Born For The Trades: A Home Service Podcast

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Sep 2026

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About the show

"Born For The Trades: A Home Service Podcast" is a weekly podcast hosted by Mandeep Bhalla that aims to inspire and educate home services business owners. Each episode features successful industry leaders, like Tommy Mello, Ken Goodrich, and more, who share their stories and provide valuable insights into the home services industries. Through its focus on the successes of well-known business owners, "Born For The Trades" provides a unique perspective on the home services industry and offers valuable insights and advice for those looking to grow their businesses.

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October 22, 2026Episode 9427 min

Real Talk from the Field: How Jeff Plant Scaled to $40M and What Every HVAC Owner Needs to Hear

Jeff Plant didn't learn how to run an HVAC business from a boardroom. He learned it from the ground up, starting as a helper painting ductwork and earning every role in between before becoming COO of a $40 million operation. In this episode, Mandeep sits down with Jeff to unpack the real conversations happening inside HVAC businesses right now around trust, pricing, and leadership. From how to build genuine rapport with a homeowner before price ever comes up, to handling pushback on labor and material costs without caving to discounts, Jeff brings a field-tested perspective that textbooks can't teach. He also gets into what separates a manager who checks boxes from a leader who actually builds people, and why promoting your best tech doesn't automatically make them your best manager. This episode is brought to you by Broccoli AI at broccoli.com , Grow Nearby at grownearby.com , and Grow Reviews at growreviews.com . You'll learn: How to build trust with homeowners from the very first call, before price ever enters the conversation How to handle pricing objections confidently by presenting options that give customers a sense of control rather than a take it or leave it moment What a real leadership and accountability system looks like in a trades company and how to avoid the most common mistake when promoting from within Timestamps: 00:27 — From Helper to COO: The Journey 05:24 — Building Trust Before Price 06:33 — Framing the Conversation with Homeowners 07:53 — Connecting with Empathy and Avoiding High-Pressure Sales 09:22 — Handling Pricing Objections Without Discounting 10:46 — Overcoming Price Pushback by Presenting Choices 14:09 — Communicating Value Without a Sales Script 16:59 — Manager vs. Leader 18:50 — Implementing Career Paths and Accountability 20:08 — Pitfalls of Promoting Field Technicians into Management Listen to the episode on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qLXJ8JXHYVeZfu4dsh2zM?si=4c032ea3abaf48d7 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/born-for-the-trades-a-home-service-podcast/id1677216121 Connect with Born For The Trades: 📧 jacey@grownearby.com | mandeep@grownearby.com 📱 Text Mandeep: (716) 292-5487 🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://bornforthetrades.buzzsprout.com/ 📍 Grow Nearby: https://www.grownearby.com/ 📸 IG: @bornforthetrades | @mandeepismarketing | @grownearby 👥 FB: https://www.facebook.com/bornforthetrades/ | https://www.facebook.com/MandeepSinghBhalla/ Connect with Jeff Plant: 🌐 BDR: https://www.bdrco.com/ Podcast Sponsors: 🥦 Broccoli AI: https://www.broccoli.com/ 📍 Grow Nearby: https://www.grownearby.com/ ⭐ Grow Reviews: https://www.growreviews.com/ Support the show

September 2, 2026Episode 9335 min

Mentorship, Leadership, and Advancing Women in the Trades with Lisa Knapp

In this episode of Born For The Trades, Mandeep sits down with Lisa Knapp , founder of Sea the Possibility Leadership Consulting and board member of Women in HVACR. With over 30 years of corporate leadership experience, Lisa brings deep insight into what it actually takes to develop leaders, retain talent, and advance women in the skilled trades. From the launch of a brand-new mentor qualification training program to the real cost of reactive hiring and promoting technicians into management without proper development, this conversation is packed with practical perspectives every trades business owner needs to hear. This episode is brought to you by Broccoli AI at broccoli.com , Grow Nearby at grownearby.com , and Grow Reviews at growreviews.com . You'll learn: Why building a talent pipeline early is one of the most important and most overlooked investments a trades business can make What effective mentoring in the trades actually looks like and why mentors themselves need training before they can truly help others The leadership skills most often missing in trades managers and how to start building a stronger leadership culture from the top down Timestamps: 00:11 – Introduction of Guest Lisa and Women in HVACR 01:25 – Transitioning from Corporate Leadership to Sea the Possibility Consulting 05:01 – Looking at Industry Infrastructure: Large Corporations vs. Local Contractors 06:26 – Applying Psychology and Neuroscience to Mindset Coaching 08:09 – Mentoring Women in the Trades & Overcoming Retention Challenges 11:03 – The Launch of the Mentor Qualification Training Program 13:13 – Building Early Talent Pipelines with Schools and Communities 15:51 – The Financial and Experiential Cost of Reactive Hiring 18:31 – Mid-Episode Sponsor Break (Broccoli AI, Grow Nearby, and Grow Reviews) 20:11 – Leadership Development: Promoting Technicians into Management 22:22 – Core Leadership Traits: The Power of Inspiration, Empathy, and Active Listening 25:10 – Building a Strong Leadership Culture Starting at the Top 26:56 – Intentionality and Advancing Women in Small Trade Businesses 28:06 – Advice for the Trades Community: Finding Mentorship and Accountability Listen to the episode on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: 🎧 Spotify: SpotifyBorn For The Trades: A Home Service Podcast 🍏 Apple Podcasts: AppleBorn For The Trades: A Home Service Podcast Connect with Born For The Trades: 📧 jacey@grownearby.com | mandeep@grownearby.com 📱 Text Mandeep: (716) 292-5487 🎙️ Buzzsprout: BuzzsproutBorn For The Trades: A Home Service Podcast 📍 Grow Nearby: GrownearbyDigital Marketing for Home Service Company | Grow Nearby 📸 IG: @bornforthetrades | @mandeepismarketing | @grownearby 👥 FB: FacebookBorn For The Trades - A Home Service Podcast | FacebookMandeep Singh Bhalla Connect with Lisa Knapp: 🌐 Sea the Possibility: Sea the Possibility Leadership Consulting Podcast Sponsors: 🥦 Broccoli AI: BroccoliBroccoli AI 📍 Grow Nearby: GrownearbyDigital Marketing for Home Service Company | Grow Nearby ⭐ Grow Reviews: Grow Reviews Support the show

July 22, 2026Episode 9227 min

The Call You Missed Is the Job You Lost: Shelby Anderson on 24/7 Coverage and the Real Cost of Being Unavailable

Every missed call is a missed paycheck. It sounds simple, but most trades business owners have no idea how much revenue is quietly walking out the door every time a customer calls after hours and gets nothing but a voicemail. Shelby Anderson does know, and she's built her work around making sure it never happens again. As the Operations Leader at ServiceForge, Shelby helps trades businesses get found, get booked, and get paid through an all-in-one platform that keeps the phones covered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No bots. No missed connections. Just real people making sure every customer who reaches out actually gets taken care of. In this conversation with Mandeep, Shelby gets into the real cost of a missed call, and the number is bigger than most owners expect. She breaks down what actually happens when a homeowner calls after hours and gets no answer, where they go next, and why that moment is often the difference between winning a job and losing it to a competitor who simply picked up the phone. She also makes a case that after-hours coverage isn't a luxury for businesses that have made it; it's a necessity for businesses that want to get there. But this episode isn't just about answering calls. It's about what happens when a customer feels heard, helped, and taken care of from the very first interaction. In a world where everyone is rushing to automate everything, Shelby brings a refreshing and honest perspective on where automation genuinely helps and where it quietly costs you the customer relationship you worked so hard to earn. Whether you're a solo operator or running a growing team, the way your business handles incoming customers right now is either building your reputation or eroding it. Shelby lays out what a truly reliable customer experience looks like from the first call all the way through to getting paid, and what trades businesses of every size can do to get there. This episode is brought to you by Broccoli AI, helping trades and service businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence to work smarter and grow faster, and Grow Reviews, the reputation management platform built for home service companies ready to win more customers through the power of real reviews. We're grateful for their continued support of the Born For The Trades community. If your phones aren't covered around the clock, this episode is exactly what you need to hear. Click here to learn more about ServiceForge: https://www.serviceforge.com/?ref=yjg5oti&utm_source=tapaffiliate_jaceyfeiler_Jacey_Feiler&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=serviceforge_affiliate_program Support the show

June 29, 2026Episode 9125 min

AI Poverty Is Real: Why Trades Businesses Can't Afford to Wait

Artificial intelligence is no longer coming. It is already here, and the gap between businesses that understand it and businesses that don't is widening faster than most people realize. Manuj Aggarwal has spent years at the center of that conversation, and today he brings it straight to the trades. As the founder and Chief Innovation Officer of TetraNoodle Technologies, Manuj has touched over 10 million lives and generated more than $500 million in value through AI. His frameworks have been peer-reviewed and published in the Mensa Research Journal, recognized by President Obama and Bill Gates, and presented at the United Nations alongside Nobel Peace Prize winners. He holds four AI patents and has built a reputation as one of the most credible voices in the industry on how AI creates or destroys opportunity for everyday business owners. In this episode, Mandeep sits down with Manuj to unpack something that every trades business owner needs to understand right now: AI poverty and the sovereignty gap. This isn't a conversation about robots taking over. It's a real, practical look at what happens to the HVAC company, the plumber, the electrician, and the contractor who falls behind on AI versus the one who leans in. Manuj breaks down where AI actually fits inside hands-on service businesses, what a smart first implementation looks like, and whether robots will ever show up to do the physical work itself. He also gets honest about the most dangerous misconceptions trades owners carry around AI, why actively trying to adopt it still isn't enough for some businesses, and what the industry is going to look like five years from now for the owners who got this right versus those who waited too long. This episode is brought to you by Broccoli AI, helping trades and service businesses unlock the power of artificial intelligence to grow smarter and faster, and Grow Reviews, the reputation platform built for home service companies ready to win more customers through the power of trust. We're grateful for their continued support of the Born For The Trades community. If you want to find out where you stand in the AI revolution, Manuj offers a free AI readiness resource at aimerge.live that gives you a score on how prepared your business actually is. You can also connect with him directly on LinkedIn or visit his personal website at manujaggarwal.com . Don't wait until the gap is too wide to close. This episode is your starting point. Support the show

June 17, 2026Episode 9042 min

From the Tools to the Table: Chad Peterson on Why Your Trades Business Is Worth More Than You Think

What if the business you've been building is worth far more than you think? Chad Peterson has spent 25 years answering that question for business owners across the country, and the answer might surprise you. As the founder of Peterson Acquisitions and the creator of Quantum Stack Investing, Chad has been involved in more than $100 billion in completed transactions and has built a nationwide movement around one powerful idea: your business should be building your freedom, not just your schedule. Chad didn't start in a corner office. He started where a lot of you did, with blue-collar roots, a relentless work ethic, and the kind of real-world experience that no business school can teach. That foundation became the backbone of a wealth-building philosophy that has changed the way thousands of entrepreneurs think about ownership, liquidity, and what it actually means to win. In this conversation with Mandeep, Chad breaks down Quantum Stack Investing in plain language, explains why trades businesses like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical are some of the most undervalued wealth vehicles in America, and makes a compelling case for why artificial intelligence is actually making blue-collar businesses more valuable, not less. He also gets into why buying an existing business often makes more sense than starting one from scratch, and how even the most hardworking owners can confuse staying busy with building real wealth. This episode is equal parts strategy, mindset, and motivation. Chad doesn't hold back, and the analogies he brings to this conversation will stick with you long after it's over. Want to connect with Chad or explore what your business might be worth? You can reach him through Peterson Acquisitions and follow him on Instagram at @realchadpeterson for daily insight on wealth, business, and freedom. This episode is brought to you by Broccoli AI, helping trades and service businesses unlock the power of artificial intelligence to grow smarter and faster, and Grow Reviews, the reputation platform built specifically for home service companies ready to win more customers through the power of trust. We're grateful for their support of the Born For The Trades community. If you've ever wondered whether your trades business could be your greatest asset, this episode will show you exactly how to find out. Support the show

May 20, 2026Episode 8955 min

From the Toolbelt to the Boardroom: How Keith Flores Built, Scaled, and Exited His Way to Wealth in the Trades

Keith Flores didn't climb a corporate ladder. He built his own from the ground up, starting with real tools in his hands and turning decades of blue-collar experience into a blueprint for business success that most people only dream about. With 30+ years in the trades and a track record of building, scaling, and exiting HVAC businesses at a high level, Keith brings the kind of insight you can't get from a textbook or a business school classroom. In this episode, Mandeep sits down with Keith to unpack what it actually takes to go from technician to entrepreneur, and from entrepreneur to someone who builds companies worth buying. They get into the wealth-building conversation the trades industry doesn't have enough, why so many talented tradespeople stay stuck despite having everything it takes, and what separates the owners who build real value from the ones who just stay busy. Keith doesn't hold back on the systems, the mindset shifts, the hard lessons, and the moments that changed everything for him financially and professionally. Whether you're just starting out or you've been running your shop for years and feel like something's missing, this conversation will hit different. They also dig into where HVAC and home services are heading with technology and AI on the rise, and what business owners need to be doing right now to stay ahead without getting overwhelmed. This episode is brought to you by Broccoli AI, helping trades businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence to work smarter and grow faster, and Grow Reviews, the reputation management tool built to help home service companies win more customers through the power of real reviews. We're grateful for their continued support of the Born For The Trades community. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to build something in the trades that actually creates lasting wealth, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Support the show

April 29, 2026Episode 8845 min

Where Growth Breaks: How Alignment Between Office and Field Unlocks Real Scale

Most contractors believe growth is a numbers game. More leads, more trucks, more techs. But Danny Zatarain, Director of Learning and Development at Can’t Stop The Growth, has worked inside companies ranging from $10M to over $100M and he sees a different truth. Growth does not usually fail because of effort. It fails in the gaps between teams. In this episode, Danny breaks down why the call center, dispatch, and field are not separate departments, but one connected customer experience. And when that connection is weak, revenue quietly slips through the cracks every single day. Danny takes us back to his foundation in sales management and how that experience shaped the way he now approaches home services training and leadership development. Before building national training programs and leading learning and development at Peterman Brothers, he saw firsthand what most companies miss. It is not just about hiring better people. It is about building systems that make good people great. The conversation quickly moves into one of the biggest challenges in the industry, alignment. Danny explains where most companies break down, not in one department, but in the handoffs between them. A missed detail in the call center, a scheduling gap in dispatch, or a lack of clarity for a technician can all stack into lost revenue and a poor customer experience. The issue is rarely isolated. It is systemic. From there, Danny walks through what strong call handling actually looks like in practice. He breaks down how structured frameworks help CSRs move beyond just booking jobs and instead set up technicians for success in the field. Small adjustments in tone, structure, and control of the call can completely shift conversion rates and customer trust. The discussion expands into smart scheduling and prioritization, where Danny challenges the idea of simply filling the board. Instead, he explains how high-performing teams think strategically about which jobs to take, when to take them, and how that impacts both revenue and efficiency. One of the most impactful parts of the episode is the handoff between office and field. Danny makes it clear that this is where many companies win or lose without even realizing it. When technicians arrive without the right information or context, performance suffers. When the handoff is clean, everything improves, from customer satisfaction to close rates. Danny also dives deep into training and development, sharing insights from building onboarding systems, career mapping, and structured growth paths inside a $100M+ organization. He explains why companies that do not invest in training are not just struggling operationally, they are limiting their own ceiling. This episode closes with a practical playbook for contractors who want to tighten alignment and scale with intention. Danny outlines where to start, what to fix first, and how to build momentum that actually lasts. Special thanks to our sponsors, Broccoli AI and Grow Reviews , for supporting Born For The Trades and helping contractors build smarter, more connected businesses. If you are a contractor trying to break through your current level, this conversation will show you where growth is really being lost and how to take it back. Support the show

April 15, 2026Episode 8735 min

Growth Starts at Hello: Inside the Systems Behind a 500+ Person Home Service Empire

Most contractors think growth is built in the field. More trucks, more techs, more leads. But Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers, has built a 500+ person organization across HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and he sees it differently. The real growth engine does not start in the truck. It starts at the first ring of the phone. In this episode, Chad breaks down how a family business turned multi-state operator learned that the call center is not support. It's strategy. It is revenue. It is the first impression that decides everything that comes after it. Chad takes us back to the early days of Peterman Brothers, before the scale, before the systems, when growth was exciting but also breaking things at the same time. He shares the moment it became clear that people, not production, would define the ceiling of the company, and how early mistakes shaped the way he now thinks about scale, leadership, and structure. The conversation moves into a powerful shift in perspective around call centers. Chad challenges the idea that answering phones is administrative work and instead positions it as one of the most important revenue drivers in the entire business. From missed opportunities to first impressions, he breaks down where contractors are unknowingly leaving money on the table and why training, systems, and leadership all have to work together for the phone to become a growth engine. From there, Mandeep and Chad connect the dots between customer experience and revenue. What actually happens in a five-minute phone call that determines thousands of dollars in revenue downstream? Chad unpacks the most common mistakes CSRs make, what a high-performing call actually sounds like, and how empathy and structure can exist in the same conversation without sacrificing conversion. The discussion expands into retention and upselling, where Chad explains how real growth is often hidden in plain sight. Small shifts in communication, service plans, and trust building during the first interaction can dramatically change long-term customer value. It is not about pushing harder. It is about listening better and executing with intention. Operations come next, where dispatch becomes the make or break point between a great call and a completed job. Chad breaks down how strategic dispatching works, what most teams get wrong, and why speed without alignment often leads to lost revenue instead of gained efficiency. A major focus of the episode is people development. Chad shares the philosophy behind building the Top Tech Academy and how structured training, onboarding, and career mapping became the backbone of scaling a 100M+ operation. He explains why most companies do not have a performance problem; they have a development problem. We also dig into Chad’s philosophy from The Empowerment Project , where he challenges contractors to think differently about growth. Not as something you chase, but something you build through your people and systems every single day. This episode is a blueprint for contractors who want more than activity. It is for those who want alignment between office, dispatch, and field, and a system where every call, every handoff, and every interaction drives measurable growth. Special thanks to our sponsors, Broccoli AI and Grow Reviews , for supporting Born For The Trades and helping contractors scale smarter. If you are a contractor stuck between effort and execution, this episode will show you where the real leverage lives. Support the show

March 25, 2026Episode 8656 min

Built to Sell: The Blueprint Behind $100M in Trade Business Exits

Most people in the trades are focused on getting through the week. Making payroll. Landing the next job. But every once in a while, someone comes along who plays a completely different game. On this episode of Born For The Trades, host Mandeep sits down with Lance Bachmann, a self-made entrepreneur who turned grit into over $100M in exits across multiple industries. And what’s surprising isn’t just the scale. It’s how repeatable he insists the process is. This conversation starts where most don’t. Not with strategy, but with realization. Lance didn’t grow up with a roadmap or a network handing him opportunities. The shift happened when he saw that what he was building wasn’t just income, it was an asset. Something with real, transferable value. That moment changed everything. It’s the difference between owning a job and owning a business. From there, the conversation moves into a mindset most contractors ignore. Building with the end in mind. Even if you never plan to sell, thinking like a buyer forces better decisions. Cleaner systems. Stronger teams. More predictable results. The kind of business that doesn’t rely on the owner to survive. Because the truth is, if it falls apart without you, it was never really a business to begin with. Then comes the reality check. Revenue might look impressive, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Buyers care about what’s left over, not what comes in. Understanding profitability, structure, and how your numbers actually read to an outsider is where many owners get humbled. And it’s often the difference between a life-changing exit and a disappointing offer. One of the most powerful moments in the episode is a real case study. A roofing company that went from $2M to $23M in under two years. Fast growth, but not without pressure. Systems breaking. People stretched. Decisions that had to be made quickly or risk losing everything. It’s a raw look at what scaling actually demands behind the scenes. The conversation also digs into one of the biggest traps in the trades. The owner is the center of everything. Letting go isn’t just operational, it’s psychological. Building leaders, trusting systems, and stepping out of day-to-day control are often the hardest moves, but they're also the ones that unlock real value. As private equity continues to move aggressively into home services, understanding how these deals work has never been more important. What looks like an opportunity can quickly become regret if you don’t know what to look for. Lance breaks down what matters before, during, and after the deal. By the end, it comes down to action. Not theory. Not someday. Real moves contractors can make immediately to start building something that works for them, not because of them. Big shoutout to our sponsors, Broccoli AI and Grow Reviews, for supporting the trades and helping contractors level up their operations, marketing, and growth in an increasingly competitive landscape. Support the show

March 11, 2026Episode 8517 min

From Stanford to Service Trucks: Why AI’s Brightest Minds Chose the Trades

On this episode of Born For The Trades, Mandeep sits down with Kevin and Gabe, two Stanford-trained computer scientists who took an unexpected path. Instead of chasing flashy startups or big tech exits, they chose the home service industry, with a sharp focus on commercial contractors. It was not the obvious move. That is exactly why it matters. Kevin grew up around the trades, watching his uncle run a commercially focused construction company. The rhythms of job sites, bids, and long-term relationships were familiar. Gabe came from a deeply technical world with experience at Google and Autodesk and no direct background in the trades. Together, they formed a partnership that blends lived industry exposure with elite technical execution. Modern Edge was not born from a grand master plan. Kevin and Gabe describe how they “accidentally” began doing AI strategy consulting for construction and real estate firms. What started as curiosity quickly revealed a massive gap. Commercial contractors were underserved by modern marketing tools, especially in B2B environments where relationships, timing, and trust are everything. They saw an opportunity to bridge the educational gap and bring practical AI into an industry that is essential yet often overlooked by Silicon Valley. Bootstrapping was a deliberate choice. Instead of raising capital and chasing growth at all costs, they built for profitability from day one. Every decision had weight. Every feature had to matter. That discipline shaped their product and their mindset. They talk candidly about the pressure and clarity that comes from building without a safety net. One of the most compelling parts of the conversation centers on AI-driven email marketing for commercial contractors. In B2C, marketing is often high volume and transactional. In B2B, especially in the trades, it is nuanced and relationship-based. A single well-timed email can unlock a multi-year contract. AI allows contractors to personalize outreach, craft compelling subject lines, and stay top of mind without adding administrative burden. Kevin and Gabe share examples of intriguing subject lines that spark curiosity and drive opens, proving that small shifts in messaging can create outsized results. They also reflect on the advice that shaped them. The best advice was to focus on long-term thinking and to build something real. The worst was overly confident, absolute guidance not grounded in data or context. For Kevin, books that reshape perspective have played a key role in how he approaches business and resilience. By the end of the episode, one thing is clear. The trades are not behind. They are on the brink of transformation. Founders like Kevin and Gabe are not trying to disrupt contractors. They are equipping them. For commercial leaders who want to grow smarter, market better, and compete at a higher level, this conversation is one you will not want to miss. To connect with Kevin and Gabe or request a demo from Modern Edge, they invite listeners to reach out directly to www.modernedge.io and start the conversation. Support the show