OWNR vs. Operator: The Mindset Shift for Scalable Growth

How Owner Operators Can Hire Better

💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator [https://ownrops.com/accelerator] In this episode of the OWNR OPS Podcast, I sit down with Patrick Murphy of Qualified Hires to talk about how land clearing, forestry mulching, and home service business owners can actually find, hire, and keep good people. Patrick has helped me build out the hiring process at Bear Claw, and in this conversation we break down what most operators get wrong when hiring, why good people are out there, and how to build a process that attracts crew members who show up, do quality work, and take ownership. If you’re tired of being the only reliable person in your business, this episode will help you rethink hiring and start building a team the right way. In this episode, you’ll learn: 📌 Why “there are no good people” is usually the wrong belief📌 How to find better crew members for your business 📌 What most owner-operators get wrong in the hiring process 📌 Why good people need the right system to succeed 📌 How I improved hiring at Bear Claw 📌 How to stop doing everything yourself and start building a real team Hiring is not just about finding people.It’s about creating a process that finds the right people. Watch the full episode to learn how to hire better and build a team that can help your business grow. 🔥 Services We Use 🔥 📞 We use Quo (formerly OpenPhone) for all business calls & texts — AI answers after hours so you never miss a lead ➡️ Get 20% off your first 3 months: http://quo.com/ownrops [http://quo.com/ownrops] 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 Filter Every Land Clearing Business Owner Needs

Too many decisions. Not enough clarity. Sound familiar? 💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator [https://ownrops.com/accelerator] In this episode, I sit down with Jacob Neffendorf of Rise Online Ads to talk about one of the biggest things that holds owners and operators back — chasing the wrong problems. I share the story of the 6 weeks I spent building a custom app to replace Jobber and GoHighLevel, and why I shut the whole thing down before it ever launched. Jacob pulls real data from 460 land clearing companies that shows exactly where operators are losing deals. What you'll learn: 📌 Why you keep going back to equipment research instead of fixing your leads problem 📌 The only 3 things that matter right now: Leads, Sales, Hiring📌 How many calls on average to reach a lead 📌 How many follow-ups to close a deal. 📌 Is AI a shiny object or a real tool for your business right now? 🔥 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] Join our FREE Skool community → skool.com/ownrops [skool.com/ownrops] Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes with blue collar entrepreneurs sharing their best insights and growth tips!

OWNR vs. Operator: The Mindset Shift for Scalable Growth

💰Apply for OPS Accelerator ➡️ https://ownrops.com/accelerator [https://ownrops.com/accelerator] In this episode, Jacob Neffendorf lays out the data-backed difference between operators stuck at low six figures and owners building multiple seven-figure land clearing companies. If you've been wondering whether to hire — and whether you can afford to — this episode answers that question with real numbers. What you'll learn: * The 3 walls every land clearing business hits (leads, sales, talent) and how to move through them * Why close rates average 6% across the industry — and how top performers hit 24% * The true cost of staying booked out past 4–6 weeks without hiring * How to run the hiring math and know when to pull the trigger * Whether to hire an operator, a closer, or admin first — and why it depends on your weakness Whether you're running land clearing, forestry mulching, or any field service business, this episode covers the owner mindset, hiring decisions, close rate tracking, and business systems you need to scale past the operator ceiling. 🔥 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!

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!