The Successful Contractor Podcast CertainPath

Matt Whiat is the founding partner of Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute. He was also one of our recent keynote speakers at our CertainPath Expo in Washington D.C.  In this power-packed interview, Matt shared many great insights on how to identify, train, nurture, & recognize leaders. If you own a growing business and are looking for ways to grow it even faster, you’re at the right place.
 
Here are links to some of the resources Matt references in the interview: 
Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute
Project Aristotle
Turn the Ship Around, David Marquet
Everybody Matters, Bob Chapman
TED talk by Mike Drowley, There are Some Fates Worse than Death
Matt Whiat (LinkedIn)
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast, Powered by CertainPath, is a show for residential contractors about residential contractors…  We chronicle business journeys, share insights, and celebrate successes in this wonderful industry.  Thank you to our sponsors:
 
Dynamic Air Quality Solutions - Since 1982, Dynamic has been the leader in designing, manufacturing, and distributing IAQ products to the commercial and residential markets through authorized HVAC contractors. CertainPath members receive the exclusive value add Clean Air Defense System private label to drive your brand in the market you serve. Our commitment starts with support. We provide you with World Class Industry Leading technical and communications training, face to face and online. Become a Clean Air Defense System Indoor Air Quality partner and dominate your market! Visit WorldClassIAQ.com for more information.  
 
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 toolbox.syf.com to explore and learn more.  
CertainPath Software.  CertainPath Software is easy to implement in your business; it combines all the tools, systems, and features you need to run a profitable company of any size - from $500K up to $200M. CertainPath Software is designed to make every step intuitive, so you and your team can focus on serving customers. Pricing, invoicing, options, materials, job photos, financing options, and more are combined into a single, easy-to-use interface. When technology makes the lives of your team easier, you know they’ll be focused on what they do best. Discover how CertainPath’s field app streamlines the steps your technicians take on each call. Go to www.mycertainpath.com today to learn more. 

Ron & Wendy Altom of HVAC Experts in Odessa, TX, have accomplished so much in a relatively short period of time. From only generating around $500K in sales in 2018—and losing money—to generating more than $4.5M in at and a strong double-digit net profit in 2022. Best of all, Ron and Wendy have gone from working long, frustrating hours to being able to leave their company for weeks at a time, knowing they have a phenomenal team to keep it running properly. This hasn’t been an easy journey, and they’ve invested a lot of time and effort into improving. It started by getting the right people in place—with the right values. And it’s been accelerated by Ron and Wendy putting an emphasis on getting better, not just bigger. In becoming more operationally efficient, something crazy happened… Their revenue, along with their profitability, increased. Ron and Wendy are an example of two people building a business the right way.
 
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast, Powered by CertainPath, is a show for residential contractors about residential contractors…  We chronicle business journeys, share insights, and celebrate successes in this wonderful industry.  Thank you to our sponsors:
 
Rheem- Brothers Richard and Donald Rheem founded Rheem Manufacturing Company in Emeryville, California in 1925. The company has produced a number of cutting-edge products in its 89 years of operation. Today, Rheem is North America's only manufacturer of HVAC, water heating, pool/spa heating, and commercial refrigeration solutions. For more information, go to rheem.com.
 
Redesign.co- This message is brought to you by Redesign.co.  As an SGI member, you can receive a 100% fully optimized website that’s hosted for free!  Have a website you like already?  Redesign.co can dramatically boost your presence on Google free for 90 days.  Redesign.co also a full-service digital marketing agency that can assist you with all your online needs, including PPC.  Call 208.261.9898 or visit sgileads.com for more information—including, see how you can get a free consultation of your current website!
 
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 toolbox.syf.com to explore and learn more. 

Jon Polizzi of Home Service Heroes in Tampa, FL, has been a great member for many, many years. Home Service Heroes offers electrical, HVAC, and plumbing residential services, and in 2022, the company generated over $6.5 million at a strong, strong profit margin. A big part of ensuring you’re highly profitable is managing inventory.  That’s today’s topic. Jon offers a bounty of information. He shares how his managers inspect their trucks WEEKLY, including reviewing inventory; Jon pays vendors daily; and he does an exceptional job of keeping his techs out of the big box stores. Jon really refined this inventory management process over the last couple of years.  The last straw was when someone purchased a $250 pair of sunglasses on a company credit card.  And he could never find the culprit.  That doesn’t happen anymore. This conversation will offer a bounty of nuggets to help you add another 1-3+% to your bottom line.
About the ShowThe Successful Contractor Podcast, Powered by CertainPath, is a show for residential contractors about residential contractors…  We chronicle business journeys, share insights, and celebrate successes in this wonderful industry.  Thank you to our sponsors:
 
Bradford White - Bradford White is a full line manufacturer of residential and commercial water heaters and boilers. While being manufactured and assembled in the USA by American craftspeople, Bradford White’s goal is to deliver high quality, superior products specifically built for the professional contractor. You can always count on the performance and reliability of our Built to be the Best™ products. Visit bradfordwhite.com to learn more.

Dynamic Air Quality Solutions - Since 1982, Dynamic Air Quality Solutions has been the leader in designing, manufacturing, and distributing IAQ products to the commercial and residential markets through authorized HVAC contractors.  Our products are based on science and logic.  We provide ongoing world-class technical and communication training for your entire team. They will learn to understand and believe in the products and to communicate IAQ challenges and solutions in layman’s terms on every call.  Our training is educational, fun, and entertaining.  You will be assigned a world-class IAQ Trainer and Territory Manager for technical support and to plan your training on an ongoing basis.  Partner with us and enjoy the benefits of The Science of Clean Air.  For more information visit WorldClassIAQ.com.
 
GOODMAN® - Since 1982, Goodman Manufacturing has focused on the goal of producing energy-efficient, high-quality HVAC equipment that is easy to sell, install and maintain. Goodman’s continuous efforts have helped contribute to the success of HVAC dealers, like you, across towns and big cities throughout the country. Goodman produces a complete line of refreshingly affordable, ducted split systems and packaged units. The company’s current product line is supported by numerous technology enhancements, many exclusive to the Goodman brand. It’s no wonder millions of homeowners say, “Thank goodness for Goodman.®

Penny Austad, owner of Krumm Exteriors KangaRoof in New Richmond, WI, cares about her team and her customers. An employee of Krumm since 2015, she purchased the business from its founders, Mike and Cheryl, in October of 2021. From that very moment, Penny put an emphasis on building culture and serving the community. Thanks to her incredible team, they had an incredible 2022—sales jumped from $3M to $10M! Much of that was aided by several storms, but the team rallied together to make the very best of them. This is just the beginning for this new era of Krumm Exteriors KangaRoof. Penny has sights on hitting $10M in retails sales within the next 10 years… and any insurance work will be icing on that cake! She believes her team can do it.

Salt Service Company in Hutto, TX, which is right outside of Austin, is a family business in every sense of the word. In this episode, we talked to Melina Garza and Brendan McCarthy, who are siblings. Melina’s husband, Justin, is a manager in the business. And they all work for mom and dad, Kathleen and John. Salt had some incredible growth from 2021 to 2022; it grew from $7M in sales to $14M, and it did so highly profitably! Part of that has been the addition of a new residential HVAC service & replacement divisions to an already booming business, including a highly successful residential service electrical division. (It wasn’t long ago that they only had 2 electrical service trucks, and as of late last year, they had 17!) They also are in the process of adding a new plumbing division. So, the future is bright, and to survive and thrive through so much transition is remarkable. It’s thanks to the family’s commitment to caring—caring for their customers, their people, and the community. This interview is jampacked with tidbits and tips on how you can improve the overall culture of your business, both inside your company and outside it. Maybe most impressive is Salt’s recent pledge to donate $5M over the next 10 years to various charities! This is an interview you won’t want to miss!

Relationships matter to Gary Craddock of Craddock Electrical Services in Nashville, TN. He pours a great deal of energy and effort into treating his customers and especially his employees with great care. In fact, Gary’s goal is to treat each of his people like he would his family. That type of care and compassion has led to a deep loyalty from his people. They’ve worked incredibly hard for Gary—and continue to do so. In fact, when Gary joined CertainPath in April of 2021, the business finished at around $1.6M in sales. With the CertainPath system, and Gary’s incredible team, Craddock Electrical Services finished at $3M! Nearly doubling revenue—at a great profit! Hear Gary tell his story, including all the incredible ways he goes above and beyond for his employees. It’s remarkable.