Freedom Blueprint for Home Services | HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Leadership, Business Growth

Justin Deese | Home Service Industries

Welcome to the Freedom Blueprint Podcast! Host Justin Deese delivers practical advice from his decades in the home service industry. Each week, discover strategies for success, avoid pitfalls, and hear real-life stories. Join our community to learn and grow together. Featuring guests like Tommy Mello from Home Service Experts, Tersh Blissett from Service Business Mastery, and Tom Peregrino from Service Nation.
Visit www.FreedomBlueprintPodcast.com for more. Empowering leaders, fostering growth and a positive mindset. Your journey to success in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical starts here!

Episodes

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Mar 17, 2025 • 33min

79 | Do Business Owners Need to Know How to do Everything? with Kristen & Justin Deese

Show InformationEpisode Number: 79Date: March 17, 2025Duration: 31:33Host: Justin DeeseWebsite: www.JustinDeese.comContact: Justin@JustinDeese.comCo Host Contact InformationCo Host: Kristen Deese The Virtual CFO for the TradesWebsite: www.KristenDeese.comContact: Kristen@KristenDeese.comLIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopSummaryIn this episode of the Freedom Blueprint podcast, the hosts discuss the common misconception that business owners must know how to do every task within their business. They emphasize the importance of trust and verification in managing a business, particularly in financial matters. The conversation highlights the need for business owners to focus on strategic oversight rather than micromanagement, allowing them to delegate tasks effectively while still being informed about key financial metrics. The hosts share personal anecdotes and practical advice on how to maintain a healthy balance between knowing enough to ask the right questions and trusting others to handle the details.TakeawaysYou don't have to know how to do everything in your business.Trust but verify is essential for business owners.Spotting discrepancies in financials is crucial.Business owners should focus on strategic oversight.Timely financial reports are necessary for informed decision-making.Delegation is key to effective business management.Understanding averages helps in identifying issues.Numbers provide clarity and direction for business decisions.It's important to know what to do with financial information.Effective leadership involves managing results, not tasks.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Business Ownership Challenges04:50 Trust but Verify: The Importance of Oversight09:57 Understanding Financial Metrics Without Micromanaging15:02 Strategic Leadership in Business ManagementKeywordsbusiness ownership, trust but verify, financial metrics, strategic leadership, accounting, business management, delegation, oversight, home service industry, entrepreneurship, Justin Deese, Freedom Blueprint Podcast, When Your Business Partner is Your Spouse, Kristen Deese The Virtual CFO for the Trades, Power Profit WorkshopMentioned in this episode:Power Profit Workshop 2025- PowerProfitWorkshop.com

Mar 15, 2025 • 15min

75 | From Mindset to Millions: Unleashing Growth in Home Services with Kristen and Justin Deese

Show InformationEpisode Number: 75Date: February 24, 2025Duration: 40:19Host: Justin DeeseWebsite: www.JustinDeese.comContact: Justin@JustinDeese.comCo Host Contact InformationCo Host: Kristen Deese The Virtual CFO for the TradesWebsite: www.KristenDeese.comContact: Kristen@KristenDeese.comLIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopSummaryIn this episode of the Freedom Blueprint podcast, hosts discuss the importance of mindset in business growth, the challenges of financial management, and the role of technology in achieving ROI. They emphasize the need for business owners to be aware of their compensation, the significance of being coachable, and the difference between tactical and strategic management. The conversation highlights how mindset shifts can lead to better outcomes and the necessity of having a diverse team to foster growth. PowerProfitWorkshop.comTakeawaysMindset is crucial for business growth.Awareness of financial management is key.Investing in technology requires a clear ROI plan.Owner compensation should be balanced with business health.Perfectionism can hinder business growth.Being coachable is essential for improvement.Strategic management is necessary for long-term success.Letting go of control can empower your team.Continuous learning and adaptation are vital.Surrounding yourself with diverse talent enhances growth.Chapters00:00 Setting the Stage: Technical Setup and Challenges03:03 Mindset Matters: The Foundation of Business Growth13:23 Financial Insights: Overcoming Growth Barriers18:30 Owner Compensation: Balancing Personal and Business Needs25:28 Mindset Matters: The Key to Business AdvancementKeywordsbusiness, workshop, financial metrics, operational efficiency, accountability, Pensacola, leadership, KPIs, event, entrepreneurship, Justin Deese, Freedom Blueprint Podcast, When Your Business Partner is Your Spouse, Kristen Deese The Virtual CFO for the Trades, Power Profit WorkshopMentioned in this episode:Power Profit Workshop 2025- PowerProfitWorkshop.com

Feb 17, 2025 • 40min

74 | Building a Brand: The Story of My Guy Plumbing with Ryan Matthews

LIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopShow InformationEpisode Number: 74Date: February 17, 2025Duration: 37:40.31Host: Justin DeeseWebsite: www.JustinDeese.comContact: Justin@JustinDeese.comGuest: Ryan MatthewsCompany: My Guy PlumbingWebsite: www.myguyplumbingnj.comContact: Ryan@myguyplumbingnj.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.matthews.50552SummaryIn this episode of the Freedom Blueprint podcast, Justin Deese interviews Ryan Matthews, the owner of My Guy Plumbing. Ryan shares his journey from carpentry to plumbing, the challenges he faced in the industry, and the strategies he implemented to grow his business. He emphasizes the importance of operational efficiency, the role of technology and AI in modern business, and the need for adaptability in a changing market. Ryan's insights provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and established business owners alike.TakeawaysRyan transitioned from carpentry to plumbing after a conflict with his boss.The name 'My Guy Plumbing' was chosen to create a relatable brand.Ryan emphasizes the importance of efficiency in business operations.He learned valuable lessons from previous employers about what not to do.AI technology is crucial for staying competitive in the plumbing industry.Ryan advocates for a patient approach to business growth and investment.Operational efficiency can significantly reduce costs and increase profitability.The plumbing industry is evolving, and businesses must adapt to survive.Ryan's journey highlights the importance of implementation over mere education.Building a strong brand identity can lead to customer loyalty and referrals.Chapters00:00 The Journey Begins: From Carpentry to Plumbing06:07 Building My Guy Plumbing: The Birth of a Brand11:54 Navigating Challenges: Lessons from the Industry18:01 Operational Efficiency: The Key to Success24:08 Embracing Technology: The Role of AI in Business30:00 Future-Proofing: Adapting to Industry ChangesKeywordsplumbing, business growth, entrepreneurship, AI, operational efficiency, Marketing, service industry, leadership, My Guy Plumbing, technologyJustin Deese, Freedom Blueprint Podcast, When Your Business Partner is Your Spouse, Kristen Deese the Virtual CFO for the Trades, PowerProfitWorkshop.comMentioned in this episode:Power Profit Workshop 2025- PowerProfitWorkshop.com

Feb 10, 2025 • 31min

73 | Revolutionizing Home Services with Jimmy Speyer with Glass House

LIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopShow InformationEpisode Number: 73Date: February 10, 2025Duration: 28:10.688Host: Justin DeeseWebsite: www.JustinDeese.comContact: Justin@JustinDeese.comGuest: Jimmy SpeyerCompany: Glass HouseWebsite: www.Glasshouse.bizContact: jimmy@glasshouse.bizSummaryIn this episode, Justin Deese interviews Jimmy Speyer, CEO of Glasshouse, a digital door knocking platform designed to help home service businesses proactively acquire customers. They discuss the challenges of traditional marketing methods in the home services industry, the innovative approach of Glasshouse, and the importance of being proactive in customer acquisition. Jimmy shares insights on sales strategies, the mission behind Glasshouse, and the impact of their services on small and medium-sized businesses.TakeawaysGlasshouse is a digital door knocking platform for home services.Proactive marketing is essential in a competitive landscape.Home service businesses can benefit from reaching out to neighbors.Leads are becoming increasingly expensive, necessitating new strategies.The concept of owning a neighborhood can transform customer acquisition.Glasshouse helps businesses connect with homeowners in a compliant way.Performance pay can motivate technicians and improve service delivery.Speed in sales processes can significantly impact revenue growth.The mission of Glasshouse is to grow profitable home service businesses.Sales strategies should focus on increasing efficiency and customer engagement.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Glasshouse and Digital Door Knocking03:03 The Need for Proactive Marketing in Home Services06:05 How Glasshouse Works: The Digital Door Knocking Process08:58 The Impact of Proactive Customer Acquisition11:58 The Mission Behind Glasshouse14:50 Sales Philosophy and the Disney Prince Model26:59 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsKeywordsDigital marketing, home services, lead generation, customer acquisition, software platform, Glasshouse, proactive marketing, sales strategy, HVAC, plumbing, Jimmy Speyer, Justin Deese, Freedom Blueprint Podcast, When Your Business Partner is Your Spouse, Kristen Deese Mentioned in this episode:Power Profit Workshop 2025- PowerProfitWorkshop.com

Feb 3, 2025 • 25min

72 | Unlocking Business Success: A Workshop for Entrepreneurs with Justin and Kristen Deese

LIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopShow InformationEpisode Number: 72Date: February 3, 2025Duration: 22:31.512Host: Justin DeeseWebsite: www.JustinDeese.comContact: Justin@JustinDeese.comCo Host Contact InformationCo Host: Kristen DeeseWebsite: www.KristenDeese.comContact: Kristen@KristenDeese.comLIVE '25 REGISTRATION https://pages.virtualcfoforthetrades.com/live-25SummaryIn this episode of the Freedom Blueprint podcast, Justin Deese and his wife Kristen discuss the launch of a new workshop designed for business owners. The workshop aims to help attendees understand key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial benchmarks while also focusing on leadership and operational efficiency. They share insights on the importance of profitability over revenue, the challenges of accountability in business, and the exciting details of the upcoming event in Pensacola. The conversation highlights the couple's personal experiences and reflections on hosting events, making it a relatable and informative episode for entrepreneurs.TakeawaysThe workshop will focus on KPIs and financial benchmarks.Leadership is crucial for implementing learned strategies.Understanding financial metrics can reduce overwhelm for business owners.Operational efficiency can lead to higher net income even with lower revenue.Accountability should not be equated with micromanagement.The event is designed for both business owners and their operational teams.Personal experiences from past events will shape the new workshop.The goal is to create an intimate setting for meaningful discussions.Profitability is more important than just revenue numbers.The event will take place in a vibrant downtown Pensacola.Chapters00:00 Introduction and New Beginnings02:52 Workshop Announcement and Goals06:12 Understanding Financial Metrics09:02 Operational Efficiency and Accountability12:06 Event Details and Location14:49 Personal Reflections and Insights17:59 Conclusion and Registration InformationKeywordsbusiness, workshop, financial metrics, operational efficiency, accountability, Pensacola, leadership, KPIs, event, entrepreneurshipMentioned in this episode:Power Profit Workshop 2025- PowerProfitWorkshop.com

Jan 27, 2025 • 24min

71 | Unlock Business Success: The GAME-Changing Strategy Revealed: Justin Deese

LIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopShow InformationEpisode Number: 71Date: January 27, 2025Duration: 27:17Host Contact InformationHost: Justin DeeseWebsite: JustinDeese.com Contact: Justin@JustinDeese.comFree Gift: copy of my eBook you can text 850-750-5505 or you can get a copy from www.FreedomBluePrintPodcast.com/ebookSummaryIn this episode of the Freedom Blueprint Podcast, Justin Deese discusses the importance of setting goals and having a plan to achieve them. He introduces the acronym 'GAME' which stands for Growth Focused, Automated, Motivated, and Efficient, and elaborates on each component. The conversation emphasizes the significance of a positive team culture, the role of automation in streamlining operations, and the need for efficiency to maximize profitability. Justin encourages listeners to take action and reflect on their business strategies to foster growth and success.TakeawaysIt's important to check in on your goals regularly.Having a plan is crucial for achieving your resolutions.Growth can mean different things to different people.Automation should serve your business needs, not the other way around.A positive team culture is essential for success.Motivating your team leads to better performance.Efficiency is key to maximizing profitability.Engage your team in discussions about improving efficiency.Set clear goals and share them with your team.Take action today to improve your business strategies.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Goal Setting Reflection04:26 The Game: Understanding the Acronym06:45 Growth Focused: Expanding Your Business09:09 Automation: Streamlining Your Operations11:29 Motivation: Building a Positive Team Culture14:44 Efficiency: Maximizing Productivity and Profitability19:10 Conclusion: Taking Action and Moving ForwardKeywordsGoal setting, business growth, automation, team motivation, efficiency, leadership, productivity, business strategy, personal development, entrepreneurshipTranscriptJustin Deese (00:09.59)Welcome to the freedom blueprint podcast. I'm excited to be hanging out with you today. And, listen, before we jump into, into today's topic. And I do have a really cool topic. I'm excited to talk about this topic. but before we do, want to check in, check in on one thing before we do, I want to check in on something with you. So, at the time this episode is being released, it is Monday, January 27th.Which means we're not quite done with January, but how are you doing on your new year's resolutions or your goals for the year or whatever you call them? And I did an episode. Um, actually I think it was the first one of the year. We talked a little bit about smart goals and some other things, and I won't go into that, but, um, one of things I talked about was that there's a national quitters day, which is January 12th this year.And I think what it came out to be as the second Friday of each year is national quitters day. And they say at that point, 50 % of people stop whatever their goal or resolution was, which I mean, resolution is just a goal. that's, that's really all that is, but, I'm not really sure why they use it. Well, I guess they use this resolution to, so they can, I don't know, feel good about the new year. I don't know. Anyways, point being is I hope that you're on the.the half of that equation that is still driving forward and still going towards your goals. And listen, if you're off of your goals and you've kind of fallen off track, no harm, no foul, man, just get back on, get back on the bus, right? Get back on and start doing things in order to achieve your goals for the year. It's not too late. Still January. mean, gosh, you got, you still got a lot of time, a lot of time. So one of the things I think that peopleget a little bit sideways on when they come up with resolutions or goals is they don't have a plan. And here's the deal. You gotta have a plan. It's no different than anything else you do in life. A really good analogy for us that are in the home service trades is if you're building a house, you've gotta have a blueprint. You've gotta have a step-by-step guide. You can't do the plumbing after the house is dry walled, right? That would make no sense. So.Justin Deese (02:31.278)Just make sure whatever your goals are, whatever resolutions you have for the year, just make sure you're sitting down, writing them down and working them backwards so that you can achieve your achieve your goals. So I didn't want to make today's topic about a goal setting or any of that. I know I've talked about that a lot. Um, I want to talk about a little bit of a different, uh, different topic, but before we get into that, I want to, I want to give you a free gift for coming in and hanging out with me. Um,Which by the way, thank you. I appreciate all of you who, hang out and check out the podcast and send me really cool notes, and text messages. And it's just cool. and it is, it is, it makes it a lot more fun. It's like anything else in life. when it's, when you're doing good at it and people enjoy what you're doing, it just makes it more fun. But, I have a new ebook and the ebook ebook is called pipe dreams to payday.It's just an ebook that I wrote. It kind of started out as that Jerry Maguire middle of the night thing. And then I finally got the whole thing done and it was great, but you can download a copy. All you got to do is text the word ebook to the number 850-750-5505. Download the word ebook to that number and you will get a free copy of the book. A lot of good information in there.it's obviously based around, the fact that I've sold a couple of businesses and bought a couple of businesses. It's a little bit of a roadmap on, no matter whether you're in that part of your journey that you're ready to sell your business or not. I still think there's some, things in there you need to keep in mind so that when you do go to sell, you're ready and you're, you're ready to go and you're not playing the long game. or the short game. So let's dive into today's topic.The topic today is about how are you playing the game? Yes, the game is an acronym. And one of the things about, business is I think sometimes we get a little bit sideways and we forget that it can be fun. Like nobody wants to run a business or be in business. That's no fun. It can be fun. There's nothing wrong with having a good time.Justin Deese (04:55.214)doing what it is you're doing. Matter of fact, that's the dream is to do something that you love to do. Um, and, and I think that if you were, if you're running your business, if you're leading your team and you're doing it and everybody's rowing in the same direction, it's just a lot more fun. Trust me, I've done it both ways. And when everybody's going in a different direction, it's not nearly as much fun as when everybody is.Rowan in the same direction and fighting for the same fight and on the same mission. So that's kind of what inspired this today is I've caught myself a lot saying, you know, how we play the game and we play the game this way and we play the game that way. And finally, somebody called me out and it's like, I don't, you gotta, you gotta help break this down for me. And I thought, well, this be a good podcast episode. So, um, so here you go. So we're going to talk about it. So the game is an acronym and the acronym is.growth focused, automated, motivated, and efficient. Right. And we'll dive into each of those here in just a minute, but, that's it. Growth focused, automated, motivated, efficient. Now we can go into, we don't, we don't want this to be a marathon, podcast episode. So I may actually go back in and break these down a little bit because there is a lot inside of each of these, but really the point of today.is really for you just to think a little bit different about your business and you to think a little bit different about how you're going about your day so that you can really make sure that you're driving the way you want to drive. If you're not having fun, you're missing something. So that's what I want to get into today. So let's break down growth focus just a little bit. So are you growth focused? Are you thinking about growth now?growth can mean different things to different people, right? So for some people it's, hey, if I hit the million dollar mark, for some it's 50 million, for some it's a hundred million, for some it's not revenue at all, for some it's profitability, which let's be honest, I hope that your goal is, even if your revenue goal is one of your focuses, I do hope profitability is one of the, it's more fun when you're making money, like it's just more fun. So growth focuses strive to expand reallyJustin Deese (07:14.402)Both your revenue. Well, it's really three things. So your revenue, your profits and your team, like you want to grow a strong team as a leader, especially when you're being growth focused, your, your attention should always be, how do I replace myself? And I think for a lot of people, that's a little bit scary because you're like, then what I'm going to do? What am I going to do then? But the truth is as your business grows, so does its needs.Right? So, a $1 million business, that leader looks different than a $10 million leader. And that leader looks different than a hundred million dollar leader. It's so it's, it's growth, it's expansion. And really part of that should also be yourself. Right? So I said, there's going to be two things and now we've ended up before. So it's going to be your revenue, your profitability, building a strong team and building your personal leadership skills so that you can, can work on that and you can be continuously improving.So think about this, what steps are you taking for your future to hit those, those four marks?Justin Deese (09:09.6)Next on our list is going to be automated. Now, automated can be a whole lot of things and we live in this automation world. There's AI, there's softwares now that we have that do all kinds of really cool, automation stuff. The trick I think to automation is not to get bogged down on the not efficient, right? So we're going back to, efficiency, but I think it'sI think it's really good to find whatever problem you've got going on and then look for automation solutions around it. Don't find automation solutions and figure out how to put them in your business. I hope that makes sense, but you should go look for automation as it helps and improves your life in your business. Don't go find an automation product service and then figure out how to plug it into your business. You're looking at it the wrong way.Because the other way is going to allow you to focus on streamlining the process and really simplifying your operation. Again, go, go find the automation that best suits your business. Don't go find automation and figure out how to make it work into your business. That will get a little bit, a little bit sideways. And really when you're doing it that way, now what happens is you're, really empowering your business and your team to leverage technology again.I hate to keep repeating that, but so many people go out and find a product or service and then go figure out how to plug in their business versus how does it serve your, how does it serve you and how does it serve your business as a, a way more impactful way in order to, to work with the efficiency of your, of your business and your operations.Justin Deese (10:59.606)Automation should really help reduce the manual tasks and really just again overall improve efficiency. So next on the list is going to be motivating or motivation, right? So as you're building your team. There needs to be this positive engaging culture that's that's happening. Cultures really in my opinion cultures at the root of everything. If you've got a team that there is a solid culture.And again, everybody is aiming for the same goal. Dude, there's nothing that can stop that team from succeeding. Nothing. If you, if you think you have a good culture, this is be a pretty good test. If you think you have a good culture, but you're always off on your goals and what goals you have set, I would say that your culture might not be as good as you think it is. Right. I think that,Well, and that's another thing too, is are you doing team goals? Right? That is very motivating to people. If they have a goal, know what direction I've seen owners where they have goals internally, they have goals for their business and they know what they want to do, but then they don't share it. And that doesn't do anybody any good because now you're going to be disappointed at your team for not hitting the goal. And your team's like, I don't even know about the goal. Like that would have been great information.Let's call it January 27th, the day this, comes out. So make sure your team knows whatever the goals are that you have in order to be, to be able to make sure and motivate them and engage them and share the wins and the losses with them as well.Justin Deese (12:44.332)And really, as you do that too, what ends up happening is when your team is motivated and they're fired up and they're pumped up, they are going to take care of each other and your customers at a way better level. Like if you want to know, paradise, we call it long yaw. That's one of our core values and line up as a French Canadian term for, that little extra. So like Baker's dozen. And for us, that was always something that we, we talked about is.is everybody rowing in the same direction and we can tell that a lot of times by the reviews we get or by technicians what they got going on. So, you know, you hear a lot about technicians. They, they know the trash has run that day or let's not use trash as an example. Let's use the, the, newspaper, not that anybody gets it, but back in the day, it used to be, we would teach technicians, you know, if you go to the house and you see the newspaper, pick it up and take it to the house and hand it to the customer. And, and I think.There's a, there's this really cool mindset or not mindset shift, but there's this really cool thing that happens with a customer. Actually it is a mindset shift that the customer now looks at you as someone who is there being helpful versus just a broke fix kind of person. Right? So, when your team is all motivated and rowing in the same direction, they want to do that kind of line up stuff, but to, in order to make the team look better. And I think that's just such a cool, such a cool thing when that's happening.Justin Deese (14:15.766)And last, but certainly not least efficient, right? So you want to, obviously you want to be as efficient as possible. you want to maximize productivity, you want to minimize waste. I think we all know that, but there also has to be these other things in play to do that. So your team has to be motivated in order to be the most productive and minimize waste. They also had to be rewarded for that kind of thing.for us, a lot of times we talk about billable efficiency, being a real good way to, compensate or bonus technicians is, is that will help them naturally police themselves to minimize waste and maximize productivity. Right. Because if, if you're only paying guys by the hour or girls, if you're only paying technicians or team members in general, by the hour, think about what is their motivation each day.And the truth is it's going to be either get off, get home and go do whatever else they want to do as fast as possible, or it's going to be work as many hours as possible. Right? The only way to make more money. If you're only paying people by the hour, the only way for them to make more money is to work more hours. Right? So just, just think about that as you talk about, or as you think about how to maximize productivity and minimize waste, because efficiency is how weare the most profitable, especially in our businesses. Right? So when you think about the two things that can kill your profit, the fastest in our space, the two things, the two things that can just hammer you down faster than anything else is going to be your labor and your material. It's the two things. so just think about that. So as you're, as you're being efficient and as you're thinking aboutYou know, do I play the game or how do I play the game better or am I even playing the game or is the game playing me? Like as you think about that, just think about how you're, how you're compensating your team. It matters, man. It matters because you want them to win when you win. Unfortunately, you can't really have a, we didn't make any money this month. So nobody gets paid. That's not really a thing as an owner of the business. That's, that's, that's part of the risk you take, butJustin Deese (16:38.262)If you give them a way to win when you win, man, I'm telling you, there's some cool stuff that happens because now they want to win because they win too.Justin Deese (16:49.57)The other thing on efficiency is be on the lookout for how to be more efficient. Like what are things that you can do to improve the operation? And now if you're an owner or leader that is not in a truck day to day, or you're not in a role where you answer the phone and talk to customers on a day to day basis, which if you're listening to this, I hope you, you aren't any of those. And I hope you don't do any of that on a full time basis.Which means if you, if you're not doing it, go ask those people how to be more efficient. Don't be scared to sit down and say, Hey, we're, we're struggling with this job. Let's let's call it re pipes. Like plumbing side. We're struggling on re pipes. What is it that we can do to be more efficient? Don't be scared to ask the team. Sit down, bring in some breakfast, have your install team sit and just ask them the simple question. I'm telling you, you will be absolutely amazed.It's some of the things that you will learn. What's great about it is as you're thinking about efficiency and if billable efficiency is something that's even important to you. If you sit down with your team and go, listen, how do we take this? How do we take this? Job and how do we go from 12 hours to 10 hours? Just throw that challenge out to them. Whatever it is that they need.Either it's either yes or no while you're sitting at the table. But if it's anything you can do, which hopefully there's nothing completely out of this world that that you can't get them to support them. Then now that they've come up with...

Jan 20, 2025 • 28min

70 | Is trust important in Leadership: Justin Deese

LIVE '25 REGISTRATION: Power Profit WorkshopShow Information Episode Number: 70 Date: January 20, 2025 Duration: 27:17 Host Contact Information Host: Justin Deese Website: JustinDeese.com Contact: Justin@JustinDeese.com Free Gift: copy of my eBook you can text 850-750-5505 or you can get a copy from www.FreedomBluePrintPodcast.com/ebook SummaryIn this episode of the Freedom Blueprint podcast, Justin Deese explores the critical role of trust in leadership. He discusses the current state of trust in society, the consequences of a lack of trust within teams, and practical strategies for building trust, including setting clear expectations, accountability, and conducting one-on-one meetings. The conversation emphasizes that effective leadership hinges on understanding and connecting with team members, ultimately leading to a more productive and engaged workforce.TakeawaysTrust is foundational in leadership and relationships.Current societal trust levels are alarmingly low.Lack of trust leads to high turnover and disengagement.Clear expectations are essential for team trust.Accountability should be balanced with recognition of achievements.Consistency in messaging builds trust over time.Empathy and open communication are vital for leaders.Training and empowering team members fosters trust.Integrity and authenticity are crucial for effective leadership.One-on-ones can significantly enhance team dynamics and trust.Chapters00:00 The Importance of Trust in Leadership02:11 Current State of Trust in Society05:57 Consequences of Lack of Trust09:37 Building Trust with Your Team15:13 The Role of One-on-Ones in Leadership27:04 Final Thoughts on Leadership and TrustKeywordsleadership, trust, team dynamics, communication, accountability, empathy, one-on-ones, management, productivity, growthTranscriptJustin Deese (00:23)Welcome to another episode of Freedom Blueprint podcast. Happy Monday. If you're listening to this episode, the day it drops, if not happy, whatever day you're listening, I hope you're having an amazing day and listen today's episode. We're going to get into a pretty big question here, which is, is trust important in leadership? Right? Is, is it actually important?And really today we're going to dive into a little bit more of that topic on the heart of trust in leadership. So, but hang on tight because before we jump into that, I want to give you a free gift. So I have a new ebook that is just come out. It's called from pipe dreams to pay day. And if you want to pick up a free copy, you can just text the word ebook to 8 5 0 7 5 0 5 5 0 5Again, that number is 850-750-5505 and text the word ebook and you'll get a free copy of that book. I gotta tell you, it's a pretty good ebook. I mean, I'm certainly I'm biased, but it was a fun project. As most of you know, my wife and I wrote a book. Gosh, it's almost been five years ago now that we released the book called When Your Business Partner Is Your Spouse. I will tell you writing an ebook is a much shorter journey thanthan the other book, but there's a ton of value in it. It's not a super long read. I think there's a lot of really good content. I was trying to keep it really short and concise. So check it out again. Text the word ebook to 850-750-5505. So let's jump in today's topic. And today's topic is, is trust important in leadership?And I think if we, you know, it kind of first, if you hear that, you just automatically go away. Yeah, of course it is. But, but is it really right? I mean, we hear a lot of things about trust being, you know, the foundation of really any kind of relationship whatsoever. But, but I wanted to dive in a little bit of, on the side of leadership, cause from a relationship, obviously trust is, I mean, that could be the foundation of, of, I can't think of a relationship that that's not, but again,leadership is a little bit of a different animal. So I want to dive into that just a little bit today.Is trust a major, is trust a major part of your leadership? How crucial is it really? Let's find out.Truth is right now we live in a time where trust is probably at an all time low. I haven't done the research to know what percentage of whatever, but, but I think you'll probably agree with me right now. Trust is not at an all time high. It's probably more on the all time low. and the world that we live in right now. And really that's because, you know, people and organizations that we feel like that we feel like we're supposed to be able to trust.we don't anymore. And obviously the, the big one in the room is the mainstream media. That's a big one. financial institutions now there's, there's a lot of, shenanigans we'll say, that are, that are happening there. Government politicians, like there's, there's so many different, different things that were built that were kind of born with thinking that we're supposed to trust or.you know, growing up thinking that we're supposed to trust that if that have really started to kind of crumble over the last however many years, I don't even know how long it's been, but it's been a while. And it, and I'm sure as you heard just those couple little examples, I'm sure you have a few that you're thinking of on your list that you would give as an example of either people or organizations or foundations or whatever that you kind of have that a little bit oftrust concerns or issues with. You know, really the ones that I that I talked about before scratch.So out of the list that I gave before, here's an interesting fact. And this is for the, for the older generation in the room. but Walter Cronkite was, was one of the first news anchored. Maybe he wasn't one of the first news anchors, but he was a big news anchors from the sixties to the eighties. And he was referred to as the most trusted man in America. Now think about that. Now, when you think about news anchors now does most trusted in America.even fall inside anything you would think of when it when it comes to that. I don't know.So let's dive into a little bit of, trust and not trust. And we're going to start with, with not trust. So really, and again, I think this is a little bit of an obvious point, but I'm going to bring it up and we'll get into some, specifics on how to increase, the trust that you have going on with your team. But let's go to without trust, because I think a lot of times when people hear, when they hear this topic, they, they go, yeah, of course, that's obvious. There should be trust.And then, and then realistically does their team trust them? And I think sometimes we don't ask the question. And I think sometimes we don't ask the question because maybe we don't want to know the truth. And really here's the deal. If we don't have trust, like if people don't have trust in their leadership, then I mean, productivity is certainly not at an all time high. Growth is not on fire and growing. And really some things that come from that arehigh turnover, gosh, high turnover. We're in an industry right now where a lot of people talk about not having enough people to do the job. Right? So it's always, it's, can't find any good people and nobody wants to work and all of those things. so if you don't have trust in your people and you have high turnover, that's just going to amplify that issue. Cause you know, if you, if you have good people and they just, there's a trust breakdown there.then they're gonna go find somewhere else to work. That's just kinda how that works. So high turnover, even the ones that stay, you never get buy-in from them. You're not gonna have buy-in if they don't trust you. Goals won't be important. Goals won't be important because realistically, there's a good chance that they're just kinda there to get a paycheck. Like they're just there getting a paycheck. And really when that kinda thing happens, there's no...you're not getting a hundred percent of output. Like you're getting just enough for somebody to get by, which is not a win for anybody. It's, it's not a win for you as the leader. It's not a win for the team member cause they're not progressing or growing or advancing or anything like that. And the other thing is, as a leader, if you don't have a lot of trust, I'm guessing you don't share vision. but if you do share vision and they don't trust you or don't trust your vision, you're just not ever going to get any buy-in. That's just.they're not going to buy in because they're not going to want to be a part of something that they don't trust. I will say I've, I've heard a lot of technicians, say that, that about places that they've worked, they're like, I worked in this place and they really wanted me to sell, sell, sell. And, know, I just had to be to lay my head down at night and go to sleep. And, no, I didn't take advantage of somebody. Now part of that's true, but part of that also is sometimes that's a reason that people give to.maybe not offer options. I'm gonna scratch that, cause that really is getting off into a rabbit hole.HmmSo one of the things that you can kind of do a little bit of a self evaluation on where you are on the trust factor. Obviously you can ask your team. I think if you just came out and asked them, you're, you're, probably going to give you whatever answer you want. There are actual ways to, do some, some asking, without them feeling like there's a recourse, but here's some things, that you can kind of ask yourself to see if trust is a foundation in your business and your leadership.So if you're asking yourself, how do I already, how do I, how do I know if I do or don't have trust in your team?Here's some ways to build trust in your team. First thing is, and this is gonna be a hard one to believe just because I think a lot of times people think that team, they don't want clear expectations, but they do. You've got to give your team members clear expectations, right? Very clear expectation. What is expected of them? What is their job? Nothing should ever be subjective. And I think that's one of the hardest things about running a service.Probably any business, but I've only run service business. So I'll speak to service businesses, which is having clear expectations that aren't, are, that are not subjective, clear. Did you hit it? Yes or no. so I think the more clarity you get on that, the better that gets for the team because now they're not guessing. And one of the worst things that a team member can do is guess if they're doing a good job or not. The other thing is accountability. accountability means, you know, there's a couple of things, butOne of the things on accountability is if, if you give them clear expectations and they're not hitting those expectations, you have to let them know, Hey, I see you and I know that we're not hitting these and you need to have that conversation on the flip side of that. When there's clear expectations, if they are hitting it, you have got to make sure that you're leaning in to celebrate the win and not just using.you can't just be accountable when things go bad. Like there's gotta be a high five. There's gotta be both sides of it. the other thing with accountability is, is really leading by example. Right. always think about this as a parent and I want to say this a lot and I sometimes I do, but do as I do and not as I say, right? Like that's just such an easy way to just be like, do what I do, what I say, not as I do. And you'll be fine. So, clear expectations, accountability, two big parts.of having trust with your Saint with your team. The other thing is consistency, right? So if you're going to have clear expectations and there's going to be accountability, you have to be consistent about your message. You have to be consistent. Like you can't just blow up when something goes bad, which you shouldn't blow up when something goes bad anyways, but you should just be consistent with your messaging, right? So when someone does a good job, make sure you celebrate the win. And when there's not a,When they don't win, make sure that there's a little bit of a celebration on that. the, the saying correct and private praise and public comes to mind. and if you've never heard that term, I would, I would say that's something good to write down and remember, but praise and public correct and private is, is really, really good. And obviously, you know, when someone wins, let's celebrate it out in public. Let's, know, town square meeting. my gosh. Show and so did such a great job.But then when there is some corrective action that needs to take, it doesn't need to happen in front of anybody else. It needs to happen behind closed doors in private so that there is an open, honest conversation about what's going on.One of the other things is empathy and understanding and really encouraging and open communication and listening and being able to listen to what's going on and being able to handle that, that conversation. You know, a lot of times if you sit down with a technician and this is not something you normally do when you sit down with a, let's say a technician who's not, who's close rates, not where you want it to be. If you don't have very specific guidelines and clear expectations, I promise you what you're going to hear back.is going to be something to the effect of I don't get good calls or they all go to Jimmy or what, whatever kind of thing it is. So you, even if you don't buy into what's going on, you still have to be empathetic understanding and you still have to listen to that concern, which I know for a lot of us, we feel like we're too busy for that crap. Like just figure it out, go, go close a job, go sell a job. And the truth is, we have to make time and as a leader, that's our job.Like literally leadership is about clearing out the garbage out of the pathway of your team members so they can go be successful. I mean, that's literally the core, probably the single for me. Like when I think of leadership, that's the thing I think about. Your job is to clear the path so that they have a clear path to success. And, you know, these are some of the things that, that will get you there. Now, another thing is training. We have to train our team. They're not going to get better by just.going and messing it up over and over again. So we have to train, we have to invest the time, the effort, the energy, the money, like we just have to do it. You have to train how to learn every skill and it doesn't matter. I there's all kinds of new skills coming out, new tools, new whatever, we have to make a priority to training and then you have to empower them to go out and do what it is that you're training on. And again,This all goes back to clear expectations, accountability, consistency, empathy, right? You see how this is, this is all flowing here. another thing I've got on here is act with integrity, transparent, and authenticity. Those are three really, really big terms that I've kind of lumped into one thing and I've done it really on purpose because I don't, I don't want to go in like we can have a whole, series of podcasts about, about those things. But at the end of the day,As a leader, sometimes it's, easy to forget that we're human and it's easy to forget that we don't have to have all the answers. We're not perfect. You're our team does not expect us to be perfect. So what I'm going to with the, the point I'm getting to with this is if you mess something up, own it, don't just own it, own it to your team. Right? If you, if you completely limit, let's say you run a call with, with one of your tag, you're doing aYou're doing a ride along or you yourself are still every now and again in a truck and selling you go to a house and we've all been there in front of a customer where we're like, this is just not going well. What is happening? Why? How do I get this train back on the track? And maybe you don't get it back on track or maybe you do, but those are really good stories to share with your team in order to get, to get them to really have that trust and authenticity in you as a leader is to not try to be perfect. We're not perfect.There's no perfect people like we're just not. And so the, the faster we get over that and the, and the quicker that we become human with our team and we're in the trenches with them and we, we acknowledge when we mess up. Now, again, you can not, you can acknowledge your wins too, but let's not spend all of our time beating our chest on. Look at this great thing that I did. Cause nobody likes that guy either. Let, let's be honest. So, so to kind of, to kind of wrap all this, this up as well.I think one of the, one of the exercises that you can do to kind of roll these things in and really ensure that, that trust and transparency, is happening in your business is by doing one to ones. And for anybody who listens to the show on a regular basis, I talk about one to ones. I think one to ones is one of those things that probably made the biggest, biggest impact on my business.When I first started doing this is probably 15 years ago and there was about a five year period of time where I knew what one to ones were. I knew I was supposed to be doing them. I had mentors telling me how important they were. So I had the information, but I didn't do squat with it. And so I'm sure some people listening, you can kind of relate to that. there's information, like you're like, I know the information, but I haven't applied the information, right? And then,the just known information that's not applied doesn't do us any good, right? It's, it's, I don't want to say worthless because it's not worthless, but until you applied, it doesn't really have a positive impact on your, on your life. And so finally I got to the point where in my, in my business, I was a little bit frustrated and by a little bit, I mean a lot and everything was a problem and I blamed everyone and every situation, um, except the person who is actually responsible for all that, which is me.which was as the late great Michael Jackson said, the man in the mirror. So when I finally got to the point in the business, said, you know what, I'm gonna make the time to start doing one-to-ones. There's like this really impactful, crazy thing that happened that really has kind of shifted, it's really shifted me and my leadership since...

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