The Boardroom Buzz: Grow, Sell, or Exit Scaling Spidexx: Coleman Spaulding’s Door-Knock Grit, Nine Acquisitions & the Next Chapter After Proactive
Coleman Spaulding cut his teeth knocking doors for Safeguard in 2005, parlayed that experience into Proactive Pest Management in suburban Chicago, and—after a decade of steady growth—launched Spidexx Pest Control in 2016 with a bigger vision: blend door-to-door horsepower, bolt-on buys, and EOS culture to build a multistate platform. Fresh off selling Proactive this spring, Coleman joins the Blue-Collar Twins to unpack the playbook behind nine tuck-ins, 65-person teams, and why he’s doubling down on Spidexx with a new HQ and more acquisitions on deck.
You’ll hear:
- Door-Knock Roots – Virginia Beach summers that turned 20 straight “no’s” into $10 k days.
- Proactive Era – bootstrapping 2 000 recurring customers without sales reps.
- Partnership & Family – why co-founder Ryan upped Coleman’s stake to 40 %, and how brother Taylor makes the trio click.
- Launch of Spidexx – starting in Des Moines with 380 accounts and grinding through the chaotic first year (yes, those two X’s are intentional).
- Nine Small Acquisitions – buying 700–1 100-account firms, wiring funds fast, and knowing when to walk away.
- Door vs. Deal – retention math, capital intensity, and reading the “gut flags” before you sign.
- Selling Proactive – 60-day process with Potomac M&A, no earn-out, and lessons from the other side of the table.
- Future Vision – new headquarters, keeping culture tight across nine markets, and invitations to join the ride.
From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore
Produced by: www.verbell.ltd
Timestamps (podcast.co-ready)
00:00 – Cold-open: the power of someone believing in you
00:35 – Jason & Jeremy introduce Coleman and his recent Proactive exit
02:00 – First company: Proactive Pest Management launched 2013 in Chicago suburbs
05:55 – Door-knock backstory: Safeguard summers, Brent & Alan Draper connections
11:00 – Partner Ryan bumps Coleman from 10 % to 40 %—“gratitude moment”
13:30 – Proactive’s first year: 700 accounts, one summer team, slow-and-steady growth
16:00 – Why Spidexx was born in 2016 (Des Moines start, two X’s in the name)
19:10 – Chaos tolerance & economics of today’s door-to-door sales teams
24:00 – First tuck-in: buying 1 100 accounts, paying cash, rebranding vs. retaining
30:00 – Potomac relationship, quality-of-earnings, and Proactive sale closing in 60 days
33:30 – Door-to-door customers vs. acquired books—18-month retention rule of thumb
40:00 – Advice to the one-truck operator: “embrace small, learn, keep going”
47:00 – Working with brother Taylor and why family equity is a superpower
53:00 – New Spidexx headquarters coming 2026; podcast invitation for live show there
57:00 – Potomac 100 mastermind rumor & golf talk; wrapping with culture chat
1:00:00 – Outro and Private-Equity Masterclass CTA