In this episode of The Hunt for Success, host Sam McGough sits down with Theron Leany, an owner and operator at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electric. Operating across four states, Theron shares his journey from hands-on appliance repair to executing multi-state corporate acquisitions and high-level consulting.

The conversation focuses on the "intrapreneur" mindset, transforming company culture by hiring for character over industry experience, and how structural clarity in business emerges naturally when you anchor yourself to your original "Why." Theron also discusses how bow hunting serves as a high-stress decompression tool and a powerful training ground for teaching youth resilience, problem-solving, and patience.

Key Takeaways

• The Intrapreneurial Leap: Moving from an employee to an equity partner requires treating the business as your own from day one. Taking "extreme ownership" and intentionally making yourself invaluable creates opportunities where owners are eager to share equity.
• Anchoring Structure to the "Why": Business chaos and lack of structure usually happen because owners lose sight of their original mission. When you re-focus purely on why you started (e.g., to help employees hit six figures or provide elite service), the tactical steps and organizational blueprint become instantly clear.
• Hiring Heart Over History: In the trades, poaching experienced workers can often mean inheriting toxic, short-term habits. Pivoting to hire high-character individuals from outside the industry and training them from scratch builds an elite, loyal culture centered on genuine customer care.
• Actionable Steps vs. "Rah-Rah" Fluff: Real business growth doesn't happen through motivational hype or emotional cheerleading. Long-term scalability requires hyper-specific, repeatable, and tactical steps.

Episode Timeline

• 00:00 – Editorial: Staying Tethered to Your Original Business "Why"
• 01:15 – Introducing Theron Laney of Action Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electric
• 02:00 – From Appliance Repair to Inside Sales: Overcoming a Pivot-Point Injury
• 03:10 – The Pay Cut Shortcut: Making Yourself Invaluable to Earn Business Equity
• 05:00 – The Power of the Ask: Why Entrepreneurs Can't Wait Around for Opportunities
• 06:15 – Childhood Foundations: How Raising Chickens and Small Side Hustles Taught Pride of Ownership
• 08:15 – The Myth of Formal Schooling for High-Performance Founders
• 09:20 – Sweat Equity & Iteration: Adapting Operational Identity Every $5 Million
• 11:15 – Reindeer for Christmas: Theron’s Early Introduction to Hunting Traditions
• 12:50 – Bow Hunting as Active Meditation and Unplugging from 4-State Operational Stress
• 14:40 – Hunting New Mexico and Utah: The Differences in Elk and Mule Deer Behavior
• 16:20 – Surviving a 8-Man Team Walkout: Transitioning from Toxic Culture to Care-Driven Scale
• 18:50 – Why the Technicians Who Care the Most Out-Sell the Competition
• 21:00 – Elevating the Industry: The Choice to Consult and Coach Competitors
• 22:15 – Skin in the Game: Why People Only Pay Attention to What They Pay For
• 24:30 – Fleet Presentation: How Clean, Organized Trucks Decompress Techs and Drive Sales
• 26:15 – Changing Family Trees: Moving a Temp-Agency Worker to Multiple Six Figures
• 29:00 – Managing Skyrocketing Inflation and Changing Public Price Expectations
• 31:15 – Building a Whitetail Legacy in Kansas: Passing Problem-Solving and Wilderness Parables to Youth
• 35:00 – Actionable Consulting: Where to Find Theron and Ben Jordan Online

About the Guest

Theron Leany is a seasoned intrapreneur, partner, and executive leader at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electric, a dominant home services provider operating across four states. Alongside his business partner Ben Jordan, Theron runs The Action Group, a tactical consulting firm designed to help home service owners build tight operational structures and adapt their leadership systems for major revenue milestones.

Connect with the Guest:

• Website: https://actionplumbing.net/