Are you worried about the labor shortage?Well, don’t be. There’s no shortage of workers out there.You just haven’t built a culture they want to be a part of. At least, so says our guest, Chad Peterman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-m-peterman/), President, Peterman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing (https://www.petermanhvac.com/).For Chad, the story of a labor shortage in the trades is nothing but a tall tale designed to scare kids into eating their vegetables. Okay, well… not that exactly.But it is something that’s easy to avoid by cultivating the kind of culture that attracts the best talent to your team. We covered:-How to personal growth ties to your company’s growth-How culture can overcome any labor shortage-Why you should never stop recruitingIf 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.

If Thanksgiving has taught us anything, it’s that family can be tough.So, it’s amazing how many family-run businesses succeed and grow.But that growth means new, non-familial employees. How do you adopt them into the familyOn our show today, Darius Lyvers (https://www.linkedin.com/in/darius-lyvers-495b896/), COO of F.H. Furr Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning (https://www.fhfurr.com/), shares some do’s and don’ts for growing a family business. Darius has had some bad experiences as an outsider in a family company, but he’s also had great success. In fact, he’s been at the same family-owned business for over 20 years.What we talked about:-The pitfalls of growing a family business (and how to overcome them)-How passion, work ethic and empathy combine to create sales success-How to systematize these qualities when building your teamIf 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.

We live in a golden age of data that’s transformed operations in the trades. It’s never been easier to use software to track and analyze information on every facet of your business.So, it’s sometimes tempting to think you can see the whole picture without ever looking up from your computer screen. But even with all the help these tools provide, sometimes getting hands-on out in the field is the quickest path to spotting a problem and solving it.That’s one of the lessons today’s Toolbox for the Trades guest, Eric Falconer, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-falconer-15b90655/) has learned during his time as operations manager (and slogan-coiner) at Dutton Plumbing (https://www.duttonplumbing.com/).Eric also talked about:-How to improve communication between the office and the field-How to better empathize with your customers-Why a dispatcher’s behavior matters as much as a technician’s-His mom’s reaction when he dropped out of college to pursue a career in plumbing 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.

What are your values?It’s a question every leader needs to answer. It’s both the how and the why to success. And leadership in the trades is no different. Our guest today, Chris Hunter (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterhvac/), proves that.Chris is the Co-owner of Go Time Success Group (https://www.gotimesuccessgroup.com/), Founder of Hunter Super Techs (https://huntersupertechs.com/) and Director of Customer Relations at ServiceTitan.He collected this impressive collection of titles by living out his values every day.In this episode, he goes over:-How to incorporate your values into those of your business-Why leaders in the trades shouldn’t be afraid to reach out for help-The strategies you need for success in the trades. 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.

We hear so many success stories in the trades that often follow a similar path:Start as an apprentice fresh out of high school, work hard to move through the ranks and, eventually, start and grow a company.And while you should never underestimate the power of hard work, it isn’t the whole story. Success is about what you choose to invest in.Just ask Aaron Gaynor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-gaynor-9b1a7b16/), owner of The EcoPlumbers (https://www.ecoplumbers.com/). He’s built two plumbing enterprises from the ground up.And he did it by making the right investments. Not monetary investments, but investments in people.What went over:-What it takes to start again after closing a business-How personal growth drives business growth-The importance of word-of-mouth support from your customers (and how to ask them for it) 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.

Have you ever wondered how you can better market to women? What do you think women look for in a contractor?  Now, this may seem crazy, but we have a suggestion: Ask them. And our guest today, Susan Frew (https://www.linkedin.com/in/susancoaches/), public speaker and President of Sunshine Plumbing, Heating & Air (https://www.linkedin.com/in/susancoaches/), did exactly that.  In this episode, we talk about what she learned and so much more. Susan goes over:- Why bigger isn’t always better when it comes to revenue or fleet-size- The challenges and benefits of operating a woman-owned business in a male-dominated industry- Why more women should take advantage of the exciting job opportunities the trades offer 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.

Mario spent time in prison. But when he tells his story, he glosses right over that fact. What turned Mario’s life around wasn’t prison. It was the 2008 recession. It all started with a letter from bankruptcy court. He was being written off for nearly $300,000 of what he was owed. Imagine pacing the floor of your bedroom in a house that you just built,  figuring out how to tell your wife that you may have to file for bankruptcy. So what did Mario do? “I decided to fight,” he says. On this episode of Toolbox for the Trades, Mario Campirano (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-campirano-/) takes us on a journey, and talks with us all about: - How staring down bankruptcy caused him to make a dramatic shift in his mindset- How he and his team are coping with the current crisis- How he’s inspiring his technicians during an unprecedented time 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.

Are you a vital part of your business?If you leave on a two-week vacation and don’t check-in, will it fall apart?Many business owners will proudly say “yes” to both questions — but, if you’re one of them, you’re probably doing it wrong. That advice is straight from our guest today, Tommy Mello (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommy-mello/), who is a bit of a renaissance man when it comes to the trades. He is the owner of A1 Garage Door Services (https://a1garage.com/), host of the Home Service Expert podcast and author of Home Service Millionaire. (https://www.amazon.com/Home-Service-Millionaire-Million-Business/dp/1732452105)What we talked about:- Why you should organize your business like you’re planning to sell it (even if you aren’t- Why revenue is for vanity, profit is for sanity- How helping your employees win as individuals help your company win as a teamIf 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 anyone in the trades can tell you, hard work pays off.We’re always blown away here by the success stories we see in the trades every day.And that work ethic follows from the first day crawling through the mud to overseeing a $50 million empire.At least, it did for our guest today, John Akhoian, CEO at Rooter Hero Plumbing (https://rooterhero.com/).John has carried his work ethic through every stephe has taken in the industry — from his first job shadowing a family friend to expanding his business into an interstate empire. He came on to share the secrets to his success, including- Why being master of one (or two) things is better than being a jack of all trades- The best marketing strategies to leverage as your business grows- The secrets to a successful acquisition (on either side of the deal)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.

You’ve heard that saying, “Treat the janitor the same way you would treat the CEO.”  It’s one of the keys to great leadership, and it’s easy to say, but much harder to do, particularly if you’re already the CEO.  Which is why our conversation with Ken Goodrich (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-d-goodrich-ba580427/) was such an inspiring one.  Ken is the CEO of Goettl, one of the oldest HVAC companies in the US, and was a guest on the Toolbox for the Trades podcast. He talked all about:   - How helping his dad fix HVAC units led to him falling in love with the industry - How his leadership style has evolved over the last 20 years - Why he considers his innate ability to find talent one of his greatest assets - And so much more   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.