BlueTube: Home Services Podcast: Recent Episodes
Blue Corona
Home service case studies and stories that help you avoid expensive mistakes and grow your business in style. Learn more at: bluecorona.com. Are you ready to scale like you mean it? Welcome to BlueTube – your go-to podcast for cutting-edge home service growth strategies! I'm Brandon Doyle, and each week, my guests and I will break down the most burning questions of the home service industry. We'll share secrets from different niches, including HVAC, roofing, pest control, plumbing, electrical, and so much more! Be sure to follow so you never miss a new episode. We've got lots to talk about. So, let's dive in!
Summer, the peak season for home services, is just around the corner!
Is your marketing strategy in place and your website ready for increased demand?
No?
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Our guest on BlueTube this week is one of my long-time colleagues at Blue Corona, Chase Wolf! Chase is our account director and has a proven track record in lead generation, brand awareness, customer satisfaction, and web design strategy.
He is highly skilled at creating online marketing strategies and he’ll reveal how to prepare your home services marketing strategy for the increased demand ahead!
Tune in.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:01:23 Chase’s experience in digital marketing
- 00:08:06 Trends in the home services industry
- 00:12:56 How to prepare your website for the peak summer demand
- 00:19:28 How contractors should work with their marketing agencies
- 00:25:06 Understanding what’s working and what’s not
- 00:30:12 Local SEO strategies for contractors
- 00:37:11 Google business profile
- 00:39:37 Paid advertising strategies for the summertime
- 00:46:42 Eliminating missed calls
- 00:56:01 Quick recap and outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Chase Wolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasewolf/
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doylebrandon/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Seasonal changes affect home service businesses significantly. So, how do you ensure that your phone keeps on ringing during “shoulder season”?
As marketers, it’s our job to minimize the peaks and valleys as much as possible in a “weather-enhanced” industry. And today’s guest knows that topic all too well.
Joining us on this episode is Nick Rau, a seasoned digital marketing coach at Nexstar Network. With years of experience guiding contractors, Nick is here to explain what shoulder season is and the best marketing strategies for gaining customers even during off-seasons.
If you want to grow your business year-round, this episode is for you.
Tune in now!
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:01:15 Meet Nick Rau
- 00:02:51 What is Nexstar Network?
- 00:05:11 The biggest shift in the industry
- 00:09:31 Understanding the “shoulder season” in home services
- 00:12:21 Marketing strategies for shoulder season
- 00:21:39 The value of proactive marketing and long-term planning
- 00:25:54 Leveraging customer data for targeted marketing
- 00:28:50 Google as a pivotal platform in digital marketing strategy
- 00:37:07 Final thoughts
- 00:38:38 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Nick Rau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasprau/
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doylebrandon/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Q1… Was not the best.
Most folks in the home services industry would agree that 2024 got off to a rough start. With economic uncertainty looming, people are clutching onto their money and carefully considering every penny they spend.
For us marketers, this should be a clear sign that it’s time to get creative and redirect our marketing efforts.
But how?
Well, today we are joined by Rory Rowe, an experienced marketer and current Marketing Director at Heartland Home Services, who will tell us exactly how to navigate this economic uncertainty in the home services industry.
If you want to turn this rocky year around, this episode is for you.
Tune in.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:03:49 About Blind & Sons
- 00:08:28 Pivoting during economic uncertainty
- 00:15:52 Marketing strategies and building customer relationships
- 00:22:34 Leveraging data to navigate economic uncertainty
- 00:32:08 Holding teams accountable
- 00:39:26 Final thoughts
- 00:42:52 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Rory Rowe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-rowe-5b89a6126/
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doylebrandon/
➡️ Ready to level up your home service marketing? Let’s talk: https://www.bluecorona.com/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
Are you looking to take your home services business to the next level?
If you’ve been exploring ways to expand your business, chances are you’ve come across the term paid media. But what even is paid media? Is it still relevant in 2024? And how can you leverage it to grow your business?
Today, we have the answers you've been looking for, courtesy of Kylie Castrucci! Kylie is the Director of Paid Media at Blue Corona and has over 15 years of analytical and creative marketing expertise. With her wealth of knowledge, she's here to explain paid media and show you how to use it effectively for your home services business.
If you want to grow like a pro, this episode is for you.
Tune in!
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:02:43 The current state of paid media
- 00:08:28 Platform control and autonomy
- 00:10:38 Advertising costs for home service companies
- 00:16:57 Never put all of your eggs in one basket
- 00:19:02 Advertising strategies for lead generation
- 00:24:04 When is the right time to branch out?
- 00:31:08 What should a contractor look for in a paid media partner?
- 00:33:03 Leveraging data
- 00:39:50 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Kylie Castrucci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylie-castrucci-63077531/
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doylebrandon/
➡️ Ready to level up your home service marketing? Let’s talk: https://www.bluecorona.com/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
Are you thinking about selling your home service business?
Before you pull the trigger, there are a few things you need to consider. When is the best time to sell? How much is your business worth? And most importantly, is there anything you can do to increase its value before selling?
Today, one of the best business brokers in our industry - Patrick Lange - will answer all these questions for us! Patrick is a serial entrepreneur and business broker who has successfully sold over 120 home services businesses nationwide. His tips will help you make the right calls and the most money!
You’ve spent years building your business. Don’t mess up when you sell it!
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:03:06 How Patrick got into selling home service businesses
- 00:04:45 Patrick’s other entrepreneurial ventures
- 00:08:32 When is it time to sell a business?
- 00:10:19 How much is your business really worth?
- 00:12:53 Most common mistakes when selling a business
- 00:16:41 Operating efficiency and business value
- 00:21:18 Where is the market heading?
- 00:26:53 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Patrick Lange on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lange-businessbroker/
➡️ Check out Patrick Lange’s website: https://businessmodificationgroup.com/
➡️ Follow Patrick Lange on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatrickLange9858
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doylebrandon/
➡️ Ready to level up your home service marketing? Let’s talk: https://www.bluecorona.com/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
The secret to business growth in any industry, especially home services, is building a strong brand that people recognize and trust.
To illustrate the power of effective branding, I invited Patrick Macisaac on the show! Patrick is the managing partner at Roby Services, a proud subsidiary of The Roby Family of Companies. With a remarkable 74-year legacy in the Charlotte community, you best believe there’s much to learn from them!
Patrick and I talked about the challenges of growing the Roby Services brand, how a great reputation and company culture can help attract, hire, and retain the right employees, and how Patrick implemented EOS across Roby Services.
Tune in!
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:00:52 From Roby Elecrtical to Roby Services
- 00:06:00 The importance of strong branding
- 00:13:27 The home service industry after COVID
- 00:15:28 Implementing EOS
- 00:23:19 Outro
Additional resources:
➡️ Follow Patrick Macisaac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-macisaac-6031517/
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doylebrandon/
➡️ Ready to level up your home service marketing? Let’s talk: https://www.bluecorona.com/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
When it comes to AI, there’s still a lot to figure out…
But one thing is certain: it offers tons of ways to improve and scale your home service business.
At Blue Corona, we've been exploring these possibilities for quite some time now, and today, we're going to share some of the best ways you can use AI for your business!
But first of all, hello and welcome to the first-ever episode of BlueTube, the home service podcast brought to you by Blue Corona!
This podcast is dedicated to all those working in the home services industry who want to gain valuable insights and grow their businesses. I'm your host, Brandon Doyle, and in this kick-off episode, I'm joined by my colleagues David Hamrick and Eric Velez.
We're going to chat about how things have changed in the digital marketing world in 2023, how we're leveraging artificial intelligence to grow home services businesses, the power of brand recognition, and the most effective marketing strategies for contractors.
This is the first in a series of many great episodes, so don’t miss out!
Key Takeaways:
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:00:36 The evolving role of AI in marketing
- 00:16:06 Necessity for a holistic marketing approach
- 00:24:47 Data as the cornerstone of marketing strategies
- 00:28:39 Future trends in marketing: IoT and large action models
- 00:34:19 Outro
Additional resources:
👉 Ready to level up your home service marketing? Let’s talk: https://www.bluecorona.com/
—
BlueTube is a home services podcast dedicated to all those who want to gain valuable industry insights and grow their home service business.
This podcast is brought to you by Blue Corona: https://www.bluecorona.com/
Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode!
Are you ready to scale like you mean it? Welcome to BlueTube – your go-to podcast for cutting-edge home service growth strategies! I'm Brandon Doyle, and each week, my guests and I will break down the most burning questions of the home service industry. We'll share secrets from different niches, including HVAC, roofing, pest control, plumbing, electrical, and so much more! Be sure to follow so you never miss a new episode. We've got lots to talk about. So, let's dive in!
Welcome to another episode of Growth Stories, Blue Corona's podcast!
Today, Ben is joined by Clark Taylor, Chief Digital Officer of Atigro, a performance-driven digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and content. They do a deep dive into everything SEO - where we've been, what's working/not working today, and where things might be headed - including the possible demise of Google and the rise of Bing and ChatGPT!
Enjoy!
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Growth Stories! If this is your first time listening to the show, welcome. If you're a regular listener and you enjoy the show, please give us a review. It really helps new people find our show, and we greatly appreciate your support!
In today's episode, Ben is joined by Brad Lawson, Director of Marketing at S & D Plumbing. Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Brad is 6 foot 8 inches tall, trained with the national volleyball team, and attended Stanford. If that doesn't pique your interest to listen to this episode, nothing will! S & D is a fast-growing residential plumbing company that has been serving Austin, Texas, and the surrounding areas since 1980. They're family-owned and operated with a great reputation and a demonstrated track record.
Brad talks about how they've achieved the outsized success they have. Brad and Ben talk about S & D's approach to growth planning and budgeting, the importance of Nexstar and the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) as well as some mistakes made and lessons learned.
No matter where you are in your business journey, there's a lot you can learn from Brad and S & D Plumbing. Enjoy!
Welcome to another exciting episode of Growth Stories! Today Ben is joined by long-time friend and seasoned entrepreneur Jon Payne, Founder and Owner of Vocational Media Group and Illuminated Goods.
Vocational Media Group is a top-tier digital marketing agency based in Fort Mill, SC, that specializes in helping companies rank high and get found online by their customers. What sets them apart is their expertise in helping product brands thrive on Amazon, a platform notorious for its fierce competition. Vocational Media Group isn't just an agency; they are their own biggest client! They've created a collection of informational blogs and e-commerce brands, such as Illuminated Goods, which showcases how they practice what they preach.
Not only is Jon a digital marketing expert, but he has also achieved something very few entrepreneurs can boast about - he has built and sold multiple companies. In this episode, Ben chats with Jon about his journey as an entrepreneur, his secrets to success, and the importance of staying competitive in today's fast-paced business environment, especially on platforms like Amazon.
So, sit back, relax, and join us for an insightful conversation with Jon Payne on Growth Stories!
Thank you for tuning into the Growth Stories Podcast! If this is your first time listening to the show, welcome! If you're a regular listener and enjoy the show, please help us spread the word and give us a like and subscribe.
In today's podcast episode, Ben is joined by Tricia Meyer, Founder and Managing Attorney at Meyer Law. Meyer Law is an award-winning, woman-owned law firm that often acts as an outsourced general counsel helping companies of all sizes across the United States with corporate matters, contracts, employment, fundraising, M&A, privacy, and more. Meyer Law doesn't operate like most law firms. They promote billing transparency and prefer providing services on a fixed fee rather than the dreaded hourly billing so many entrepreneurs have come to dread!
Whether running a startup, scaling up, or preparing to transition the business and exit, many entrepreneurs get so caught up in the day-to-day frenzy they spend little time thinking critically about the legal side of their business - until it's too late. They often do the bare minimum, which makes no sense when considering the percentage of their net worth their business represents!
Tricia shares how she got into law and how her company has grown over the years, and she shares five considerations - things business owners frequently overlook from a legal standpoint. Grab a fresh coffee and get ready to experience the #LoveYourLawyer difference!
Happy 2023, and thanks for tuning into Growth Stories! If this is your first time tuning into the show, welcome. If you're a regular listener to the show, please subscribe, like, and give us a review - it really helps new people find the show. In today's episode, Ben talks to Taylor Clark from Shanklin Heating and Air Conditioning in Dalton, Ohio. Taylor runs marketing and Shanklin's indoor air quality department. Shanklin has been in business since 1960 and is a third-generation company run by brothers Kip and Derek Shanklin. Taylor is quick to highlight that Shanklin is really a customer service company that happens to provide heating and air conditioning. Customer service is their main focus. They serve the local community in any way they can, and that's really what sets them apart from the competition. You need only take a quick look at Shanklin's Facebook page to understand what Taylor means. Ben and Taylor talk about the company's history, the connection between their long legacy and the culture of the company, supporting the trades, the strength of their values, and some of the marketing strategies, tactics, and investments they've made to grow (including what they cheekily refer to as "R&D"). Speaking of strategies to grow... Blue Corona has data that shows even some of the best and most sophisticated home service companies MISS up to 25% of their marketing-driven phone calls. Some companies miss even more. These missed calls waste thousands of advertising dollars and translate into significantly more in lost revenue. Shanklin has been an early adopter of Lead Capture Live, a new service offered by Blue Corona aimed directly at solving this problem! Taylor and Ben discuss Lead Capture Live (33:12). You can also learn more about Lead Capture Live by attending this webinar on February 1st at 1 PM Eastern: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RwE_6kMkRVGxaZKv98rbBg
Thanks for listening, and enjoy!
Welcome back to another episode of Growth Stories!
In today's episode, Ben speaks with Dave Bryan, President & CEO of Blackdog Builders, a full-service design-build company with multiple locations in Southern New Hampshire, about 35 minutes north of Boston.
What makes Dave and Blackdog so remarkable isn't just their growth story or how they've expanded/diversified their business; it's also how they've managed to build a scalable organization that consistently operates with excellence - without the owners needing to be involved in all the details. Along these lines, Dave spent seven weeks away from the business this summer - without fielding any crisis calls!
Building a business with these characteristics is challenging in any subset of the home services industry. The nuances associated with the design/build/remodeling make what Dave and his team have done even more impressive!
In this episode, you'll learn more about Dave's background and how he started in the industry. You'll hear some of his early mistakes and lessons learned. You'll also get insight into the techniques, principles, and values Dave and his team have embraced at Blackdog to achieve and sustain their extraordinary growth story!
Enjoy!
Welcome back to another episode of Growth Stories! In this episode, Ben talks with Jason Carlock, a Partner at Summit Park, a private equity firm in Charlotte, NC focused on investing in and acquiring lower-middle market companies in the consumer and home services space.
Jason has an interesting background that epitomizes the concept of math and magic.
After business school, Jason spent 20-plus years as an operator in consumer-based businesses. He worked for 10 years with Proctor & Gamble and Newell Rubbermaid doing television advertising, print advertising, new product development, and retail.
Jason spent the next 10 years at Red Ventures using data, analytics, and digital marketing to help Fortune 50 businesses acquire customers. In addition to working directly with brands, RV became highly acquisitive. Jason spent more time investing in businesses and integrating them, a path that led him to Summit Park.
Three years ago, Jason joined Summit Park's two founding partners Their charter: let's go find consumer businesses and home service businesses we think we might be able to invest in and help them grow.
During this episode, Ben and Jason dig into a variety of topics related to growing your home service business: the digital divide, the investments necessary to leverage and benefit from connected data, growth-related challenges and inflection points, managing risk, the benefit of third parties, and much, much more!
Grab a fresh cup of coffee, press play, listen, learn, and enjoy!
Welcome back to another episode of Growth Stories, hosted by Ben Landers! In today's episode, a special Trusted Advisor segment, Ben speaks with renowned Vistage Chair, Peter Schwartz.
Vistage is the world's largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsized business leaders. Vistage members set aside one day each month to meet with their peer advisory group, typically 12-16 CEOs from non-competing companies, to work "on" vs. "in" their businesses.
Vistage Chairs are one part coach and one part meeting facilitator; Many are former CEOs. While every Vistage Chair is an accomplished business leader, Peter is in a class of his own. He is a Master Chair and 4-time STAR award winner. He was named the Best Practice Chair for the Washington/Baltimore region. He received the Robert Nourse "Vistage Chair of the Year" award in 2016, and in 2020, he was the recipient of the Don Cope Memorial Award, the most prestigious of all Vistage awards!
Throughout their conversation, Peter shares with Ben wisdom and lessons learned from more than 20 years spent working alongside business owners, CEOs, and high-performing leaders - helping them to grow and scale their businesses to new heights.
Welcome back to another episode of Growth Stories, hosted by Ben Landers! Today, Ben is with Lori Rhead, President, and co-owner of Mountain Air, in beautiful Ogden, Utah.
Building a successful business is challenging in good economic times, and most new companies fail. Imagine starting a new business with your spouse, and shortly after you open your doors, the stock market crashes, and the U.S. goes into one of the worst recessions in history.
That was the situation Lori faced with her husband and business partner, Vance. Listen to this episode to hear some of the critical decisions they made and the mindset that helped them not just survive but thrive.
It's June 23, 2022, and the U.S. is once again on the brink of a potential major recession. No matter where you are in your business journey, there are a number of actionable and timely takeaways from Lori's story.
Listen, learn, enjoy, and last but certainly not least - GROW!
You're listening to Blue Corona's podcast, Growth Stories, and I'm your host, Ben Landers.
In this episode, I'm joined by a special guest - a good friend and long-time client, Kelly Clifford Riehl, Director of Communications and Community Relations at Installed Building Products (IBP).
IBP's growth story is nothing short of amazing! What began as a family-owned company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio has become a publicly-traded company (NYSE: IBP) with more than 9,500 employees and over 210 locations throughout the United States. IBP is an industry leader - the premier installer of insulation and building products for residential and commercial builders across the country.
When we started working with IBP, more than 10 years ago, we could not have imagined the growth story ahead! In some ways, we've sort of grown up together as companies - albeit one of us has grown up a lot more than the other! And Kelly has been involved the entire way, through every stage of the ride.
Whether you're just starting out as a business or whether you've got IBP-sized ambitions, there's a lot you can learn about success from the details of Kelly's journey.
Enjoy!
In this episode of Growth Stories, I'm joined by Michael Hernandez, Director of Marketing for two companies owned by the same family: Carolina Foundation Solutions and Carolina Basement Solutions.
Michael is an advertising and marketing extraordinaire, and our conversation touches on a variety of topics such as:
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How we found his way to the family-owned companies he works for today
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His advertising and marketing evaluation after coming on board
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How to break through the noise on social media platforms like LinkedIn
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The "math and magic" of marketing
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The importance of creating trust as a marketer (with the owners of the business you work for)
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The ROI of caring about the little details and much, much more!
Whether you're a marketer or business owner, this episode is packed with insights and things you can use to accelerate growth!
Enjoy!
In this episode of Growth Stories, I'm speaking with Alison Albrecht, Vice President of Marketing for Granite Comfort, a private equity company that purchases and invests in HVAC and plumbing companies around the United States. Granite Comfort is not your typical private equity firm. They have a unique model, and it is gaining momentum - FAST!
And Alison is no ordinary marketer. She's all about data - and using connected data to inform better decisions and generate outsized results!
Tune in to learn more about Granite Comfort's business model, the characteristics of companies they seek to acquire, and some of Alison's favorite strategies and tactics to drive better marketing performance.
In this episode of Growth Stories, I'm speaking with Jonathan Caldwell, CEO of Black Tie Moving.
Jonathan (or JC as we call him at Blue Corona) didn't take the traditional path to become a CEO, but his (unique) background and leadership style clearly play a key role in Black Tie Moving's fast-growth and ongoing success.
Listen to this episode to learn more!
In this episode of Growth Stories, I'm joined by the one and only Bill Reedy! Bill is the CEO of Reedy Capital and former CEO of Reedy Industries.
The business empire Bill and his team have built is nothing short of incredible. As Bill and I talk through his journey, he touches on the value of the Executive MBA program at Northwestern. He talks about the people he met through that experience, including one who radically altered his business and life trajectory. Bill emphasizes the importance of being a life-long learner and seeking counsel from those who have already achieved what we're working to accomplish.
Finally, we discuss the 80/20 framework, the power of focus, and how it can improve your business and life!
Will Hallett and Wade Rusk from Penguin Air & Plumbing in Phoenix, AZ aren't just business partners, they're best friends, and this is their story.
We start the conversation with how they got into the industry and how they built their business. We talk about some of the trials and tribulations and lessons they've learned along the way.
Based on our discussion, it's clear that a big part of their success comes down to relationships. We touch on their culture-first approach, and they provide some powerful clues for how they've built such an amazing team and company.
Welcome to the introductory episode of Blue Corona's new podcast, Growth Stories!
In this episode, Ben Landers, Blue Corona's Founder, shares his story and background as well as some of the key career events that led to the birth of a new business.
Anyone who has taken an idea and turned it into a company knows how challenging it can be, and the word "challenging" is really a gross understatement. Scaling a small business into a small-medium-sized enterprise is even more difficult. But exploring these topics with people who have actually done it is what Growth Stories is all about.
Whether you're in the early stages of building your business or you're navigating the challenges and complexities of sustaining growth and scaling, few things are as valuable as hearing real-life lessons and stories from those who have already done it.
Please share, like, and subscribe!