In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Ken Goodrich — legendary home services operator, turnaround specialist, and former CEO/Chairman of Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing — to unpack what it really takes to build, scale, and successfully exit a home service business.
Ken shares the origin story that shaped his entire career: buying his first HVAC business at 25, getting crushed by payroll tax mistakes, and discovering The E-Myth at the exact moment everything fell apart. That wake-up call turned into a repeatable business-building playbook — one he’s used to build and sell six home service companies, including taking Goettl from $11M in revenue and losing $3M to $250M across 11 locations and 1,000+ employees.
John and Ken dig into the real mechanics of multi-location growth: why most owners hit a wall, how daily scoreboards and call-by-call discipline keep branches aligned, and what changes before you have a full senior leadership bench. Ken also lays out his view on the “sweet spot” for exits, when to bring on capital, and why operators should treat every growth phase like a 1,000-day value creation sprint.
If you’re thinking about acquisitions, preparing for multi-market expansion, or asking “when is the right time to take chips off the table?” — this episode is the blueprint.
What You’ll Learn
- How Ken used E-Myth systems to go from tech-owner chaos to scalable process
- The multi-branch management cadence that keeps remote locations on-track
- Why “easy lead years” create sloppy habits — and how to run with a scarcity mindset
- The real EBITDA thresholds that change your exit options and multiples
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Host:
John Wilson
Guest:
Ken Goodrich
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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC
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