Growth in the trades has never been just about booking more calls for Keith Flores. It is about understanding the numbers, earning customer trust, building the right team, and creating a company people remember long after the service visit. In this episode of Profit & Grit, I sit down with Keith Flores, CEO of HVAC God, HG Home Services, and Home Guardian. Keith shares what he learned from growing quickly before fully understanding the P&L, walking away from a business partnership that went wrong, and building a highly local HVAC company that operates within roughly a five-mile service area. After more than 35 years in the industry, Keith has worked nearly every side of the business. He started in crawl spaces at 12 years old, built an HVAC company from zero to $4.5 million in its first year, helped other companies improve their sales and operations, worked with private equity groups, and eventually developed a sharper perspective on growth, profitability, hiring, branding, and customer retention. We also discuss why Keith believes branding matters more than weather, how professionalism shapes customer trust, why he prefers developing younger technicians, how private equity is changing the trades, and why customer retention may be one of the biggest opportunities home service companies are overlooking. What You Will Learn in This Episode How he built his first HVAC company from zero to $4.5 million in one yearWhat Keith learned from growing a company without understanding the P&LWhy branding became one of his most important growth strategiesWhat went wrong in a business partnership that reached roughly $15 millionWhy contracts, ownership agreements, and clear paperwork matter from the beginningWhy Keith describes HVAC as weather enhanced rather than weather drivenHow a roughly five-mile service radius can improve productivity and employee satisfactionWhy clean trucks, uniforms, and technician presentation have such a strong effect on customer trustWhy Keith prefers developing younger technicians instead of relying only on experienced hiresHow private equity is changing technician recruiting, compensation, and competition in the tradesWhy customer retention may be a bigger opportunity than constantly chasing new leadsWhy transparency and access to system data can help homeowners make better service decisionsMore From Profit & Grit Book your complimentary Financial Insight Session with Tyler Martin, fractional CFO for home services and the trades, here: http://cfointrocall.com Learn more at profitandgrit.com Follow the show for weekly interviews with HVAC, plumbing, and home service owners and experts who share what it really takes to grow, scale, and profit in the trades. If you listen to any of the following shows, we’re sure you’ll love ours too! To The Point Home Services Podcast, Toolbox for the Trades, Masters of Home Service, Home Service Business Coach With David Moerman, BlueCollar.CEO, The Home Service Expert Podcast, Next Level Pros, Blue Collar Business Podcast, Home Service Millionaire with Mike Andes, The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber, and Blue Collar Success Group. 🎙️ Profit & Grit by Tyler Martin Real stories. Real strategy. Real results for service-based business owners. 🔗 Website: ProfitAndGrit.com 📍 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thinktyler 📸 Instagram & TikTok: @profitandgrit Tyler Martin, a fractional CFO for home services and the trades 📅 Want to grow your business with smarter financial strategy? Book a free intro meeting
