Lean Marketing How Two Vans Became a $65M Brand with Alana Nicholls
What if repeat customers and referrals could grow your business faster than chasing new leads?
In this episode, Alana Nicholls shares how she and her husband bootstrapped an electrical company from two vans to a $65 million national brand with 100+ staff—then stepped back and installed a CEO to run it without them. We dig into the early door-knocking hustle, the mindset shift from “doing it all” to delegating, and why culture beats skill when you’re building a management team.
Discover the exact playbook that made it possible: the 21-step "Experience the WOW" system that generates repeat business, the franchise-thinking approach that forced better systems, and the "one van, one child" purpose that became a movement. If you want a company that runs without you and matters beyond you, this is your blueprint.
Key Takeaways:
- From Two Vans to Momentum: Door-Knocking and First Hires: One-on-one outreach created the first wave of customers, while early hires were selected for attitude over aptitude and trained to deliver consistently.
- Building Managers, Not Dependents: Promote doers into leaders with clear KPIs, simple SOPs, and weekly rhythms—then get out of their way so ownership (not permission) drives results.
- Systemizing “Experience the WOW”: Turn the 21-step service journey into checklists, role training, and feedback loops so every job feels the same—reliable, fast, and memorable.
- Brand Before Marketing: Lead with a sharp website and local SEO, then let branded vans act as rolling billboards—clear offers, clear visuals, and the same message everywhere.
- Purpose That Scales: Tie growth to impact so every new van equals a life changed; purpose rallies team, wins customers’ hearts, and makes referrals part of your mission.
🎧 Listen or watch the episode to learn how to turn service into systems, systems into scale, and scale into lasting impact.
Shareable Quotes:
- “The quickest, and I think the only way really to grow a business is the two R's: repeat business and referrals.” — Alana Nicholls
- “Generosity fuels growth. We know specifically that it fueled our growth from a startup to a $65 million brand.” — Alana Nicholls
- “It's one thing to have the extra van that's kind of supply, but businesses grow on demand.” — Allan Dib
- “Money just amplifies who you are, right? So if you're generous at a small scale, you'll be generous at a larger scale.” — Allan Dib
Connect with Alana Nicholls:
Website: https://www.platinumelectricians.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-nicholls-95b14920b/?originalSubdomain=au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/propurpose_/
Connect with Lean Marketing:
Website: https://leanmarketing.com/
Work With Us: https://leanmarketing.com/accelerator
Books: https://leanmarketing.com/books
Podcast: https://leanmarketing.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successwise/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeanMarketingOfficial
Free Resources: https://leanmarketing.com/learn