Why do some home service companies stall at $5M while others explode past $50M? 💰

Chris and Chad break down the real reasons home service businesses stall out, and what separates the ones that scale from the ones that stay stuck. From the crucial shift between operator and CEO to building systems that drive accountability without micromanagement, Chad shares unfiltered lessons from scaling Peterman Brothers beyond the $50M mark.

Whether you're at $2M trying to grow or feeling stuck at $10M, this episode will challenge your thinking, call out the excuses, and arm you with practical steps to level up.

Want to win in the shoulder seasons, book more calls, and build a team that drives the business without you pulling every lever?

Press play. ▶️

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Key Takeaways:

• Stop running calls, start running the business.
• Trusting others unlocks scalable growth.
• Systems create self-accountability in teams.
• Booking rate drives everything, track it daily.
• Know your next hire based on weaknesses.

Too many HVAC, plumbing, and home service leaders feel stuck in a cycle of "meeting after the meeting." Plans sound good in the room, but out in the field, nothing really changes. Technicians are confused, office teams feel out of the loop, and commitment is hit-or-miss.

In this solo episode, Chad Peterman continues the series on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and digs into dysfunction number three: lack of commitment. He breaks down why clarity and conflict are non-negotiable if leaders want real buy-in, not silent resistance. From explaining lead costs to CSRs to involving field pros before changing processes, this conversation is built for leaders who manage techs, installers, and call center teams every day.

Chad unpacks how purpose, simple scoreboards, and better one on ones can transform "gray area" into clear expectations. He shares how paths to progression, pay plan clarity, and town hall style communication can help techs feel heard, supported, and ready to chase bigger goals for their families, not just hit a daily ticket number.

Ready to build a more committed, high-performing team inside your shop?

Join The Arena, Chad Peterman's coaching community for home service leaders, to get practical tools, live coaching, and a network of owners and managers who are scaling the right way - https://cantstopthegrowth.com/

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Key Takeaways:

• Clarity before action: confused teams do not commit, so explain the why, what, and how before expecting buy in.
• Conflict creates alignment: productive disagreement in meetings leads to decisions people will actually support.
• Show the scoreboard: simple metrics and clear pay plans show techs exactly what winning looks like.
• Listen to the field: involve technicians before changing processes so decisions work in the truck, not just the office.
• Purpose over paycheck: connect daily work to helping families and building futures, not just closing tickets.
• One on ones build commitment: use individual meetings to connect goals, performance, and support for each person.
• Leaders remove friction: the main job of leadership is making the field's hard job easier so they can serve customers better.

Home service owners are pouring money into marketing and still watching the call board swing from "overbooked" to "crickets." In this special Around the CAMPfire takeover on Can't Stop the Growth, CAMP Digital founder Katie Donovan sits down with Matt Murray, CMO and Head of Innovation at Peterman Brothers, to unpack how Peterman built a growth engine that actually matches demand to capacity.

Matt shares how Peterman uses real-time data, capacity-aligned marketing, and tight alignment between operations and marketing to keep techs busy, CSRs confident, and ad spend pointed at the right services in the right markets. The conversation digs into brand, trust, community presence, and what it really looks like to scale from "just keep the board full" to a disciplined, repeatable growth system.

For HVAC, plumbing, and trade leaders, this is a playbook for turning chaos into control: how to use capacity dashboards, speed-to-lead, and transparent scoreboards so the entire team knows the score and how to win. Matt also talks about shop tours, learning from other contractors, and why calm, clear leadership matters more as the business grows.

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Key Takeaways:

• Marketing must match your actual capacity.
• Simple, visible data drives better daily decisions.
• Protect your speed-to-lead if you want to win more jobs.
• Brand is built through trust and community presence.
• Calm, clear leadership cuts through growth chaos.
• Learning from other shops shortens your path to scale.

Chad Peterman breaks down why most home service teams do not stall out because of talent or opportunity, but because leaders avoid conflict. Drawing from Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Chad focuses on the "fear of conflict" and shows how quiet meetings and fake agreement quietly kill performance in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses.

Through stories from the early days at Peterman Brothers, Chad shares how a "just do what Chad says" style of leadership worked at a small size but began to break everything as the company grew. He contrasts top-down control with healthy, vulnerability-based conflict, where leaders invite pushback, ask better questions, and let their people challenge ideas before they reach the field.

Chad also shows what this looks like in real home service situations: coaching a struggling technician without shaming their numbers, using meetings to crowdsource better membership conversations, and empowering a "purveyor of conflict" on the leadership team to pressure-test every big decision.

If you are leading techs, installers, comfort advisors, or managers and you sense hallway chatter, passive resistance, or burnout on your team, this episode will help you build the kind of conflict culture that leads to stronger decisions, deeper buy-in, and faster growth.

Take these conversations further inside The Arena, the free CSTG community for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical leaders who want to grow faster together: https://cantstopthegrowth.com/

Additional Resources:

Connect with Chad on LinkedIn Chad Peterman | CEO | Author Learn more about the Peterman Brothers Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Conflict avoided today becomes bigger problems tomorrow.
• Healthy teams disagree openly, not in the hallway.
• Top-down "just do it" leadership breaks at scale.
• Leaders must go first in inviting pushback.
• Coaching with questions beats lecturing with numbers.
• Meetings should surface debate, not just updates.
• A "purveyor of conflict" strengthens every big decision.
• Launching at 70% and learning beats chasing perfection.

Peterman Brothers' Andrew Hasty breaks down why most home service teams do not fail for lack of talent or opportunity, but because of dysfunction. Drawing from Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Andrew focuses on the base of the pyramid, the absence of trust, and why it quietly kills performance in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses.

Through stories from his own life and leadership journey, Andrew shows how perfectionism, fear of failure, and "old school toughness" create blame cultures, silos, and defensiveness on a team. He contrasts that with vulnerability-based trust, where leaders go first by admitting mistakes, asking for feedback, and letting others step into real responsibility.

Andrew also challenges every leader to identify one strength and one honest weakness that may be holding their company back from its next level of growth.

If you are leading techs, installers, or managers and you sense hidden tension, blame, or burnout on your team, this episode will help you build the kind of trust that makes growth inevitable.

Take these conversations further inside The Arena, the free CSTG community for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical leaders who want to grow faster together: https://cantstopthegrowth.com/

Additional Resources:

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Chad Peterman | CEO | Author

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Peterman Brothers' Andrew Hasty unpacks Commitment #4 from The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: Create Win-for-All Solutions.

Andrew draws a powerful parallel between history and leadership using the Treaty of Versailles and the aftermath of World War I to show how "win–lose" thinking always backfires. He challenges leaders in the trades to move beyond short-term victories and build systems where everyone: customer, field professional, and the company — can win together.

Through real stories from the Peterman team, Andrew shows why loyalty to outcomes, not rigid processes, leads to better results and a stronger culture. He breaks down the four keys to "win for all" leadership: candor, abundance, allyship, and curiosity, and reminds every leader that their people's failures are theirs to own and their successes are theirs to celebrate.

Free Growth Resources for HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical: https://cantstopthegrowth.com/

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• Win-for-All Thinking: Business success isn't a zero-sum game. The goal is to create outcomes that benefit everyone.
• Loyalty to Outcomes Over Processes: Processes matter, but leaders must be flexible enough to adapt them in pursuit of better results.
• Candor, Abundance, Allies, and Curiosity: The four traits every conscious leader must cultivate to build trust and innovation.
• Own the Failures, Give Away the Wins: A true leader takes responsibility when things go wrong and gives credit when they go right.
• Empowering Field Pros: Every policy or protocol should make life easier for the people in the field—the ones driving the company forward.

From poker tables in Vegas to leading a $65M home services empire—how did Mike Bruner scale without ever turning a wrench?

Michael Bruner, co-founder of Iceberg Home Services, shares his incredible journey from a 5.5M business in 2019 to a 65M powerhouse in 2024, all without a technical background.

This episode dives into the mindsets, leadership shifts, and tough decisions that fueled Iceberg's exponential growth. From letting go of control and embracing mentorship, to prioritizing personal health and inspiring his team, Mike unpacks the habits and lessons that transformed both his business and his life.

This conversation is a must-listen for people-first leaders serious about scaling with intention and integrity.

Additional Resources:

Listen to the original episode!

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Chad Peterman | CEO | Author

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• Letting go empowers your team to lead.
• Right people in right roles drive scale.
• Culture and vision align talent quickly.
• Self-development multiplies business growth.
• Inspired leaders create inspired organizations.

What if the secret to becoming a better leader isn't getting more, but realizing you already have enough? ⏳

Andrew takes the mic to unravel one of the most transformative ideas from "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership": the shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance. Blending sharp insights with personal stories, Andrew challenges the deeply ingrained belief that we need more to be successful: more time, more money, more recognition.

He breaks down the toxic myths of scarcity that keep us trapped in fear and comparison, and instead offers a refreshing, people-first lens rooted in presence, purpose, and enough-ness.

This episode will have you rethinking how you spend your time, how you define success, and how you show up for the people around you.

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• Scarcity mindset promotes fear, comparison, and toxic competition.
• Abundance mindset fosters creativity, collaboration, and gratitude.
• "More" is not always better. Focus on purposeful use of resources.
• Reframing time and energy shifts how we lead and live.
• You are already enough, personally and professionally.

Every trades leader faces moments that test their grit.

In this episode, former Navy SEAL turned business owner Dan Newell joins Chad Peterman to share how the lessons forged in SEAL training resilience, service, and accountability—apply directly to leadership in HVAC, plumbing, and home service businesses.

Dan's journey from ringing the bell in SEAL training to coming back, graduating #1 in his class, and later running his family's custom cabinet shop is packed with wisdom for leaders building strong teams. He opens up about what it means to lead from the bottom up, how to "get your mind right" when challenges hit, and why the best leaders focus on serving their people first.

If you're leading techs, installers, or managers and you're working to grow both people and profit this episode will challenge you to build a culture that wins every day.

Additional Resources:

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Join The ARENA - a CSTG Community (powered by our media partner, PeopleForward Network) Chad on LinkedIn Chad Peterman | CEO | Author Peterman Brothers Website Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network

• Failure Builds Grit – Every business owner faces setbacks; what matters is how you respond.
• Serve Your Team First – Like a SEAL platoon, your business thrives when leaders focus on others before themselves.
• Get Your Mind Right – A strong mindset is the difference between surviving a tough season and leading through it.
• Accountability Wins – Great teams hold each other to a higher standard. Everyone's success depends on everyone else.
• Lead from the Bottom Up – Ask your team, "What do you need from me?" and watch ownership take off.
• Adapt or Fall Behind – Dan's leap into automation mirrors the trades' need to embrace change and technology.
• Find Your Purpose – Just like earning a SEAL Trident, define your own version of success and lead with confidence.

What if work didn't feel like work? In this solo episode, Chad Peterman breaks down how finding your purpose can completely transform not just your leadership, but your life.

Too many trade leaders chase "work-life balance" and end up feeling guilty on both sides. Chad shares why that struggle disappears once you align who you are at home with who you are at work. From mindset to mission, this is a reminder that leadership isn't about switching hats, it's about becoming the same authentic, purpose-driven person in every environment.

Leaders in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical: this episode will challenge you to show up differently, build purpose into every task, and inspire your teams to do the same.

Join The Arena: the ultimate community for growth-minded home service leaders.

Additional Resources:

Join The ARENA - a CSTG Community (powered by our media partner, PeopleForward Network) Chad on LinkedIn Chad Peterman | CEO | Author Peterman Brothers Website Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network

• Purpose Is Freedom: When who you are at work matches who you are at home, you stop living two different lives.
• Mindset Shapes Everything: The difference between "I have to" and "I get to" defines your experience.
• Leadership Without a Mask: Show up as the same person everywhere—your consistency inspires trust.
• Curiosity Over Control: Approach change and problems with curiosity instead of frustration.
• Enjoy the Work: Find joy and energy in what you do; fun is a leadership multiplier.