Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service

The skilled labor shortage isn't just a hiring problem. It's a perception problem. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Ruchir Shah, founder of SkillCat, to discuss why home service companies are struggling to attract and retain skilled workers and what the industry can do about it. Ruchir shares how his background in workforce training led him to build SkillCat, an online trade training platform helping people transition into HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and appliance repair careers. If your company struggles with hiring, retention, or technician development, this episode offers a practical look at how the future workforce is changing. What You Will Learn in This Episode Why the trades are becoming more attractive to younger generations How white-collar workers are now transitioning into skilled trades The real reason people are leaving traditional office jobs Why many technicians feel more fulfilled than corporate workers The growing impact of AI on career choices Why training accessibility is critical for the future of the trades How online trade training and certifications are changing recruiting Why mechanical aptitude matters more than experience The role gamification and microlearning play in technician development How companies can build better apprenticeship and training programs Timestamps 00:00 Expanding online trade certifications 04:52 Starting SkillCat to help reskill 06:26 Job security concerns in Savannah 09:43 Switching to a paid model 15:01 Relying on social media sharing 17:05 Emphasizing the importance of networking 20:08 Trades job satisfaction and benefits 22:55 The value of trade jobs 25:58 Returning to familiar industries 31:27 Building trade school courses 32:59 Designing bite-sized, interactive courses Follow the Host and Guest Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Joshua Crouch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-crouch/ Ruchir Shah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchir-shah/ SkillCat: https://www.skillcatapp.com Connect with Us • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmasterypodcast • Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly powered by: UpFrog: upfrog.com MarketStorm is an AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/ Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail!: https://www.callrail.com/sbmpod CompanyCam: https://companycam.com/ Breezy: Capture 25-30% more clients with Breezy AI Agents. Use code 'SBM' to book a demo and get $500 on us: https://getbreezyapp.com/schedule-demo PhoneTAP: Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo

The way homeowners search for HVAC, plumbing, and home service companies is changing fast. And most contractors are completely unprepared for it. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Phil Risher from Phlash Consulting to discuss the massive shift from traditional Google SEO to AI-powered search and what it means for home service businesses. Phil explains why AI search is changing how customers find contractors, why conversational search matters more than keywords, and how tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews are disrupting traditional marketing strategies. What You Will Learn in This Episode Why old-school SEO is no longer enough How AI search actually works Why Google is moving toward "agentic search" and booking How to optimize your website for AI visibility Why pricing pages and online scheduling matter more than ever How contractors should use call transcripts to create content Why AI-generated "slop content" can hurt your rankings How local backlinks and authority still matter What contractors should be doing right now to stay ahead If you want your company to stay visible in the next generation of search, this episode is a must-listen. Timestamps 00:00 Impact of AI on search queries 06:14 Shift in local search habits 09:00 Navigating AI for presentations 12:38 Debating the relevance of SEO 16:13 Using AI for customer insights 18:58 Importance of local backlinks 20:58 Building partner referral networks 24:15 Optimizing for AI search ranking 27:51 Importance of online recognition 32:29 Creating a searchable business database 33:34 Initial struggles with Notebook LM 39:10 Comparing Google and LLM relationships 42:35 Measuring AI visibility metrics 44:37 Navigating the AI search landscape 46:21 Dealing with AI memory glitches Follow the Host and Guest Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Phil Risher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philrisher/ Connect with Us LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmastery Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly powered by: UpFrog: upfrog.com MarketStorm is an AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/ Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail!: https://www.callrail.com/sbmpod CompanyCam: https://companycam.com/ Breezy: $500 toward Breezy + we'll show you exactly how many jobs you're missing right now. Book a demo here: https://calendly.com/shaun-breezy/30min?month=2026-04 PhoneTAP: Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo

In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Ryan Kiscaden, owner of Kiscaden Consulting and creator of the Next Up Trades children's book series, to discuss how storytelling can reshape the future of recruiting in the trades. Ryan shares how a conversation with his plumber brother-in-law sparked the idea to create books that explain HVAC and plumbing to children in a way they can understand and connect with emotionally. Instead of focusing only on wages, debt, and job security, Ryan believes the industry needs to tell a better story about purpose, problem solving, and helping people. They discuss: Why the trades struggle with perception problems How recruiting really starts in childhood The emotional side of working in HVAC and plumbing Why storytelling matters more than statistics The disconnect between schools and skilled trades How contractors can become community educators Why ADHD and hands-on learning may actually be strengths in the trades How AI and technology are changing the perception of blue-collar careers If your company struggles to recruit young talent, this episode offers a completely different perspective on building the next generation of skilled trades professionals. Timestamps 00:00 Promoting trades to young kids 04:15 Explaining skilled trades to kids 07:56 Changing perspectives in education 10:35 Changing perceptions around AI jobs 13:48 The gratification of helping others 17:36 Industry collaboration and collective effort 19:33 Interviewing teachers and donors 24:38 Creative uses by contractors 28:19 Challenges for kids with ADHD 32:22 Challenges with traditional schooling 33:34 Learning with technology and AI 36:32 Where to find more info Follow the Host and Guest Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Ryan Kiscaden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankiscaden/ Connect with Us LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmastery Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly powered by: UpFrog: upfrog.com MarketStorm is an AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/ Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail!: https://www.callrail.com/sbmpod CompanyCam: https://companycam.com/ Breezy: $500 toward Breezy + we'll show you exactly how many jobs you're missing right now. Book a demo here: https://calendly.com/shaun-breezy/30min?month=2026-04 PhoneTAP: Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo

Most home service business owners are excited about automation, AI, and new technology. But here's the problem… They're implementing tools before fixing their processes. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Nathan Whittacre, CEO of Stimulus Technologies, to break down what actually works when it comes to optimizing and automating your business. Nathan shares decades of experience helping companies implement technology the right way and explains why most tech investments fail. What You Will Learn in This Episode Why automation without optimization creates bigger problems The biggest mistakes business owners make when adopting technology How to identify what processes should be improved first Why culture and leadership matter more than the tools themselves The real cybersecurity risks facing home service businesses today Simple ways to protect your business from costly attacks When you should handle IT yourself vs hiring outside help If you've ever bought software that didn't deliver results, or you're trying to scale with automation, this episode will save you time, money, and frustration. Timestamps 00:00 Implementing technology and cultural change 06:36 Finding technology solutions that fit 08:36 Importance of optimizing before automating 11:12 Optimizing and automating with ERP 14:19 Discussing leadership and habit formation 18:28 Engaging clients with tech solutions 21:02 Addressing leadership communication gaps 27:31 Setting up basic online security 28:18 Managing business growth complexities 34:01 Impact of AI on Technology 35:43 Dealing with a social media hack 40:48 Social media hacker tips 43:39 Protecting your personal information 47:51 Employee bank account changes 49:07 Importance of slowing down decisions 51:59 Checking your spam folder 55:57 Wrapping up with show notes Follow the Host and GuestTersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Nathan Whittacre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanwhittacre/ Stimulus Technologies: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stimulus-technologies/ Connect with Us LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmastery Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly powered by: UpFrog: upfrog.com MarketStorm is an AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/ Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail!: https://www.callrail.com/sbmpod CompanyCam: https://companycam.com/ Breezy: https://getbreezyapp.com/ Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo

Most business owners think they only have two options when they want to scale: Pay expensive consultants… or give up equity to investors. But what if there was a third option? In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Mike Michalowicz and Greg Eckler from The Prosper Group to break down a completely different approach to scaling service businesses. Instead of charging fees or taking ownership, their model focuses on partnering with business owners, executing alongside them, and only getting paid when the business becomes more profitable. What You Will Learn in This Episode • Why most consulting models fail to deliver real results • The downside of giving up equity to investors • How a no-fee, no-equity partnership model works • Why alignment of incentives is critical for growth • The biggest red flags in struggling businesses • How debt structure impacts your ability to scale • What "return on payroll" means and why it matters • Why overstaffing is killing many businesses • The difference between A, B, and C players • Why titles can hurt performance inside organizations • How to match tasks to talent instead of titles • Why most businesses are doing too much unnecessary work Timestamps 00:00 Importance of hiring A players05:33 Formation of The Prosper Group08:24 Making the business sellable11:50 Northcote Parkinson's observation14:27 Focusing on essential tasks18:10 Staying true to coaching values20:50 What they look for in companies25:12 Evaluating employee fit and performance28:05 Aligning roles and maximizing talent31:42 Appreciating small businesses32:27 Small businesses and workforce impact35:33 Managing cash flow challenges39:50 Talking with potential clients41:52 Understanding the balance sheet basics Follow the Host and Guest Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Joshua Crouch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-crouch/ Mike Michalowicz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/ Greg Eckler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-eckler-68b79630/ Connect with Us LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmastery Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast This episode is kindly powered by: UpFrog: upfrog.com MarketStorm is an AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/ Get Your 14-Day Free Trial with CallRail!: https://www.callrail.com/sbmpod CompanyCam: https://companycam.com/ Breezy: https://getbreezyapp.com/ Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo