
Travis Makes Money INTERVIEW | Make Money in “Unsexy” Industries, feat. David Royce
David Royce is a four-time founder and serial entrepreneur who has quietly built an empire in “unsexy” home services. Starting as a broke college kid who was terrible at sales, he turned door-to-door pest control into a personal masterclass—eventually founding and exiting multiple companies for a combined enterprise value approaching $200 million in his 30s, and later scaling Aptiv Environmental to over $500 million in annual revenue and 6,500 employees across 5,000 cities. He’s an expert at creating powerful sales engines, leveraging door-to-door in overlooked industries, and structuring exits so he can keep the “golden goose” that drives growth.
On this episode we talk about:
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How David went from broke college student to top rookie in door-to-door pest control sales in a single summer
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Why door-to-door sales is still one of the best training grounds for future entrepreneurs
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The strategy behind building four pest control companies and repeatedly selling the “book of business” while keeping the sales engine
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How he used culture, training, and transparent data to massively outperform competing sales programs
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Smart compensation structures and retention tactics for commission-based sales teams
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Why he finally exited Aptiv in 2025 and what he’s thinking about for his “post-money” chapter
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The massive opportunity in blue-collar businesses and what excites him about AI and the coming “silver tsunami”
Top 3 Takeaways
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You don’t have to be naturally gifted at sales to win; stubbornness, daily learning, and high-volume reps can turn you from zero deals in your first week into the top rookie in the company.
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The real asset isn’t just the customers—it’s the growth engine. If you keep the sales systems, leadership, and culture in-house, you can sell the book of business, reload with capital, and build again on the same foundation.
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Culture perks get people in the door, but elite training, clear data, and a high-performance environment are what actually keep great sales reps and drive outsized results over time.
Notable Quotes
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“You can be killing it and dying at the same time if you don’t understand cash flow.”
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“We’d sell the customers, but we’d never sell the growth engine. We kept the golden goose.”
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“Door to door is one of the best educations you can give yourself—especially in a world where AI will automate so much. Those soft skills are going to win.”
Connect with David Royce:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-royce-22539425/
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Other (Recruiting / Opportunities): https://www.aptiverecruiting.com/
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