Hose & Hustle Podcast

Mike & Monica Dingler
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

Hose & Hustle is the podcast for home service entrepreneurs who want the real story — no fluff, no gurus. Hosted by Mike and Monica Dingler, owners of Firehouse Power Washing in Coweta and Fayette County, Georgia, this show takes you inside the grind of building a franchise from the ground up as a husband-and-wife team. From their first job to scaling a business together, Mike and Monica share raw lessons, marketing strategies, and the honest truth about working with your spouse. Whether you're in pressure washing, landscaping, HVAC, or just thinking about taking the leap — this one's for you.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    What I Wish Someone Had Told Me on Day One | Hose & Hustle Ep.12

    Season 1 ends where every good journey does — looking back at the road that actually got you here. In the finale, Mike and Monica reflect on 12 episodes of building Firehouse Power Washing out loud: what they feared going in, what surprised them along the way, and the one thing they both wish someone had handed them on Day One. The answer, without hesitation: Profit First. Mike pulls back the curtain on the Employee Scorecard System he spent nearly three years building — and the moment it went live, two underperforming employees walked themselves out the door exactly like the book predicted. He now hires, fires, gives raises, and makes cuts based solely on the scorecard. Tenure doesn't matter. The data does. Monica's reflection is quieter but just as sharp: they've accomplished far more than they gave themselves credit for, and a lot of it only became visible when they started saying it out loud on this show. The Firehouse franchise is officially in motion. Mike shares the target: 3–5 locations in Year 1, 5–7 in Year 2, and 20–50 per year after that. The USP is clear — the only first-responder-oriented exterior cleaning franchise in the country, with discounts for firefighters and first responders built into the model. ChatGPT is loaded with the FDD, franchise agreement, and 200-page ops manual. The team is small but sharp: Monica on quotes, Mike on ops, Eunice on office and franchise support, and a US-based Internal Sales Rep coming soon. Season 2 is weekly, guests every 3–4 episodes, and more of what made this season work. If you've been listening since Episode 1 — you already know what's coming is worth staying for. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: firehouse-franchise.com 📌 Contact: mike@firehousepowerwash.com / info@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA Elevate 2027: Kalahari Resort, Austin TX — February 📌 The HUGE Convention: Gaylord Hotel, Orlando FL — August 📌 Books mentioned: 1. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz 2. The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz 3. Traction by Gino Wickman 4. Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 Season 1 recap — a year of building Firehouse out loud 1:30 What would you tell yourself on Day One? 4:00 The fears that were unfounded — and the ones you should have had 6:00 The myth about other operators having it figured out 7:39 What this season taught Mike and Monica about themselves 9:30 The daily revenue bar graph — 5 years of data on one screen 11:00 The one thing Mike changed his mind on: business coaches 12:00 Firehouse franchise — timeline, targets, and the AI team of attorneys 17:42 Roles, team structure, and hiring an Internal Sales Rep 23:40 Profit First in practice — 30% saved during spring, banked for winter 25:00 The Employee Scorecard System and what happened when it went live 29:05 Season 2 format: weekly, guests, and what's coming next 30:32 Finish the sentence: "What I wish someone had told me on Day One" Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    39 min

  2. 4d ago

    Our Biggest Mistakes in Year One (And What We Learned) | Hose & Hustle Ep.11

    Year one of any business is expensive — not just in money, but in the mistakes you don't even know you're making until years later. In this episode, Mike and Monica get brutally honest about what 2014 actually looked like at Firehouse Power Washing: Monica holding onto her ER nursing shifts for the insurance paycheck while Mike washed solo with the kids in the backseat, and four full years of paper estimates left on doorsteps with no follow-up, no record, and no way to close.   Mike calls the paper system a "$100,000 a year mistake" — not because the system was hard to fix, but because it took him four years to fix it. They walk through what finally changed it: Jobber for digital quoting and follow-up, zone scheduling to stop the trucks from bouncing across the county, and a payroll switch from 1099s to W-2s before a workers' comp issue became a legal one.   The episode also goes deep on two habits that Mike credits for more growth than almost anything else: the work journal (he has ~75 throughout the house, subscribe-and-save on Amazon) and back-engineering every goal from the finish line. If you don't know where you're going, he says, you're rowing into open ocean with no direction. The books that shaped this season — *The Science of Scaling* by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and *Buy Back Your Time* by Dan Martell — both come up in a way that actually makes sense in context.   Whether you're in year one or year ten, this is the episode to send to anyone who still thinks paper systems and 1099s are good enough. They're not — and Firehouse learned that the hard way so you don't have to.   📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA: www.pwna.org 📌 Jobber: jobber.com   📌 Books mentioned:   1. The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy 2. Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell 3. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz   ⏱️ Episode Breakdown   0:00 Monica's Year 1 mistake: holding onto nursing for the paycheck 2:36 Mike's Year 1 mistake: paper estimates with no follow-up 9:01 Saying no to protect your time — The Science of Scaling 11:15 Zone scheduling and keeping techs out of gas stations 12:12 Back-engineering goals from the finish line 14:51 1099 vs. W-2 — the warning every operator needs to hear 15:49 The work journal habit and what gets measured gets improved 22:53 Going digital: Jobber and never looking back 26:00 Communication lanes in a marriage-and-business partnership 29:28 Bonus mistakes: the trailer, the single phone, the paper calendar 30:53 The AI wrap design problem and what great branding actually looks like 37:58 When to hire a business coach (and what to look for) 44:23 Market conditions and why this moment will thin the herd   Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    49 min

  3. Jun 15

    The Tools and Tech That Run Our Business Every Day | Hose & Hustle Ep.10

    Most pressure washing operators are running their business on memory, a group chat, and a prayer. In Episode 10, Mike and Monica pull back the curtain on the complete Firehouse tech stack — physical gear, software, and AI tools — and break down exactly what made the cut and what was a waste of money. On the gear side, Mike gets specific: Honda GX690/800 EFI engines, Comet or General pumps, Titan 18-inch electric reels, Water Dragon chem tanks, and a parts locker stocked like an EMS closet. He calls out the Instagram lures — zero-turn surface cleaners and turbo nozzles — for what they are. Core philosophy: standardize one engine and one pump across every truck. Software-wise, everything runs through Jobber — from the first inquiry handled by their VA in the Philippines, to zone scheduling, to the morning muster before trucks roll at 9 AM. The ChatGPT deep dive is worth the price of admission alone: Mike uses it like a $60K/year office manager, with Projects loaded with the franchise ops manual, FDD, and training docs. Their VA runs AI-voiced ads using Mike's cloned voice. HeyGen handles TikTok content. The Signature Segment: the tools that reduced the most couple conflict weren't apps — they were boundaries. Separate phones, business line off at night, VA handling all calls through Uma. "You will not get to a million operating the way you are right now." 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA: www.pwna.org 📌 Jobber: jobber.com 📌 HeyGen: heygen.com ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 From carbon-copy invoices to Jobber 6:00 Full rig breakdown: engines, pumps, reels, chem tanks 14:00 Gear that was a waste of money 19:00 Three must-have tools for new operators 24:00 In-house oil changes and parts locker system 29:00 Customer journey inside Jobber 36:00 Zone scheduling and morning muster meeting 41:00 Day-to-day communication system 46:00 ChatGPT deep dive — Projects, Google Drive, real use cases 53:00 AI in home services and Mike's 2030 prediction 58:00 Tools that reduced couple conflict 1:03:00 Quickfire: Jobber vs. competitors, best tool for franchisees Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    57 min

  4. Jun 8

    Seasonal Business: How We Stay Busy Year-Round | Hose & Hustle Ep.9

    "Pressure washing is a seasonal business" is the excuse a lot of operators use when January hits and the phone stops ringing. Mike and Monica disagree — and they've got years of Firehouse Power Washing's real revenue curve to back it up. This episode is about turning predictable slow periods into a strategy instead of a crisis.   Mike maps out Firehouse's actual year: low in January, ramping through spring, peaking around June 15–20, a second slow stretch in August, a spike with Christmas lights in October–November, then flatline by December 15. Once you can see it clearly, you can plan around it. He covers how to read your own lead flow two weeks ahead of actual bookings, how to protect market share during slow periods by adjusting price without killing your margins, and why discounting your way through a slow season is like putting wet firewood on a fire.   The episode gives an honest take on the two most common off-season plays: Christmas light installation (great for existing clients, not recommended as a standalone startup) and maintenance plans. Mike shares the details of Firehouse's Chief's Clean Plan — a quarterly package combining roof wash, house wash, concrete, and gutter service — and what killed it temporarily. He also makes the case for roof cleaning as the easiest high-value add-on in the industry and points to dryer vent cleaning as a future recurring revenue play that fits the Firehouse brand perfectly.   The Couples Corner section is one of the most practical in the series. Mike and Monica break down their *Profit First* system: splitting daily revenue into predetermined percentages across payroll, savings, and COGS accounts every single day during the busy season so that when January comes, there's no panic. If you've ever felt like your bank account runs your emotions, this conversation is for you.   📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA: www.pwna.org 📌 Guru Gutters: SuckMyGutters.com   📌 Book mentioned:   1. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz 2. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey 3. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey   ⏱️ Episode Breakdown   0:00 Live field call interruption — real operations in real time 3:00 Busting the seasonal business myth 5:30 Firehouse's real year-round revenue curve 7:30 Competitive pricing strategy to protect market share in slow months 12:00 How to track lead flow and spot slowdowns two weeks early 18:00 Honest assessment of Christmas light installation as a revenue add-on 29:30 Roof cleaning, gutter brightening, and easy add-on services 30:00 The Chief's Clean Plan — maintenance plans for recurring revenue 32:30 Dryer vent cleaning as a future brand-aligned revenue stream 35:00 Profit First in practice — how Mike and Monica split daily revenue 40:00 Marriage, money discipline, and not panicking in January 51:00 Quick-fire round: Christmas lights, maintenance plans, discounting 53:30 #1 reason pressure washers go broke their first winter   Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    57 min

  5. Jun 1

    Hiring Your First Employee: When, Who, and How | Hose & Hustle Ep.8

    Most pressure washing operators hire their first employee when they're desperate, not when they're ready — and that's exactly where it goes wrong. In this episode, Mike and Monica share the real story of their first hire, a fellow firefighter named Haider, and break down the actual math and mindset behind knowing when it's time to bring someone on.   Mike gets into the numbers: if you're booked out two to four weeks, you're leaving money on the table. He walks through how to calculate your true monthly capacity (one rig, $1,000 a day, 20 working days = $20K ceiling) and explains why your labor rate target should sit between 10 and 30 percent before you ever post a job listing. He also shares the "one is none, two is one" rule — a solo operator with a twisted ankle has no business.   The hiring system Mike lays out is specific and repeatable: build an employee avatar before you advertise, source through word of mouth and referrals instead of job boards, screen candidates before the interview even starts, and onboard with two shadow days before putting anyone on a rig alone. He also shares his Employee Scorecard System — drawn from *Traction* by Gino Wickman — which removes emotion from performance reviews by rating attitude, work ethic, attendance, callbacks, upsells, and Google review percentage every month.   Monica adds the part most couples in business never talk about: the lanes. Operations and production are Mike's. Marketing, admin, and client relationships are hers. Without that boundary, hiring decisions become arguments. Whether you're still solo or already leading a small crew, this episode gives you a framework to hire smart the first time — and keep the people worth keeping.   📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA: www.pwna.org 📌 Article: "How to Attract, Employ and Retain A Players" — firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Interview questionnaire: email mike@firehousepowerwash.com to request   📌 Book mentioned:   1. Traction by Gino Wickman   ⏱️ Episode Breakdown   0:00 The first hire story — Haider and watching the taillights disappear 6:00 Signs you're ready to hire vs. just exhausted 11:00 Capacity math: calculating your monthly revenue ceiling 15:30 Tech first, admin later — who to hire and when 20:00 Where to find A-players (and why Indeed isn't it) 26:00 Building your employee avatar and hiring advertisement 30:00 The interview process and one-sheet questionnaire 36:00 Onboarding: two shadow days, no ladders, no driving 41:00 Employee Scorecard System from Traction 46:00 Daily pay vs. hourly — and why Firehouse uses daily 52:00 Full-timers in a seasonal business (the expensive lesson) 57:00 Hiring as a couple — defining lanes to protect your marriage   Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    54 min

  6. May 25

    Franchise vs. Independent: Which One Is Right for You? | Hose & Hustle Ep.7

    Starting a pressure washing business from scratch sounds exciting until you realize how many mistakes are waiting for you. In this episode, Mike and Monica break down the real difference between going independent and buying into a franchise, without the polished sales pitch most people expect. They get honest about what franchising actually costs, what you gain in return, and why systems matter way more than most new business owners think. From SOPs and training programs to royalties and scaling, this episode dives into the stuff people usually don’t talk about publicly. Mike also explains the mindset behind building Firehouse Power Wash into a franchise model, including how firefighter culture, branding, and operational systems all tie together. Monica brings the practical side of the conversation, asking the same questions most spouses and future business owners would ask before signing anything. Whether you’re thinking about launching your own home service business or trying to figure out how to grow the one you already have, this episode gives a raw look at the trade-offs behind both paths. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA: www.pwna.org 📌 Book mentioned: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life by Tom CorleyThe Book on Mental Toughness by Andy FrisellaThe Road Less Stupid by Keith CunninghamExtreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinHow to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Buy Back Your Time by Dan MartellCan't Hurt Me by David GogginsLeaders Eat Last by Simon SinekThink Big by Donald Trump Dream Manager by Matthew KellyThe Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet HolmesBook mentioned: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark MansonBook mentioned: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 Independent vs franchise business ownership 6:05 What a franchise actually gives you 11:56 Breaking down franchise fees and royalties 15:06 Why 343 to NYC matters to Firehouse 21:02 How royalties actually work 28:29 Inside the Firehouse training program 32:22 What makes someone successful in business 36:12 The biggest myth about franchising Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    46 min

  7. May 17

    Building a Brand in a Small Market: Coweta & Fayette County | Hose & Hustle Ep. 6

    This episode breaks down why building a brand in a smaller market can actually give you a massive advantage. Mike and Monica get into the real difference between being known online versus being known in your community, and why local trust beats big city marketing every time. From sponsorships and school partnerships to turning one-star reviews into loyal customers, this conversation is packed with practical lessons for anyone building a service business. They also get honest about contractor stereotypes, customer psychology, and why responsiveness matters more than being the cheapest quote. A big theme throughout the episode is community presence. Whether it’s showing up at local events, sponsoring youth sports, or simply having recognizable trucks in town, the Firehouse team explains how consistency compounds over time in smaller markets. They also dive into growth strategy, pricing jobs outside your territory, and why trying to compete with a massive metro area can drain your business fast if you’re not careful. If you run any type of home service company, there’s a lot here you can apply immediately. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 PWNA: www.pwna.org ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 Building a brand in a small market 2:49 What makes a brand memorable 5:22 Why small markets are easier to win 11:29 Using sponsorships and community events 13:59 When to stop chasing big city jobs 17:34 Why local brands beat national companies 20:30 Partnering with real estate agents 25:00 The Firehouse customer journey 27:59 Why responsiveness wins customers 32:55 Building recognition with wrapped trucks 35:17 Turning a one-star review into a five-star review Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    53 min

  8. May 11

    How Customers Actually Find a Pressure Washer & How We Get Them to Pick Us | Hose & Hustle Ep.5

    Most people think customers pick the cheapest pressure washer. They’re wrong and that mistake will cost you your business. This episode pulls back the curtain on how customers actually find you and why they choose you over everyone else. It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up in the right places with the right signals that build trust before you even speak to them. From wild lead stories to hard data, Mike and Monica break down what’s really driving bookings. They dig into marketing channels, ROI, and why tracking every single lead is the difference between guessing and scaling. They also challenge one of the biggest misconceptions in the industry: price is not the deciding factor. What actually moves the needle is reputation, availability, and systems that most companies never build. The conversation gets real about repeat customers, referrals, and the small habits that quietly turn one job into many without spending more on ads. Links Section 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 What customers actually care about vs how they find you 3:58 Tracking leads and understanding ROI 8:15 Why repeat customers win every time 12:01 The impact of Google reviews on your business 17:14 Why price isn’t the real deciding factor 18:19 Turning one job into multiple with the “neighbor effect” 22:48 Simple actions that increase referrals 26:20 Talking about price with confidence 30:29 Why “card on file” filters better customers 32:32 Residential vs commercial reality Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    58 min

  9. May 4

    Pressure Washing 101: What Customers Actually Care About | Hose & Hustle Ep.4

    Most customers think they’re paying for pressure. They’re actually paying for everything they can’t see. This episode flips the script. Instead of talking shop, Mike and Monica break down what customers think they’re buying versus what’s really happening on a job. And the gap between those two? That’s where most problems live. They dig into the biggest misconceptions homeowners have. From “this will take days” to “just clean the front,” it becomes clear that most customers aren’t wrong, they’re just uninformed. And if you don’t fix that early, it turns into pricing confusion, unrealistic expectations, and bad reviews. There’s also a deeper layer here. Technique vs pressure. Process vs shortcuts. This isn’t about blasting dirt off a house, it’s about understanding chemistry, timing, and systems. The stuff customers never see but absolutely pay for. And then it gets real. Stories about miscommunication, bad assumptions, and costly lessons show exactly where businesses either win or lose trust. The takeaway is simple but not easy. Clarity, systems, and consistency are everything. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Book mentioned: The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes Episode Breakdown: 0:00 Welcome back + why this episode matters 1:00 Recap of early episodes and building structure 2:00 Flipping the focus to what customers actually care about 3:00 The “how many days will this take?” misconception 4:00 What customers mean when they say pressure washing 5:00 The gap between what customers ask for vs what they need 6:00 Why partial jobs don’t really work 7:00 Minimum pricing and customer psychology 8:00 What homeowners don’t realize is included 9:00 Most common services and seasonal patterns 10:00 What’s really happening during a soft wash 11:00 Why technique beats pressure every time 12:00 The shower analogy that explains everything 13:00 Speaking to customers at a higher level 14:00 Why cheap quotes are a red flag 15:00 Chemicals, dwell time, and real cleaning 16:00 Why pricing varies so much between companies 17:00 The truth behind $99 jobs 18:00 Questions customers should actually be asking 19:00 Defining scope and avoiding misunderstandings 20:00 The Christmas lights miscommunication story 21:00 How assumptions turn into bad reviews 22:00 Systems, processes, and the Firehouse standard 23:00 How firefighter training shows up on jobs 24:00 Why systems create consistency 25:00 Overdelivering even when it’s not your fault 26:00 The surge protector story and customer expectations 27:00 Taking care of customers vs being taken advantage of 28:00 Internal systems and taking care of employees Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    1h 2m

  10. Apr 29

    Working With Your Spouse: The Rules We Set (and Broke) | Hose & Hustle Ep. 3

    Building a business with your spouse sounds ideal… until you realize you never clock out from either role. This episode gets personal fast. Mike and Monica pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like to run a business with the person you go home to every night and why that dynamic is way harder than most people admit. They don’t pretend it was smooth. There were years of misalignment, moments of feeling unheard, and even times where business decisions spilled directly into their marriage. The turning point didn’t come from working harder. It came from learning how to actually communicate without blowing everything up. A big theme here is boundaries. Not just in business, but in relationships, employees, and even competition. They break down why most problems aren’t about the issue itself, but about people stepping into lanes they shouldn’t be in. The MAPS system becomes the backbone of everything. Once they defined roles clearly, things finally started clicking. Before that, they were just two people trying to run the same play without a playbook. And maybe the most surprising takeaway: the biggest mistakes weren’t dramatic failures. They were small things like assumptions, lack of structure, and thinking the other person “just knew” what to do. Those are the ones that quietly cause the most damage. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Book mentioned: The E-Myth by Michael Gerber ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 Working with your spouse and why it gets personal 1:20 Life with Mike and being pushed out of comfort zones 3:00 Unexpected paths from normal jobs to entrepreneurship 4:25 Separating personal vs business disagreements 5:12 Learning conflict resolution (the hard way) 6:05 Getting fired, quitting, and feeling unheard 7:59 Finally getting aligned years later 8:41 Family reactions to going into business together 9:28 Creating rules and staying in your lane 10:32 Learning how to disagree respectfully 11:39 The importance of boundaries in life and business 13:47 Competitors, imitation, and protecting your business 15:04 The make-or-break phase in marriage and business 15:50 Biggest early mistake: complacency and lack of meetings 17:00 Feedback vs criticism in team environments 18:02 Training failures and the “Cincinnati” test 21:07 When business arguments hit the marriage 22:20 Early operational disagreements and growing pains 23:12 Fighting over trivial things and hindsight lessons 24:24 What MAPS is and how it structures everything 25:31 Why simplifying the team made things more efficient 26:37 Defining production, sales, and operational roles 27:52 Moving to online estimates and cutting inefficiencies 29:17 Dividing responsibilities between Mike and Monica 31:32 Building the team and finding the right people 33:35 What a real workday looks like behind the scenes 36:34 Staying in your lane day-to-day 38:54 The concept of time wealth and freedom Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    1h 10m

  11. Apr 29

    What Nobody Tells You About Starting a Home Service Business | Hose & Hustle Ep. 2

    Most home service businesses don’t fail because of bad work. They fail because of things no one warned them about. In this episode of Hose & Hustle, Mike and Monica Dingler talk about the real problems that show up once you’re in the game — the kind that don’t get posted on social media or taught in YouTube tutorials. There’s a type of customer that looks great at first… until they don’t. Mike breaks down how to spot them early, and the one system Firehouse Power Washing uses that instantly filters out the wrong people. You’ll also hear what actually happens when something goes wrong on a job — and the rule that determines whether you lose money, your reputation, or neither. They also get into the mindset behind how they build their trucks, why most new operators are set up to fail from day one, and what they would do differently if they had to start over today. If you’re building a home service business and want to avoid the mistakes that cost time, money, and sanity — this episode is for you. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Book mentioned: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz ⏱️ Episode Breakdown 0:00 Welcome to Hose & Hustle, Episode 2 1:00 Wolverine vs Labrador: The Two Types of Customers 3:00 The Catfish Analogy: Don’t Pull a Bad Fish Into the Boat 6:00 The Customer Who Praised the Job Then Disputed the Bill 9:00 Card on File: The Strongest Customer Filter 15:30 Property Damage Playbook: What to Do When Things Go Wrong 17:00 The Rose Bush Rule and Handling Customer Issues 22:00 The $97,000 PWNA Lawsuit and Lessons for Contractors 28:00 Why You Never Pass a Customer to Another Contractor 32:30 One Is None, Two Is One: Equipment Philosophy 40:30 The Minimum Setup to Start a Pressure Washing Business 44:30 Cash Flow, Year One Struggles, and Profit First 50:30 Couples Corner: When Business Comes Home 1:00:30 Hot Take, Final Advice, and Wrap Up Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    1h 8m

  12. Apr 29

    How Two Firefighters Built a Pressure Washing Franchise From Scratch | Hose & Hustle Ep. 1

    Two broke firefighters. Two kids. One pickup truck and a pressure washer. That's where Firehouse Power Washing started. In this first episode of Hose & Hustle, Mike and Monica Dingler share the story they've never told publicly until now — the real, unfiltered journey from working 24-48 fire department shifts to building one of Georgia's most recognized exterior cleaning companies and opening it up for franchise. There's a moment in this episode that changed everything for Mike. His 3-year-old son said four words that made him realize something had to give. You'll hear exactly what happened. Monica gets real about what it was actually like to be a female firefighter, why she left the department, and the system that finally stopped her and Mike from butting heads as business partners. If you're in the fire service, thinking about starting a business, or building something with your spouse — do not skip this one. 📌 Firehouse Power Washing: www.firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Franchise inquiries: mike@firehousepowerwash.com 📌 Book mentioned: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz ⏱️ Episode Breakdown: 0:00 Welcome to Hose & Hustle, Episode 1 1:45 How Mike and Monica Met in EMT School 3:58 Monica Trains Mike for the Firefighter Combat Challenge 11:35 Officially Founders of Firehouse Power Washing 13:32 The Broke Firefighter Years 19:15 The Moment Mike Decided to Leave the Fire Department 20:20 Getting Passed Up for a Promotion 28:08 Building Firehouse: 4 Trucks, 13 Firefighter Technicians, 1,000+ Reviews 34:03 Why Firehouse Is Ready to Franchise and Who It's For 44:52 Couples Corner: Building a Business Together 50:22 The MAPS System: How They Stopped Arguing About Business 59:17 Hot Take: Is Pressure Washing Recession Proof? 1:03:53 The #1 Mistake New Business Owners Make 1:04:20 Wrap Up, Book Recommendations and How to Connect Follow Hose & Hustle so you never miss an episode. And remember, no one is better with water than a firefighter on their day off. 🔥

    50 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

Hose & Hustle is the podcast for home service entrepreneurs who want the real story — no fluff, no gurus. Hosted by Mike and Monica Dingler, owners of Firehouse Power Washing in Coweta and Fayette County, Georgia, this show takes you inside the grind of building a franchise from the ground up as a husband-and-wife team. From their first job to scaling a business together, Mike and Monica share raw lessons, marketing strategies, and the honest truth about working with your spouse. Whether you're in pressure washing, landscaping, HVAC, or just thinking about taking the leap — this one's for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike & Monica Dingler
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mike & Monica Dingler