123 | From Theater Kid to ServiceTitan Genius: The Blue Collar Nerd’s Ultimate Guide for Contractors

Show Information

Episode Number: 123

Date: 12/15/25

Duration: 31:55

Host Contact Information

Host: Justin Deese

Website: JustinDeese.com

Contact: podcast@JustinDeese.com

Guest Contact Information

Guest: Richard Kohberger (“Blue Collar Nerd”)

Company: Blue Collar Nerd / ServiceTitan

Guest Website: BlueCollarNerd.com

Summary

In this episode of the Freedom Blueprint Podcast, Justin reconnects with longtime friend and industry standout Richard Kohberger, better known as the Blue Collar Nerd. Richard shares how he went from being a self-described theater kid and tech geek to becoming a key voice in the home services space and a full-time ServiceTitan “genius.”

He walks through his early days riding along as a tech in his dad’s HVAC company, the realization that field work wasn’t his long-term path, and how he transitioned into operations, inventory, and eventually deep technical and software roles inside the business. Richard also talks about feeling like an outsider at best-practice groups—and how being encouraged by Justin and others helped him embrace his different perspective and lean into content creation.

Justin and Richard break down the origin story of the Blue Collar Nerd YouTube channel, how honest ServiceTitan critique videos led to a partnership and then a role at ServiceTitan, and why video is such a powerful medium for contractors who hate reading long release notes. Richard also introduces the Ultimate ServiceTitan Guide—a searchable, ever-evolving library designed to help everyone from new users to advanced operators get more out of the platform, faster.

They wrap up with practical advice on underused ServiceTitan features that make technicians’ lives easier, reduce errors, and help owners build more scalable, modern home service businesses.

Takeaways

• You don’t have to fit the “traditional contractor mold” to build a big impact in the trades—leaning into your unique strengths (tech, acting, content, systems) can create an entirely new role or business.
• ServiceTitan is constantly evolving, and staying current is essential if you want to stay competitive as marketing, technology, and customer expectations change.
• Video-based learning (like Blue Collar Nerd’s release note breakdowns) helps owners and teams understand new features without slogging through long technical documents.
• The Ultimate ServiceTitan Guide serves as a living library instead of a one-time course—everything is searchable and transcribed so teams can quickly find answers in the moment.
• Technicians often get the short end of the stick with software; smart setup and features like conditional logic in forms and configurable services dramatically reduce clutter and mistakes in the field.
• Dynamic pricing combined with configurable services helps keep your pricebook cleaner, more accurate, and easier for techs to use—while still protecting margins.
• Eliminating opportunities for human error with better systems isn’t about blaming people, it’s about designing a business that supports them.

Chapters

• 00:00 – Welcome & Reunion
• Justin welcomes Richard “Blue Collar Nerd” Kohberger back and sets the stage for the conversation.
• 01:00 – Born into the Trades (But Not the “Typical Tech”)
• Richard talks about growing up around his dad’s HVAC company, being a theater/film kid, and why he never thought the trades would be his path.
• 03:30 – From Ride-Alongs to Realizations
• How riding with techs turned into a full-time technician role—and the honest realization that solo field work wasn’t his long-term fit.
• 06:00 – Moving into the Office & Finding His Lane
• Richard describes transitioning into operations, taking over inventory, organizing the warehouse, and digging into ServiceTitan, reporting, and payroll.
• 08:00 – Feeling Like an Outsider in the Industry
• Best-practice groups, rooms full of older owners, and why he felt like an alien—plus how Justin and the Blue Collar Success Group helped validate his different perspective.
• 11:00 – Enter the Blue Collar Nerd
• The origin story of the YouTube channel, combining contracting knowledge, acting skills, and tech fluency to help contractors understand complex software.
• 13:30 – Critiquing ServiceTitan… Then Working With Them
• How honest critique videos on ServiceTitan’s releases caught the company’s attention and eventually led to a partnership and a role creating official content.
• 16:00 – Why Release Notes Need a Translator
• Why so many owners ignore release emails and instead rely on video breakdowns and visual examples to understand what actually matters in each update.
• 17:30 – The Ultimate ServiceTitan Guide
• Richard explains what the guide is, how it’s structured (modules by function), who it’s for (from beginners to advanced users), and why it’s designed as a searchable library rather than a linear course.
• 21:30 – Searchability, AI, and Fast Answers for Teams
• How full-text search and an embedded AI assistant make it easy for team members to find specific features, workflows, and how-tos without wasting time.
• 23:30 – How Real Contractors Are Using the Guide
• Justin shares how his team uses the guide to train new team members in accounting and reporting without overwhelming them with dispatch or other modules.
• 25:30 – Underused Features That Help Technicians
• Richard breaks down conditional logic in forms and configurable services—two features that reduce clutter, simplify choices in the field, and cut down on errors.
• 28:30 – Dynamic Pricing + Configurable Services
• How combining dynamic pricing with configurable services keeps pricing accurate while keeping the pricebook lean and more user-friendly for techs.
• 29:30 – Final Thoughts & How to Connect
• Richard shares how to learn more about the Ultimate ServiceTitan Guide and the best ways to reach him online.

Keywords

#FreedomBlueprintPodcast #BlueCollarNerd #RichardKohberger #ServiceTitan #UltimateServiceTitanGuide #HomeServiceBusiness #HVACBusiness #ContractorGrowth #TradeBusiness #FieldServiceSoftware #HomeServices #Dispatching #Pricebook #DynamicPricing #TechnicianTools #BusinessSystems #SmallBusinessGrowth #ServiceTitanTips #ServiceTitanTraining #YouTubeForContractors

Mentioned in this episode:

SERVICE MANAGER ACADEMY 2026

WWW.SERVICEMANAGERTRAINING.COM