Lessons Learned: A Post- PE Breakdown 2.5 Years Later

Sep 23, 2025

Join Jason Buehler, founder of Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing, as he reflects on his transformative journey post-acquisition with Legacy Service Partners. He dives into his impressive growth from $3M to $25M in revenue, tackling challenges of burnout and leadership along the way. Jason shares insights on regaining confidence, hands-on management, and the importance of trust in long-term vision. Plus, he offers valuable advice for business owners considering a sale, emphasizing the significance of engaging fully in their ventures.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Strong Post-Deal Performance

Buehler Air grew from $3M to about $24–25M post-deal and sustains ~20% EBITDA.
Jason now serves as general manager and helps nearby brands in the platform.

ANECDOTE

Post-Deal High Then Hard Landing

Jason describes the emotional high after the April 2023 deal and then the hard landing later that year.
He attributes pressure and a tough Q4 to personal expectations, not Legacy pushing him.

ADVICE

Trust The Long-Term Vision

Trust the long-term vision and avoid fixating on short-term setbacks under partners' eyes.
Rely on your instincts and give yourself permission to ride out temporary dips.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode of To The Point Home Services Podcast, Chris and Chad welcome back their longtime friend and guest, Jason Buehler of Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Jason has been on quite a ride since first joining the show back in episode 90 and then again in episode 187 when he shared his incredible growth story: from $3M to $18M in just 4 years.

Now, Jason is back to open up about what life looks like two and a half years post-acquisition after partnering with Legacy Service Partners—sharing the highs, the unexpected lows, and how he rediscovered his drive to lead and scale his business to over $24–25M in annual revenue at 20% EBITDA.

This episode is packed with real talk on leadership, burnout, private equity partnerships, and reigniting your passion when the weight of growth starts to wear you down. Contractors and business owners thinking about selling, scaling, or stepping back into their business won’t want to miss this conversation.

⏱️ Episode Timecodes

00:00 – 05:00 | Kicking off the show, travel talk, football season chatter, and dad jokes
05:00 – 10:00 | Introducing Jason Buehler — his journey from Air Source America to Buehler Air and private equity with Legacy
10:00 – 15:00 | Scaling from $3M to $18M and navigating post-acquisition reality
15:00 – 20:00 | Hitting a wall: burnout, pressure, and lessons from tough quarters
20:00 – 25:00 | Regaining confidence and perspective, learning from peers in the platform
25:00 – 35:00 | Jumping back in as GM, re-engaging with the team, and fixing what drifted
35:00 – 42:00 | Maintaining culture while driving growth, dealing with leadership turnover, and evolving as a leader
42:00 – 50:00 | Deal structure insights: equity rollovers, betting on yourself, and thinking long-term
50:00 – End | Jason’s advice for contractors eyeing private equity and his renewed vision for the future

🔗 Resources & Mentions

Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing: https://www.buehlerair.com
Legacy Service Partners: https://www.legacyservicepartners.com
To The Point Home Services Podcast: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rilla: https://www.rilla.com/tothepoint

Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/

Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/

Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint

Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint

💬 Enjoyed this episode?

If Jason’s journey inspired you, let us know in the comments!

📌 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with other home service leaders who could use the motivation.

#ToThePointPodcast #HomeServices #ContractorGrowth #Leadership #PrivateEquity #HVAC #BusinessGrowth