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 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/toolboxforthetrades/) on Facebook Find the companion for this episode at servicetitan.com/toolboxtips (http://servicetitan.com/toolboxtips)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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ismael-valdez-97a998117/), Owner & CEO at Nexgen (https://nexgenairandheat.com/), 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 CubeWork family and home familyEfficiency practices and technician tracksContractors 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 (https://www.servicetitan.com/blog/webinar-recap-ismael-valdez)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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbrown16/), President and CEO, and Will Matson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-matson-6b27b8a1/), Group CFO & Head of MFA, from Apex Service Partners (https://apexservicepartners.com/). 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 (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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinarmendariz), Founder & CEO at Better Future Facilities (https://callyourbff.com/), 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 industryHow he is taking on some of the biggest names out thereWhy recruiting and training is everything. 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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-yoder-37346a17), Director — North American Dealer Sales at Kinetico Water Systems (https://www.kinetico.com/), 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 (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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-didomenico-8998997/), President at Cool, Plumbing and Energy Today (https://www.cooltoday.com/), 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-personWhy you need to reinvest in your people and the businessWhy a business is only as good as its ownerTo watch our webinar with Jaime, visit servicetitan.com/jaime (https://www.servicetitan.com/jaime) 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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joecrisara/)’s success. Now Owner and Business Coach at ContractorSelling (https://www.contractorselling.com/), 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 betterHow to present options to the customerWhy worrying about the competition is a waste of timeIf 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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/angiesnowb442653a/), Vice President at Western Heating & Air Conditioning (https://www.timeforcomfort.com/) and Success Coach at Snow Business Coaching (https://snowbusinesscoaching.com/), 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 businessThe challenges (and triumphs) for women in the tradesHow to effectively leverage feedback Now Angie (http://servicetitan.com/angie%20t) 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 (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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-claudio-53812b63/), Owner at WinRate Consulting (https://www.linkedin.com/company/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 adviceWhy CRMs are so important to a successful operationIf 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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-gillon-37bba64a/), Founder of The Pink Plumber (https://pinkplumbingandsewer.com/), 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 (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.