Toolbox for the Trades

It’s no small thing to take over as third-generation president of your 100-year-old family business. Especially when you think you can do everything yourself… at first. Today’s guest candidly shares the leadership lessons he acquired the hard way in a family business that’s existed since February 1922. In this episode, I interview Rob Birnie, Owner and President at Thos R Birnie & Sons Ltd, about what it was like to come into his own in a family business and how he learned to prioritize people as a leader. Join us as we discuss: - Getting an on-the-job “MBA” by wearing all the hats - Fulfilling the legacy of putting people first - Business coaches, personality assessments, and leadership development Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - ColorCode Personality Science - People Matter More Than Money | Simon Sinek - Episode 44 with Keith Mercurio - Kerwin Rae on YouTube If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades onApple Podcasts,Spotify, or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

You should place these 6 Ps prominently on your home service website: product, place, price, promotion, people, and personality. Yeah, we said price. In this episode, I chat with Chris Yano, CEO at RYNO Strategic Solutions, about what he’s learned from his depth of 14 years’ experience marketing for home service businesses. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - How Chris finally got the attention of Gary Vee - Two common themes from coaching and marketing in the trades - The 6 Ps of a website that will please prospects - Why price belongs on your website - Reasons Chris is grateful he started a podcast Check out these resources we mentioned: - Chris’s podcast is To the Point - Traction by Gino Wickman - The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades onApple Podcasts,Spotify, or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

One way to reach the Spanish speaking population of the U.S. market is to make your ads in Spanish, not in English with Hablamos Español pasted on. In this episode, I chat with Mario Campirano, Owner at Express Electrical Service, about his pride and passion for marketing to Spanish speakers and uplifting his local community. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - Mario’s journey from digging trenches to 32 trucks in the field - The family feel of his company culture - His calling to help others pursue their dreams - Strategies for marketing to Spanish speakers in the U.S. - Recruiting and training electricians Check out these resources we mentioned: - Pew Research Center - Zippa.com - Los Titans presents Spanish in the Trades If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades onApple Podcasts,Spotify, or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Working with your spouse can be absolutely ego destroying at best. At worst, it can ruin your business and your relationship. Ready to learn from a couple who succeeded? In this episode, I chat with Sarah Casebier and Brad Casebier, Owner and President, respectively, at Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning, a company they built from scratch that now brings in $50M in revenue. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - Sarah’s shift from an ER labor and delivery nurse to GM of Radiant - Brad’s fear that he wouldn’t have a role in a service company - Concurrent business coaching and life coaching - Candid struggles in co-leading a business - Incorporating private equity into the business partnership Check out these additional resources: - The Survival Guide to Working with Your Spouse by Brad Casebier - Making Sense of Men by Alison Armstrong - Loving What Is by Byron Katie - Plumbing and Mechanical - The Mike Dillard Show - Ellen Rohr: Your Job is Hard, Keep Your Financials Simple If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades onApple Podcasts,Spotify, or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Women bring something unique to the trades industry, to their customers, and to their employees. The female contractors who stand out most are the ones who are hungry to improve. In this episode, I chat with Desiree Grosman, Business Coach at Female Home Service Pros, about the 4 top challenges facing female owners in the trades. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - The difficulty of money management - Gaining the respect of your employees - The dynamics of husband-wife partnerships - Why a rebrand can be super effective - Hire year-round by keeping a database of potential employees Check out these resources we mentioned: - Dan Antonelli: 10 Takeaways on Rebranding for Breakout Success - The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber - Profit First by Mike Michalowicz - The Go-Giver by Bob Burg - The Contractor's Guide To Saving 30+ Hours Per Week If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades onApple Podcasts,Spotify, or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

People become seriously sick, injured, or die because of conditions in buildings maintained by people doing work they shouldn't be doing. You may think it’s rare, but it isn’t. Look, experience doesn’t necessarily mean skill. Skilled work requires education, proper training, and ongoing learning and development. A culture of learning is created by leaders who learn. In this episode, I chat with Willby Evans, Safety and Training Manager at Albuquerque Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc., about how a focus on safety has increased learning and profits and saved lives. Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - Answering the calling to protect the public - Why experience doesn’t equal skill - Leaders who set a culture of humility and learning - Willby’s company’s apprenticeship program - Strengthening your competitors with education Check out these resources we mentioned: - The National Center for Construction Education and Research - Leadership BS by Jeffrey Pfeiffer If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades onApple Podcasts,Spotify, or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

There’s no money for Christmas presents. We’ve got to try something — anything. Let’s start a company.  Since its founding in 2017, Viva Electric has evolved from just three vehicles to three locations. Today’s guest is the person with the vision for business growth and adaptation that has made the company what it is today: a family.   In this episode, I chat with Maegan Giler , COO and Co-Owner at Viva Electric , about orchestrating the explosive growth and change in her company.  Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - The origin story of Viva Electric as a construction company - Shared services with Griffin Brothers and mentorship - Behind the scenes of a COO’s business development strategy - When employees are family - Why marketing is everything  Check out these resources we mentioned: Episode #17 with Vanessa Gonzalez   If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or here .  Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Being a solo dispatcher is like playing a huge game of chess every day. But the necessary skills for success change when you’re a dispatch manager with six dispatchers under you.   So, how exactly does the role change when the dispatch team scales?  In this episode, I chat with Barbara Pfeiffer, Dispatch Manager at The Eco Plumbers , about the delightful complexity of scaling your dispatch team.  Here are some topics we highlight in the conversation: - The moment when Barbara realized she loves dispatching - Training new dispatchers in 3 languages on the job - The importance of ride alongs and technician relationships - Advice for improving dispatching at your business  Check out these resources we mentioned: - Episode 4 with Aaron Gaynor - The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni  If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or here .  Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Play ball! It’s a beautiful day for a podcast, folks. Today’s is shaping up to be a barnburner. In this crackerjack episode, we break out the baseball wordplay as I chat with Margie Baker, Operations Manager at 1-Hour Heating, Ben Franklin Plumbing, and Mr. Sparky Electric, about how to attract more women and Gen Z/millennials to the trades. The bases are loaded with topics such as: - The advantages of a Gen Z/millennial lineup - Scouting talent and training technicians in-house - Tips for handling communication curveballs and pitching a perfect dispatch game - Hitting triples in customer experience - a win for the customer, a win for the technician, and a win for the company - Why sales will have a better batting average if they learn to embrace the silences Extra innings (resources mentioned during the episode): Democracy in America by Alex de Toqueville  The Power of Consistency by Weldon Long  The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy  In Praise of Difficult Women by Karen Karbo  LadyTitans  If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or here. Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

You’re a secretary for a little while, but you’ve been watching the technicians, and you want to give it a try.  So you become an apprentice. You’ve been in the field for a little while, but you see a need to open a new location, and you write up a business proposal.  So you become a general manager. As a GM, what’s the key to your success? (Other than a phenomenal work ethic and passion for the industry.)  Open-mindedness, especially in interviewing. This is the true story of this episode’s guest, Samantha Salazar, General Manager at Rice Plumbing and Heating.  Join us as we discuss: - Samantha’s career journey from no industry experience to management - Expansion and opening a new location - How she interviews, hires, and trains - Candid experiences as a woman in the trades Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Business coaches - Al Levi , Tommy Mello , and Ellen Rohr  - Ellen’s e-books  If you want to hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or here.  Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!  Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Toolbox for the Trades in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.