Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

How to Scale Beyond Yourself and Build a Real Company

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Nov 13, 2025

John and Jack explore the critical transition from owner to operator in home services. They discuss identifying bottlenecks that hinder growth and knowing when to hire your first manager. The duo debates the merits of promoting internally versus hiring externally and emphasizes effective delegation. With insights from successful companies scaling from $1M to $40M+, they highlight the importance of accountability systems and revenue-focused management. Listeners will gain practical advice on building leadership layers and prioritizing sales to boost growth.

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INSIGHT

Bottleneck Happens At Too Many Direct Reports

Owners hit their first real bottleneck when they carry too many direct reports and hats at once.
John says being

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In this episode, John Wilson and co-host Jack Carr unpack one of the biggest transitions in home service — going from owner to operator. What does it really take to scale beyond yourself? We dive deep into building layers of leadership, knowing when to delegate, hiring vs. promoting internally, and what the first real leadership hire should look like.
From service managers and field supers to accountability systems and EOS, this one’s for owners ready to break through bottlenecks and build real organizational depth.

You’ll hear real playbooks from $1M to $40M+ companies—how John and Jack each handled growth bottlenecks, where they stumbled, and what they’d do differently.

What You’ll Learn

Bottlenecks by Design: How to identify when you’ve outgrown your org chart.
First Leaders: The real tipping point for adding service managers, CSRs, and field supers.
Hiring vs. Promoting: When internal leadership makes sense—and when it doesn’t.
Accountability That Sticks: How to keep KPIs and culture aligned as you scale.
Delegation Done Right: The tasks owners should’ve offloaded yesterday.
Revenue-Focused Management: Why your first manager should drive numbers, not just tech skill.

🎙️ Hosts
John Wilson
Jack Carr

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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

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