The Biggest Lessons From Our Second Year as Owners

How We’re Growing EBITDA, Expanding Markets, and Fixing Bottlenecks

Growth solves a lot of problems—but it also creates new ones. In this Founder Series episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble share a candid update on Alarm Masters' growth in 2026. They break down what's driving record performance, the acquisitions they're pursuing, the operational improvements paying off, and the challenges they're still working through. From sales maturity and AI adoption to accounting headaches and inventory management, this is an inside look at what it actually takes to scale a service business. In this episode: → How Alarm Masters is growing through acquisitions and organic sales  → The sales lessons improving close rates and deal quality  → Why operational discipline is creating better customer outcomes  → The realities of GAAP accounting and preparing for an eventual exit  → The role AI is playing across the business  → The biggest challenges still ahead in 2026  → What’s next for expansion into new markets Connect: Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon [https://x.com/stephenolmon] Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy [https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy] Owned and Operated [https://www.ownedandoperated.com/] New Episodes Every Wednesday! Subscribe For More [http://www.youtube.com/@EntryandExitpod]

The Hidden Cost of Hiring B Players

Most companies don’t stall because of bad strategy. They stall because they tolerate B players for too long. In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the hidden cost of hiring “good enough” talent — and why average employees quietly cap company growth, culture, and valuation. They unpack the lessons learned scaling Alarm Masters, including why A players multiply output across the business, how mediocre hires increase founder dependence, and the mindset shift that changed how they recruit leadership talent. The conversation dives into hiring psychology, identifying true high performers, why process alone can’t compensate for weak talent, and the operational ripple effects of building a team stacked with A players. Inside this episode:  → Why B players often create more work for founders  → The difference between A, B, and C players  → Why process can’t turn average talent into elite talent  → The real opportunity cost of mediocre hires  → How A players improve every department around them  → Why hiring cheap talent slows company growth  → The impact of talent on enterprise value and acquisitions  → How to identify A players in the first 90 days  → Why top performers want to work with other top performers Connect:  Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon [http://x.com/stephenolmon] Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy [https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy] Owned and Operated [https://www.ownedandoperated.com/] New Episodes Every Wednesday! Subscribe For More [http://www.youtube.com/@EntryandExitpod]

The Biggest Lessons From Our Second Year as Owners

Most operators think scaling comes down to process. But the real unlock is talent. In this episode of Founder’s Story, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the lessons from year two of operating Alarm Masters — including the leadership hires that changed the company, the painful acquisition lessons they learned, and why investing ahead of growth became their biggest advantage. They share why A players outperform entire teams of average talent, how building stronger operational structure transformed the business, and the acquisition mistakes that forced them to rethink diligence, integration, and growth strategy. Inside this episode: → Why one A player outperforms two B players → Hiring a sales manager earlier than expected → Building accountability and structure across operations → What great operators actually do differently → The importance of humility in leadership hires → Lessons learned from successful and failed acquisitions 🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/ [https://www.entryandexit.co/] Connect:  Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon [http://x.com/stephenolmon] Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy [https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy] Owned and Operated [https://www.ownedandoperated.com/] New Episodes Every Wednesday! Subscribe For More [http://www.youtube.com/@EntryandExitpod]

Why Your Business Depends Too Much on You

Most businesses don’t stall because of strategy. They stall because everything depends on the owner. In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the hidden cost of founder dependency — why owners become the bottleneck, how it limits growth, and what eventually breaks when every decision runs through one person. They share lessons from scaling Alarm Masters, empowering employees to make decisions, and building a company that can grow without the owner at the center of everything. Inside this episode: → Why founders become the bottleneck → The danger of tying the business to your identity → How owner dependency hurts growth and exits → Empowering employees to make decisions → What breaks when every relationship runs through the owner → Building a scalable company structure 🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/ [https://www.entryandexit.co/] Connect: Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon [http://x.com/stephenolmon] Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy [https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy] Owned and Operated [https://www.ownedandoperated.com/] New Episodes Every Wednesday! Subscribe For More [http://www.youtube.com/@EntryandExitpod]

How We Grew an Acquired Business 60% in Year One

Most business acquisitions don’t fail because of strategy. They fail because operators underestimate hiring, systems, and execution.  In this episode of Entry & Exit: Founder’s Story, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the first full year running Alarm Masters after the acquisition — including the wins, the mistakes, and the operational changes that completely transformed the company. They share how they scaled the business 60% in their first full year, why hiring cheap talent hurt growth, how international hiring became a major advantage, and the lessons they learned rebuilding sales systems, operations, and technology from the ground up. Inside this episode: → Why hiring the cheapest option backfires → Building an international team that scaled the business → The mistakes they made with their first sales hire → Transitioning from legacy software to Salesforce → Balancing founder involvement vs delegation → Breaking company sales records three times in one year → How they grew Alarm Masters 60% in their first full year 🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/ [https://www.entryandexit.co/] Connect: Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon [http://x.com/stephenolmon] Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy [https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy] Owned and Operated [https://www.ownedandoperated.com/] New Episodes Every Wednesday! Subscribe For More [http://www.youtube.com/@EntryandExitpod]