The TradeMarke

Why You Should Start a Podcast

On this episode we are joined by Tersh Blissett! This guy has several podcasts and an extravagant shoe collection. He is a father of 4 and owns several businesses. 
Tersh talks about his time in the Air Force and how it helped him in the business world. Eric and Tersh talk about gas vs. electric systems, and the importance and significance of podcasting. Tersh and Eric give you a step by step on how and why to start a podcast.
His words of wisdom for fellow business owners is "even if things are going bad, you still have control over your own situation."

The Value of Having Great People

On this episode we are joined by Stephanie Postell from Anchor Heating and Air.
Eric sits down with Stephanie at the Women In HVACR event. Stephanie is the co-owner of of Anchor Heating and Air, along with her husband David, in Charleston, SC.
Eric asks about what it's like to work with your spouse. Stephanie says, "you've gotta stay in your lane!" Their daughter also works in the business as well!
Anchor Heating and Air is in their first year of business, and Eric asks what the biggest challenges were in their first year. Stephanie touches upon scaling too quickly, maintaining a level of service and sometimes having to say no to some jobs. 
Since this interview took place at the Women in HVACR event, Eric and Stephanie also talk about women in the trades.
 
 

BONUS EPISODE: An Uncensored Conversation With Thaddeus & Evan

It's Thanksgiving week, so we wanted to give our valued listeners a bonus episode to enjoy while you inevitably fall asleep after eating too much turkey. During this episode, we are joined by Thaddeus & Evan from HVAC Success Secrets Revealed. 
This episode was recorded during the Women in HVACR event that took place in Phoenix, Arizona. During their discussion, they talk about inspiration for their podcasts, local marketing ideas, the importance of empowering women in the trades, and much more! 
 
Also, Eric reveals a that he will be helping lead a marketing summit in Tampa hosted by ServiceTitan on December 8th. If you are interested in attending, you can register using this link: https://cvent.me/m5z25r?RefId=RD

Automating So You Can Do More

On this episode we have Ryan Fenn, CEO of CHIIRP on the show, recorded from the Women in HVACR event! Eric and Ryan talk about communication automation, automating review requests, while not taking away the human element in your business.
 
Ryan and his brother started a business 12 years ago, and Ryan even made a course on how to grow and build your business. Now, he's focused on growing your business through automation. Automating allows you as the business owner to be able to do more, while automation takes care of the rest. 
 
Check our our affiliate link for CHIIRP here!
 

Hire for Character, Train for Skill

ERIC GOES LIVE FROM WOMEN IN HVACR! On this episode, we are joined by Carrie Fraser from Nexstar Network.
Nexstar is a member-owned organization serving the trades. Carrie says that Nexstar's goal is to coach and train the world's best tradespeople to become the best business people. 
Carrie has been with Nexstar for a little over 5 years. Her advice to those in the trades is to be able to adapt, and be consistent. 
Carrie puts emphasis on the importance of pairing up with a best practices group and putting time and effort into the people on your team.
 

Setting Your Business Up For Success in 2023

On this episode, we are welcoming back Lawrence Castillo from Brody Pennell. Brody Pennell is the longest standing Carrier dealer in Los Angeles. They've been in business since 1945. 
Brody Pennell recently won Best HVAC Company in LA by the readers of the LA times!
Lawrence and Eric talk about the importance of customer service, thought on private equity, memberships and opportunities in quarter four. Lawrence puts on emphasis on memberships by linking reviews directly to an increase in memberships, and stating that "memberships are not dead."
Lawrence puts emphasis on customer service saying "it takes years to gain a customer and only seconds to lose them."
This is Lawrence's third time being on The Smart HVAC Marketing Podcast. We are so glad to have him back to share his insight and experience in this industry.
 
CORRECTION: Lawrence's email is lawrence@brodypennell.com
 
 

TikTok Strategies For HVAC and Plumbing Companies with A&T Mechanical

BONUS EPISODE ALERT!
 
We wanted to provide an additional episode for everyone this week. Mainly because the information shared from the team at A&T Mechanical in regards to their TikTok success was too good to not share immediately. 
 
During this action-packed episode of the Smart HVAC Marketing podcast, we talk about how HVAC & plumbing companies can utilize TikTok as part of their social media marketing strategy, and different ways to get creative with your approach to maximize reach. 
 
The Smart HVAC Marketing podcast was created by Rival Digital to help residential HVAC contractors and is now streaming on all major platforms. Follow along for ways to improve your marketing and grow your business as we continue interviewing more industry experts.

Capacity Planning & Scheduling for High-Value Jobs

On this episode we are joined by Matthew Weppner of Schedule Engine.
Matthew is the Enablement Manager at Schedule Engine, before that Matthew was a CSR at Uber. (before Uber was what we know it as today!)
Matthew and Eric discuss how to handle high call volume and how to prioritize calls using Service Titan technologies and software. 
Matthew touches upon the importance of using data insights for upsells, taking higher paid jobs, and using softwares to track inventory for your techs.
Matthew says that going forward the industry needs to note that convenience is king, always.

How to Reach More Homeowners

On this episode, we are joined by Bohannan McKenzie of Full-Speed Plumbing.
Bo is the CVO (Chief Visionary Officer) which comes with the responsibilities of helping define Full-Speed's vision for the future.
Bo's advice on reaching homeowners is to be specific, focus on today and right now, and the value of the isolation of information. He also mentions that you should know how served your population is, and if you want change, you need to be the change in the market.
Bo also describes the challenges in the home services industry like brand recognition and entering a new market. 

How Your Team Culture Can Be Improved in 2023

On this episode we are joined by none other than Tommy Mello of A1 Garage Doors. This is an episode that you should not miss!
Tommy and Eric talk about team culture, communication, recruiting and giving your employees opportunities for growth.
Tommy explains that people cut marketing first, not bad performers and if you're not willing to have tough conversations that that's a fast track to failure.
In discussing systems, Tommy explains that a system fails for 3 reasons:
1. No system
2. Wrong system
3. System isn't being followed
Some of Tommy's advice from this episode is "Don't pay people to practice in front of a customer."