Toolbox for the Trades

After spending over 25 years working with industry legends like Jim Abrams and Leyland Smith of Service Champions, Lawrence Castillo felt he was ready for his next challenge.So in 2020, he accepted the role of president at Brody Pennell Heating & Air Conditioning, which has been proudly serving the greater Los Angeles area since 1945. Since taking the reins, Lawrence has helped supercharge their business strategy, seeing revenue growth from $7 million to $40 million in just three years.We’ll learn the steps Lawrence took to strengthen the Brody Pennell brand into a 5-star-rated business, start an HVAC school, and prioritize world-class customer service.Join us as we discuss: [18:32] What to do when you get pushback from the old guard[22:44] The first thing to do to help your business grow[30:41] How building an HVAC school leads to a winning talent pipeline[37:44] How to create your own urgencyCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Service ChampionsYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

Brigham Dickinson is on a mission to help trades companies with low conversion rates, poor customer experience, and a lack of team alignment. He knows that if companies can tackle these problems, they can book more jobs and generate more referred customers for their businesses.It all comes down to having the right mindset and creating an environment of safety, comfort, and fun for the customer. This ultimately helps to create a buying environment where customers can make informed decisions. As the President and Founder of Power Selling Pros, Brigham and his team strive to help companies in the trades increase their bookings and customer service excellence. He stops by to talk to us about how he got into the trades, his entrepreneurial journey, and what it takes for CSRs to book more jobs.Join us as we discuss: [17:01] How companies can increase their call conversions[27:01] How CSRs can master the pattern of excellence[35:36] Why technicians need to have soft skills trainingCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Power Selling ProsDispatch ProSecond Chance LeadsServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

As the costs of goods and materials continue to rise, consumer confidence is low, inflation is high, and business expenses are increasing. So what’s an HVAC business owner to do?Today we’re talking to two experts in the industry — ServiceTitan’s Chris Hunter, Director of Customer Relations, and Deanna Kawasaki, Senior Director of Product Management.We discuss ways to keep your HVAC customers happy, offer more financing options, and keep profits rolling in. We talk about benchmarks and how to know if you’re doing well. Plus — tools and technology you can use to maximize your business.Summer is coming. Are you ready?Join us as we discuss:[18:33] The Consumer Confidence Index and what it means for you[25:15] Why financing is an advantage for homeowners and businesses[37:53] Being ready to profit during the first heat wave of the summerCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Look up your state’s energy officeHow Do You Stack Up When Compared to Other Service Businesses Like Yours? ServiceTitan blogYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

Juan Lopez has always embraced change and views it as an opportunity for growth and continuous improvement. His professional journey is a testament to how you can achieve anything you put your mind to.Everyone in the trades constantly looks to improve and find ways to grow more efficiently and effectively. With the introduction of new technologies, automation, and enhanced workflows, you can turn inconvenient and time-consuming situations and tasks into more manageable experiences both internally and externally.As a Business Analyst at Franklin Electric, Juan is on a mission to scale the company’s operations and support his team through technology. Juan stops by to share his professional experiences with us and highlight the importance of leveraging technology to help a company run better and faster and provide massive value at scale.Join us as we discuss: [05:56] Juan’s best pieces of sales advice[15:13] How Juan optimized technology to support his team[24:25] The most critical workflows for business successCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Franklin ElectricServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

Patrick Boldt and Craig Childress are extremely passionate professionals in HVAC and plumbing. Both hail from humble beginnings and thrived in the trades despite facing many adversities.They decided to take their passion for the trades to the next level and participated in a quiz. Little did they realize that this would take them to Florida, where they would compete with the best in the Elite Trades Competition Series. They both hold championship titles in their respective categories and are now ranked among the country's top HVAC and plumbing professionals.Patrick and Craig stopped by to share their professional journeys with us. They talked to us about how they got into the trades, what they wish more people knew about their profession, and even provided some tips about the right mindset and skills to have when joining a competition.Join us as we discuss: [9:42] The importance of vocational schools in training new techs[24:53] What people should know about the work technicians do[33:27] What skills come in handy during the competitionCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Elite Trades Competition SeriesHVAC Round 1 QuizPlumbing Round 1 QuizElectrical Round 1 QuizAuto Tech Round 1 QuizTranePro PressRLS for HVACServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on 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.

Ian Jacoby is a rare breed in every sense of the word. He grew up in the business his father had built, where they would help companies in the trades to obtain the respective permits.By outsourcing this process to Ian and his team, contractors are able to focus on their true areas of expertise and grow their businesses more effectively.As the president of iPermit, Ian is on a mission to help businesses across the U.S. with permit expediting, final inspections, as well as HERS testing. He stops by to share his professional journey with us and talks about the advantages of outsourcing the permit process.Join us as we discuss: [11:04] The consequences of skipping the permit process[13:40] Advice for contractors who aren’t pulling permits[18:33] The advantages of outsourcingCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:iPermitArcxisService ChampionsServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

Michelle Myers is a bit of a pioneer and a “Renaissance Woman” of sorts. She went from being a commercial interior designer to an entrepreneur in the trades and ran remote teams before that term even became a buzzword.Her passion lies in identifying peoples’ true potential, proactively finding solutions to address customer challenges, and continuously improving systems and processes to scale her business.As the Founder and CEO of Pink Callers, Michelle is on a mission to take care of the front office solutions for home service businesses across North America. She stops by to share her entrepreneurial journey with us and talks about running an effective remote team in the trades.Join us as we discuss: [04:51]: How to run an effective remote team[27:13]: How managers can quality check the calls of their remote employees[31:31]: How to get employee buy-in for a company that works remotely[35:44]: Advice for owners to ensure they’re optimizing every callCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Pink CallersEOS WorldwidePowerselling ProsBamboo HRTommy MelloServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

Raffi Elchemmas and Jennifer Massey are dedicated individuals with an important mission — to help normalize talking about and raising awareness for mental health in the construction industry.There are about 5,000 deaths by suicide a year in construction in the U.S. There are several challenges to consider, such as the job being physically demanding, the high probability of injury in the workplace, environmental factors, the long hours, and the traveling required. But there are resources and support in place to help people in the trades to deal with mental health issues.As senior members of the MCAA and the United Association, respectively, Raffi and Jennifer stop by to share their professional experiences with us and highlight the importance of addressing mental health in construction.Join us as we discuss: [10:54] The importance of mental health in the construction industry[35:01] Warning signs that someone may be having mental health challenges[49:01] Available resources and support for those struggling with mental healthCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:MCAA United AssociationOSHACIASPMCAA’s Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention VideoMCAA’s Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Video (Spanish)American Foundation for Suicide PreventionServiceTitan for Commercial ContractorsYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on 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.

Kelsey Whittenberg fell in love with being an electrician. She loves to understand how everything works and how to use both her technical expertise and tools to help solve problems in the field.She also posted videos on social media as a creative outlet while she was at job sites, and that quickly burgeoned into a great passion.As an industrial Electrician at Weifield Group Contracting, Kelsey provides professional electrical solutions across different industry sectors and also actively promotes her company on social media. She stops by to share her professional journey with us and talks about the challenges and opportunities she sees as a female technician. She also explains what motivated her to become active on social media and how her content has helped build a great community online.Join us as we discuss: [6:56]: Kelsey’s experience as a female technician[20:58] What inspired her to build a social media presence[34:30]: Advice to people who want to become influencers on social mediaCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Weifield Group ContractingThespicysparkykelsey (TikTok)ServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.

Sheena Palacios was truly built into the trades in every aspect since her father, brother, husband, and other family members are electricians by profession. For her, the trades are a passion and an opportunity for her to return that appreciation for something she didn’t have before.She is also a strong believer in data transformation and how data is a treasure trove that can be leveraged by teams to make impactful decisions. It also comes down to understanding, setting up, and streamlining your processes and workflows for greater success.As the owner and ServiceTitan Solutionist at NIFT Business Solutions, Sheena is on a mission to empower teams in the trades to make smart, data-driven decisions. She stops by to share her entrepreneurial journey with us and talks to us about how she found her niche in the trades.Join us as we discuss: 07:41: How to ensure a successful onboarding process20:56: Why IKEA's showroom is a perfect analogy for ServiceTitan workflows 24:09: Advice for customers struggling with their ServiceTitan accountsCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:NIFT Business SolutionsConnect With SheenaServiceTitanYou can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!Register for Pantheon 2025 - see you in Anaheim!Prometheus Award NominationsListening 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.