Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
John Wilson
The Owned and Operated Podcast is the go-to show for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical business owners who want to grow faster, increase profits, and scale smarter.Hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr, real home service operators in the trenches. This podcast delivers 2x weekly, no-BS conversations on what’s actually working in the trades today. From lead generation and marketing to hiring top-tier talent and building scalable systems, every episode is packed with actionable strategies you can implement immediately.If you're an HVAC contractor, plumber, or electrician looking to grow your business, improve operations, and stay ahead in a competitive market, this podcast is for you.New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday.Learn more at www.ownedandoperated.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 10, 2026 • 44min
Billboards for Home Service Businesses: When They Work (and When They’re a Waste)
Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers and home-service marketing pro, breaks down billboard advertising for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies. He explains when billboards help and when they distract. Multiple short takes cover creative that sticks, why density matters, how to measure impact via branded search, and why most firms under ~$20M should buy leads first.
Mar 5, 2026 • 38min
How to Hire a GM or Operator for Your Home Service Business
Brendan Aronson, founder of The Military Veteran who places veterans into operator roles, shares hiring strategies for scaling home service companies. He covers when to hire a GM, building a deep hiring pipeline, spotting performance under pressure, red flags like wholesale Day 1 change, and why veterans often thrive in senior operator roles.
7 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 37min
The One Hire That Unlocks Growth
Brendan Aronson, founder of The Military Veteran, places veterans into executive and operator roles, translating military leadership for scaling businesses. He discusses why hiring a true operator unlocks growth. Short topics: how military experience maps to private-sector leadership. Enlisted vs officer fits. Building rigorous hiring processes and market-fit GM profiles for $10M–$25M firms.
Feb 26, 2026 • 32min
Our Biggest Business Failures (And What They Cost Us)
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric in Nashville, is a home service operator who shares hard-earned operational lessons. He recounts a $13K ad flop, how daily capacity checks prevent wasted marketing, runaway purchasing that drained margins, subscription bloat, and the cost of overpaying vendors. They also discuss why hiring financial leadership sooner matters and pitfalls of mixed construction and service cash flow.
Feb 24, 2026 • 55min
HVAC vs. Security: If You Had $5M, Where Would You Invest?
Collin Trimble, security operator and Entry and Exit co-host, and Stephen Olmon, commercial security and fire roll-up co-founder, debate where $5M should go. They compare true recurring RMR vs HVAC memberships. They weigh commercial wins, licensing moats in Texas, tech upgrade cycles, roll-ups and geography-driven acquisition math.
12 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 42min
How to Fire Employees Fairly (Without Ruining Your Culture)
Jack Carr, operator of Tri-Trade and host of Jackquisitions, shares a practical framework for fair terminations. They cover diagnosing if problems are employee- or system-driven. Short sentences explain using clear expectations, documented coaching and PIPs. They also discuss when to decide fast and why protecting culture means addressing toxic high performers.
14 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 45min
Is Direct Mail Back? The 2026 Growth Strategy for Service Businesses
Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers and direct-response marketing pro for home services, breaks down why direct mail still works in 2026. Short takes on formats that stand out, the four audiences to mail, how testing and iteration separate winners from losers, and why offer and ticket size decide whether mail prints money or burns it.
16 snips
Feb 12, 2026 • 28min
Why We Stopped Buying Service Vans — And You Should Too
A deep dive into fleet decisions for trades businesses and why traditional service vans may be draining cash. They explore using Ford Mavericks as a capital-efficient alternative and how trailers can replace box trucks for installs. Topics include packout strategies, inventory discipline, towing practicalities, and the real economics of fuel and purchase costs.
Feb 10, 2026 • 33min
Google PPC Isn’t Dead — You’re Just Running It Wrong
Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers and former PPC agency founder, shares paid acquisition know-how for home service companies. He explains why Google Ads still work and why most operators fail. Topics include how PPC differs from Local Service Ads, essential budget and landing page requirements, and the tracking and process foundations needed before scaling paid search.
Feb 5, 2026 • 36min
How to Scale to $100M Without Breaking Your Business
Rapid scaling strains hiring, cash flow, and frontline operations. Growth needs upfront investment in trucks, SG&A, and leadership before lifestyle upgrades. Promoting and training internal leaders matters more than dashboards. Customer experience inside the home and disciplined onboarding, pay plans, and proven playbooks drive durable expansion.
