OWNR OPS Podcast

How This 24 YR Old Tree Service OWNR Grew $400k to $850k

Colby McArthur bought Clifton Tree Service at 22 years old and ran it as a solo owner operator for the first year — climbing trees, answering calls with a headset at 100 feet, estimating on weekends. He finished that year at $400K. One year later: $850K. In this episode, Colby breaks down the three things that drove that growth and what he's focused on as he targets $1.3M in 2026. What you'll learn: * Why undercharging is the most common and most costly mistake owner operators make — and how to fix it fast * The first hire Colby made that changed everything (hint: it wasn't a climber) * How to build an opener/closer sales model even when you're still in the field * How Colby uses Claude and ChatGPT to build a pricing tool, estimate from photos, and build SOPs * What Colby would tell himself at $100K if he could go back To contact Colby McArthur: colby@cliftontreeservice.com 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops [https://u1741745.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.cud-2FbDMBu2c4-2BzBMrXPxZgOC2Zf0u9-2BWWqsL-2BOkstDn0-2Bf1yrFOC0VkbaWcBVDFuRS2o_xaXJc0NsC5WAXuVv6HNgzIiw30c5d9xhq06IjomyHWnTJe3YOEnn0HA7rGFM9w8KGjdfikiJZgu776FqC0yjVdO8XmmqSmEzEGBCX09Eh6cmMQleabQTJLGYqOlBqUM6fGXb6z1gAA8rMqRRuFk03-2FQ2rakdvRvc1RZLy5x7TXqbh5Qm7zfSqhh5zo1iaoRpv1STvo8Rw8y3GsdCzPJFdQ-3D-3D] 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops [https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops] 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo [https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo] Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter [https://ownrops.com/newsletter] Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

Why Your Ads Aren't Working (And How to Fix Them)

💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator [ https://ownrops.com/accelerator] If you're spending money on Facebook ads and getting tire kickers ‚or nothing at all ‚this episode is for you.I brought Jacob Neffendorf back on the show. He runs ads for over 300 land clearing companies across the US. We broke down exactly why most ads fail and what you can do right now to fix it. Here's what we cover: 👉 Why filming your equipment is hurting your cost per lead 👉 The simple 45-second ad formula that's working right now 👉 Why most tire kicker complaints come down to your creative ‚not your market 👉 How calling a lead back in under 5 minutes changes everything 👉 The 4 numbers you need to know to understand if your ads are making you money If you don't know your cost per lead, close rate, or average job size ‚this episode will change that. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops [https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops] 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops [https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops] 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo [ https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo] Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter [ https://ownrops.com/newsletter]Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

The Decision-Making Framework Every Owner-Operator Needs

💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator [https://ownrops.com/accelerator] You're not stuck because you're not working hard enough. You're stuck because you're working hard on the wrong thing. I know because I've done it — and I still catch myself doing it. This episode is the framework I use to stop. What we cover: * The 3 questions to ask before spending time on any decision in your business * Leads, sales, hiring, pricing/cash — the four constraints and how to know which one is yours right now * Why shiny object syndrome shows up as new equipment, new services, and new businesses — and how to recognize it fast * Document, demonstrate, delegate — the hiring system that lets you get off the machine I've made every one of these mistakes myself — chasing new equipment before my schedule was full, adding services before I had the hiring figured out, avoiding the uncomfortable thing by going back to what I already knew how to do. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops [https://u1741745.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.cud-2FbDMBu2c4-2BzBMrXPxZgOC2Zf0u9-2BWWqsL-2BOkstDn0-2Bf1yrFOC0VkbaWcBVDFuRS2o_xaXJc0NsC5WAXuVv6HNgzIiw30c5d9xhq06IjomyHWnTJe3YOEnn0HA7rGFM9w8KGjdfikiJZgu776FqC0yjVdO8XmmqSmEzEGBCX09Eh6cmMQleabQTJLGYqOlBqUM6fGXb6z1gAA8rMqRRuFk03-2FQ2rakdvRvc1RZLy5x7TXqbh5Qm7zfSqhh5zo1iaoRpv1STvo8Rw8y3GsdCzPJFdQ-3D-3D] 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops [https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops] 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo [https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo] Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business?📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter [https://ownrops.com/newsletter]

Solve These 3 Things To Go 0-$1M in Land Clearing

💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator [https://ownrops.com/accelerator] Most land-clearing owner-operators are wearing 4 hats at once — and wondering why nothing's scaling. In this video, I break down the 3 things every business 0–$1M has to nail: Price, Pipeline, and Playbook. In this video: ✅ The 3 hats every owner-operator wears — and which one to delegate first ✅ Facebook vs. Google ads: real return on ad spend data from actual accounts ✅ Why the Andromeda update changed everything about Facebook ad creative ✅ Why being booked out 9 weeks means it's time to raise your prices ✅ Price. Pipeline. Playbook. — the system I use to help operators hit consistent 80–100k months Stop guessing and start building a business that actually pays you. This episode breaks down the exact playbook I use to go from owner-operator to seven figures. 🔥 Service We Use 🔥 📞 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — one app for all your business calls and texts, plus an AI assistant (Sona) that answers questions, captures leads, and summarizes conversations. Stop missing calls. Start booking more jobs. ➡️ Get 20% off your first 3 months: http://quo.com/ownrops [http://quo.com/ownrops] Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter [https://ownrops.com/newsletter] Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

How Much It Costs to Get a Customer With Facebook Ads

Want a real land‑clearing business doing $20k–$40k months instead of random jobs? Join the free OWNR OPS Skool group for land clearing & forestry mulching owners.  Inside you'll get: – The OPS Kickstarter roadmap to your first consistent $10k–$20k months – Real pricing examples & bid breakdowns from our own jobs – Weekly live trainings and Q&A specific to land clearing. Apply here: https://www.skool.com/ownrops [https://www.skool.com/ownrops] Most land-clearing operators running Facebook ads are tracking the wrong metric. In this episode, Austin Gray sits down with Jacob Neffendorf — founder of Rise Online, a growth agency for land clearing businesses — to break down the real math behind paid advertising: customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, and the ratio that tells you if your ads are actually working. What you'll learn: * How to calculate your true cost to acquire a paying customer * The CAC-to-LTV ratio every operator should know * Why speed to lead has a bigger impact on revenue than most realize * How to grow without touching your own money * What to look for when setting up your first Facebook ad campaign Land clearing business has some of the best margins out there — but only if you know your numbers. Stop guessing and start growing on purpose.  🔥 Services We Use 🔥 We use Jobber to handle our estimates, scheduling, & invoicing ➡️ Get 20% off Jobber here: https://join.getjobber.com/theownerop https://go.getjobber.com/ownrops [https://u1741745.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.cud-2FbDMBu2c4-2BzBMrXPxZgOC2Zf0u9-2BWWqsL-2BOkstDn0-2Bf1yrFOC0VkbaWcBVDFuRS2o_xaXJc0NsC5WAXuVv6HNgzIiw30c5d9xhq06IjomyHWnTJe3YOEnn0HA7rGFM9w8KGjdfikiJZgu776FqC0yjVdO8XmmqSmEzEGBCX09Eh6cmMQleabQTJLGYqOlBqUM6fGXb6z1gAA8rMqRRuFk03-2FQ2rakdvRvc1RZLy5x7TXqbh5Qm7zfSqhh5zo1iaoRpv1STvo8Rw8y3GsdCzPJFdQ-3D-3D] 💰 Bookkeeping: Get 50% off bookkeeping for 3 months with the Home Service Bookkeeping Pros: https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops [https://dialedinbookkeeping.com/ownrops] 🚀 Get ranked #1 On Google With Stryker SEO: https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo [https://stryker-digital.com/?el=oo] Want to learn more about starting and scaling your own service-based business? 📩 Sign up for the OWNR OPS Newsletter: → https://ownrops.com/newsletter [https://ownrops.com/newsletter] Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!