Inspector Empire Builder

Hosted by Matt Williams

Business Entrepreneurship EducationInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

The Inspector Empire Builder Podcast is where home inspection professionals come to rise, not just in business, but in mindset, leadership, and long-term legacy. If you're a home inspection business owner focused on growing, scaling, and building through your team, this show is your blueprint for achieving both time freedom and financial success. We go deep into team development, sales systems, client service, operational excellence, and the business frameworks that lead to sustainable, rapid growth. Every episode is crafted to help you get out of the day-to-day grind and start building.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 11, 202654 min

From Burnout to 40% Growth: A Home Inspector’s Reset

Burnout can sneak up on even the most driven home inspection business owners. In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, Matt Williams sits down with Jaymie Paternoster of Elevate Inspection Group to talk about what it really takes to grow a home inspection company without losing yourself in the process. Jaymie shares her journey from starting as a home inspector in New Orleans, building and selling a business in Indiana, starting over in Metro Detroit, hitting burnout, rebuilding her company culture, and learning how to lead with clarity instead of chaos. This conversation is for home inspectors, inspection company owners, real estate service professionals, and entrepreneurs who feel stuck between being a great technician and becoming a true business leader. You’ll hear why hustle alone is not enough, how burnout exposes weak systems and unclear goals, why company culture matters even without a physical office, and how to act like the leader of the company you are building before the revenue catches up. You’ll learn: → How Jaymie shifted from fear-based hustle to intentional leadership → Why hiring for people skills can transform your company culture → How to nurture real estate agent relationships during busy season → Why “feeding the roots” of your business creates stronger long-term growth than chasing quick wins To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoaching Email: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 4, 202652 min

Building a Home Inspection Company That Runs Without You

Growing a home inspection business sounds simple until you realize you’re not just inspecting houses anymore, you’re hiring, training, managing people, answering phones, choosing software, building systems, marketing to real estate agents, and trying to protect your reputation at the same time. In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder Podcast, Matt Williams sits down with Brandon Harlan, owner of a growing home inspection company in Oregon, to talk about what it really looks like to scale from being a solo home inspector into a true business owner. Brandon shares his journey from construction and high-rise work into home inspections, buying the company he once worked for, growing in the Portland market, and expanding into Bend and Central Oregon. This conversation is packed with lessons for home inspectors, multi-inspector firms, and service business owners who want to build a company that gives them more freedom instead of just creating another job. You’ll hear real talk about hiring inspectors, avoiding bad hires, using systems, adding ancillary services like mold testing and solar inspections, marketing to Realtors, and learning how to focus when there are too many opportunities at once. You’ll Learn: → How Brandon went from working as a 1099 inspector to buying and growing a home inspection business in Oregon. → The real cost of hiring the wrong inspector, including training costs, lost time, damaged reputation, and the risk of creating a future competitor. → Why systems like phone support, scheduling, recruiting, training, and delegation become essential when you move from solo inspector to multi-inspector company. → Smart growth opportunities for home inspection companies, including Realtor relationship marketing, social media content, mold testing, solar inspections, and expanding into new markets like Bend. To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoaching Email: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 202642 min

From Burned-Out Solo Inspector to Multi-Inspector Firm

Are you a home inspector who feels too busy to grow, too booked to breathe, and unsure how to hire your first inspector without losing control of quality? In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder Podcast, Matt sits down with Jerry from Preferred Inspection Services in Orange County, California, to talk about his journey from general contractor to solo home inspector to multi-inspector business owner. Jerry shares how years in construction, recession pressure, family sacrifices, and overwhelming inspection demand pushed him to rethink the way he was running his company. If you are a solo home inspector doing 10, 15, or even more inspections a week, this conversation will help you see what it really takes to scale a home inspection business, build a team, handle short inspection contingency windows, hire inspectors, manage client expectations, and move from being the technician in the field to becoming the owner of a real inspection company. This episode is for home inspectors who want more freedom, better systems, stronger client relationships, and a path out of the solo operator grind. You’ll learn: → How Jerry transitioned from contracting into home inspections, why being “too busy” can actually hurt your business → How multi-inspector companies handle sick days and scheduling problems → What inspectors should think about before hiring their first team member → Why surrounding yourself with the right business-minded inspection owners can change everything → You’ll also hear real-world lessons on inspection pricing, W2 employees versus 1099 contractors, company vehicles, managing growth, working in competitive markets To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoachingEmail: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 21, 202641 min

Why Female Home Inspectors Have a Huge Advantage

Women are changing the home inspection industry, and this conversation shows exactly why. In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder Podcast, Matt Williams sits down with Lindsey Lundholm and Jaymie Paternoster to talk about women in home inspections, women in IEB, and what it looks like to lead, grow, and succeed in a male-dominated trade. If you are a home inspector, inspection company owner, growth rep, scheduler, operations leader, or part of a home inspection business, this episode will help you see the real value women bring to the table. From stronger client communication and better relationship building to leadership, culture, marketing, and team trust, Lindsey and Jaymie share how women are helping elevate inspection companies and the inspection industry as a whole. This episode also dives into the Women of IEB community, why it exists, how it supports women in the industry, and how leadership, abundance, and collaboration are helping inspection businesses grow. Whether you are a woman in home inspections or a company owner who wants to build a stronger team, this conversation is packed with insight, encouragement, and practical perspective. You’ll learn: → How female home inspectors and women in inspection companies build trust with clients, real estate agents, and team members. → Why relationship-based business is becoming more important than just technical skill. → How Women of IEB creates space for leadership and personal growth. → Why having more women at the table helps raise the standard for the entire home inspection industry. To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoaching Email: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 14, 202649 min

Stop Burning Out: Build Your Business Around Your Rhythm

Feeling overwhelmed in your business, stuck in burnout, or frustrated that your big goals are not turning into real daily progress? In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder Podcast, Matt Williams sits down with Mark Hummel, CEO of IEB, for a powerful conversation about business growth, productivity systems, personal rhythm, rest, execution, and how to build a business without losing yourself in the process. This episode is for home inspectors, entrepreneurs, small business owners, solopreneurs, and multi-inspector firm owners who want more clarity, better focus, stronger daily habits, and a practical way to connect long-term vision with today’s action steps. Matt and Mark talk about how to stop fighting your natural rhythm, why rest is part of the strategy, how to avoid the trap of constant hustle, and why choosing what matters every day is the real key to sustainable business growth. If you want to scale your inspection company, improve your leadership, create better systems, and finally close the gap between where you are and where you want to be, this conversation will challenge and encourage you. You’ll learn: → How to recognize the natural rhythms in your life and business so you can work harder when momentum is on your side and rest when you are facing headwinds. → Why business owners often feel overwhelmed when they see every gap in their company at once, and how simple execution can beat overthinking. → How to connect your three-to-five-year vision to your daily calendar, why your goals need to be visible every day, and how personal operating systems, routines, timers, journals, and reflection can help you stay focused. → You’ll also hear an honest conversation about strengths, weaknesses, ADHD, leadership, discipline, burnout, and why habits do not become automatic unless you keep choosing them. To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoaching Email: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 7, 202647 min

How to Build an Inspection Business That Runs Without You

Are you a home inspector trying to grow beyond doing every inspection yourself? In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, Matt Williams talks with Tony Escamilla from Southern California, a home inspection business owner with nearly 28 years of experience in the inspection industry. Tony shares how the business has changed from handwritten reports, pagers, and paper maps to modern inspection software, drones, AI tools, commercial inspections, and scalable systems. This conversation is for home inspectors, inspection company owners, and service business entrepreneurs who want to stop thinking only like technicians and start building a real business. You’ll hear why learning marketing, bookkeeping, sales, public speaking, networking, SOPs, team leadership, and diversification matters just as much as knowing how to inspect a roof or electrical panel. If you want to grow your inspection business, hire inspectors, add commercial inspections, use AI, build better relationships, or create a company that can run without you, this episode is packed with real-world advice from someone who has been through multiple decades of industry change. Tony also shares why mentorship, conferences, commercial inspection opportunities, environmental services, and business education can help inspectors avoid reinventing the wheel and grow faster. You’ll learn: → Why home inspectors need to embrace AI, drones, and modern inspection software before competitors pass them by. → How Tony transitioned from technician to business owner and why systems, SOPs, bookkeeping, and leadership become critical when hiring inspectors. → How commercial inspection sales work, why relationships often matter more than price, and how diversifying into commercial and environmental services can help protect your company when the residential market slows down. → Public speaking, realtor office presentations, mentorship, and Tony’s book Beyond Inspections. To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoachingEmail: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 30, 202637 min

Stop Flying Blind With Your Inspection Business Finances

Clean books can make or break your home inspection business. In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder Podcast, Matt Williams sits down with Molly Shoemaker from RTC Accounting to talk about bookkeeping, accounting, cash flow, tax surprises, financial dashboards, and how home inspection companies can use real numbers to grow with confidence. If you own a home inspection company and feel unsure about your profit, marketing spend, payroll, owner pay, taxes, cash reserves, or monthly financial reports, this conversation is for you. Molly shares why generic bookkeeping can leave inspection business owners confused, how industry-specific accounting helps you make better decisions, and why clean financials matter long before tax season. You’ll hear how RTC Accounting works with inspection companies across the country, benchmarks financial performance by company size, and helps owners understand the numbers that drive growth. This episode is especially helpful for home inspectors who want to learn: → How to stop guessing, avoid costly accounting mistakes, prepare for slow seasons, manage cash flow, and build a more profitable inspection company with better financial systems. → How inaccurate bookkeeping can lead to overreported or underreported income, why your bookkeeper and CPA should play different roles, how dashboards help home inspection owners track the numbers that matter, and why seasonal cash planning is critical before winter hits. → How industry benchmarks can reveal whether your marketing, payroll, operations, or service costs are out of line, and how clean monthly books allow your CPA to give better tax strategy advice throughout the year. To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoaching Email: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 23, 20261 hr 3 min

From Solo Inspector to 7-Figure Business Owner

If your business feels like it owns you instead of the other way around, this episode will hit home. In this conversation with JT Edgren, we break down what it really takes to scale a home inspection business without burning out, getting stuck in the field, or sacrificing your personal life. From building a team of 20+ inspectors to creating multiple revenue streams, JT shares the exact mindset shifts and systems that helped him go from overwhelmed operator to true business owner. This episode is for inspectors, service business owners, and entrepreneurs who feel trapped doing everything themselves, and want a smarter way to grow. If you’ve ever wondered how to buy back your time, hire the right people, and actually enjoy the business you’ve built, you’ll find real, practical answers here. We also dive into the deeper side of entrepreneurship, purpose, fulfillment, and why success without alignment still leaves you empty. If you’re serious about scaling your business and designing a life you actually want, don’t miss this one. What You’ll Learn: → You’ll learn how JT scaled from a solo inspector to running multiple companies with over 20 inspectors, and why most owners stay stuck doing everything themselves. He explains the “20% rule” that helped him reclaim his time and focus only on high-impact work that actually grows the business. → We also dive into hiring strategies, including when to take the risk and bring on new inspectors, even when you’re unsure if you’re ready, and how growth pressure can actually force your business to level up. → You’ll hear powerful insights on time management, systems, and how to get tasks out of your head so you can think clearly and operate at a higher level. → Plus, JT shares how building a business around your ideal lifestyle, not the other way around, is the key to long-term success and fulfillment. 3. Chapters (Timestamps) 00:00 Intro 01:12 IEB Unite Conference Takeaways 05:33 Role vs Purpose (Powerful Mindset Shift) 10:45 Why You Need “Space” to Think Clearly 16:20 Finding Joy Outside Your Business 22:10 Building Multiple Revenue Streams 28:40 Time Management & The 20% Rule 36:15 Systems to Clear Mental Overload 44:50 Buying Back Your Time 52:30 When to Hire (And Take the Leap) 01:01:10 Scaling Your Team the Right Way 01:10:25 Leadership, Culture & Personal Growth 01:18:40 Building a Life-First Business To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoachingEmail: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 16, 202640 min

The Evolution of Home Inspections

The home inspection industry has changed more in the last few decades than most people realize, and it’s about to change even faster. In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder Podcast, we sit down with Kathleen Kuhn, a 35+ year veteran of the home inspection industry, to break down the past, present, and future of home inspections. From the early days of handwritten reports and carbon copy forms to today’s AI-powered inspection tools, this conversation reveals how the industry evolved, and where it’s headed next. If you’re a home inspector, thinking about becoming one, or trying to grow your inspection business, this episode will open your eyes to the biggest shifts happening right now. We dive into how technology, AI, private equity, and changing consumer behavior are reshaping the industry, and what you need to do to stay ahead. Whether you’re a solo inspector or building a multi-inspector company, this episode will help you understand the opportunities most inspectors are missing, and how to position yourself for long-term success in a rapidly changing market. What You’ll Learn: → You’ll learn how the home inspection industry started in the 1970s and why only 5% of buyers used inspections back then, plus what changed to make inspections a standard part of every home purchase today. → We break down the biggest technology shifts, from paper reports to digital software to AI, and how these changes are impacting efficiency, liability, and report quality for inspectors today. → You’ll discover why the industry is shifting from solo operators to multi-inspector businesses, and how companies are building scalable, sellable inspection brands instead of just creating jobs. → We also explore the future of home inspections, including AI integration, private equity rollups, recurring revenue opportunities, and how inspectors can become long-term partners to homeowners, not just one-time service providers. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:12 How Home Inspections Started 05:33 Only 5% of Buyers Got Inspections?! 09:45 Paper Reports vs Modern Software 15:20 The Shift to Digital & Photos 20:40 Biggest Industry Turning Points 26:10 AI in Home Inspections 32:15 Solo Inspectors vs Multi-Inspector Businesses 38:40 Private Equity & Industry Consolidation 44:55 The Future of Home Inspections 50:10 New Opportunities Inspectors Are Missing 55:30 Warranties & Recurring Revenue 01:00:20 Final Thoughts To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoachingEmail: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 9, 202644 min

The Hidden Weight of Owning a Business No One Talks About

Taking over a family business sounds exciting from the outside, but the reality is often much heavier than people expect. In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, we sit down with Lindsey Lundholm to talk about what it was really like to go from being the daughter of a home inspector to becoming the owner of a multi-inspector company. This conversation is for home inspection business owners, women in leadership, second-generation business owners, and anyone trying to grow through hard seasons in business. We talk about leadership pressure, business growth, real estate market challenges, personal development, women in the home inspection industry, and what it takes to lead when people are depending on you. If you have ever felt the weight of responsibility, questioned whether you were ready, or wondered how great leaders are made, this episode will hit home. It is honest, encouraging, and full of lessons on building a company, growing your confidence, and leading with strength through uncertainty in the home inspection industry and beyond. You’ll Learn: → What changes when you move from helping run a business to fully owning it and carrying the weight of every decision. → How leadership can feel lonely, especially during difficult market conditions, and why consistent effort matters more than waiting for one big breakthrough. → Practical insight on women in home inspections, leadership development, company culture, communication skills, marketing, and why personal growth is often the real ceiling or breakthrough point in a business. → This episode also explores the Women of IEB community, the importance of finding your strengths, and why the hardest seasons in business often become the training ground for your next level of leadership. To connect with IEB using the following links: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠ Website: http://www.iebcoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iebcoaching Email: support@iebcoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices