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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hvacsolutions/), 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 ageIf 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 thinking about selling your business?If so, why? It seems like an easy question to answer, but so many can’t Fred Silberstein (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-silberstein-98609424/), President at SF&P Advisors (https://www.linkedin.com/company/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 peopleIf 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 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-dowdy-42252a35/), Chief Executive Officer at S&D Plumbing (https://www.sanddplumbing.com/), 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 changesCheck out these resources we mentioned:-Traction (https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgsi-n-uR6wIVCyCtBh1pkA1OEAAYASAAEgJxc_D_BwE&hvadid=241646990062&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9030029&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11397388457565545790&hvtargid=kwd-10544336489&hydadcr=21901_10170939&keywords=traction+gino+wickman&qid=1597103790&sr=8-1-spons&tag=googhydr-20&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySlc1WUFJN0pKSVdUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODkwNTMyNlYxQ01EQ0I4WFBTJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5MTA3NjQzME83QUxXMkUxWTFJJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==)-Rocket Fuel (https://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Fuel-audiobook/dp/B012HJOBRY/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=rocket+fuel&qid=1597103822&sr=8-3)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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerwakefield/), Owner at Texas Green Plumbing (https://texasgreenplumbing.com/), 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 tradesIf 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.

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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-gonzales-a41807182/), Chief Administrative Officer at Albuquerque Plumbing, Heating & Cooling (https://www.abqplumb.com/), 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 (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 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/7powercontractor/), Consultant and CEO at The 7-Power Contractor (https://7powercontractor.com/) and Author of The 7-Power Contractor (https://www.amazon.com/7-Power-Contractor-Contracting-Business-Success-ebook/dp/B01CSTC8GO), 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 tradesIf 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.

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 (https://homeserviceexpert.com/podcast).  Tommy Mello (https://www.linkedin.com/in/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 businessWant to take part in the conversation? Be sure to join our Facebook group here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/toolboxforthetrades).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.

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 (https://rynoss.com/to-the-point-home-services-podcast/) that explains exactly how you can. In it, Host Chris Yano interviews Bobby Jenkins (https://www.linkedin.com/in/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 customerWant to take part in the conversation? Be sure to join our Facebook group here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/toolboxforthetrades).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 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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-claudio-53812b63/) and Ryan Webber (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanwebberlkn/), hosts of Big Stud Sales (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-25-how-to-get-your-audience-to-trust-you/id1478301956?i=1000469578017), 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 audienceWant to take part in the conversation? Be sure to join our Facebook group here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/toolboxforthetrades).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.

From bad reviews and $50K in debt to homelessness and loss — our guests have gotten real with us on Toolbox for the Trades.In this episode, I share our top takeaways from Season 1 (and let you know what’s coming up for the summer).What we talked about:-Each of our guests shares inspiration & insights-What you need to succeed in leadership, acquisitions, & overcoming adversity-Take control of your thoughts with Friedrich NietzscheCheck out this resource we mentioned during the podcast:-Our ebook companion (http://servicetitan.com/toolboxtips) to Season 1-Our Facebook community: Toolbox for the Trades (https://www.facebook.com/groups/toolboxforthetrades/) 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.