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Retention: It’s something we all struggle with in the trades. It’s something we haven’t quite yet figured out. Though it’s not a perfect science, Eddie McFarlane — VP of Learning & Development at Haller Enterprises — has a rather revolutionary approach to retaining talented technicians. In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, we talk to Eddie about… How and why he uses change management to hire and retain workers How he gets to the root of problems instead of patching up the symptoms Why diversity and inclusion is the answer to the trades’ labor shortage The importance of personal development in the workplaceIf you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

We really did it! We delivered not 1 but 2 seasons of Toolbox for the Trades in this outrageous, chaotic year. In this episode, host Jackie Aubel walks you through just a few of our takeaways from this standout season. Thank you so much to every one of our guests: We know your raw honesty inspired our listeners. You do so much good in the world. Thank you! Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Keep connected with us on the Toolbox for the Trades Community on Facebook Find the companion for this episode at servicetitan.com/toolboxtipsIf you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

As a kid, you never had an air conditioner in your house. By 2019, the HVAC company you founded has already installed 20K systems. Then you realize that what you’ve got isn’t a hustle anymore. It’s a business now. In this episode, we interview Ismael Valdez, Owner & CEO at Nexgen, about taking his business from founding to $30M in 4 years. What we talked about: Ismael memorized part numbers at age 17 What happened in 2019 that brought about the development of Data Cube Work family and home family Efficiency practices and technician tracks Contractors are going to be 100% review-based, not referrals Check out this resource: Ismael’s Webinar: Top KPIs for Contractors and How to Track Them If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

There are a lot of questions about how to approach mergers and acquisitions in the trades. Turns out, it’s a lot like dating. At least according to AJ Brown, President and CEO, and Will Matson, Group CFO & Head of MFA, from Apex Service Partners. It’s one of many things I learned when I spoke with them about how their services group is operating like a pit crew for its partners in the trades. What we talked about: Why they left finance and found their forever-home in the trades How services groups work How to approach a partnership (& why it’s like dating)If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Look around your workplace. Where are the young faces? The average age of someone in the trades is around 50. That’s what happens when your industry does things “the way they’ve always been done.” But for Justin Armendariz, Founder & CEO at Better Future Facilities, the average tech in his company is under 30. Justin has brought technology to the forefront in his business and, as a result, is dragging the trades out of the past and preparing a new generation for the future. In this episode, we discuss: How to revolutionize an aging industry How he is taking on some of the biggest names out there Why recruiting and training is everything. If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Usually, the customer knows why they need your product… HVAC, plumbing — when something happens they’ll call. But what if they don’t know they need your product? Then it’s time to educate them. That’s exactly what Rod Yoder, Director — North American Dealer Sales at Kinetico Water Systems, does. He’s learned some clever techniques over the years to teach his customers the value of the water softening and filtration systems he sells. And there are some great ones. What we talked about: Educating your customers about the need for your product How to set yourself apart (and get referrals) How a non-electric company moved into IoT If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

How do you get a thriving culture? It starts with leadership. The owner should be the chief people-person in the company.  That’s what Jaime DiDomenico, President at Cool, Plumbing and Energy Today, learned time and time again in his career:  A company is only as good as its owner.  In this episode, we discuss: Why the owner should be the chief people-person Why you need to reinvest in your people and the business Why a business is only as good as its owner To watch our webinar with Jaime, visit servicetitan.com/jaime  If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

When it comes time to buy, your customers need options. And if you’re not giving them the options they need… They’ll go online and find someone who can. That insight is foundational for Joe Crisara’s success. Now Owner and Business Coach at ContractorSelling, Joe managed to turn a quarter of a million dollars in debt into a thriving business. All by giving his customers options. In this episode, Joe and I discuss: Why options can transform any business for the better How to present options to the customer Why worrying about the competition is a waste of time If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

First impressions matter. That’s why word choice is so important when we first meet someone…   And why your CSRs need amazing communication skills. They are the first point of contact with your customers — and what they say can set the tone for the whole relationship.  Today’s guest is Angie Snow, Vice President at Western Heating & Air Conditioning and Success Coach at Snow Business Coaching, where she helps business owners struggling to find the right words learn to more effectively engage customers and cultivate 7-star CSRs.  In this episode, we discuss: How to empower 7-star CSRs in your business The challenges (and triumphs) for women in the trades How to effectively leverage feedback  Now Angie is part of the ServiceTitan team too!  If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

When looking for growth, owners often want to add more services. If you can do it all, you cast a bigger net, right? But a jack of all trades is a master of none… And nobody wants to hire a roofer to fix their plumbing. That’s one mistake Mike Claudio, Owner at WinRate Consulting, has repeatedly seen in his years advising owners in the trades. In this episode, Mike explains: How to find your niche (and what pitfalls to avoid) Why success means taking advice Why CRMs are so important to a successful operation If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Growing your business requires community support. If customers recognize and trust your brand, you’ll go far…  And you may just raise a million for charity in the process.  That’s Geoff Gillon, Founder of The Pink Plumber, did and it paid off huge dividends.  He transformed his plumbing business into a lucrative sale by virtue of, well, virtue.  The Pink Plumber became an icon by donating massive sums to breast cancer research… And, of course, pink plumbing vans.  We discuss: -How to convince a plumber to drive a pink van (and grow exponentially in the process) -Why growth is more important than profits -How to golf every single day and still make it big  If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.  

Mental health matters.  Yet, for some reason, it’s often overlooked in the trades. It’s time we take mental health seriously. In this episode, I catch up with Stacy Fore, Owner at HVAC Solutions, where she has instituted a reimbursement program for mental health.  We speak about that and more, including: -Why No-BS values are foundational to a thriving culture -Why the trades is the best path for a free education -Why referrals still matter in the digital age If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Are you thinking about selling your business? If so, why?  It seems like an easy question to answer, but so many can’t Fred Silberstein, President at SF&P Advisors, says if you want to sell, you need a great answer to the question.  In this episode, Fred explains: -How to find your “why” (and what to do when you find it) -Why KPIs are so important for a sale -Why buyers are really buying your people If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Growing a business is hard work.  Even more so when you do it with your spouse. But there’s a secret:  Clearly defining your roles. Just ask Rhonda Dowdy, Chief Executive Officer at S&D Plumbing, a business she’s spent the last 40 years building with her husband.  And they pulled it off by knowing their superpowers: Her husband is the visionary; she is the integrator.  In this episode, Rhonda covers: -What makes her husband the visionary and her the integrator -How to choose a specialty -How to get buy-in for big changes Check out these resources we mentioned: -Traction -Rocket Fuel If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

A lot of businesses in the trades struggle with marketing. But marketing really comes down to 3 things: Providing value, building trust and educating your customers. My guest today is someone who has these 3 things down to a science.  Roger Wakefield, Owner at Texas Green Plumbing, has one of the most fascinating and storied backgrounds of anyone I’ve ever interviewed.  From plumbing to cosmetology to restaurant management — he really has done it all. And now, he can add “YouTube sensation” to that list. In this episode, Roger explains: -The steps he took on his fascinating career path -How he became a YouTube sensation -How to pick a specialty in the trades If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Has everyone in your office hopped in a van with a tech? If not, they should. Without seeing first hand what they go through, everyone’s work suffers. Since implementing ride-alongs, Vanessa Gonzales, Chief Administrative Officer at Albuquerque Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, has seen everyone — in the office and field — get better at their jobs. I caught up with her in today’s show to pick her brain about what she’s learned in her many years of experience owning a business in the trades. We covered a lot of ground, including: -The trick to running a business with your spouse (and his old roommate) -Why ride-alongs are so effective -How to be a coworker to your employees (until they force you to be the boss) If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

How well do you know your operations manual?  For many, it’s just something to keep lawyers happy. But it should be your bible for success.  In this episode, I speak with Al Levi, Consultant and CEO at The 7-Power Contractor and Author of The 7-Power Contractor, itself an operations manual for success in the trades.  If Al has learned anything in his lifelong career in the trades, it’s that a manager’s real job is to make sure the manuals are right. In this episode, Al explains: -Why making great systems is more important than finding great people -How a lawsuit at a young age taught him the importance of manuals -The 7 powers you need to find success in the trades If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Everyone wants to grow their business. But sometimes, that means becoming less vital to it.  Your systems should be so good your business runs fine without you.  In today’s guest episode, we have another great one from The Home Service Expert.   Tommy Mello and Adam Cronenberg, COO at A1 Garage Door Service, go over how streamlining their systems fueled their explosive growth.  Tommy and Adam discussed: -How Tommy’s team leveraged ServiceTitan to streamline their system -Why systems and processes are vital to your business -The difference between owning a job and owning a business Want to take part in the conversation? Be sure to join our Facebook group here.

Adding services to your business can be a great strategy… But it can also be scary. So, it’s important to make sure the business is spot on.  And we have another fantastic guest episode today from To The Point that explains exactly how you can.  In it, Host Chris Yano interviews Bobby Jenkins from ABC Home & Commercial Services and finds out how he was able to add so many services to his business.  They go over: -Why multiple services is a great strategy (and topic) -What it takes to build a sustainable family business -Why a repeat customer is the best customer Want to take part in the conversation? Be sure to join our Facebook group here.

There are 3 reasons people buy from you: They know you. They like you. They TRUST you. And there’s only one way to win their trust…   Being consistent. In today’s Toolbox for the Trades Guest Series Episode, Mike Claudio and Ryan Webber, hosts of Big Stud Sales, go over how you can win your customers’ trust through consistency. They explain: -Consistency selling (and why it builds trust) -The importance of SOPs -How you can leverage podcasts to reach your target audience Want to take part in the conversation? Be sure to join our Facebook group here.