-house marketing director early The leadership hires that unlocked growth Creating a culture that retains great employees When to reinvest versus take money out of the business The hardest parts of delegating as an owner Deciding between growing HVAC or expanding plumbing ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Ryan + Erin Osterkamp → https://myqualitycomfort.com/about-us/ Breaking $5 Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Contractor Commerce Your website should do more than generate leads. Contractor Commerce lets homeowners shop, compare options, and book online so they choose your business before they contact the competition. Learn more: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=podcast Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Managing the leadership challenges that come with being a CEO can be surprisingly lonely. In this solo episode, John Wilson reflects on the last decade of leading Wilson Companies from a team of seven employees to more than 220. He shares the lessons that only come with experience, including imposter syndrome, difficult decisions, the weight of responsibility, and why leadership often feels different than people expect. If you're leading a growing company or stepping into a leadership role, this episode offers an honest look at what it really takes to grow as a CEO. In this episode: Why you never really feel ready to be a CEO How leadership challenges change as your business grows The hidden cost of difficult decisions Why success often feels different than expected How to avoid becoming the bottleneck Why your business can only grow as fast as you do Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAO Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Google search is changing. AI is changing how homeowners find contractors. And the marketing strategies that worked just two years ago aren't enough anymore. In this episode of Owned and Operated , John Wilson sits down with Service Scalers CEO Sam Preston to break down what's actually working in HVAC marketing in 2026. From AI search and Google Business Profile optimization to Meta, Reddit, Yelp, and content marketing, they discuss where home service companies should be investing and where they're wasting money. They also dive into rising lead costs, why many HVAC companies are struggling this year, and the marketing playbook operators should follow to stay ahead as search continues to evolve. Whether you're trying to generate more calls today or prepare your business for the next wave of AI-driven search, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can implement immediately. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In This Episode: • Why Google and AI search are changing home service marketing • The biggest marketing opportunities heading into 2026 • Why Google Business Profile is still the highest ROI channel • How AI is reshaping SEO and content strategy • Why Meta and social content are becoming more valuable than ever • The growing importance of Yelp, Reddit, and other high-authority platforms • The marketing metrics every contractor should track weekly • The biggest mistakes HVAC companies are making today • How to prepare your business for the future of AI-powered search ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Sam Preston → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampreston/ (update if needed) Owned and Operated → https://www.ownedandoperated.com ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Comfort Connect Turn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube Channel Owned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From John Leave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.