To The Point - Home Services Podcast

RYNO Strategic Solutions
  • 4.9 (212)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Home Services podcast that gets to the point, with solutions to help your service company grow. Our focus is to help HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Roofing, etc. companies learn how to grow their companies with marketing & operational solutions.

  1. 6D AGO

    The Best of 2025

    Thank you to our Sponsors! Basic Capital: https://basiccapital.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint As the year comes to a close, we’re wrapping up with our annual Best Of episode, highlighting the most impactful conversations from this past year on To The Point Home Services. With over 50 episodes released this year, we handpicked moments that stood out the most, conversations that challenged perspectives, delivered hard truths, and reinforced what really matters in business and life. This year’s overarching theme? Reputation over revenue. People over profits. Leadership over ego. From legendary industry leaders to raw, emotional stories of resilience, this episode is packed with insights every contractor, entrepreneur, and business owner needs heading into 2026. 🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways:• The power contractors have to change lives, not just their own, but their employees’, families’, and communities • Why words matter and how leadership communication shapes culture • Navigating tough markets with mindset, discipline, and accountability • Entrepreneur vs. integrator thinking and why scaling requires both • Leadership lessons from unexpected places, including a former mob boss • Graduating from an employee mindset to a true CEO mindset • The importance of accountability, ownership, and operational excellence • A powerful and emotional story of resilience through unimaginable loss • Why visibility and personal branding are becoming non-negotiable for leaders ⏱️ Timecodes:00:00 – Intro & Best Of overview 01:00 – Reputation over revenue & people-first leadership 01:40 – Ken Goodrich: The power of operators and leadership ownership 06:30 – Chad Peterman: Enjoying the journey & mindset during hard seasons 10:55 – Jeff Dudan: Entrepreneur vs. integrator & return on time 16:40 – Michael Franzese: Leading in high-stakes environments 21:30 – Ishmael: CEO accountability, reviews, and real growth 31:30 – Charlie Sanders: Resilience, loss, and leadership through tragedy 46:55 – Leadership visibility & personal brand going into 2026 🔗 Resources & Mentions:• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 (U.S.) 📣 Call to Action:If this episode resonated with you: 👉 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights 👉 Comment with your biggest takeaway from this year 👉 Share this episode with another business owner who needs to hear it Your support helps us continue bringing real, unfiltered conversations to the home services industry. 🎧 Thanks for listening—and here’s to finishing strong and heading into 2026 with clarity, purpose, and momentum.

    1h 11m

  2. DEC 16

    From $600K to $10M in a Town of 10,000

    Thank you to our Sponsors! Basic Capital: http://basiccapital.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint In this episode of To The Point, Chris sits down with Alyssa Rogers, Vice President of Rogers Heating & Cooling, to talk about explosive growth in a tiny market, navigating doubters, scaling to multiple locations, and the bold vision of building a $100M home services company out of South Boston, Virginia (population 10k). Alyssa shares how she and her husband Joey took the business from $600K to $10M, why they turned down a life-changing private equity offer, how they opened their second location, and the real sacrifices behind building a generational company including selling their dream home and living above their office. If you’ve ever questioned your market size, your potential, or whether big goals are possible for small-town companies… this episode will change your mindset. 🔑 Key Points CoveredHow Rogers Heating & Cooling scaled from $600K → $10M in a rural marketThe vision behind their $100M BHAG and what sparked itWhy Alyssa and Joey walked away from a multi-million-dollar acquisition dealTheir plan to expand into new markets across VA & NCHow they turned a service technician into a branch managerGrassroots community strategies that drove growth before digital marketingThe realities, sacrifices, and mindset of building a legacy businessWhat it’s like running a company—and a marriage—as visionary & integrator⏱️ Timecodes00:00 – Intro & Chris roasting Chad 00:24 – Meet Alyssa: VP of Rogers Heating & Cooling 01:00 – How their story started and early challenges 03:00 – Grassroots marketing + building community equity 05:12 – Taking over a 1996 family business 06:12 – Revenue at takeover: $600K → scaling years 10:00 – When the vision changed 15:00 – Attending 10X GrowthCon & expanding their thinking 17:00 – The $100M goal revealed 20:00 – Turning down the private equity offer 24:00 – Sacrifices: selling the dream home + living above the office 32:00 – Regional expansion strategy & new markets 38:00 – Leadership development + grooming future branch managers 41:00 – Lessons from launching their 2nd location 45:00 – Community involvement & why consistency matters 50:00 – Alyssa’s mindset: stepping into who she’s becoming 55:00 – Final thoughts & motivation 🔗 Resources MentionedRogers Heating & Cooling Website: https://www.callrogers.com Podcast “Hello Hello”: Search on YouTube or your favorite podcast app 📢 Call to ActionIf you found value in this episode, hit that LIKE button, drop a comment, and subscribe for more real conversations with the leaders shaping home services. Share this episode with someone chasing big goals, they need to hear this one.

    1h 8m

  3. DEC 9

    Private Equity, Culture Shock, & Rebuilding: Anna Yano’s Story

    Thank you to our Sponsors! Basic Capital: https://basiccapital.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint Welcome to a milestone moment Episode 300 of To The Point Home Services! 🎉 In this special episode, Chris sits down with someone who has been part of RYNO since day one (and who originally didn’t even want this podcast to exist): Anna Yano. This isn’t your typical industry interview. Instead, Chris and Anna open up about the real journey behind building, growing, and transforming RYNO Strategic Solutions including the hard lessons learned through private equity, mergers, leadership challenges, cultural shifts, and rebuilding a company after major change. Whether you're a contractor, entrepreneur, or leader navigating growth, uncertainty, or organizational change, this episode is full of honest, applicable takeaways. 🎧 What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeThe truth behind RYNO’s private equity partnership and what they wish they knew before the dealHow the Blue Corona merger actually unfolde the good, the bad, and the chaoticWhere integrations go wrong and how to avoid cultural collapseWhy 2026 is shaping up to be a massive opportunity for contractorsThe role of AI in CSR, operational efficiency, and marketing evolutionHow leadership has changed internally and how Anna stepped into a whole new level of influenceThe turning point where the RYNO culture began to rebuildPersonal reflections on partnership, stress, resilience, and rising to new challenges This is one of the most honest and insightful episodes we’ve ever recorded. ⏱️ Timecodes00:00 — Intro & Episode 300 Celebration 01:00 — Why Anna is the guest (finally) 01:40 — What this episode will really be about 02:00 — Shared journey & business lessons from marriage + entrepreneurship 03:00 — Private equity, leadership, and systems: how it all changed 04:20 — RYNO’s performance today vs. what it took to get here 05:00 — Contractor outlook for 2026 06:00 — Operational efficiency & reporting breakthroughs 07:00 — AI in CSR and why contractors should pay attention 08:00 — Working with Avoca & the future of booking 09:00 — Lead aggregation, filling call boards & new opportunities 10:30 — Why brand, trust, and OTT matter in low-demand economies 12:00 — The merge with Blue Corona: expectations vs. reality 14:00 — Process breakdowns, finger-pointing, and fixing integration mistakes 16:00 — Culture collapse & negative NPS: the turning point 18:00 — Private equity lessons no one talks about 21:00 — What Anna would do differently in a sale 22:30 — Why not everything was in their control 25:00 — Taking back leadership of the company 27:00 — Rebuilding teams, expectations & processes 30:00 — Change fatigue and how to lead through it 33:00 — Is RYNO “back”? What the future looks like 35:00 — How the journey changed Anna as a leader 38:00 — What Chris learned about himself 40:00 — Partnership growth: what changed & what stayed true 43:00 — Closing thoughts (If you want these timecodes refined after you upload the full audio, I can match them precisely.) 🔗 Resources & MentionsAvoca AI — RYNO’s recommended partner for AI call bookingMountain OTT — Streaming-based brand-building & trackable advertisingServiceTitan — The operational platform referenced 💬 Join the ConversationIf this episode resonated with you, especially the raw and honest parts about leadership, challenge, and rebuilding drop a comment below. We’d love to hear your story. 👍 Enjoying the Podcast? Support Us!Subscribe, like, and share to help us reach even more contractors looking to grow the right way. New episodes every week!

    1 hr

  4. DEC 2

    New Leadership That Helped Scale Abacus from $30M to $100M

    In this episode of To The Point Home Services Podcast, Chris and Chad sit down with Tony Patino, President of Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical, to unpack one of the most impressive leadership journeys in the home services industry. Tony joined Abacus in 2017 from outside home services. Fast-forward to today, and he’s helped scale the company from roughly $30M to over $100M+, while expanding service lines, redesigning systems, and building elite teams across multiple trades. This conversation is loaded with practical insights for operators, leaders, GMs, and anyone looking to grow inside (or break into) the home services world. ⭐ What You’ll LearnHow Tony transitioned from retail, Aramark, and moving services into plumbing/HVAC/electricalHow to earn trust from seasoned technicians when you’re “not from the trades”The mindset that helped Tony scale Abacus through major transitions:new facilityServiceTitan rolloutadding electricalbuilding water treatmentlaunching generatorsWhy humility, curiosity, and solving simple technician pain points are core to leadershipHow Abacus built a unified sales process across tradesWhy cross-selling and a single “VIP Membership” structure transformed their businessLessons from working with industry legends like Alan O’Neill, Kevin Comerford, Darryl Bingham & othersThe biggest hiring mistakes—and the one sales hire that changed everythingWhat contractors consistently overlook when building new verticalsWhether you’re at $3M or $300M, Tony breaks down the frameworks that actually move the needle. ⏱️ Timecodes00:00 – Intro: gloomy weather, fat-face jokes, and basketball trash talk 01:16 – Introducing guest: Tony Patino 02:00 – Tony’s background: retail → Aramark → moving → recruited to Abacus 05:00 – Why being a “student of the game” matters 05:25 – Tony’s first podcast ever 06:00 – Early management lessons & leadership foundations 07:30 – Getting recruited… twice 09:23 – How Tony won over plumbers without being a plumber 12:00 – Misconceptions Tony had about the industry 14:00 – How he built trust with techs & managers 16:40 – Rolling out ServiceTitan and using tech to earn credibility 18:45 – Little changes that fix big technician pain points 20:00 – Growing electrical and learning multiple trades 24:00 – Mentorship from industry giants & learning from Wrench Group leaders 25:50 – Deep dive: building water treatment as a real vertical 27:30 – Launching generators the right way 28:50 – The biggest internal gap Tony identified: sales leadership 29:40 – Hiring the wrong sales leader—and fixing it fast 32:00 – Merging new and existing sales teams without destroying culture 36:00 – Cross-selling across trades: where contractors mess this up 38:00 – Building a unified VIP membership 41:00 – Why Abacus scaled fast—and what’s next 🔗 Resources & Mentions• Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical — https://www.abacusplumbing.net/ • Wrench Group — https://www.wrenchgroup.com/ • ServiceTitan — https://www.servicetitan.com/ 🙌 Connect With the Guest• Tony Patino — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonypatino/ Thank you to our Sponsors! Basic Capital: https://basiccapital.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint 👍 Enjoying the Podcast? Do Us a Quick Favor!If you found value in this episode, help us keep making great content: ✅ Subscribe to the channel 💬 Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway 🔁 Share this episode with your team or another operator 🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss an episode

    56 min

  5. NOV 25

    From Accountant to Accountable for $10M Growth

    In this episode, Chris Yano and Chad Peterman sit down with Tyler Wickstrom, President of Wickstrom Plumbing, Heating & Cooling in Boise, Idaho, to unpack how he turned a small $1M multi-trade company into an $11M powerhouse and where he’s headed next. After his mother’s passing, Ty was thrust into leadership at just 27. With no prior management experience, he rebuilt the business through grit, learning, and extreme ownership. This episode dives into his journey the lessons, the leadership shifts, and the strategies that helped him scale rapidly while maintaining culture and purpose. 🧩 Key TakeawaysStepping Up Through Adversity: How Ty transitioned from accounting student to business owner overnight after his mother’s passing.Scaling from $1M to $11M: Why sales process, recruiting, and culture became the cornerstones of growth.The Power of Mistakes: What happened when ¾ of his plumbing team walked out and how that loss became the turning point.Recruiting and Culture: Building a strong team, learning to demote with empathy, and creating an environment where leaders can thrive.Leveraging Technology: How ServiceTitan, forms, and memberships helped Wickstrom systemize and scale operations.Marketing Momentum: Starting brand awareness in 2022, balancing plumbing vs. HVAC, and driving memberships and retention.Looking Ahead to 2026: The roadmap to $16–18M, tech training programs, and inside sales expansion.Personal Legacy: How Ty honors his late mother through leadership, community impact, and career creation in the trades.⏱ Timestamps00:00 – Intro banter & Boise roots 02:10 – Ty’s unexpected path from accounting to home services 06:00 – Taking over a $1M multi-trade business 10:00 – First steps: fixing sales processes & finding mentors 12:15 – The technician-to-manager mistake and lessons learned 19:30 – When ¾ of the plumbers left — what went wrong 22:00 – Rebuilding with better culture and recruiting 25:00 – ServiceTitan setup & the importance of forms and data 29:30 – Marketing shift: launching branding in 2022 33:00 – Membership growth and customer retention tactics 35:30 – 2025–2026 goals: adding HVAC install crews, inside sales 40:00 – Market outlook, leadership lessons, and taking calculated risks 42:20 – What Ty’s late mother would think of his success 46:00 – Closing reflections with Chris & Chad 🔗 Resources & MentionsWickstrom Plumbing, Heating & Cooling: https://www.wickstromphc.comBook: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif BabinServiceTitan: https://www.servicetitan.comChirp Automation: Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ ⭐️ Thank you to our Sponsors! Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint 📢 Join the ConversationEvery week, To The Point dives deep into real-world success stories, leadership insights, and tactical growth lessons for home service professionals. 👉 Subscribe for more episodes 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway from Ty’s story 🔁 Share this episode with someone in the trades who needs inspiration #ToThePointPodcast #HomeServiceGrowth #Leadership #HVAC #Plumbing #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #ServiceTitan #Culture #ExtremeOwnership

    48 min

  6. NOV 18

    The 1% Club: How to Scale, Sell, and Still Stay Hungry

    In this episode of To The Point Home Services Podcast, hosts Chris and Chad sit down with Cameron Bawden, the entrepreneur behind multiple 8- and 9-figure exits including Green Mango Pest Control, Black Hat Security, and Agave Auto Glass. Cam shares his incredible journey from knocking doors to selling five companies for over $100M—while redefining what premium means in the home service industry. 🎯 Episode Highlights00:00 – Intro & Background: Chris and Cameron share mutual connections and stories that led to this long-awaited interview.02:00 – The Green Mango Origin: How a door-to-door pest control startup became a household name in Arizona.05:00 – From Door Knocking to Dominating: Cam’s transition from traditional door sales to influencer and radio marketing.10:00 – Lessons from Losing $4M: The mindset and resilience it took to rebuild and thrive after major setbacks.14:00 – Systems & Processes: Why scaling is impossible without processes—and how Cam mastered them.20:00 – The Power of Partnerships: How choosing the right business partner is like drafting an all-star team.26:00 – Branding That Sells: The story behind Green Mango’s flat-black trucks, premium uniforms, and elevated customer experience.34:00 – Leadership & Accountability: Why culture starts with the leader and how high standards attract A-players.42:00 – Marketing Evolution: From Johnjay & Rich shoutouts to influencer marketing before it was mainstream.50:00 – The 1% Club: Cam’s passion project helping entrepreneurs break ceilings and scale smarter.01:00:00 – Key Takeaways: Grit, growth, and the value of mentorship in the home services game. 🔗 Resources & MentionsCameron Bawden: Instagram | The 1% ClubGreen Mango Pest Control: greenmangopest.comRyno Strategic Solutions: rynoss.comTo The Point Home Services Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Thank you to our Sponsors! Rilla: https://www.rilla.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint 💬 Join the ConversationWhat was your biggest takeaway from Cam’s story? Have you taken a big business risk that paid off? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🚀 Stay ConnectedIf you enjoyed this episode: ✅ Subscribe to To The Point Home Services Podcast 👍 Like this video and drop a comment 🔔 Turn on notifications for new episodes every week 📢 Share this episode with someone building their home service business

    1h 8m

  7. NOV 11

    Is AI the New SEO? How Contractors Can Win the Next Search Revolution

    In this episode of To The Point Home Services, host Chris Yano sits down with Taylor Hulett, Director of Training & Development at RYNO Strategic Solutions, to break down how AI and ChatGPT are changing the game for contractors. Taylor reveals insights from RYNO’s Innovation Lab—where the team has been testing how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT pull search results—and how contractors can take action right now to rank, get leads, and future-proof their businesses. From SEO strategies that influence ChatGPT visibility to off-site reputation hacks that help smaller contractors compete with big names, this episode is packed with actionable advice and forward-looking insights. 🔑 Key TakeawaysAI is the new SEO frontier — Why ChatGPT results matter and how early adopters can win big.Trust & proximity in AI search — How LLMs “recommend” contractors differently than Google.The Innovation Lab — How RYNO is experimenting with content, reviews, and ranking factors.Off-site SEO tips — Where ChatGPT actually pulls data from (and why reviews on Angi, BBB, and Thumbtack matter).Small business advantage — How local contractors can compete with larger companies using smart AI strategies.The future of AI marketing — What Taylor predicts about paid ChatGPT listings, Atlas, and the evolving AI search economy. 🕒 Timecodes00:00 — Chris introduces the episode and guest, Taylor Hulett 02:00 — How Taylor and Chris first met & Taylor’s background 05:00 — Why AI is today’s “SEO moment” for contractors 07:00 — What RYNO’s Innovation Lab is discovering about ChatGPT rankings 10:00 — The “trust game” between Google and AI 14:00 — How AI search is reshaping local service discovery 20:00 — Writing content that ChatGPT (and your customers) love 25:00 — Off-site SEO: Which review sites matter most 30:00 — How small contractors can beat Goliaths with AI 35:00 — Proximity and local ranking in ChatGPT vs. Google 40:00 — Tracking leads from ChatGPT and measuring ROI 45:00 — What’s coming next: Paid search, Atlas, and monetized AI 49:00 — Taylor’s crystal ball predictions for 2026 and beyond 🔗 Resources MentionedAnswerThePublic.com - Find real customer questions to improve content.Free Website Analysis - https://rynoss.com/podcast-free-ai-rankings-analysis/?utm_source=To+The+Point&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=free_ai_ranking_analysis&utm_content=episode_296Thumbtack, Angi, BBB, ThreeBestRated - Review platforms ChatGPT pulls data from.Prolific Brand Design - Email marketing partner mentioned for automating review requests.RYNO Strategic Solutions - Learn more about RYNO’s digital marketing and AI innovation. 🙌 Join the ConversationWhat do you think about AI changing home services marketing? Leave a comment with your thoughts or experiences using ChatGPT in your business! 📢 If you found this episode valuable: ✅ Subscribe to To The Point Home Services on YouTube and your favorite podcast app. ⭐️ Thank you to our Sponsors! Rilla: https://www.rilla.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint 👍 Like this video to support the show. 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway below. 🔁 Share this episode with another contractor who needs to hear it!

    1h 1m

  8. NOV 4

    From Folding Table to Finding Legacy w/ Brian Gottlieb

    In this episode of To The Point Home Services Podcast, Chris and Chad sit down with Brian Gottlieb, founder of Renewal by Andersen, Jacuzzi Bath Remodel, and author of Beyond the Hammer. Brian’s story is one of true grit and growth — from starting at a plastic folding table with just $3,000 to leading teams of 600+ and generating nearly a billion dollars in lifetime sales. Brian opens up about: His journey from selling home improvements in Appleton, WI, to building nationally recognized brands.The pivotal leadership lessons that helped him scale multiple businesses successfully.Why culture is more than cheerleading — it’s about shaping how your team thinks, feels, and behaves when no one’s watching.How to turn chaos into profit by developing your people, simplifying systems, and creating “training organizations.”The truth about leadership: empowering decision-making, fostering healthy conflict, and leading with influence instead of control. He also breaks down his book, Beyond the Hammer, sharing how blue-collar leaders can elevate their mindset and build high-performing teams. ⏱️ Episode Timecodes00:00 – Intro: Meet Brian Gottlieb 02:30 – Starting with $3,000 and a folding table 05:10 – Defining purpose and impact as an entrepreneur 07:00 – Leadership and culture as the foundation for growth 10:00 – Training managers as the custodians of company culture 15:00 – Encouraging healthy conflict and open communication 20:00 – Fixing bad culture: inspecting what you tolerate 25:00 – Creating clarity through KPIs and business disciplines 34:00 – Simplifying systems — “complexity is the enemy of execution” 43:00 – Decision-making training and empowering teams 44:00 – The story behind Beyond the Hammer and what it means 48:00 – Mentoring, giving back, and legacy in the home services industry 🔗 Resources Mentioned📘 Beyond the Hammer by Brian Gottlieb — Get the book on Amazon 🎧 Beyond the Hammer Audiobook (read by Edoardo Ballerini & Brian Gottlieb) — available on Audible 🌐 Follow Brian Gottlieb: LinkedIn | Website 💡 Mentioned Event: Tommy Mello’s Vertical Track Thank you to our Sponsors! Rilla: https://www.rilla.com/tothepoint Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/ Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/ Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint 💬 Join the ConversationWhat was your biggest takeaway from Brian’s journey? Drop your thoughts in the comments — we’d love to hear how you’re building leadership and culture in your business. 👍 If you enjoyed this episode, like, comment, and share it with another contractor or leader who needs to hear it. 📲 Don’t forget to subscribe to To The Point Home Services Podcast for more powerful insights from the industry’s top minds!

    56 min
See All (328)

4.9
out of 5
212 Ratings

About

The Home Services podcast that gets to the point, with solutions to help your service company grow. Our focus is to help HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Roofing, etc. companies learn how to grow their companies with marketing & operational solutions.

Information

You Might Also Like