Can't Stop the Growth CSTG 252: AI, Accountability, and the Year Growth Hit Back with Stephanie Allen
Mar 3, 2026
Stephanie Allen, co-founder of Airworks and leader in HVAC and plumbing trades, shares a frank look at scaling a service business. She discusses budget failures, shifting to percent-based planning, redefining accountability, and balancing husband-and-wife leadership. She also explains her AI barbell idea: use AI to amplify human growth while improving field delivery and customer experience.
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Husband Wife Team Built Airworks From Community Roots
- Stephanie and Kevin built Airworks as a husband-and-wife team, combining his HVAC skill with her law/MBA background to grow the business since 2010.
- They credit community relationships and shared values for early success, and describe shifting roles as growth required Kevin to move out of the truck into leadership.
Aggressive Plan Met A Summer That Never Came
- Airworks grew to about $8M in 2024 but planned aggressively for $12M in 2025 and implemented EOS, then experienced a revenue backslide when the expected summer demand never arrived.
- For the first time in 15 years Stephanie and Kevin injected substantial personal funds to keep payroll, which strained their marriage and forced hard choices.
Budget By Percentages Not Fixed Projections
- Build budgets as percentage ranges tied to comfort, not fixed top-line projections, so you can pivot when revenue deviates from expectations.
- Set measurable targets like reducing equipment/materials by 2% per quarter and adjust spend as momentum appears.
