The Successful Contractor Podcast CertainPath

Episode Show Notes / Description
Patrick Riley found himself frustrated.  His company Riley Heating & Cooling in the little, 200-person town of Lucas, IA, had been in business since 2007. No matter what he did, Patrick couldn’t push the company past the $700K revenue mark.  That’s not all that bothered him… Patrick longed to provide his team with the proper benefits he knew they deserved.  Patrick joined CertainPath roughly 18 months ago looking for answers, and he’s found them.
 
In a short period of time, Patrick has worked hard on his business.  Riley Heating & Cooling finally shattered the $700K glass ceiling, finishing 2022 at $1MM in sales and 2023 at $1.3MM in sales.  Even better, the company went from barely making a profit to an impressive 17%.  What has Patrick done with that additional money? Invest it in the company with a second location and new vehicles… and he’s also accomplished his big goal of providing health insurance, a 401K, and profit sharing with his people.  Patrick also takes the team on outings and cooks them a homestyle breakfast that puts Cracker Barrel to shame every Wednesday morning.  Business is good, and life is good for Patrick and Riley Heating & Cooling.
 
How did Patrick turn his business around so quickly?  A lot of training, working with his coach, and putting in the hours to implement.  For the full story, you’ll have to watch/listen.
 
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family.  CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years.  We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,100+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible.  Let us show you the way. 
 
With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. 
Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. 
 
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
Zoeller.  Zoeller Pump Company’s Aquanot® Fit 508 battery backup system offers an economical option for homeowners in need of dependable protection from basement flooding. The Aquanot® Fit 508 DC backup pump works alongside a Zoeller submersible pump to provide up to 6 hours of continuous, high-performance pumping when the primary pump either can’t keep up, or power is interrupted. What really sets the Aquanot® Fit apart from any other system is its free connectivity with the Z Control® Cloud, allowing users to receive alerts and remotely connect to the system to test, silence, and configure. For more info on the Aquanot Fit AND to hear about Zoeller’s Dry Basement Guarantee, visit zoellerpumps.com. 
 
Redesign. Feeling overwhelmed by the ever-changing world of digital marketing? Redesign.co is here to simplify it for you. We focus on what matters: getting your business seen online. With our expertise in effective digital marketing solutions like Google Paid Ads and local SEO, we help your services get the attention they deserve. No jargon, no over-the-top promises, just solid strategies to boost your online presence. Let's team up and give your business the online boost it needs! Reach out to partner with Redesign.co and stand out to potential customers when and where they are looking.  
 
HD Supply. At HD Supply, our job is helping you do yours. We are uniquely positioned to help drive your business through unrivaled access to professional-grade Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC products and innovative business solutions such as our Stockwise Inventory Management program fully customizable to meet your needs and improve productivity. Our national network of distribution centers and more than 2200 store locations provide national reach with a local focus, providing unmatched convenien

Drain Cleaning and mainline sewer replacements are lucrative businesses when you understand how to structure the pricing and have a strong selling system. It provides a critical service to customers, can generate massive profits, and creates exceptional earning potential for technicians—and they don’t need licensing. However, technicians and contractors do need training, which is why CertainPath developed “Fundamentals of Drain Cleaning.”  It’s a two-day technical and sales training course offered at CertainPath member’s facility, Deluxe Plumbing & Heating in Bethlehem, PA… 
 
In this interview, we talk with Missy Jones who helped build this course with Deluxe’s owner & CertainPath member, Larry Shoemaker, over more than 12 months.  Missy shares a wealth of insight over this interview, giving you an inside look into the course—and the type of training you should be doing with your team.  And you’ll gain some insights into how you should be communicating with homeowners, so they hire you for their drain cleaning and mainline sewer replacement jobs.
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family.  CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years.  We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,100+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible.  Let us show you the way. 
 
With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. 
Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. 
 
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
Shubee.  Keeping your client’s floors clean can be a hassle. But it doesn’t have to be when you use ShuBee’s high-quality shoe covers and surface protection products on every job. Our products are specifically designed to showcase your professionalism at a minimal cost per job. Made from strong, durable materials that won't rip or tear, our products ensure maximum protection. We know that your time is valuable, and that's why we make it our mission to provide you with the tools you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently. So why wait? Try ShuBee today and experience the difference for yourself! Visit www dot shubee dot com to check out some of our great products and use code SC10 to get 10% off all ShuBee products. 
 
PremierOne. PremierOne's hi-output germicidal UV is the scientifically correct solution to indoor air quality problems used by hospitals and food manufacturing facilities world-wide. We offer a complete solution to all three phases of indoor air pollution.  Produced in North America, our products have a 99.9% sucess rate due to live testing.  Each unit goes through a rigorous testing procedure during the  manufacturing process. CertainPath members earn a generous rebate when PremierOne products are purchased ONLY from authorized CertainPath distribution partners (HD Supply, Ferguson, Winsupply, Baker, R.E. Michel, and Wolseley). This allows you to double-dip the rebates too! For more information, contact Mark Mariucci at (800) 982-1840 or go to www.premieroneproducts.com.  
 
Bradford White.  Bradford White is “For the Professional” which is why they developed a For the Pro® mobile app with resources and tools at your fingertips! The contractor app is loaded with a variety of information and features to support the professional service and installation of Bradford White products. With the For the Pro® app, users can scan a Bradford White product barcode and quickly check warranty status while also having access to all related documents including I/O manuals and troubleshooting guides. Contractors can also chat with the Technical Services team within the app or access training videos

Episode Show Notes / Description
Luke Strange exudes positivity and passion.  It’s no surprise that his two-year-old business, Cool Hand Electric, in Red Oak, TX, has already profitably grown to $1.2MM with two trucks and another soon added.  Along with his wife and business partner, Kristen, this young couple has been working hard to put good people and good processes in place. They know that’s what it takes to scale.
 
Luke has an interesting background.  He went to work as an electrician for Milestone Home Services during the housing crash. Luke experienced the company’s meteoric rise, despite those economic conditions.  He took a short break from the home services industry, but ultimately, Luke was drawn to the opportunity our industry provides. After pitching Kristen the idea, she bought into Luke’s vision and they started Cool Hand Electric.  The two have worked diligently together ever since, including joining CertainPath early to help them plot out their pathway to success.
 
In this interview, Luke shares the couple’s journey as a couple and as business owners.  He shares insights that have allowed them to enjoy immediate success, including… 
·        Getting their financials and KPIs in place as quickly as possible.
·        Marketing strategies for a small business in a giant market filled with big advertising budget competitors.
·        The value of an organizational chart, even for a small business.
·        How they sell their new club membership program effectively.
·        Why CertainPath software has been a better choice for them than HouseCall Pro and ServiceTitan.
·        Getting their inventory management in place so soon and how they did it.
·        Ensuring your hungry team takes time for their families, rather than working too much and burning out.
·        Training at least two to three times a week and what that training looks like.
·        Utilizing all that’s available to him from CertainPath including training, coaching, Expos, TAG, and more.
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family.  CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years.  We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,100+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible.  Let us show you the way. 
 
With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. 
Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. 
 
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
Redesign. Feeling overwhelmed by the ever-changing world of digital marketing? Redesign.co is here to simplify it for you. We focus on what matters: getting your business seen online. With our expertise in effective digital marketing solutions like Google Paid Ads and local SEO, we help your services get the attention they deserve. No jargon, no over-the-top promises, just solid strategies to boost your online presence. Let's team up and give your business the online boost it needs! Reach out to partner with Redesign.co and stand out to potential customers when and where they are looking.  
 
Synchrony – Ever wonder how to calculate your true cost of financing and how to fit the price of financing into your business and pricing for products and services?  In Synchrony’s new and improved Toolbox website you can easily calculate your Cost of Credit, view educational videos and learn more about Synchrony’s digital tools.  Simply to go synchronybusiness.com/toolbox to explore and learn more.    
Reece.  Reece is a leading supplier for Pros in the Plumbing, HVAC, Waterworks, and Bath and 
Kitchen industries. For over 100 years, Reece has been comm

There’s an exciting group of young contractors making their names in our industry, and Thomas Munn is certainly one of them.  He started his plumbing company, Full Spectrum Plumbing, in 2018.  The Rock Hill, SC, contractor didn’t take an unplanned leap into entrepreneurship; instead, Thomas planned for years, seeking out information everywhere. Eventually Thomas found the pathway he’d been searching for when he joined CertainPath.
 
Full Spectrum Plumbing started with zero dollars in 2018.  Last year, it finished 2023 at $2.1MM in sales with four trucks.  Thomas believes they can grow to seven trucks and $2.6MM in sales by the end of 2024.  Most impressive, Full Spectrum Plumbing has always been 18-23% net profitable.
 
Thomas’ success speaks for itself, but it’s his willingness to evolve that’s even more compelling.  In this interview, Thomas outlines all he’s changed to Full Spectrum Plumbing since joining CertainPath in late 2022, including…
·        Learning early on the value of 5-Star Google reviews and how they impact SEO when initially looking for calls as a start-up.
·        Quickly changing his financials to match the CertainPath model and holding his bookkeepers accountable to following it.
·        Adopting the StraightForward Pricing guide, even though his techs still use a CRM, to differentiate from competitors.
·        Training his technicians to slow down, create options, and build value.
·        Taking a comprehensive and creative approach to his marketing by utilizing a variety of mediums from digital to guerilla to highly strategic and creative print campaigns.
·        Understanding the value of hiring carefully and growing your own plumbers.
·        And so much more!
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family.  CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years.  We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,100+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible.  Let us show you the way. 
 
With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. 
Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. 
 
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
Zoeller.  Zoeller Pump Company’s Aquanot® Fit 508 battery backup system offers an economical option for homeowners in need of dependable protection from basement flooding. The Aquanot® Fit 508 DC sump pump works alongside Zoeller submersible or pedestal pumps to provide up to 6 hours of continuous high-performance pumping when the primary pump either can’t keep up, or power is interrupted. What really sets the Aquanot® Fit apart from any other system is its free connectivity with the Z Control® Cloud, allowing users to receive alerts and remotely connect to the system to test, silence, and configure. For more info on the Aquanot Fit and other water and wastewater solutions, visit zoellerpumps.com. 
 
PulseM & Customer Lobby.  As a valued CertainPath member, you're well aware that the recipe for success lies in the relationships you cultivate with your customers. We understand that nurturing these relationships can be a demanding task, especially when you're immersed in the day-to-day operations of running a business – it can even become draining. But, fear not! pulseM and Customer Lobby are here to save the day. After seamlessly integrating pulseM's industry leading reputation management capabilities with Customer Lobby's robust retention platform, you won’t know how you lived without them before! 
Whether you're focused on gathering online reviews or orchestrating targeted and timely postcards, emails, and text messages, pulseM and

The contracting industry is an interesting place these days if you’re in the social media world.  The bro culture is here.  It’s filled with silver-tongued “gurus” driving exotic cars and taking private jets. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying success, but it gives others the wrong impression. It celebrates the individual when it takes so much more than ONE person to build a big, profitable company.  Service to others is the secret to long-term success in home services.
 
In this show, CertainPath’s Director of Training Brandon Marshall sat down to discuss why the very best contracting companies, those who steadily and profitably grow year after year, do so thanks to their cultures rooted in trust.  But how do you build that trust?  How do you build that culture?  Those questions are answered, and Brandon also shares insight like:
 
·        The TWO interview questions you must ask every time.
·        When’s the right time to fire a team member.
·        Without recognition, you’ll never get your people’s very best.
·        How to engage with your employees that will immediately build loyalty.
·        What ONE tweak in how you treat your team can increase production 200%.
·        How to be vulnerable—and why it’s important—while also holding others accountable.
·        Why you should change the way you look at mistakes.
·        Why you should never be the smarted or most talented person in your company.
·        And so much more.
 
Pricing matters.  Operations matters.  Sales matters.  Marketing matters.  But they’re job functions. Behind each of those departments is people.  People who need to be led and grown.  It’s those people who will allow you to build your business stronger—but only if you provide the right culture, one founded on trust.
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family.  CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years.  We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,100+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible.  Let us show you the way. 
 
With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. 
Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. 
 
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
ShuBee. Avoid costly clean ups on the job site with ShuBee’s high-quality shoe covers, gloves, coveralls, and surface protection products. ShuBee products are specifically designed for home service professionals to keep your work environment clean and showcase your professionalism. Made from strong, durable materials that won't rip or tear, our products ensure maximum protection. We know that your time is valuable, and that's why we make it our mission to provide you with the tools you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Keeping your client’s homes and floors clean can be a hassle. Try ShuBee today and avoid the hassle. Use code CP10 to get 10% off all ShuBee products. Visit shubee.com, that's s-h-u-b-e-e.com, to check out our great products. 
 
Goodman. There is a good reason that Goodman® is one of the biggest names in cooling, heating, and energy-efficient home comfort. The brand has been around for over four decades, continues to produce one of the best values for high-quality HVAC equipment in the industry, and is easy to sell, install and maintain. Goodman’s continuous efforts have helped contribute to the success of many HVAC contractors, like you.  Goodman produces a complete line of residential ducted split systems and packaged units. The company’s product line is supported by numerous technology enhancements, inc

“Coach Aaron” Behunin works with CertainPath contractors on improving their businesses when he’s not traveling the country, training electricians on the advanced communications and sales strategies required to deliver a 5-star residential electrical service call every time.  Coach Aaron’s understanding of that process is rooted in his nearly 20 years in residential electrical service, as a Master Electrician and high revenue producing one, as well. He’s been implementing and perfecting the CertainPath system for his entire career.  Today, his training is in high-demand, and every class sells out. 
 
In this show, Aaron will share advanced sales tips and strategies residential electricians can immediately implement to put homeowners at ease, better educate them, and ultimately generate more revenue.  Among the topics Aaron covers is how to… 
 
Build a strong mindset that allows you to win on every service call. Make a connection and maintain a connection with the homeowner at the beginning and throughout a call. Empathize and reassure the customer that you can alleviate their concern that day. Gain control of the call immediately by setting proper expectations early. Properly sell diagnostics in a way that both homeowners and electricians understand. Always gain the ability to perform a safety inspection on every call. Ask discovery questions to unveil what customers are thinking about potential repairs and upgrades to their home. Educate homeowners on the risks and rewards of any potential repair needed in the home. Dramatically increase your electrical club membership sales with some tangible steps. Properly transition from a ceiling fan call to a panel change-out opportunity.  Overcome objections like, “I think I need to get other bids.”  
Plus, Aaron shares how the trades saved his life; why training must become a part of your company culture; how to actually make training fun; and why you should stop role-playing and instead do skills practice… (Because it’s easy, and I like it!) 
 
Show Notes 
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family.  CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years.  We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,100+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible.  Let us show you the way.  
 
With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain.  
Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.  
 
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/ 
 
Thank you to our sponsors: 
PulseM & Customer Lobby. As a valued CertainPath member, you're well aware that the recipe for success lies in the relationships you cultivate with your customers. We understand that nurturing these relationships can be a demanding task, especially when you're immersed in the day-to-day operations of running a business – it can even become draining. But, fear not! pulseM and Customer Lobby are here to save the day. After seamlessly integrating pulseM's industry leading reputation management capabilities with Customer Lobby's robust retention platform, you won’t know how you lived without them before! Whether you're focused on gathering online reviews or orchestrating targeted and timely postcards, emails, and text messages, pulseM and Customer Lobby come together to make the process of creating value at every customer touchpoint effortless. We've played a key role in helping countless CertainPath members, just like you, not only snag business but keep it for the long haul. If you're ready to build relationships that turn your customers into your biggest fans, ensuring they come back time and time again, pulseM and Customer Lobby are the secret weapons you'