The TradeMarke

Erica Leonor joins Sarah and Eric for a wide-ranging conversation on the power of voice, especially for CSRs and sales teams who don't have body language or facial expressions to lean on. Erica breaks down what she calls "the sound layer," why people process tone before words, and how monotone delivery quietly kills engagement, trust, and closed deals.
The conversation moves into pitching (why nobody needs a 10-minute origin story), the value of vulnerable, ordinary storytelling as a connection tool, and choosing authenticity over "faking it till you make it." Erica also talks about her work with the Influential Women Organization and the women's groups shaping the trades, plus what her husband Geovanny is building with Voxa to modernize CSR and sales training.

Eddie McFarlane returns to The TradeMarke Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces reshaping the trades right now: tariffs, refrigerant transitions, and an administration that keeps everyone guessing. But the real focus is what's next. Sarah and Eric dig into the AI data center boom, why it matters for HVAC and electrical contractors specifically, and why most people are using AI like a search engine instead of a thinking partner. Eddie shares why clean data beats more dashboards, how to actually get value out of tools like Claude, and why the fundamentals of good business still decide who wins. Plus: the Fosbury Flop, dirty data confessions, and a challenge to rethink data centers as a trades opportunity, not just a headline.

In this episode of The TradeMarke Podcast, hosts Sarah Ghirardo and Eric Thomas sit down with Chelsea Fusselbaugh, Co-Founder of TradeEngage, to explore how referral marketing is transforming the home services industry.
Chelsea shares how TradeEngage helps contractors turn word-of-mouth referrals into a scalable growth engine by connecting businesses, customers, and communities through a modern referral platform. The conversation dives into reducing customer acquisition costs, creating trusted referral networks, owning the customer relationship, and why referrals remain one of the most powerful growth channels available.
The trio also discusses the role of AI in building smarter business systems, the future of community-driven marketing, and how contractors can leverage partnerships to grow without becoming overly dependent on paid advertising.
Whether you're an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or home service business owner, this episode will challenge the way you think about referrals, marketing spend, and long-term growth.
Topics Covered:
Building a referral flywheel that compounds over time
Reducing customer acquisition costs
Creating strategic partnerships with complementary trades
Turning customers into brand advocates
AI's impact on home service businesses
Why trust and community still win in a digital world
Listen now and discover how to turn your best customers and partners into your most valuable growth channel.

Houston, TX is the number one air conditioning city in the entire world. That means it's also one of the most cutthroat HVAC markets on the planet, dominated by private equity rollups, aggressive pricing games, and technicians who are taught to sell first and serve second.
Donnivin Brown isn't playing that game.
In this episode of The TradeMarke Podcast, Eric sits down with Donnivin, founder of Southern Comfort Heating and Air in Houston, TX, to talk about what it actually takes to build a values-driven trades business in a market stacked against the little guy. Donnivin's story starts in a small town outside Georgetown, South Carolina, where his grandfather spent 21 years in the military before starting a community-first HVAC business around 1999. That foundation of integrity and perseverance shaped everything Donnivin would later build.
But the road to Houston wasn't easy. Donnivin and his wife sold their two-year-old home, packed up their newborn son, and drove a U-Haul across the country with a van full of tools and a whole lot of faith. On day one in Houston, someone broke into that van and cleaned it out completely. He filed a police report. They told him it was gone. He reinvested, rebranded, and got back to work.
Today, Southern Comfort Heating and Air is carving out a real footprint in one of the most competitive HVAC markets in the country, and Donnivin isn't doing it by undercutting on price or chasing every trend in the industry. He's doing it the same way his grandfather taught him: with integrity, transparency, and a genuine commitment to the people he serves.
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why Houston became Donnivin's target market and what surprised him when he arrived
How private equity is quietly eroding service quality by pushing out experienced techs and replacing them with new grads who don't know what they don't know
The simple standard Donnivin holds every technician to before they leave a job site
Why his $10M goal has nothing to do with chasing Tommy Mello's numbers
What Donovan says he would tell every Houston homeowner if he had five minutes on the local news
How a hate crime shaped his purpose and became the fuel behind Southern Comfort's mission
Donnivin's vision for Southern Comfort isn't just about building a company. It's about building a gym, a place where everyone who walks through the door leaves as a better technician, a better spouse, a better leader, and a better person.
If you're in the trades and you're trying to figure out how to stay true to who you are while the big money players try to squeeze you out, this one's for you.

Max Benbrook, founder of Winsupply in Austin, Texas, joins Sarah and Eric to break down what five years of supply chain disruption has really taught the HVAC industry. From the just-in-time collapse during COVID to the slow death of OEM brand loyalty, Max pulls no punches on where contractors are leaving money on the table and what it takes to actually win in today's market.
The conversation goes deep on procurement inefficiency, why 80% of contractors still won't show pricing online, and how the shift toward younger homeowners is changing everything about the sales conversation. Max also shares why he'd rather buy more trucks than open more stores, how direct-to-jobsite delivery is saving his contractors real time and money, and why training from your distributor matters more than price negotiations.
If you're a contractor, a distributor, or anyone trying to understand where the trades are headed, this one is worth your time.

In this episode of The TradeMarke Podcast, hosts Sarah Ghirado sits down with Gabe Bustos to talk about what’s really working in home service marketing heading into 2026.
From the realities of SEO and AI-generated content to building trust, earning reviews, and creating authentic customer experiences, Gabe shares a grounded perspective on how small and family-owned trade businesses can still compete and grow in an increasingly noisy digital world.
The conversation dives into:
Why SEO fundamentals still matter
The biggest misconceptions contractors have about marketing
How AI is changing content creation and workflows
The importance of reputation, reviews, and customer trust
Why most businesses fail by trying to do too much at once
What trade companies should focus on right now to prepare for 2026
If you’re a contractor, agency owner, or marketer in the trades, this episode is packed with practical insights on scaling sustainably, staying authentic, and adapting without falling for the hype.

Hosts Sarah Ghirardo and Eric Thomas chat with technologist and book author Chris Carter about using AI and automation in trade businesses, practical tools that save time, and how to adopt technology without getting overwhelmed. They cover real-world examples, common operational gaps, and why trades need to start experimenting with AI to stay competitive.

In this episode of The TradeMarke Podcast, hosts Eric Thomas and Sarah Ghirardo sit down with Tara Landes of Bellrock to break down what it really takes to scale a business beyond the plateau.
From defining a true BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to building systems that don’t break as you grow, Tara shares practical insights from years of hands-on implementation with service-based businesses. This isn’t theory. It’s how real companies get unstuck and start moving forward again.
They dive into:
Why revenue goals alone won’t inspire your team or drive growth
The difference between leadership and management and why both matter
How to create real buy-in across your organization
Why most businesses stall at $5M–$25M and how to fix it
The power of systems, processes, and saying no to the wrong opportunities
Tara also shares one piece of advice every contractor needs to hear: if you can throw money at a problem to buy back your time, do it.
If you’re stuck in the day-to-day, wearing too many hats, or trying to figure out how to scale without burning out, this episode will give you a clear path forward.

Laura Kelly, CPO of Clover Growth Partners, joins Sarah to break down the mindset shifts that separate high-achieving business owners from burned-out ones. From her RPM planning system to the concept of "who, not how," Laura shares the frameworks she uses to run six home service companies, raise two kids, and still show up as her best self — without sacrificing the life she's building along the way.

What does it look like to lead 15 home services franchise brands — and still be excited about every single one of them? In this episode, Sarah and Eric sit down with Beth Toenies, COO of 1-800-BOARD-UP and VP of Franchise Development for BELFOR Franchise Group, to talk all things franchising, growth, and the future of the trades.
Beth breaks down what makes the franchise model so powerful for tradespeople who are great at their craft but want support on the business side. She shares how BELFOR's family of brands — from Ducks and Z Plumbers to Blue Kangaroo Packouts and Redbox+ Dumpsters — are designed to complement each other and create real synergy in local markets.
The conversation also dives into how AI and automation are reshaping operations in the field, why BELFOR is leaning in rather than shying away, and what intentional, sustainable growth actually looks like in franchising.
Whether you're a trade professional curious about business ownership or a franchise enthusiast looking for your next opportunity, this episode is packed with insights, energy, and a few laughs along the way.