The Successful Contractor Podcast

Book a free strategy call with CertainPath to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ or call us at: (214)-453-1591 On a roof at 17 in 90-degree heat. Eight years later — Crown Champion at his family's Pennsylvania roofing company with $2 million in personal sales his first full year. Mostly replacements. Plus a few full-house exterior packages topping $100K. Mast Roofing & Construction in Oley, PA has been around 30 years — Seth's dad started it. Seth grew up putting together sales folders in the family barn, mowed the property when his dad finally built a real building, and went full-time on a roof crew at 18. A year of installs. A year as a repair tech under Mast's top performer. And almost by accident, he slid into a sales seat when another rep wouldn't run a townhome. Eight months later — Crown Champion. By twelve months — $2M sold. In this conversation, you'll discover: The 3-option close he learned in CertainPath's Service Essentials class — and why it ends every pitch Why he never pre-judges a trailer (or a mansion) — and what to look at instead The "30 minutes on the pictures" inspection that doubles as authority-building The mold-decking story he uses to pre-empt the attic objection before he ever walks upstairs The single line — "if you had this shingle on here, I would probably not be sitting right now" — that handles cheap-shingle objections in one sentence His first-question close: "They've already decided. It's just when and who." Why his close ratio jumped 10% the first time he went to a CertainPath training Whether you're a roofing rep trying to break your first $1M, a sales manager building a training program, or an owner trying to understand what makes a young rep close like a veteran — Seth's process is a masterclass in education over pitching. 🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle. About The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the Guest Seth Mast is a Roofing Specialist at Mast Roofing & Construction in Oley, Pennsylvania — a family-owned roofing and exterior contractor his dad started 30 years ago. After a summer on a roof at 17 and a year as a repair technician, Seth moved into replacement sales and finished his first full year as a Crown Champion with $2 million in personal sales. He credits CertainPath's Service Essentials class and the team at Integrity Roofing for the foundation he learned from. Connect Mast Roofing & Construction: https://mastsroofing.com/ CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com Show Notes The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. FOLLOW CERTAINPATH: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/ 

For almost fifteen years, Dan Barger grew Apollo Plumbing the hard way — no price book, no P&L, no real read on his margins. His financial reporting system was opening the bank account and hoping. Today, Apollo does $8 million a year in residential plumbing. What changed? On this episode of The Successful Contractor, host Bob Houchin sits down with Dan — owner of Apollo Plumbing in Marysville, Washington — for the honest version of a twenty-year run. You’ll hear: Why a broken water heater turned Dan into a 20-year plumber. The moment Dan realized his “financial reporting system” was costing him money. Why 60–70% of Apollo’s marketing spend goes to radio — and what it buys. The comp model Apollo switched to last year — and what it did to close rates. The one thing Dan wishes he’d done seven years sooner. Where Dan’s taking Apollo next. If you’re running a contracting company, Dan’s story will sound uncomfortably familiar — and hopeful. Guest Dan Barger Owner, Apollo Plumbing — Marysville, WA Host & Show Host: Bob Houchin Show: The Successful Contractor, powered by CertainPath  CTA — Close of Description Book your free discovery call at mycertainpath.com. Enjoyed the episode? Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player — it helps other contractors find the show. 

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591 🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5 For more information about Sean Mitchell's RevenueAscent Program: https://hub.mycertainpath.com/hub/resources/make-execution-consistent-with-the-revenueascent-program-featuring-sean-mitchell Check out the Kingdom Method Show with Jimmie Dale and Jeff Cox: https://www.youtube.com/@KingdomMethodShow He built a $100M+ home service company with one non-negotiable: they had to want to win so bad it made them sick. Everything else — credentials, experience, background — was secondary to that. Jimmie Dale spent over three decades as President of Baker Brothers Plumbing & Air, building one of the most respected home service operations in the country. He developed leaders from scratch, cut players who weren't performing before they poisoned the rest of the team, and created a culture where urgency wasn't a mood — it was the operating system. In this conversation, Jimmie brings over 30 years of hard-earned leadership insight to the table — the kind you can only get from building something real and running it through every kind of market. In this conversation, you'll discover: •        The one hiring trait Jimmie values above everything else — and why wanting to win is the only non-negotiable he never compromises on•        The A, B, C player framework: how to identify your C players, put them on a 30-to-60-day timeline, and stop letting nice guys drain your A players•        The two-month warning — why every great initiative dies two months after launch, and the discipline it takes to keep it alive•        Start, Stop, Keep: the group exercise that gets every leader in the room aligned and subtracting what isn't working•        Why the first place to look when your team is underperforming is the mirror — not your employees•        The insurance tip worth the price of admission: how to audit your loss runs and fight back against inflated premium reserves•        Urgency of execution: how to build a culture where deadlines are commitments, not suggestions•        How CertainPath transformed from a hard-sell, suit-and-tie operation into a culture-first organization — from someone who was there•        The bell curve of leadership: why the moment you stop learning is the moment your business starts declining•        Recreate AI and ScheduleBot: why the future of home service booking looks more like OpenTable than a phone call•        Be Google for plumbing: the sales philosophy that turns techs who hate selling into trusted advisors customers want to buy from Whether you're a $5M contractor trying to build your first real leadership team, a $30M operator wondering why your best people keep leaving, or anywhere in between — this episode is packed with the kind of straight talk that only comes from someone who's actually built it. 🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle. About The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the Guest Jimmie Dale is the former President of Baker Brothers Plumbing & Air, COO of The Perfect Light, investor in Recreate AI, and co-host of the Kingdom Method Show alongside Jeff Cox. A fourth-generation master plumber, Jimmie spent over three decades building Baker Brothers into a $100M+ home service operation known for its culture, its people, and its relentless standard for winning. Connect Kingdom Method Show: https://www.youtube.com/@KingdomMethodShowCertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com Show Notes The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. FOLLOW CERTAINPATH: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPathLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpathInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591 🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5 $20 million in revenue. A service area of 240,000 people. And a business that’s been growing — almost without exception — for four decades. James Wisler didn’t set out to build a $20M multi-trade powerhouse in one of the smallest markets you’ll ever hear about on this show. He grew up in the business — running crews at 15, becoming GM at 23 — and learned every hard lesson the hard way. New construction. Bathroom remodeling. Green-fielding HVAC. Adding electrical through acquisition. Every pivot came with a price. But here’s what’s remarkable: Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric serves just two counties in Southwest Virginia, with a population that most contractors would walk away from. Electric grew 30% last year. Plumbing north of 15%. HVAC is on track to surpass plumbing in total size next year. And their water treatment division — running since 1986 — now holds 750 service agreements with a lead model that works the exact opposite of every other trade. This is a masterclass in what disciplined, market-smart growth actually looks like over 40 years. In this conversation, you’ll discover: •        How Wisler built a $20M multi-trade business in a 240,000-person market — and why small markets can be a massive advantage•        The sales-install model they pioneered in plumbing before almost anyone else was doing it — and the $2,500 threshold that drives it•        Why green-fielding HVAC was the hardest thing they’ve done — and what they’d do differently (acquire)•        The #1 operational mistake that stunted their HVAC growth — and how they finally fixed it•        How to build a water treatment business with 750 service agreements, a 60/40 lead split, and a sales system that works•        The Culture Index hiring system: why they run it at the application stage, what it actually measures, and why it’s a confirmation tool — not a crutch•        Their panel interview rule: 3 people, diverse panel, and if it’s not unanimous — don’t hire•        How they acquired an electrical company in 2024, grew it from $1.2M to $1.8M in year one, and why that’s the better path•        The “Guiding Light” document: how James defines faith, family, excellence, and courage in a way that actually sticks•        The weekly culture minute, the 6-7 hour monthly manager meeting, and the annual kickoff that’s replaced their holiday party Whether you’re running $2M and wondering if you can scale without a major metro, thinking about adding a trade, or trying to figure out what a real hiring system looks like — this one is packed with 40 years of hard-earned lessons. 🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.For more information about Sean Mitchell’s RevenueAscent Program: https://hub.mycertainpath.com/hub/resources/make-execution-consistent-with-the-revenueascent-program-featuring-sean-mitchell AboutThe Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the GuestJames Wisler is the CEO of Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, based in Rocky Mount, Virginia. James grew up in the business his father started in 1986, became GM at 23, and — alongside his brother Brian — purchased the company in 2014. Under his leadership, Wisler has grown from a plumbing-only service company into a $20M multi-trade operation serving HVAC, plumbing, water treatment, and electrical across Southwest Virginia. James has been a CertainPath member since nearly the beginning and is a fixture in the peer community. ConnectWisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric: https://www.wislerhomeservices.comCertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com Show NotesThe Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we’ve helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information. FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPathLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpathInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591 🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5  $3.5 million in service revenue. A new construction company that survived the Great Recession on discipline and a war chest. And a son who'd spent summers on job sites watching his dad build something real.  RJ Magee didn't plan to build a $110 million multi-location HVAC and plumbing empire. He planned to take over his dad's company in Las Vegas. Then they sold it — and everything changed.  Sierra Air Conditioning and Plumbing in Las Vegas alone went from $13 million in 2020 to $50 million in 2025. Their comfort advisor made $500,000 last year. Flip techs clear $200K. And in Boise, they hired a bartender two weeks ago — one week of training, five for five, $18,000 average ticket.  This is a masterclass in what it actually looks like to scale a residential HVAC company — and what it costs when you don't.  In this conversation, you'll discover:  How CertainPath coaching helped Sierra grow from $3.5M in service revenue to $50M in Las Vegas alone The 3 things RJ says took them from $3.5M to $13M — and the operational discipline behind it How to acquire HVAC companies: market selection, what makes a good partner, and why they keep every call center local How they changed fix-it culture shops into sales-minded organizations — without losing the team Why RJ pays his flip manager $30 per same-day flip (and how that drives behavior better than EBITDA bonuses) The personal loss in 2019 that finally made him build a team — and get his priorities in the right order Their 5-year plan: $500M by 2030, 16–18 partner companies, 20% EBITDA  Whether you're at $3M trying to hit $13M, thinking about what a sale might look like, or just want to understand how a $110M HVAC operation actually runs — this one is packed.  🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.   About  The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company.  Meet the Guest  RJ Magee is the President of Sierra Group, overseeing Sierra Air Conditioning and Plumbing in Las Vegas, NV along with partner locations in Boise, Denver, and Tucson. RJ grew up working summers on his father's job sites, joined the company full-time in 2010, and helped grow the service division from $3.5M to $13M before a private equity sale in 2020. Since then, he has led Sierra's Las Vegas operation from $13M to $50M while building a multi-location portfolio targeting $500M by 2030.  Connect  Sierra Air Conditioning and Plumbing: https://www.sierraair.com CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com   Show Notes  The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.  FOLLOW CERTAINPATH: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/