How to Hire a GM or Operator for Your Home Service Business
Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
Timing to impact for senior hires
Brendan and John discuss variable timelines for senior leaders and why impact measurement grows with role level.
How to Hire a GM or Operator for Your Home Service Business (and Avoid a $100K Hiring Mistake)
Scaling past $10M can expose a brutal truth: the leadership team that got you here might not be the team that gets you to $25M+. In this episode, John Wilson talks with Brendan Aronson (Founder of The Military Veteran, TMV), a recruiting firm that places military veterans into executive and operator roles at home service companies.
They break down what an “operator” actually does in a growing HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business—how to know when you need one, and how to avoid the expensive hiring mistakes that come from unclear expectations and a sloppy process. Brendan shares why veterans often excel under pressure, what to look for in reference checks, and the biggest red flag after a senior hire: changing everything on Day 1.
You’ll learn:
- What a true GM/operator looks like in a $10M–$40M+ home service company
- How to test for performance under pressure (behavioral questions + reference checks)
- The #1 red flag: leaders who “rip up the carpet” immediately
- Why the best operators listen first—and when fast change is required (safety/acute risk)
- How to build a real hiring pipeline (dozens screened → ~7 serious interviews)
Host: John Wilson — https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
Guest: Brendan Aronson (TMV) — https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.org
💼Shoutout to Avoca AI!
Looking to train your call center and improve technician performance? Avoca AI helps teams identify issues, improve call quality, and drive results from start to finish.
🔗 Schedule a demo
💳 Extra Special Thanks to Coast!
Coast is the smart fuel card built for home service businesses. Set custom spend controls, stop fuel fraud in real time, earn rebates, and use it anywhere Visa is accepted — no more station restrictions or admin headaches.
Want to see how much you could save? Check them out HERE
🔗 coastpay.com/ownedandoperated The Coast Visa® Commercial Card is issued by Celtic Bank. All card accounts subject to credit approval.
🛒 Extra Special Thanks to Contractor Commerce!
Contractor Commerce turns your website into a 24/7 sales engine for service contractors. With guided pricing, online service and membership sales, and deep system integrations, your site pre-qualifies customers before the phone ever rings.
One contractor generated a $15,000 service sale after hours — straight from their website.
Visit HERE to Book a demo to see how Contractor Commerce turns your w
More Ways To Connect with O&O
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC
📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.
The AI-powered Podcast Player
