The Home Services Marketing Podcast Growth To Acquisition

This is How Olga Started a $2 Million Painting Company With Only $500

I sat down with Olga de la Cruz, co-founder of HQ Painting in Salt Lake City, Utah, to talk about what it takes to build a high-end painting company from scratch. Starting in 2012 with $500 in their first month, Olga and her husband have grown HQ Painting to target $2.2 million in revenue this year, with a team of eight crews dedicated to custom, detail-oriented work. Olga breaks down how they hire, train, and retain painters, why referrals and networking drive the bulk of their business, and how they built a brand that homeowners and contractors remember. She also gets personal about what the $7 million goal really means to her and what comes after. Timestamps Chapters: * 00:21 - Finding Your Niche in Business * 02:03 - Starting a Business in the Painting Industry * 10:29 - Transitioning to Marketing Strategies * 22:31 - Establishing a Brand Identity * 28:40 - The Future Vision: Growth and Giving Back Guest Information Olga de la Cruz is the co-founder and spokesperson of HQ Painting, a high-end residential and commercial painting company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She and her husband launched the business in 2012 and have grown it by focusing on detail-driven work, low employee turnover, and strong community relationships. Olga is also passionate about supporting women business owners and giving back in Mexico. Companies Mentioned * HQ Painting * Blue Forge Marketing * Vistaprint * Sherwin-Williams Websites Mentioned * HQ Painting Utah [https://hqpaintingutah.com] * Blue Forge Marketing [https://blueforgemarketing.com] Key Takeaways * Find your niche early and build your processes around it. * Hire for attitude, train for skill. * Pay your people first. Respect keeps them around. * Referrals and networking can carry a business to $2M. * Brand consistency across every touchpoint builds recognition.

The CTV Strategy That Cut One Contractor's Cost Per Lead by 90%

In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Chase from Get Above the Fold to talk about programmatic advertising and connected TV for home service contractors. She walks me through how these ad formats work, when to start using them, and how they lift results across your other marketing channels. We get into building a strategy around your first-party data, CRM lists, and event geofencing. Jessica shares real client numbers, including cost-per-lead results that most contractors have not seen from Google alone. She also breaks down budget ranges that make sense at different stages of business growth. Chapters: 1. 00:04 - Scaling Marketing Spend and Testing Strategies 2. 06:00 - Introduction to Programmatic Advertising 3. 20:47 - Starting a New Marketing Strategy 4. 31:39 - Understanding Programmatic Advertising for Contractors 5. 43:16 - Understanding Customer Personas in Marketing 6. 48:03 - Understanding Customer Data for Business Growth Guest Information Jessica Chase is the founder of Get Above the Fold, a programmatic advertising agency. She has 20 years of marketing experience, including time at 1-800 Contacts, Rakuten, and a cash back marketing company. She helps home service contractors reach the right audience through CTV, audio, display, and native advertising. Companies Mentioned 1. Blue Forge Marketing 2. Get Above the Fold 3. 1-800 Contacts 4. Rakuten 5. The Trade Desk 6. Service Titan 7. Hulu 8. Peacock 9. Spotify Websites Mentioned 1. Blue Forge Marketing [https://www.blueforgemarketing.com] 2. Get Above the Fold [https://www.getabovethefold.com] Take Aways 1. Start programmatic with your CRM and site retargeting data before broad prospecting. 2. Layer CTV into your marketing mix once you have at least $3,000 to $5,000 per month to test. 3. Knowing your customer data, zip code, gender, and home age, makes targeting more precise. 4. Running multiple ad formats across channels raises conversion rates on average by about 20%. 5. At higher spend levels, moving budget into programmatic can reduce cost per lead well below what Google Ads delivers on its own.

What It Really Takes to Grow a Home Service Business on Purpose

I sit down with John Jauvenaux from BB Septic in Northwest Arkansas to talk about what it really takes to build a stable, profitable home services company. We get into his early jobs, failed ventures, and how he turned a small septic outfit into a growing business by focusing on integrity, systems, and the right people instead of shortcuts. From my side as an agency owner, I share how this lines up with the way we help contractors grow from survival into serious scale. We talk through old-school marketing like Yellow Pages and door hangers, how online listings and NAP consistency changed the game, why reviews matter so much, and how EOS, integrators, and clear processes let an owner step out of the truck without losing control. Chapters: 1. 00:07 - Taking Ownership of Success 2. 02:07 - Transition to Digital Marketing and Business Strategies 3. 12:21 - The Importance of NAP Consistency in Digital Marketing 4. 21:34 - The Journey of Learning and Self-Discovery 5. 25:22 - Transitioning to Ownership and Leadership 6. 31:29 - Identifying and Solving Business Problems 7. 44:33 - Transitioning to Marketing Strategies 8. 52:14 - The Power of Local Marketing and Networking 9. 56:32 - Taking Action in Business: The Importance of Implementation 10. 58:55 - Navigating Success: Lessons from a Lifelong Entrepreneur 11. 01:06:38 - Building a Business: Growth, Acquisition, and Legacy COMPANIES MENTIONED 1. Blue Forge Marketing 2. BB Septic 3. Dex 4. Manta 5. Yext 6. TripAdvisor 7. Google WEBSITES MENTIONED 1. https://www.blueforgemarketing.com/ [https://www.blueforgemarketing.com/] 2. https://ip.com/ [https://ip.com/] 3. https://www.manta.com/ [https://www.manta.com/] 4. https://www.yext.com/ [https://www.yext.com/] 5. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ [https://www.tripadvisor.com/] 6. https://www.google.com/business/ [https://www.google.com/business/] GUEST INFORMATION John owns and leads BB Septic in Northwest Arkansas. He has worked in septic and portable sanitation for more than thirty years, growing from a two-truck outfit into a multi‑million dollar operation. John focuses on clear processes, education-based marketing, and building a team that can run the day-to-day while he works on new projects in wastewater and speaks at industry events.

From 6 Employees to 96 Vehicles: How to Scale a Home Services Business Without Losing Your Culture

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Carrie Kelsch, CEO of A Plus Garage Doors, to talk about her incredible journey from mortgage broker to running the largest garage door company in Utah. We covered everything from surviving the 2008 housing crisis to building systems and processes that took her from six employees to 96 vehicles on the road. Carrie shared her strategies for creating a strong company culture, implementing Service Titan to gain transparency across operations, and the decision to join Guild Garage Group in 2022. This conversation is packed with practical advice for any home services contractor looking to scale their business. What stood out most to me was Carrie's focus on the blue collar worker and her Youth in the Trades program that gives teenagers exposure to careers in the trades. She also emphasized the importance of making sure your technicians take ownership of customer reviews and creating a five star experience at every job. If you're in the home services space and want to grow, this episode is a must listen. Chapters: 1. 00:09 - The Value of Blue Collar Workers 2. 06:41 - Transition to the Garage Door Industry 3. 07:34 - Implementing Systems for Business Growth 4. 21:10 - Transitioning to Effective Marketing Strategies 5. 23:30 - The Shift to Digital Marketing 6. 37:09 - Transitioning to Guild Garage Group 7. 49:04 - Strategies for Success in Home Services Companies Mentioned A Plus Garage Doors Blue Forge Marketing Guild Garage Group Expert Garage Doors Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Service Titan Lehman Brothers Countrywide Websites Mentioned blueforgemarketing.com [http://blueforgemarketing.com] Guest Information Carrie Kelsch is the CEO and founder of A Plus Garage Doors, which she started in 2005. She grew the company from six employees doing 1.5 million in revenue to 96 vehicles on the road pushing for 50 million in annual revenue. In 2022, she joined Guild Garage Group and expanded operations into Las Vegas.

How to Build an HVAC Marketing Plan That Actually Drives Calls

In this episode, I sit down with Tom Rand from Climate Care to discuss practical HVAC marketing strategies that work. Tom oversees marketing for 30 independently owned HVAC companies and shares what he's learned about attribution, SEO, building marketing plans, and knowing when to hire help. We talk about the shift from reactive marketing to strategic planning, why organic search matters more than ever, and how AI is changing the game. If you're an HVAC contractor looking to grow past the word-of-mouth stage, this conversation covers the foundations you need. Tom breaks down how to measure what's working, when to bring in specialists, and why treating marketing like any other business process will set you apart from competitors who are still throwing money at problems. Chapters: * 00:04 - The Importance of Details in Branding * 03:41 - Transitioning into HVAC Marketing * 09:37 - The Navigator Program and Its Importance * 13:28 - The Importance of a Marketing Plan * 21:51 - Understanding Customer Attribution in Marketing * 27:08 - Understanding Customer Engagement and Marketing Attribution * 31:08 - The Importance of SEO in Marketing * 39:58 - Lead Generation vs. Brand Awareness * 41:56 - Starting with SEO Companies * 47:41 - The Importance of Active SEO Involvement * 55:00 - Core Values Alignment in Business Partnerships * 59:10 - Identifying When to Hire a Marketing Manager * 01:07:31 - Understanding the Role of Marketing Managers in HVAC Businesses * 01:10:14 - Meeting Customers Where They Are: Marketing Flexibility * 01:18:41 - Embracing Courage and Differentiation in Business * 01:20:03 - Strategic Planning for Business Growth Companies Mentioned Climate Care Blue Forge Marketing Searchlight ServiceTitan Nexstar Network Guild Websites Mentioned blueforgemarketing.com [http://blueforgemarketing.com] joinclimatecare.com [http://joinclimatecare.com] Guest Information Tom Rand is the Member Marketing and Implementation Manager at Climate Care, a cooperative of 30 independently owned HVAC companies across Canada. He started in HVAC in 2021 after a background in retail management and operations, bringing a fresh perspective to the industry. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn. Key Takeaways Start with your existing customer database before spending money on strangers. A strong referral program and regular outreach to past customers costs less and converts better than paid advertising alone. SEO and organic search results build credibility that paid ads cannot replace. People still skip ads and trust organic rankings, so showing up naturally in search results should be a priority Marketing needs a plan with clear goals and measurements agreed upon before you start spending money. Treat marketing like any other business operation with systems, accountability, and regular reviews. Hire marketing help when you're ready to scale past organic growth. Look for specialists who understand HVAC specifically and can prove their expertise with examples and transparent reporting. Meet customers where they are by offering multiple contact methods. Not everyone wants to call, so provide text, online booking, forms, and chat options to capture all opportunities.