Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
The Owned and Operated electrical, HVAC, and plumbing business growth podcast is hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr. These two Home Service Business owners bring you weekly podcasts and daily content with multiple perspectives, actionable advice, and info on an ever-changing industry revolving around advertising, lead generation, and more.
Join us every Tuesday for topical conversations that unlock the potential for your business growth. Covering topics from top-tier talent recruitment to mastering marketing strategies and scaling your home service business, the podcast aims to be your guide on the path to entrepreneurial success.
For more information, visit www.ownedandoperated.com.
Episodes
290 episodes
How This Operator Turned a Viral Laundromat Video into a $20M Roofing Company
In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Brandon Schlicter—better known as Investment Joy—to unpack how a viral laundromat video turned into a portfolio of laundromats, car washes, rentals, and now a fast-scaling commercial roo...
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Season 1
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Episode 258
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52:43
The Consumer Always Wins: Building the Business They Actually Want
In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Jamie from Modernize to unpack how a consumer-obsessed mindset is reshaping home services—from the first inquiry to the final install. They dig into why “experience always w...
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Season 1
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Episode 257
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39:25
$170M in 2 Years: Premier Home Pros’ Playbook for Scaling Without Debt
In this follow-up to our Premier Home Pros deep dive, John Wilson sits back down with AJ and Noah to unpack how they turned six greenfield locations into a nationwide engine doing $170 M+ run-rate—without outside debt. They break down the playb...
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Season 1
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Episode 256
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52:29
Zero to $86M in 24 Months: The Home Service Growth Blueprint
In this special re-release of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with AJ and Noah of Premier Home Pros to unpack how they went from a dining-room-table idea to $15M in year one, $86M in year two, and a national rollout—without tak...
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Season 1
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Episode 255
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56:49
How Regular People Get Rich Buying Boring Businesses - JackQuisitions Feed Drop
Get MORE JackQuisitions HEREShould you stay sector-agnostic in ETA (entrepreneurship through acquisition) or plant a flag with a clear buy box brokers, CPAs, and attorneys can remembe...
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Season 1
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Episode 254
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32:40
How One Inspection Company Scaled to $20M Without Private Equity
John sits down with Harmony Brownwood, CEO & founder of GreenWorks Inspections & Engineering, to unpack how she grew from zero connections in 2009 to one of the largest independently owned inspection companies in the U.S.—...
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Episode 253
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42:34
From $10M to $100M: How Home Service Companies Scale Sales Fast
John sits down with Zac Dearing (Mantel) to break down how top HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies are moving from “proposal tools” to true shopping experiences that help homeowners buy with confidence—and help teams close mo...
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Season 1
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Episode 252
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42:05
How He Built a $40M Home Service Business from the Ground Up
John sits down with Christian Rattin, CEO of Five Star Home Services, to unpack how he helped transform a single-family HVAC shop into a $40M+ multi-market powerhouse across Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati.From growing thr...
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Season 1
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Episode 251
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1:12:39
Start or Buy a Business? One Founder’s Surprising Answer
John sits down with Tyler Griffin (Swift Pro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing) to unpack how he launched a fast-growing HVAC + Plumbing startup in one of the most competitive markets in America: Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia. From se...
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Season 1
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Episode 250
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58:14
#249 How to Build a National Septic Pumping Empire (The 2025 Playbook)
John sits down with Micah Findley (HomeField) to talk about building a national brand in one of the most overlooked trades: The Septic Pumping Business. From pricing thousand-gallon pumps to dump fees, grease traps, and service ag...
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Season 1
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Episode 249
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58:40
How to Build, Scale, and Sell a Security or Fire Protection Business
Welcome to Entry & Exit — the new Owned and Operated series for builders in the security & life-safety world. Hosts Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble share how they grew Alarm Masters from under $2M to ~3× revenue, includin...
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Season 1
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Episode 249
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52:12
#248 Inside the $150M Operator Playbook: How Sierra Scaled Fast
Live from Pantheon, John sits down with RJ Magee (Sierra) and Tyson Chen (Avoca AI) to talk about the future of technology in home service — from AI call centers to multi-location growth and ServiceTitan integration.RJ shares how Sierra ...
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Season 1
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Episode 248
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22:04
#247 LEGENDS | The $1.2B Contractor: How Kelso Built a Billion-Dollar Empire
Over the last five years, Steve Carroll scaled Kelso Industries from zero to $1.1–$1.2B top line with 3,500+ employees across mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) — powered by 29 acquisitions and an “empowered, decentralized” opera...
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Season 1
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Episode 247
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1:24:56
#246 From $700K to $30 Million With Multiple Locations!
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with his good friend and fellow operator, Rich Jordan, to unpack how he scaled from $700K to over $30M in just five years — across three branches and two states.Rich sha...
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Season 1
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Episode 246
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23:25
#245 4 Sales Team Training Secrets Top Businesses Use Daily
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Jack Carr (Jackquisitions) to break down the 4 steps to train your sales team and raise revenue fast.From building a repeatable process to setting metrics, John and J...
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Season 1
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Episode 245
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25:42
#244 How to Hire the PERFECT Employee Every Time
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Jack Carr from Jackquisitions to break down how to hire the perfect employee—the true A-player who moves your business forward. From defining success to matching personality...
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Season 1
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Episode 244
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20:59
#243 Home Service Contractors: Stop Overpaying for Parts!
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Jen Laughlin from WeSupplyTrades to break down how contractors can cut material costs without sacrificing quality. From OEM parts to exclusive brands, John and Jen dig into ...
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Season 1
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Episode 243
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37:18
#242 What Every Contractor Needs to Know to Make the Jump to CEO
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Jack Carr from Jackquisitions to break down the four steps every business owner must take to truly become a CEO. From leaving the tools behind to managing senior leaders, John a...
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Season 1
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Episode 242
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21:35
#241 What Would YOU Do With $1,000,000 in Marketing?
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined once again by Ethan Wright from Service Scalers to answer a big question: what would you do with a million-dollar marketing budget?Together, they unpack ...
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Season 1
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Episode 241
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23:10
#240 3 Marketing Mistakes That Keep Contractors Stuck Under $10M
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Ethan Wright from Service Scalers to tackle the three biggest marketing mistakes that keep service companies from scaling. Together, they break down why most owners get lost cha...
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Season 1
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Episode 240
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26:34
#239 How To Make Your Business Grow FAST
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jack Carr from Jack Acquisitions, who also runs Rapid Response Plumbing, Heating & Cooling in Nashville, TN. Together, they break down the four most important pillars to s...
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Season 1
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Episode 239
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17:30
#238 Are You Making This BIG Marketing Mistake?
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Tony from Wanamaker to break down one of the biggest challenges contractors are facing in 2025: leads are tougher for everyone.John and Tony dig into why this year has be...
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Season 1
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Episode 238
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22:11
Double Your Profit Day #30 How We Doubled Profits By Slashing Overhead!
Welcome to Day 30 of the Double Your Profit SeriesThe go-to series for contractors, home service owners, and small business entrepreneurs.Today’s topic is one of the biggest levers you have in scaling your company: Cut Overhead Like...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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3:17
Double Your Profit Day #29 Are You Wasting Money on Tech You Don’t Need?
Welcome to Day 29 of the Double Your Profit SeriesThe go-to series for contractors, home service owners, and small business entrepreneurs.Today’s lesson might surprise you because it runs counter to the current industry hype:...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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2:03
Double Your Profit Day #28 Beat Big Competitors with SMART Marketing Strategies
Welcome to Day 28 of the Double Your Profit SeriesThe go-to series for contractors, home service owners, and small business entrepreneurs.Today’s lesson is simple, bold, and direct: Outspend Your Competitors in Sal...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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2:15
