The Home Service Expert Podcast
Tommy Mello: $200 Million Founder|Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur Columnist
The Home Service Expert podcast is the No. 1 podcast for ambitious home service entrepreneurs, whether they are in plumbing, HVAC or another niche. In this show, Tommy Mello, a $200M business founder, will talk with the best entrepreneurs and experts in the home service industry and beyond, to share insights that have made them successful: from the newest marketing tools to the best scaling strategies. Previous podcast guests include Terry Nicholson (former national trainer of NYSE-listed home services company), Craig Smith (President of HomeAdvisor, a home services marketplace valued at $2B+), Cameron Herold (former COO of three $100M+ companies), etc.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 3, 2026 • 1h 17min
The Mistake That Keeps Contractors From Ever Hitting $10M | Kyle & Becca Erdmann
Kyle Erdmann, president of family-run Erdmann Outdoor Living, and Becca Erdmann, its systems-minded general manager and designer, share how they broke past $5 million. They discuss hiring with DISC profiles, high-ticket financing, price anchoring, AI tools, designer-driven upsells, and expanding to Phoenix. They also reveal the communication rule protecting both their marriage and business.
41 snips
Oct 29, 2026 • 1h 36min
This Podcast Listener Built A Door Company Doubling Profits Every Year | Billy Cline
Billy Cline, founder and CEO of Dallas-based YourNewDoor.com, shares how he transformed a longtime door business into a rapidly scaling company. He discusses building culture, selling high-ticket doors entirely by phone, raising prices while improving close rates, preserving legacy brands, recruiting top talent, and acquiring a struggling competitor without paying cash. A candid look at systems, margins, and bold growth.
20 snips
Oct 20, 2026 • 59min
He Built A $20 Million Remodeling Company Knocking Doors In Blizzards | Lakota Tidd
Lakota Tidd, founder of Michigan remodeling company Top Home Improvements, grew a garage startup into a $20 million business. He shares the frozen-blizzard door-knocking story that shaped his resilience, how canvassing and events generated millions, and why recruiting and rewarding field teams matters. They also explore escaping scarcity thinking, building systems, developing leaders, protecting family time, and supporting veterans.
42 snips
Oct 15, 2026 • 1h 21min
He Built A $300,000 Truck Brand With Zero Ad Spend And One Daily Habit | Chau Nguyen
Chau Nguyen, entrepreneur and founder of Vintage Modern, transformed a broken-down Bronco into a $60 million luxury vehicle brand. He shares how seven years of daily social posting fueled growth without ads, why organic leads outperform paid ones, and how scarcity, craftsmanship, referrals, and founder-led content attract affluent buyers. He also discusses bootstrapping, hiring, customer-driven innovation, and staying paranoid after success.
59 snips
Oct 13, 2026 • 1h 16min
How Tommy Mello Spends $5 Million A Month On Marketing And Tracks Every Dollar | Sara Nay
Sara Nay, CEO of Duct Tape Marketing and author of Unchained, joins Tommy Mello to explore why contractors should own their marketing assets, not rent them from agencies. They discuss fixing customer journeys before buying leads, choosing the right channels, making homepages AI-friendly, using customer interviews and sales calls, reactivating old databases, and building a founder-led brand.
32 snips
Oct 8, 2026 • 1h 26min
How To Turn $15,000 Into $1.6 Million Without Adding Another Dollar | David Bach
David Bach, financial educator, entrepreneur, and ten-time New York Times bestselling author, explores automatic saving, early compounding, and the path from $15,000 to $1.6 million. He discusses why high earners still end up broke, how homeownership and business real estate build wealth, the difference between wealth and freedom, and his bold flat-tax IRA proposal.
56 snips
Oct 7, 2026 • 1h 29min
How A Burned Out Owner Set Up His Company To Run 6 Months Without Him | Dan Kuschell
Dan Kuschell, entrepreneur, direct-response marketer, and founder of Breakthrough3X, shares his journey from Detroit welfare to building million-dollar businesses. He explores designing companies that run without their owners, the one-message marketing method, five pillars of sustainable growth, faster lead response, recruiting as marketing, pricing, and asking for introductions instead of referrals. Tommy also reveals how a family photo mailer generated $80,000.
67 snips
Oct 1, 2026 • 1h 3min
Charlie Munger Mailed This Author One Share And It Became $735,000
Robert Cialdini, renowned psychologist and author of Influence, explores ethical persuasion through practical examples. Discover the tiny wording changes that cut no-shows, boost sales, and build trust; why “reviewers” beats “reviews”; how honest scarcity and specific data strengthen credibility; and the remarkable Charlie Munger story involving one Berkshire Hathaway share. Cialdini also takes on live persuasion role-plays.
48 snips
Sep 30, 2026 • 1h 8min
The Guy Behind Tommy Mello's Emails Only Sends 4 A Month For A Reason | Zac Garside
Zac Garside, an email marketing specialist and former CSR trainer, reveals how contractors can turn neglected customer lists into reliable revenue. He covers the four-email monthly strategy, campaigns for estimates and memberships, email, SMS and direct mail, personalization, and the research framework behind compelling messaging. They also explore why confidence and enthusiasm can dramatically change booking rates.
17 snips
Sep 24, 2026 • 1h 4min
The Best CSR, Dispatcher And Tech In The Company Was The Problem | Jim Leslie & Al Levi
Jim Leslie, former A1 Garage Door Service marketing chief, and Al Levi, author of The 7-Power Contractor, tackle the gap between revenue and profit. They explore proactive hiring, the true cost of an empty truck, value-based pricing, call-center performance, and why owners who do every job become their company’s ceiling. They also unpack practical org charts, smarter technology choices, and leadership listening tours.
