Built Local

Clay
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Built Local Podcast interviews local business owners and community leaders to share specific strategies they’ve used to grow, market, and operate successfully. Each episode focuses on actionable insights listeners can apply to build stronger, more resilient local businesses.

  1. 17H AGO

    How This Insurance Agency Added 73 Google Reviews in 2 Months

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you run an independent insurance agency and want to get more Google reviews, rank higher on Google Maps, and generate more quote requests, this clip shows what happens when reviews stop being “hope people remember us” and become a real system. Rob’s agency has been in business 37 years and started Review Harvest with about 212 reviews, mostly relying on clients leaving reviews out of goodwill. After a couple months, they jumped to 285 reviews, and he’s already seeing the impact where it matters: more visibility, more traffic to the website, and more people submitting their info so the team can quote and close new policies. Rob also shares a simple, repeatable workflow any agency can copy: collect customer details in a basic form, export as a CSV, upload contacts, and let the review engine run. Then they celebrate wins internally in Slack whenever a client names an employee, which boosts morale in an industry where people rarely “give you flowers” even when you do great work. If your goal is more inbound leads for “insurance agency near me,” stronger trust online, and a steady flow of new reviews that compound over time, this is exactly the review strategy to model.

    24 min

  2. 2D AGO

    From 0 to over 300 Recurring Exterior Lighting Clients (how he did it!)

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you want to understand how to turn a seasonal hustle into a scalable, year-round service business, Ray’s story is a perfect blueprint. Starting as a side job while working as an engineer, he grew Ray’s Holiday Lights into a business serving over 300 homes by focusing on quality installs, customer experience, and smart service expansion. What began with basic seasonal installs evolved into high-ticket permanent lighting, patio lighting, and landscape lighting—unlocking consistent revenue beyond just the holiday season. One of the biggest takeaways is how Ray transitioned from relying purely on word of mouth to building a real marketing engine. Yard signs, direct mail, and especially Facebook ads helped generate demand, but what converts that demand is trust—driven heavily by Google reviews. He went from barely asking for reviews to nearly hitting 100 in a short time, proving that systems (not effort alone) are what scale reputation. Combined with his obsession with overdelivering—fixing issues before customers even ask and maintaining strong communication—this is what fuels repeat business and referrals. Ray also shares a key mindset shift that most service business owners learn the hard way: being the cheapest client choice often leads to the worst customers. Instead, positioning yourself around quality and reliability attracts higher-value clients who are easier to work with and more profitable long term. If you’re building a home service business, this episode is a masterclass in moving from side hustle to structured growth, while building a brand people trust and recommend.

    21 min

  3. MAR 26

    How to Buy/Sell A Tree Service Business

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you run a home service business and want to grow something that’s actually valuable one day, this episode dives into what it looks like to buy, scale, and structure a company with the end in mind. Nick Sanchez from Tres Plus in Atlanta shares how he went from working in the tree industry while in college to acquiring an established tree service business through a traditional acquisition. Instead of starting from scratch, he spent months calling hundreds of companies, negotiating with owners, and ultimately structuring a deal that allowed him to take over a company with a strong reputation, experienced team, and more than two decades of operating history. Nick also breaks down what really makes a service business valuable. He explains why clean books, strong management, and clear systems matter more than flashy revenue numbers, and how implementing simple tools like CRM software helped streamline operations immediately after the acquisition. He also shares how focusing on Google visibility and customer reviews dramatically improved their online presence, growing from around 130 reviews to nearly 300 and helping the company rank higher in a competitive Atlanta market. If your goal is to build a local service company that generates consistent leads, attracts buyers in the future, and grows through systems instead of chaos, this conversation is packed with lessons worth applying.

    55 min

  4. MAR 24

    0-150 Poop Scooping Clients in 8 Months?! (How He Get's Customers!)

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you run a local service business and want proof that you do not need a flashy startup idea to build something real, this episode delivers exactly that. Ken from Scoop Patrol shares how he left the corporate world and turned dog poop cleanup into a fast-growing local business in Ohio. What started as a simple idea after years of breeding dogs became a serious operation built on consistency, customer communication, and a willingness to learn marketing from scratch. In less than a year, he grew from zero to nearly 150 recurring clients by staying relentless, learning Facebook ads, and treating the business like much more than just a side job. Ken also breaks down the systems that helped him grow, including fast lead follow-up, real photo-based advertising, strong branding, and constant communication that keeps customers confident in the service. He shares how Google reviews became a major part of building trust, growing from around 20 reviews to more than 80 with a perfect five star rating. If your goal is to grow a home service business, build a stronger reputation online, and turn persistence into predictable local revenue, this is a strategy worth paying attention to.

    18 min

  5. MAR 19

    How to Buy/Sell A Tree Service Business

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you run a home service business and want to grow something that’s actually valuable one day, this episode dives into what it looks like to buy, scale, and structure a company with the end in mind. Nick Sanchez from Tres Plus in Atlanta shares how he went from working in the tree industry while in college to acquiring an established tree service business through a traditional acquisition. Instead of starting from scratch, he spent months calling hundreds of companies, negotiating with owners, and ultimately structuring a deal that allowed him to take over a company with a strong reputation, experienced team, and more than two decades of operating history. Nick also breaks down what really makes a service business valuable. He explains why clean books, strong management, and clear systems matter more than flashy revenue numbers, and how implementing simple tools like CRM software helped streamline operations immediately after the acquisition. He also shares how focusing on Google visibility and customer reviews dramatically improved their online presence, growing from around 130 reviews to nearly 300 and helping the company rank higher in a competitive Atlanta market. If your goal is to build a local service company that generates consistent leads, attracts buyers in the future, and grows through systems instead of chaos, this conversation is packed with lessons worth applying.

    55 min

  6. MAR 17

    How to Win More Jobs As A Carpet Cleaner Without Ads

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you run a carpet cleaning or floor care business and want to get more Google reviews, stand out in a crowded local market, and turn your reputation into more booked jobs, this episode shows exactly what that can look like. Q from Jones Carpet Care in Huntsville, Alabama shares how he went from building the business part time while working in commercial facilities to going full time and growing in a fast expanding market. He also explains why trust, face to face networking, and doing great work consistently helped lay the foundation for long term growth. Q also breaks down what happened when Jones Carpet Care finally put a real review system in place. After starting with around 30 Google reviews, they grew to 129 all five star reviews, and customers now regularly call them out as one of the top rated carpet and floor care companies in the area. He shares how Review Harvest integrated with their existing software, made review requests effortless, and helped turn years of happy customers into public proof online. If your goal is more local credibility, stronger Google visibility, and more calls from customers already ready to trust you, this is a review strategy worth paying attention to.

    20 min

  7. MAR 12

    From 0 to 730 Recurring Poop Scooping Clients (How He Did It!)

    ⭐️ Get More Google Reviews On Autopilot — Start Free Today: https://link.reviewharvest.com/yt  🧲 Join our free community for 1-on-1 help getting more customers on Google: https://www.skool.com/10-minute-marketer-6759 If you run a local service business and wonder what it really takes to grow from zero customers to hundreds of recurring clients, this episode tells that story. Matt from Poo Squad in Kansas City left a 16 year career in grocery retail to start a poop scooping company from scratch. In the beginning it was just him, a rake, and a bucket, grinding through networking events and community groups to find the first customers. Five years later the company serves more than 700 recurring clients and has built a strong reputation across Kansas City by focusing on consistent service, communication, and showing up when competitors do not. Matt breaks down the practical strategies that helped the business grow, including attending local networking events, joining the Chamber of Commerce, leveraging Facebook marketing, and building a team that cares about service quality. He also shares how improving their Google reviews transformed their online presence, jumping from about 70 reviews to nearly 400 in a short time after implementing a simple review system. If your goal is to build a stronger local brand, attract more customers online, and scale a service business through trust and reputation, this episode is packed with real lessons you can apply immediately.

    20 min

  8. MAR 9

    From Selling Solar to Making $10K/Month with GoHighLevel in 6 Months

    👉 FREE Step-by-Step on How I Make Over $40K+/month with My Stupid Simple SaaS: https://claylawrence.link/BDziHKd Join my free community: https://claylawrence.link/jF7dJTS Sam shares how he went from zero to $10K/month in 6 months by using cold calling, review automation, and local SEO upsells. In this interview, he breaks down the mindset, sales background, churn lessons, pricing, Merchant upsells, and the daily reps it took to grow a lean agency business in Australia with HighLevel and Google review services. ALREADY A HIGHLEVEL USER?! You can still get all of my bonuses when you upgrade your plan with my link 👉  https://claylawrence.link/BDziHKd Can't Upgrade Your HighLevel Account and Want Direct Access to All My Bonuses? Get Instant Access Here 👉 https://claylawrence.link/0RIrKxt  🛑 IMPORTANT 🛑 : Do not use an ad blocker, an incognito tab, or a Chrome extension when signing up! It will block the tracking link, and you will NOT receive any of my bonuses! If you signed up with my link and have not received your bonuses, do this: 1. Check your spam folder 2. Respond to the email you should have received, and we can check to add you manually. ANY GUEST SOCIAL MEDIAS AND LINKS GO HERE Want 1-1 Coaching From Me? Click Here 👉 https://go.reviewharvest.com/widget/groups/1-1-coaching-calls The AI SEO Tool We Use For Our Clients (Merchynt): https://merchynt.com/paige?fpr=clay Instantly.ai sign-up link 👉 https://instantly.ai/?via=clay-lawrence Gling AI Editor: https://gling.ai/?via=clay Riverside Podcasting Software: https://riverside.sjv.io/5kamYn Here's EVERYTHING I use to record my YouTube Videos: https://www.amazon.com/shop/claylawrence/list/2B6FFCUMTXQF8?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d&ccs_id=d30bb940-d21d-4d7b-bd9d-c4c5320fd958 If you want to learn from someone who’s in the trenches — not just selling theory — here's what this video covers: • From zero to $10K per month in 6 months 🇦🇺 • Finding Clay through YouTube and starting with HighLevel 📺 • Why the technical setup felt overwhelming at first 🤯 • Using cold calling as the main client acquisition channel ☎️ • Sales background from solar, timeshares, and door knocking 💼 • First 2 clients in week two and early delivery panic 😅 • Lessons from running an e-bike business before agency life 🚲 • Why digital services beat physical product logistics freedom-wise 💻 • Cold calling script basics: reviews problem, growth fit, book the call 🎯 • Australia Twilio costs and how review reactivation still works 💬 • Review pricing: $149 starter, $289 growth, $389 pro 💵 • Merchant upsell pricing: $1.5K setup style offers plus recurring SEO 📈 • Combining reviews, Merchant, and websites for stronger rankings 🌐 • Handling churn, spam-flagged numbers, and bad calling days mentally 🧠 • Realistic path to $30K months through delegation, ads, and systems 🚀 #SMMA #MarketingAgency #ColdCalling #HighLevel #GoogleReviews #ReviewAutomation #LocalSEO #Merchant #AgencyGrowth #ClientAcquisition #EntrepreneurMindset #SalesTips #RecurringRevenue #OnlineBusiness #AustraliaBusiness Disclosure: I am an independent entity from HighLevel. I am not an agent or employee of HighLevel and have no authority to make binding contracts or represent HighLevel. I receive referral payments from HighLevel. The opinions expressed here are my own and shall NOT be interpreted or considered as representations, guarantees, or statements made by HighLevel Inc or any of its subsidiaries, agents, or assigns. Results are not guaranteed.

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Built Local Podcast interviews local business owners and community leaders to share specific strategies they’ve used to grow, market, and operate successfully. Each episode focuses on actionable insights listeners can apply to build stronger, more resilient local businesses.

Information

  • Creator
    Clay
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Built Local
  • Show Website
    Built Local

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