Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

John Wilson
  • 4.7 (94)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

Owned and Operated is the podcast for home service entrepreneurs who want to build larger, more profitable businesses. Hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr, each episode features candid conversations with the founders, operators, investors, and industry leaders shaping the future of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, septic, roofing, restoration, and the wider home service industry. From acquisitions and marketing to sales, leadership, hiring, finance, AI, and operational excellence, you'll hear real-world lessons, proven strategies, and actionable playbooks from people who have actually built successful companies. If you're buying your first business, scaling past your next revenue milestone, or building toward an eventual exit, Owned and Operated delivers practical insights you can apply immediately. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Learn more at www.ownedandoperated.com

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    From a $2M Family Plumbing Shop to a Multi-Trade Powerhouse

    Every growing home service company eventually hits the same wall. The systems that got you to $2 million will not get you to $20 million. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Brady Jolly and Scott Sharrock of Jolly Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electric to break down what it actually takes to scale a second-generation home service business. They discuss moving from commercial to residential, building a leadership team, using acquisitions to accelerate growth, creating a culture people want to stay in, and the management systems that help businesses continue growing without relying on the owner. The conversation also dives into scorecards, leadership development, AI, private equity, and why investing in people often creates a bigger return than investing anywhere else. In This Episode • Growing a second-generation plumbing company into a multi-trade business • Why residential service changed the trajectory of the company • Lessons from acquisitions, launching roofing, and adding new trades • Building leaders before you need them • Creating a culture that people actually want to be part of • How scorecards and KPIs improve decision making • AI, private equity, and where home service businesses are headed next Connect John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Brady Jolly + Scott Sharrock https://justcalljolly.com/ Reimagining Home Services Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@ReimaginingHomeServices ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ The Military Veteran (TMV) Hiring a VP, GM, or C-suite leader? The Military Veteran (TMV) specializes in executive search for home service businesses, connecting you with proven veteran leaders who know how to execute, build teams, and drive growth. Select Owned and Operated as your referral source when you schedule a consultation: https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.org Big Reputation Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paid Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  2. 5d ago ·  Video

    The Complete Home Service Marketing Playbook

    Home service marketing strategy isn't one-size-fits-all. In this Owned and Operated compilation, John Wilson sits down with Lisa Appleby and Ethan Wright of Service Scalers to break down the marketing systems, lead generation strategies, SEO, Google Ads, Local Services Ads, reviews, AI, and growth playbooks that help contractors scale from $1M to $10M+. Whether you own an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or other home service business, this episode explains where your next marketing dollar should go, how to generate higher-quality leads, improve conversion rates, and build a marketing engine that scales with your company. In This Episode  The marketing roadmap from $1M to $10M in revenue  Where to invest your next marketing dollar  When to use Local Services Ads, PPC, SEO, and aggregators  Why speed-to-lead dramatically increases booked jobs  How online reviews impact rankings and revenue  The biggest marketing mistakes growing contractors make  How AI is changing SEO, Google Search, and digital marketing  The KPIs every contractor should actually be tracking Connect John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Lisa Appleby https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-appleby/?originalSubdomain=uk Ethan Wright https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanwrighttx ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  Sponsors ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Comfort Connect Turn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX  Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Profit & Grit Running a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.com Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  3. Jul 30 ·  Video

    Google Just Changed Local Services Ads (Here's What Contractors Need to Know)

    Google is changing Local Services Ads again, and this one actually matters. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston of Service Scalers to break down Google's biggest LSA update yet. With Local Services Ads moving into Google Ads and Performance Max, contractors could see major changes to how budgets are spent, campaigns are managed, and leads are generated. John and Sam walk through what's changing, what could go wrong, and the simple checklist every contractor should work through before the rollout. If Google is an important lead source for your business, this is an episode you'll want to hear before the switch happens. In This Episode: Why Google is moving LSAs into Google AdsWhat Performance Max means for contractorsThe biggest risks during the migrationHow to think about budgets and campaign structureWhat data you need to save before it's goneWhy your Google Business Profile matters more than everWhat to watch for if your lead volume changes overnight━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Sam Preston → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampreston/ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 💰 SPONSORS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Breaking $5M Workshop Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ The Military Veteran (TMV) Hiring a VP, GM, or C-suite leader? The Military Veteran (TMV) specializes in executive search for home service businesses, connecting you with proven veteran leaders who know how to execute, build teams, and drive growth. Select Owned and Operated as your referral source when you schedule a consultation: https://themilvet.typeform.com/to/BDwkmCU0?typeform-source=www.themilvet.org ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ CHAPTERS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 00:00 LSA Shakeup Preview 01:02 Migration to Google Ads PMax 09:20 What Stays Same vs Changes 14:27 Budget Risks and Action Checklist 26:31 Stats, Prep, and Final Thoughts Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  4. Jul 28 ·  Video

    Why We Stopped Buying $60,000 Service Vans

    The fastest-growing home service companies don't scale by spending more. They scale by making smarter operational decisions. In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down one of the biggest hidden expenses in home services: your fleet. They explain why they're moving away from expensive service vans, why the Ford Maverick has become their vehicle of choice, and how rethinking truck stock, inventory, and install trailers can save hundreds of thousands of dollars while making technicians more efficient. They also dive into the future of fleet strategy, from modular trailer systems and simplified inventory to why most branded truck wraps no longer create a competitive advantage. If you're looking for practical ways to lower costs without sacrificing growth, this episode is packed with ideas you can apply immediately. In This Episode: • Why expensive service vans may be hurting your business • How Ford Mavericks reduce fleet costs and fuel spend • Rethinking truck stock to improve inventory control • The trailer system that could replace traditional install trucks • How fleet decisions impact profitability and cash flow • Why most truck wraps no longer stand out • Building a brand that actually differentiates your company ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr → https://x.com/thehvacjack Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— QuickStaffers Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Breaking $5M Workshop Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million  Yelp Looking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  5. Jul 23 ·  Video

    Why Growing Home Service Companies Can't Find Great Leaders

    The fastest-growing home service companies don't fail because they run out of demand. They fail because they run out of leaders. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jim Lose of The Military Veteran to discuss what separates great operators from average managers. They cover how to hire executive talent, build a structured interview process, identify red flags before making an offer, and create leadership systems that scale with your business. From scorecards and reference checks to compensation, coaching, and military leadership, this episode is a practical guide to building the team that takes your business from operator-led to professionally managed. In This Episode: • Why leadership becomes the biggest growth constraint • How to identify and hire A-player operators • The interview mistakes most owners make • Building scorecards that drive accountability • Coaching vs. replacing underperforming leaders • Compensation, incentives, and equity for key hires • The next executive hire growing businesses should make ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jim Lose → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslose/ The Military Veteran → https://themilvet.org/ ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Breaking $5M Workshop Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million FieldPulse Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated Quick Staffers Hire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/  Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  6. Jul 21 ·  Video

    Why Septic Might Be the BEST Home Service Business to Own

    Septic may be one of the most overlooked businesses in home services, but it might also be one of the best. In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson brings together two of the biggest conversations we've had on the septic industry, featuring Chad and Kyle from Epic Septic alongside Micah of Homefield. Together, they break down why septic has become one of the most compelling opportunities in home services and what it really takes to build a scalable business in the space. From pumping and repairs to installations, route density, marketing, and franchising, they share the economics behind the business, the operational challenges unique to septic, and the systems they're using to grow across multiple markets. Whether you're looking to buy a septic company or simply want to understand why so many operators are bullish on the industry, this episode is a complete deep dive. In This Episode: • Why septic is one of the most attractive home service businesses • The economics of pumping, repairs, and installations • How pumping creates long-term customer value • Why modern marketing is a competitive advantage in septic • Pricing, route density, and improving profitability • Scaling across multiple markets and states • The infrastructure challenges every septic operator faces • What buyers should know before acquiring a septic business ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Chad & Kyle (Epic Septic) → https://epicseptic.com/ Micah Findley (Homefield) → https://www.homefieldonsite.com/ Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Big Reputation Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paid FieldPulse Ready to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operated Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  7. Jul 17 ·  Bonus Video

    The Biggest Acquisition I Walked Away From

    Not every acquisition is worth making. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson shares the story of one of the biggest acquisitions he chose to walk away from, even though it had the potential to double the size of his business. What looked like an incredible opportunity on paper quickly unraveled as the due diligence process exposed problems with customer concentration, company culture, cash flow, and the financials. John explains the acquisition framework he uses to evaluate plumbing, HVAC, and electrical businesses, why revenue and EBITDA rarely tell the whole story, and the common mistakes first-time buyers make when they become emotionally attached to a deal. Sometimes the best acquisition is the one you don't make. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In this episode, John covers: → The acquisition that looked perfect—but wasn't → The biggest red flags uncovered during due diligence → Why customer mix and company culture matter as much as financials → How to avoid becoming emotionally invested in a deal → What every first-time acquisition entrepreneur should know → Lessons learned from the deals John decided not to buy ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Watch this episode early on the John Wilson YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonOAO Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

  8. Jul 16 ·  Video

    Stop Tracking Cost Per Lead (Track This Instead)

    Most home service companies think they're tracking marketing. They're actually tracking the wrong metrics. In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how to measure marketing ROI the right way. They explain why cost per lead is often a misleading metric, how to build a marketing scorecard that actually helps you make better decisions, and the attribution systems they use to understand what's driving revenue across a growing home service business. They also discuss why blended marketing ROI matters more than individual lead costs, how to separate new customer revenue from recurring customers, the importance of clean CRM data, and why every owner—not their agency—is ultimately responsible for marketing performance. In This Episode: • Why cost per lead can lead you to the wrong decisions • The marketing KPIs every home service business should track • How to measure true ROI across every marketing channel • Building an attribution system that actually works • Why clean CRM data is the foundation of good marketing • How to separate new customer revenue from repeat business • The pitfalls of using lifetime value (LTV) to justify marketing spend • Why every owner should own their company's marketing scorecard ———————————————— 🔗 CONNECT ———————————————— John Wilson → https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/ Jack Carr → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-carr-770b84117/ Breaking $5M Workshop → https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million ———————————————— 💰 SPONSORS ———————————————— Big Reputation Get more from your Google Business Profile with Big Reputation. Automate reviews, improve local visibility, and turn more Google searches into inbound calls. Learn more: https://www.bigreputation.ai/oao?utm_source=oao&utm_medium=paid Service Scalers Get more high quality leads with marketing built for home service companies. Book a free strategy call with Service Scalers and see what's driving real jobs: https://os.servicescalers.com/go/oao_podcast/referral/podcast Send Us Mail! More Ways To Connect with O&O John's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a Review John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC 📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

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4.7
out of 5
94 Ratings

About

Owned and Operated is the podcast for home service entrepreneurs who want to build larger, more profitable businesses. Hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr, each episode features candid conversations with the founders, operators, investors, and industry leaders shaping the future of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, septic, roofing, restoration, and the wider home service industry. From acquisitions and marketing to sales, leadership, hiring, finance, AI, and operational excellence, you'll hear real-world lessons, proven strategies, and actionable playbooks from people who have actually built successful companies. If you're buying your first business, scaling past your next revenue milestone, or building toward an eventual exit, Owned and Operated delivers practical insights you can apply immediately. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Learn more at www.ownedandoperated.com

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