exploreHVAC and Home Services with Pam Mashburn

What does it really take to build an HVAC business that can grow without the owner doing everything?

In this episode of Explore HVAC & Home Services, Pam Mashburn sits down with Ethan Duncan, owner of Mallard Air in Spanish Fort, Alabama, to talk about the lessons, risks, and strategies that have shaped his journey from starting in the trade at $10 an hour to building and leading multiple HVAC businesses.

Ethan shares how he built Mallard Air from the ground up, why he invested heavily in branding and customer experience early on, and what he learned after acquiring a 40+ year-old HVAC company. He also opens up about hiring, training, building a strong team culture, setting goals with employees, and learning when to stop doing the work yourself and start empowering your people.

From choosing the right technology and financing options to developing future technicians and leaders, this conversation is packed with real-world lessons for HVAC and home service business owners.

If you're trying to grow your business, build a stronger team, or transition from working in the business to leading it, this episode is for you.

Ever feel like your marketing budget is slipping into a black box? You aren't alone. Industry data shows that a staggering 50% of businesses are considering changing their marketing agency due to a lack of results, transparency, and communication.

In this episode of exploreHVAC & Home Services Podcast, host Pam Mashburn is joined by Christina Bennett, Sales and Strategy expert at exploreHVAC, to tackle the exact questions keeping HVAC contractors up at night. Pulling directly from over 30 hours of real sales transcripts, Pam and Christina address the top 10 friction points home service owners face, including: why your business might be invisible on Google, the reality of SEO timelines, the truth about pay-to-play social media, and how competitors are legally "stealing" your leads by bidding on your brand name. Whether you are stuck at a revenue plateau or wondering if your current website is built to survive the new wave of AI search, this episode delivers a transparent, insider look at what it actually takes to build authority and dominate a 5-mile radius.

Turn your marketing from an unpredictable expense into a high-yielding investment—tune in now to discover how to hold your agency accountable and scale your business.

Learn more about exploreHVAC here: https://explorehvac.com/

Test the new AI Visibility Tracker here: https://explorehvac.com/ai-visibility-tool/

Discover the superpower of structured systems and unapologetic culture in the trades.

On this episode of exploreHVAC & Home Services, host Pam Mashburn sits down with Mike Kopp, co-owner of Comfort Solutions HVAC in Easton, Pennsylvania. Mike shares his journey from working on massive chillers on a Navy aircraft carrier to launching his own residential shop in the middle of the 2007 economic crash.

Mike pulls back the curtain on how he scaled to an 18-person, multi-truck operation by treating his business like a "tight ship." He breaks down why private equity buyouts in his market are driving frustrated customers straight to his door, how his team aggressively recruits and molds top talent directly from local trade schools, and the raw, unvarnished truth about leadership—including the hardest personnel decisions he’s ever had to make.

In this episode of exploreHVAC & Home Services, Pam Mashburn sits down with Chad Faith, Director of Dealer Development at Standard Supply and a veteran HVAC business owner who has scaled and sold three successful HVAC companies. Chad pulls back the curtain on why most contractors struggle to move from "technician" to "business owner" and provides the exact roadmap for making that transition.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Scalability Formula: Why culture and repeatable processes are the only ways to grow.
• Seasonally Enhanced vs. Reactive: How to stop fearing the "shoulder season" and start using it to plan your next million.
• P&L Departmentalization: The common mistake in 93% of profit statements that hides your true labor costs.
• Innovative Recruitment: How a simple video of "Pancakens" (bacon-infused pancakes) outperformed every job board for finding top-tier techs.

Whether you are a $50k startup or an $8M powerhouse, Chad’s insights on servant leadership and business acumen will help you set the standard in your market.

Ready to stop working in your business and start working on it? Tune in now.

To learn more about Standard Supply or connect with Chad, click here: https://www.ssdhvac.com/

Can you really build a $15M HVAC empire from 1,500 miles away? In this episode of ExploreHVAC & Home Services Podcast, Pam Mashburn sits down with Marc Chard and Spencer Satorie of Apex Services. Their partnership started with a single transaction, Spencer buying Marc’s business, but it turned into an aggressive acquisition journey that saw them buy 9 businesses in just two years, leading to a massive private equity exit.

Marc (the technical veteran) and Spencer (the business strategist) pull back the curtain on how they managed a remote portfolio across Florida while living in Nebraska and Missouri. They discuss the "hard-fast" rules of acquisition, the reality of 100% technician turnover when shifting culture, and why they finally decided to sell when private equity came knocking.

Key Takeaways:

• The Buyer-Seller Pivot: How a standard business sale evolved into a powerhouse partnership.
• Managing from a Distance: The systems and leadership required to run multiple locations from 1,500 miles away.
• The EOS Backbone: How the Entrepreneurial Operating System helped them scale from $3M to $15M in 24 months.
• Marketable Assets: Why "clean books" and service software are non-negotiable for a high-value exit.
• The 10th Acquisition: Why they aren't stopping, and what their new "reset" looks like in Texas.

Whether you’re an owner looking to scale or dreaming of your own private equity exit, Marc and Spencer provide the ultimate blueprint for building an HVAC asset that doesn't require you to be in the truck (or even in the same state.)

Press play to learn how to build for the exit.

What happens when you launch an HVAC business in February 2020, and then break your arm on your very first job?

In this episode of ExploreHVAC & Home Services, Pam Mashburn sits down with Tony Yanniello, owner of All-Star Heating and Air Conditioning in Knoxville, TN. As a third-generation HVAC pro, Tony has seen the industry change from coal furnaces to AI-driven diagnostics, but his success comes down to timeless business principles: community involvement, proper pricing, and the "whiteboard math" of delegation.

In this episode, we dive into:

• The "All-Star" Origin: How a 13-year-old on a Huffy bike inspired a brand that now sponsors the whole community.
• Scaling through Delegation: Why doing 70% of a task is actually the secret to growing past 100%.
• Competing with Private Equity: How "leaning into local" through unique marketing like branded water bottles creates a moat around your business.
• Hiring & Culture: Why Tony hires for attitude and how he uses a transparent pay scale to change his employees' lives.

Whether you're a one-man shop or looking to scale your field crew, Tony’s insights on "proper pricing" and community branding are essential for any home service leader.

Don't miss this masterclass in building a business with heart and high standards.

Contact Set Sale here: [email protected]

Find more information about Set Sale here: https://www.setsale.ai/

Can your business survive without you in the driver’s seat?

In this episode of exploreHVAC & Home Services, Pam Mashburn sits down with Seth Ure, founder of SetSale, to deconstruct the "ecosystem" of the modern HVAC business. Seth shares his unique journey from international law in China to the heart of HVAC manufacturing and finance, offering a rare "bird’s-eye view" of how manufacturers, distributors, and contractors can actually work together instead of against each other.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

• The $5M Ceiling: Why owners must transition from "doing the job" to "building the system" to scale past the mid-market plateau.
• The Death of the Paper Quote: Why manual, "handwritten" estimates destroy homeowner trust and how digital transparency closes more deals.
• The "Amazonification" of HVAC: Why today’s customers want to research, customize, and even finance their systems online before you ever knock on their door.
• Process Mapping 101: How to identify the "shortcuts" your team is taking and turn them into your standard operating procedures.

Seth also dives into the "2-hour rule" for lead response and why financing is no longer an option, it’s a requirement for survival in a world where an HVAC system is priced like a used car.

Stop being the bottleneck in your own business. Tune in to learn how to build a sales process that runs on rails. Even when you’re not there.

What does it take to build an HVAC company that customers trust and employees never want to leave? In this episode, host Pam Mashburn sits down with James Holland, Vice President of Hans Heating and Air in Montgomery, Alabama, a service and replacement company with a rock-solid reputation built on honesty, integrity, and exceptional customer experiences.

James shares how he went from running ductwork in Mobile at 18 years old to leading day-to-day operations for one of the most respected HVAC businesses in the market. He opens up about what separates great technicians from average ones (hint: it's not technical skill), how Hans Heating and Air hires for communication first and trains everything else, and why treating employees like family has kept turnover remarkably low in an industry plagued by poaching and competition.

From the sales process and branding consistency to office staff training and navigating a crowded local market, this episode is packed with practical leadership and business growth insights for HVAC and home service business owners at every stage. James also shares his take on where the industry is headed over the next five to ten years and what young technicians can do right now to position themselves for leadership. If you're building or scaling a home services business, this one is worth every minute. Subscribe and follow exploreHVAC & Home Services so you never miss an episode.

Thinking about buying another HVAC company, expanding into a new service line, or finally purchasing your own building? Understanding financing options can make or break your growth strategy.

In this episode of exploreHVAC & Home Services, host Pam Mashburn sits down with Dillon Caraway, Senior Loan Officer at Live Oak Bank, to break down how contractors can use smart financing to scale their businesses.

Dillon works directly with HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors across the country to help them evaluate growth opportunities, plan business transitions, and secure funding through SBA lending programs. From succession planning to acquisitions and working capital, he shares practical insights on how financing actually works in the home services industry.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:
• How SBA loans work and when they make sense for contractors
• The right way to finance buying or selling an HVAC business
• Why clean financials are critical when applying for funding
• The growing trend of contractors buying their buildings instead of leasing
• The dangers of short-term, high-interest business loans
• How strategic acquisitions can help HVAC companies grow faster

Whether you're planning to scale to $10M+, acquire another company, or simply want to understand your financing options, this episode is packed with practical advice for HVAC and home service business owners.

Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders, operators, and experts shaping the future of HVAC and home services.

Learn more about financing for HVAC & home services with Live Oak Bank, contact Dillon Caraway: [email protected]

In this conversation, Pam Mashburn sits down with Patrick Carr, founder of Blue Collar Media Group, to break down what actually builds a brand in the HVAC and home services industry (and why most contractors are focusing on the wrong metrics.)

From starting with an iPhone and zero video experience to building a 16-person media team, Patrick shares how powerful storytelling, consistent branding, and emotional connection outperform vanity views every time. This isn’t about going viral. It’s about becoming “five mile famous” and building a brand homeowners recognize, trust, and choose.

They dive into:

• The difference between content that gets views and content that books HVAC jobs

• Why brand emotion matters more than saying “we have integrity”

• How video lowers customer acquisition costs over time

• Recruitment videos that actually attract experienced technicians

• Why hiring one in-house videographer rarely solves the problem

• The truth about AI video, voice cloning, and what’s coming next

If you’re investing in Google Ads but haven’t built a recognizable HVAC brand, you may be driving up your cost per lead without even realizing it. This episode breaks down how strategic HVAC marketing, professional video production, and consistent content creation work together to build authority and long-term growth.

Whether you’re focused on lead generation, technician recruiting, or strengthening your HVAC company’s branding, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Follow the exploreHVAC & Home Services Podcast for more real conversations with the people shaping the future of HVAC marketing and contractor growth.

You can find more information about Blue Collar Media Group here: https://bluecollarmediagroup.com/