When your technicians are empowered to invest in themselves, they indirectly invest in your company too. Ergo, growth in your techs means growth in your business. Everybody wins! Today’s guest, Brad Pesek (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-pesek-a84889178/), is the CFO at McWilliams & Son (https://www.mcwilliamsandson.com/) HVAC company. In addition to tips for incentivizing your technicians to grow professionally, Brad shares… - The transferable skills he took from teaching high school math to the trades - His most effective recruiting tools - The value of having a mentor and how to find one Resources mentioned: - The E Myth (https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280) - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519) - The Speed of Trust (https://www.amazon.com/SPEED-TRUST-Thing-Changes-Everything/dp/1416549005) - See You At The Top (https://www.amazon.com/See-You-At-Top-Anniversary/dp/0743596781) - How to Win Friends and Influence People (https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034) - Start With Why (https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447) - The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (https://www.amazon.com/21-Irrefutable-Laws-Leadership-Anniversary/dp/0785288376) - Man’s Search for Meaning (https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X) - What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (https://www.amazon.com/What-Got-Here-Wont-There-ebook/dp/B000Q9J128) - Never Split the Difference (https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805) If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/). Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.   Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Growing a business can be challenging to manage — especially when there are mergers and acquisitions involved. But getting it right can mean the difference between $40k a month and $40k a day.   At least, it did for Shane Jaeger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-jaeger-4088939/), President of Operations, The Lawton Group, who joins me on the latest episode to discuss how he pulled it off. What we talked about: - How Shane looks at mergers after seeing them from both sides - What to look for in a company you plan to acquire - Why paying close attention to growth is as important as the bottom line If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/). Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals)  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.   Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Your customer service is just as important to your business as the quality of your work. People hire people who are understanding and compassionate.And that starts at the top.Lauren Vahey, the Director of Customer Experience at Nicholson Plumbing & HVAC (https://nicholson-hvac.com/), joins Jackie in this episode to discuss compassion in customer service, as well as… - What real work-life balance looks like in the trades- Tips for other companies trying to implement exceptional customer service- How to foster loyalty with your employees- Advice for getting more (and better) online reviewsIf you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/).Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals)Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

No warehouse? No problem. It’s 100% possible to operate your service & repair business completely remotely.Take it from Tersh Blissett (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/), CEO of Service Emperor (https://serviceemperor.com/) and host of the Service Business Mastery (https://servicebusinessmastery.serviceemperor.com/) podcast. He was running a team of technicians sans warehouse long before we even heard about COVID.In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Tersh talks to Jackie about… -His journey from the Air Force into the trades- Unexpected challenges he faced when buying his first business- Expert tips for other service businesses to go totally remote- Why it’s important to collaborate with other tradespeople & business ownersIf you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/).Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The most pressing issue within the trades is the labor shortage. And it’s not just recruiting technicians that’s the problem — it’s training them properly and keeping them happy, too.Mary Jean Anderson (https://www.andersonplumbingheatingandair.com/about-us/meet-our-team/), President of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air (https://www.andersonplumbingheatingandair.com/), has grown her business to $30m in annual revenue partly due to her keen recruiting, training, and retention skills.Mary Jean joins Jackie to discuss… How to overcome the biggest hiring obstacles Why she founded the Anderson Career Builder Institute (https://www.andersonplumbingheatingandair.com/careers/anderson-career-builder-institute/)How other companies can build out their training programsTop places to recruit female techniciansCheck out Mary Jean’s book Here Comes Cannonball (https://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Cannonball-Reflections-Anniversary/dp/1984551353).Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/).  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Within her first 2 weeks of working in the trades, Kathy Nielsen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-nielsen-73304874/) had started helping Schaal Heating & Cooling scale up to a $6M valuation.Her own business, Operations Excellence (https://www.kathynielsenspeaks.com/), was founded on the same principles: Stay organized and hire great people. In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Kathy joins us to talk about… How she combines analytics with psychology to hire the best people for the jobWhat kinds of behaviors to look for in customer service reps (CSRs)Tips on creating effective systems & procedures within the tradesCommon mistakes she sees other industry leaders makingResources mentioned:Innermetrix (https://innermetrix.com/)Armchair Expert (https://armchairexpertpod.com/)chickenladyspeaks.com (http://www.chickenladyspeaks.com/) If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/). Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In both white and blue-collar businesses, the culture is what matters in the end.Take it from Ryan Lucia (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jryanlucia/), the founder of Aaron Overhead Doors (https://aaronoverheaddoors.com/) and Such n Such Media (https://suchnsuchmedia.com/). He started out in the software startup world, transitioned to the trades, and now helps blue-collar folks market their businesses.In this episode, Ryan tells Jackie about… Why culture is #1 in both of his businessesWhat he looks for in new hiresHow connecting with other professionals has moved his business forwardCheck out Ryan’s show, Torsion Talk Podcast, here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/torsion-talk-podcast/id1477714420).Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/).  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Stop recruiting for technical experience. Start recruiting for “soft” skills like good communication the ability to learn and adapt.You can teach all the other stuff.That’s one of Eric Knaak’s (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericknaak/) (Executive VP & GM at ISAAC (https://www.isaacheating.com/)) biggest pieces of advice in this episode of Toolbox for the Trades. He and Jackie also discuss… How the trades have supported and employed veteransHow to find more opportunities within your companyBest practices for managing a fleet of service techniciansResources mentioned in this episode:Good to Great (https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996) by Jim CollinsThe E Myth (https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Most-Businesses-Dont-About/dp/0887303625) by Michael GerberIf you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/). Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Are you living your life on purpose or by default?At a young age, Chris Crew (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-crew-270a8763/) — President of The Blue Collar Success Group (https://www.thebluecollarsuccessgroup.com/) — chose to live his life by design. That decision has affected him professionally and personally ever since.In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Chris speaks to Jackie about… The unique journey that led him to the trades and beyond Tips for technicians who want to level-up in their career How owners should train their techs in order to scale up The best ways to find new opportunities and make important connections Resources mentioned in this episode:Ed Mylett podcast (https://www.edmylett.com/podcasts/)Feelin’ Good With Duddy (https://feelingoodwithduddy.com/) The Six Dimensions of C.H.A.N.G.E. 2.0 (https://www.amazon.com/Six-Dimensions-C-H-N-G-2-0/dp/0578753413) by Kenny ChapmanIf you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/).Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-mcfarlane/) — VP of Learning & Development at Haller Enterprises (https://hallerent.com/) — has a rather revolutionary approach to retaining talented technicians.In this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, we talk to Eddie (https://www.servicetitan.com/eddie) about… How and why he uses change management to hire and retain workersHow he gets to the root of problems instead of patching up the symptomsWhy 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 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades/id1503078938), Spotify (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/toolbox-for-the-trades), or here (https://www.servicetitan.com/).Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here! (https://www.servicetitan.com/referrals) Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.