Growth in home services isn’t clean. It’s rarely comfortable. And it almost never looks the way people talk about it on stage.

In this episode, I sit down with Steve VanHorn, Co-Owner and COO of Simpson Salute Heating and Cooling, to have an honest conversation about what it really takes to scale a home service business without breaking it, or yourself.

Steve and his partner grew their organization from roughly $3.5 million to nearly $30 million in revenue in just a few years. But this isn’t a highlight-reel story.

It’s a real look at:

-What breaks when growth hits

-Why chaos, cash-flow pressure, and mistakes are part of the process

-And how slowing down on purpose can be the smartest growth move you make

-Steve shares why they view their business as an ongoing evolution, not something you ever “finish,” and why pretending to have everything figured out is one of the fastest ways to stall real progress.

In this episode, we cover:

-Why struggle is normal—and necessary—when scaling

-What broke first when revenue jumped from $3.5M to $7M

-How “more leads” can actually make things worse if operations aren’t ready

-Why they intentionally hit the brakes on growth to fix quality, callbacks, and communication

-How building a world-class training facility solved labor issues most contractors still face

-Why culture and leadership depth mattered more than top-line growth

-How vulnerability and honesty unlocked better people and better systems

-The reality of EBITDA, private equity expectations, and what makes a company truly attractive

-How AI and technology are being used to support—not replace—people

-Why progress beats perfection every time

Steve also talks openly about partnering with a larger platform, staying fully engaged post-deal, and why the goal was never “exiting,” but building something durable that creates opportunity for their team.

This episode isn’t about tactics, hacks, or pretending growth is easy.

It’s about building a business that can handle success, learning through mistakes, and understanding that if growth feels messy right now—you’re probably doing something right.

If you’re a home service owner in the middle of growth, this conversation will feel very familiar.

The way homeowners—and Google—choose contractors is changing faster than most people realize.

In this episode, I sit down with Austin Rosenbaum, Founder and CEO of Demand IQ, to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening right now in home service marketing: pricing transparency, AI-driven search, and Google’s move from clicks to outcomes.

Austin has been building pricing and lead-generation technology for home services since 2020, and he’s on the front lines of how Google, Meta, and AI are reshaping how contractors get found—and chosen.

One of the most important takeaways from this conversation:

In 2026 and beyond, your customer isn’t just the homeowner.

It’s also Google’s AI agents visiting your website, calling your office, and gathering pricing information on the homeowner’s behalf.

We break down what that actually means in practice—and what contractors need to do now to avoid falling behind.

1. Why pricing transparency is no longer optional for home service businesses
2. How homeowner expectations around speed and pricing have changed
3. Google’s new “Online Estimates” feature and why it matters for SEO
4. Why 10–15% of searchers clicking that filter is a huge opportunity
5. How AI agents are already calling contractors to gather pricing and service info
6. The difference between clicks, calls, and outcomes in modern lead generation
7. Why cost per lead keeps rising on Google and Meta
8. How instant estimates improve click-through rates and lead quality
9. What “price conditioning” is—and why it leads to higher close rates
10. Why pricing tools fail when treated as widgets instead of part of a strategy
11. How offers, messaging, and pricing must work together
12. The rise of virtual sales and pre-built proposals in home services
13. How contractors should prepare for an AI-first buying journey

This episode isn’t about gimmicks or racing to the bottom on price.

It’s about reducing friction, building trust, and aligning your marketing with how people—and AI—actually buy today.

If you’re a contractor who depends on Google, inbound leads, or paid ads—and you want to stay competitive over the next 2–5 years—this conversation will give you clarity on what’s coming and how to adapt.

🎧 Listen now and start preparing your business for the next phase of home service marketing.

Most contractors don’t realize that the best time to sell is before they feel ready to sell.

In this episode, I sit down with Claudio Vilas, founder of The Roofing Biz Broker, to unpack the uncomfortable truth behind selling a roofing or home service business—and why fewer than 10% of companies are actually sellable, despite constant acquisition outreach.

Claudio works exclusively with roofing companies and sees what happens after the emails, the LOIs, and the headline numbers. What he shares in this conversation challenges many of the assumptions contractors make about value, timing, and private equity.

This is not an episode about hype or “selling out.”

It’s about building a transferable business, protecting your future, and avoiding mistakes that quietly cost owners millions.

1. Why acquisition emails don’t equal real demand
2. The two biggest reasons buyers walk away immediately
3. Why “making good money” doesn’t mean you have a sellable business
4. The critical difference between a profitable business and a transferable one
5. Cash vs accrual accounting—and why buyers care so much
6. What real profitability looks like in roofing
7. Why many owners regret selling, even after a big number on paper
8. The heartbreaking story of an owner who waited too long—and lost everything
9. How private equity roll-ups and the “second bite of the apple” actually work
10. The role of technology and marketing in increasing valuation (and when tools don’t help)

Claudio also explains why selling early can actually reduce risk, how reinvesting a portion of the sale can create generational wealth, and why working with the right advisors matters more than timing the “perfect” exit.

If you’re a contractor doing $2–10M, planning to grow, or simply want to build a business that’s valuable, resilient, and future-proof—this episode will completely change how you think about selling.

🎧 Listen now—and start building your business like an asset, not just a job.