OWNR OPS Podcast

Austin Gray @theownerop
  • 5.0 (34)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The OWNR OPS Podcast is for land‑clearing and forestry‑mulching owner‑operators who want a real business, not just a busy machine. If you’ve got at least one real machine and you’re stuck under ~$100k/month, we break down the Price–Pipeline–Playbook OS: - PRICE – crew‑day math, bids, and minimums - PIPELINE – Google, Facebook, and follow‑up - PLAYBOOK – weekly scoreboards, scheduling, hiring Real numbers, teardown episodes, and simple frameworks you can steal and install.

  1. 59m ago

    OWNR vs. Operator: The Mindset Shift for Scalable Growth

    💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator In this episode, Jacob Neffendorf lays out the data-backed difference between operators stuck at low six figures and owners building multiple seven-figure land clearing companies. If you've been wondering whether to hire — and whether you can afford to — this episode answers that question with real numbers. What you'll learn: The 3 walls every land clearing business hits (leads, sales, talent) and how to move through themWhy close rates average 6% across the industry — and how top performers hit 24%The true cost of staying booked out past 4–6 weeks without hiringHow to run the hiring math and know when to pull the triggerWhether to hire an operator, a closer, or admin first — and why it depends on your weaknessWhether you're running land clearing, forestry mulching, or any field service business, this episode covers the owner mindset, hiring decisions, close rate tracking, and business systems you need to scale past the operator ceiling. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business?📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

    49 min

  2. May 22

    How This 24 YR Old Tree Service OWNR Grew $400k to $850k

    Colby McArthur bought Clifton Tree Service at 22 years old and ran it as a solo owner operator for the first year — climbing trees, answering calls with a headset at 100 feet, estimating on weekends. He finished that year at $400K. One year later: $850K. In this episode, Colby breaks down the three things that drove that growth and what he's focused on as he targets $1.3M in 2026. What you'll learn: Why undercharging is the most common and most costly mistake owner operators make — and how to fix it fastThe first hire Colby made that changed everything (hint: it wasn't a climber)How to build an opener/closer sales model even when you're still in the fieldHow Colby uses Claude and ChatGPT to build a pricing tool, estimate from photos, and build SOPsWhat Colby would tell himself at $100K if he could go back To contact Colby McArthur: colby@cliftontreeservice.com 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

    45 min
  3. Why Your Ads Aren't Working (And How to Fix Them)

    May 15

    Why Your Ads Aren't Working (And How to Fix Them)

    💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator If you're spending money on Facebook ads and getting tire kickers ‚or nothing at all ‚this episode is for you.I brought Jacob Neffendorf back on the show. He runs ads for over 300 land clearing companies across the US. We broke down exactly why most ads fail and what you can do right now to fix it. Here's what we cover: 👉 Why filming your equipment is hurting your cost per lead 👉 The simple 45-second ad formula that's working right now 👉 Why most tire kicker complaints come down to your creative ‚not your market 👉 How calling a lead back in under 5 minutes changes everything 👉 The 4 numbers you need to know to understand if your ads are making you money If you don't know your cost per lead, close rate, or average job size ‚this episode will change that. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletterDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

    1h 7m

  4. May 8

    The Decision-Making Framework Every Owner-Operator Needs

    💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator You're not stuck because you're not working hard enough. You're stuck because you're working hard on the wrong thing. I know because I've done it — and I still catch myself doing it. This episode is the framework I use to stop. What we cover: The 3 questions to ask before spending time on any decision in your businessLeads, sales, hiring, pricing/cash — the four constraints and how to know which one is yours right nowWhy shiny object syndrome shows up as new equipment, new services, and new businesses — and how to recognize it fastDocument, demonstrate, delegate — the hiring system that lets you get off the machine I've made every one of these mistakes myself — chasing new equipment before my schedule was full, adding services before I had the hiring figured out, avoiding the uncomfortable thing by going back to what I already knew how to do. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business?📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter

    37 min
  5. Solve These 3 Things To Go 0-$1M in Land Clearing

    Apr 30

    Solve These 3 Things To Go 0-$1M in Land Clearing

    💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator Most land-clearing owner-operators are wearing 4 hats at once — and wondering why nothing's scaling. In this video, I break down the 3 things every business 0–$1M has to nail: Price, Pipeline, and Playbook. In this video: ✅ The 3 hats every owner-operator wears — and which one to delegate first ✅ Facebook vs. Google ads: real return on ad spend data from actual accounts ✅ Why the Andromeda update changed everything about Facebook ad creative ✅ Why being booked out 9 weeks means it's time to raise your prices ✅ Price. Pipeline. Playbook. — the system I use to help operators hit consistent 80–100k months Stop guessing and start building a business that actually pays you. This episode breaks down the exact playbook I use to go from owner-operator to seven figures. 🔥 Service We Use 🔥 📞 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — one app for all your business calls and texts, plus an AI assistant (Sona) that answers questions, captures leads, and summarizes conversations. Stop missing calls. Start booking more jobs. ➡️ Get 20% off your first 3 months: http://quo.com/ownrops Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

    48 min
  6. How Much It Costs to Get a Customer With Facebook Ads

    Apr 24

    How Much It Costs to Get a Customer With Facebook Ads

    Want a real land‑clearing business doing $20k–$40k months instead of random jobs? Join the free OWNR OPS Skool group for land clearing & forestry mulching owners.  Inside you'll get: – The OPS Kickstarter roadmap to your first consistent $10k–$20k months – Real pricing examples & bid breakdowns from our own jobs – Weekly live trainings and Q&A specific to land clearing. Apply here: https://www.skool.com/ownrops Most land-clearing operators running Facebook ads are tracking the wrong metric. In this episode, Austin Gray sits down with Jacob Neffendorf — founder of Rise Online, a growth agency for land clearing businesses — to break down the real math behind paid advertising: customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, and the ratio that tells you if your ads are actually working. What you'll learn: How to calculate your true cost to acquire a paying customer The CAC-to-LTV ratio every operator should know Why speed to lead has a bigger impact on revenue than most realize How to grow without touching your own money What to look for when setting up your first Facebook ad campaign Land clearing business has some of the best margins out there — but only if you know your numbers. Stop guessing and start growing on purpose.  🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

    50 min

  7. Apr 17

    How To Use Jobber for Land Clearing / Forestry Mulching Business

    💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops Wondering if Jobber is right for your land clearing or forestry mulching business? This video shows you exactly how to use it.I walk Ryan from Clear View Brush Control through the four things that will change how you run your operation: sending quotes, scheduling jobs, sending invoices, and collecting Google reviews — all inside Jobber. What's covered: ✔️ Sending quotes with before/after photos, deposits, and contracts built in ✔️ Scheduling jobs so your crew has the full scope without calling you ✔️ Closing jobs and sending invoices in one click ✔️ Adding Google reviews to your quotes If you've been running your business out of text messages and spreadsheets, this video gives you the exact workflow to look more professional, get paid faster, and stop losing track of jobs. Watch it once and you'll know exactly how to set Jobber up the right way from day one.

    25 min

  8. Apr 11

    Stuck On The Seat: Why You Can't Sell More

    💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator If you don't have a predictable lead engine, you're just running around like a chicken with your head cut off. In this episode, Jacob Neffendorf and I break down the 3 constraints every land clearing operator hits — leads, sales, and talent — and exactly what to do at each phase. I also share the mistake I made in the early days of Bear Claw.If you're doing $0–$250K a year and trying to figure out how to grow, this one's for you. In this episode: ✅ The 3 constraints every land clearing business hits ✅ How to get your first consistent leads without spending a dime on ads ✅ The Rule of 100 and how it changes everything ✅ Speed to lead and why it separates guys who win from guys who quit ✅ Crew day rates, production rates, and how one underbid job can nearly destroy a business ✅ Shiny object syndrome — and how to know when you're avoiding the real problem You've got two options — throw in the towel and make excuses, or go figure it out. If you're still watching, I already know which one you are. Now go call your leads fast. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

    53 min
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5
out of 5
34 Ratings

About

The OWNR OPS Podcast is for land‑clearing and forestry‑mulching owner‑operators who want a real business, not just a busy machine. If you’ve got at least one real machine and you’re stuck under ~$100k/month, we break down the Price–Pipeline–Playbook OS: - PRICE – crew‑day math, bids, and minimums - PIPELINE – Google, Facebook, and follow‑up - PLAYBOOK – weekly scoreboards, scheduling, hiring Real numbers, teardown episodes, and simple frameworks you can steal and install.

Information

  • Creator
    Austin Gray @theownerop
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Austin Gray @theownerop
  • Show Website
    OWNR OPS Podcast

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