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The game of Google PPC and lead generation has fundamentally changed. 

In this episode, we sit down with Amanda Wilhelm, trade marketing expert and the powerhouse behind Profit Fill. We unpacked the reality of the 2026 home services: rising costs per click, dropping organic traffic, and the heavy influx of Google AI overviews eating up valuable mobile search territory.

If you want to know exactly what to ask your ad agency, how to audit your internal operations, and how to safely throttle your paid marketing up and down, this episode is an absolute must-watch.

Timestamps:

00:46 - Introducing Amanda Wilhelm from Profit Fill.
02:11 - The Reality of Google Today: Why lead costs are skyrocketing.
03:07 - How AI overviews are killing organic traffic.
04:36 - Shifting ad space on mobile and why clicks hit $200.
05:32 - Why HVAC shops are aggressively adding plumbing and electrical.
07:00 - Is an $800 cost per booked job profitable? Decoding the long-term math.
07:55 - When should a small company stay away from AI-optimized PPC?
09:21 - Navigating modern multi-platform lead generation.
10:15 - Marketing 101: Defining Top, Middle, and Bottom-of-Funnel trade leads.
11:45 - Why the cheapest price shouldn't be your hook.
12:50 - Leveraging Service Titan data to target aging equipment.
14:03 - Speed to Lead: Nurturing a customer from a raw hand-raise to a 5-star review.
15:30 - Why bad call scripts and phone trees destroy five-star potential.
16:31 - How broken forms and missed calls kill your PPC budget.
17:42 - Operator Problem vs. Agency Problem: How to evaluate your marketing team.
19:40 - Conversational strategies to convert unbookable leads.
21:50 - Overcoming operational bottlenecks with AI Voice Agents
23:35 - Testing campaigns on ChatGPT and open-source AI search.
24:35 - The Throttle Signal: Knowing exactly when capacity demands a new technician hire.
25:56 - How to Maximize customer acquisition costs you already paid for?
27:10 - Branded Search Strategy: How to Run offensive and defensive name bidding on Google?
30:44 – The Importance of Running Branded Search Campaigns
33:07 - Measuring the ROI of Branded Search Ads vs. Organic SEO
35:34 - The Google AI Bidding Trap & Budget Pitfalls
37:55 - Crafting Top-of-Funnel Value Creatives & "Stalker Ads"
40:22 - Conversion Rates & The Agency Reinvigoration
42:40 - The Fallacy of Constantly Changing Brand Messaging7
52:11 - Beyond the 30-Day Window: Mapping Ad Spend to Revenue Potential
56:47 - How to Stop Wasting Marketing Dollars When Your Schedule is Full
1:03:26 - Episode Ends.

Connect with Amanda: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaleighwilhelm/

Website: https://profitfill.com/

Our Sponsor: 

https://freeagency.ai/

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In this episode, Bruce Sittler, president of Action Furnace, shares his journey from carpet cleaning to building a $50 million HVAC business in Alberta. He discusses strategic growth, marketing, acquisitions, and the importance of memberships and capacity management in a competitive industry.


Time Stamps: 

00:00 - The high cost of a bad hiring decision for small shops.
00:50 - Introduction to Bruce Sittler and Action Furnace
02:21 - The Backstory: Turning a $50K duct cleaning purchase into an HVAC empire.
04:45 - Implementing processes, scaling to 3 cities, and managing 240+ employees.
07:05 - Greenfield expansion vs. Strategic acquisitions in the Canadian market.
09:22 - The early days of PPC advertising vs. Modern lead generation costs.
10:48 - The strategy behind building and running an in-house digital ad agency.
13:17 - Why duct cleaning is a vital, low-cost customer acquisition tool.
16:36 - The Membership Legacy: Building a 40,000-member community.
17:40 - How Action Furnace drives 65% of its total annual revenue from memberships.
19:35 - Building a passive income incentive model that keeps technicians obsessed with memberships.
21:29 - Automation and tracking: Managing membership churn with ServiceTitan.
23:18 - Buying a competitor: The inside story of acquiring Direct Energy’s Alberta business.
26:15 - The logistical challenges of transitioning staff and data during an acquisition.
28:38 - M&A Strategy: Assessing culture and people fit before pulling the trigger.
31:02 - The biggest bottleneck for mid-sized shops: Structuring effective leadership.
31:45 - The Ryan Tutak Story: From a young comfort advisor to company partner and GM.
33:29 - Nurturing leadership potential: How to mentor, coach, and train high-performing operators.
35:49 - Golden Handcuffs: Keeping top-tier talent locked in by offering equity and skin in the game.
37:25 - Navigating the conversation when employees want to leave and start a competing business.
38:50 - Building on trust: The natural progression of Bruce's partnership with employee number one, Gaius.
40:22 - Leadership milestones: Why a 2 to 3-million-dollar shop needs a dedicated service manager.
42:45 - Avoid the Promotion Trap: Why promoting your best technician into management can devastate a small shop.
45:08 - High-performing technicians vs. Effective managers: Recognizing completely different skill sets.
47:28 - Hiring outside the trades: Why leadership and accountability experience matter more than technical skills.
49:55 - The "Spots on a Schedule" Analogy: Introduction to Capacity Management.
51:00 - The Marginal Capacity Rule: Why all true business profits hide in the last 20–25% of your schedule.
52:17 - Reverse engineering the math to hit a consistent 15% net profit margin.
53:15 - Using highly flexible PPC search advertising to aggressively fill open capacity on demand.
54:34 - Why Google PPC is uniquely suited for capturing urgent demands.
56:56 - Reverse Engineering the Math: What should your threshold be to acquire a $1,000 job?
58:15 - The Dangers of relying on PPC to fill your primary schedule slots.
01:00:25 - Why a $250 customer acquisition cost is highly profitable for marginal capacity slots.
01:01:48 - Lifetime Value (LTV): Leveraging your CRM data to calculate your true maximum customer acquisition cost.
01:03:13 - Turning off the tap: Pausing PPC campaigns when booked out to prevent bleeding cash.
01:05:35 - Inside the Call Center: How Action Furnace filters and ranks incoming calls by priority level.
01:07:34 - Preparing for Peak Season: Last-minute technician and call center prep for the summer rush.
01:09:34 - Episode Ends

Guest links: https://actionfurnace.ca/

Our Sponsor: https://freeagency.ai/ 

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Why Do 95% of Home Service Businesses Fail Within Their First Five Years? 

In this episode of Let's Vent, host Evan Hoffman sits down with Kevin Fiscor, CEO of Fiscor Plumbing and Air, for an incredibly vulnerable look inside the dark side of scaling a trade business. Kevin pulls back the curtain on how he took his company from a struggling $500K shop to pacing $21M in 2026 and why he realized HE was the biggest bottleneck in his own business. 

If you are a plumbing, HVAC, or electrical contractor tired of the fake social media highlights, this unfiltered conversation delivers the gritty, real life blueprint of what it takes to break the routine and build an independent trade empire.

👉 Connect with our sponsor, Free Agency, and fix your lead generation: https://freeagency.ai/yelp

Time Stamps: 

00:00 - Why 95% of Home Service Businesses Fail Within The First 5 Years? 
00:45 - Introducing Kevin Fiscor, CEO of Fiscor Plumbing & Air 
01:35 - A Message to the 2020 Version of Yourself
02:27 - From $500K to Pacing $21 Million
03:15 - "I Was the Problem": Looking in the Mirror After 26 Years in the Trades
04:00 - The Old School Mentality & Developing a Toxic Corporate Habit
05:50 - Shifting from Alcohol Abuse to Mental Fortitude
08:25 - Facing Emotional Realities Instead of Running From Them
09:41 - The Books That Saved My Life
11:05 - The Nightmare: Disappearing from Google Search & Map Packs
14:03 - The Isolation of Being A Business Owner
15:15 - Beyond the Revenue: Watching Your Team Buy Their First Homes
16:08 - Supporting Field Technicians Who Start Their Own Shops
19:15 - The 48 Hour Implementation Check Rule
20:53 - "If You Don't Write It Down, It Isn't Real"
22:06 - When Nobody Else is Clapping in the Auditorium
26:40 - The 5 Minute Work-Life Balance Rule
28:15 - Dealing with Competitors and Registrar Complaints
31:39 - The Danger of Comfort: Confronting Weight Gain and Excuses as a Former Athlete
32:24 - How Fast the Business Pivoted After Dropping the Ego
38:35 - Shifting from Install Manager to Coordinator
39:35 - The 3 Day Call Board Rule: Are you ready to Implement it? 
40:15 - Why CSRs Are Your Most Important Position?
41:00 - The 98% Call Booking Rate Masterclass Ready for You
41:40 - 200 Hours of Training: Structuring Weekly KPI Reviews for Techs
44:50 - Fixing Gaps In Your Current House Before Spending More on Marketing
45:45 - The $18,000 Daily Overhead Reality: Walking In $80K in the Hole Every Week
47:50 - Changing Lives in the Field: How a Lead Installer Cleared $7K a Week
50:55 - Cutting the Budget: Evaluate DoorDash and Other Hidden Subscriptions
53:50 - Managing $500K in Inventory Without Suffocating Your Cash Flow
55:00 - Global Economics & Global Regulations: The Invisible Forces Impacting Your Shop
58:20 - Your Circle Predicts Your Future: Who Are your Closest Ones? 
1:03:55 - What You Did Yesterday Doesn't Matter: What are you Doing NOW To Chase the $2 Million Month?
1:08:49 - The Power of Intention: Stumbling Across a Forgotten 100 Dreams List
1:10:00 - Writing the 6 Critical Tasks the Night Before
1:12:10 - Humble Beginnings: Operating a Plumbing & Air Shop Out of a 10x15 Storage Unit
1:13:00 - Eat the Frog: Forcing Yourself to Do the Hardest Task First
1:14:35 - Wrapping Up an Incredible 30-Minute Bonus Tangent
1:15:10 - Episode Ends. 


Support the Let’s Vent Podcast, Subscribe, and Leave a Comment! That would help us keep bringing to you this valuable stories!


Connect With Kevin Fiscor

https://fiscorhvac.com/ 
https://www.instagram.com/fiscor_ceo/

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How do you scale a Home Services Business past the $10M mark without losing your Company Culture or selling out to Private Equity? In this episode of Let's Vent, we sit down with the Owners of Go Green Plumbing, Heating & Air, Alicia Green and Pete Green to break down the exact operational tips, strategies and ideas they implemented to build an independent trade powerhouse. 

Connect with out Guests: 

Go Green Plumbing: https://gogreenplumb.com/
Alicia Green: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-green-14bb3495/
Pete Green: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-green-25496072/ 

Connect with our sponsor: https://freeagency.ai


Time Stamps: 

01:10 - Introducing Pete & Alicia Green from Go Green Plumbing
02:18 - Pete Green’s Transition from Programming to "Chief Technology Officer"
03:45 - The Truth About Company Culture: There are Always Ups & Downs
05:15 - What Happens When People Don't Fit the Mold?
06:13 - Shifting from Professional to Lightheartedness in Tough Times
07:45 - The Go Green Hiring Process: Do You Let Your Team Make the Decisions?
09:20 - The "Princess Castle" Lego Challenge & Out Of Comfort Zone Testing
13:16 - Quick to Hire, Slow to Fire: Should Be The Opposite Way Around? 
14:15 - The ROI of Training
16:55 - Joining Nextstar Network & Implementing Soft Skills Training
17:58 - The Academy Structure: Weekly Breakdown of Trades & Certifications
22:38 - 60% of Our Business Wouldn't Exist Without the Training Academy
23:45 - The Myth of the Unicorn Employee
25:03 - Balancing IQ and EQ: Why Technical Skills and Soft Skills Are 50/50
27:50 - The Chaos of Early Training Programs vs. Today's Managed Structure
29:15 - Building a Clear Pay Plan and Incentivized Levels
32:14 - Advanced Lab Training: Partnering with Ultimate Tech Academy in Arkansas
33:20 - The Tax Perspective: Are you Paying More? 
34:00 - Facing Private Equity (PE) in the Trades
38:12 - The Positive Side of PE: Injecting Business Logic and Real Value into the Trades
42:50 - Growing Big with Zero Outside Capital
45:15 - Why Cheap Prices Come at the Expense of Employees?
47:50 - Built on Community assistance: The Go Green Community Promise Program
49:35 - "Owned by Google": Venting About the Real Monopolies Dictated by the Industry
53:48 - Where Does the Cash Flow? Canadian Agencies vs. Local Greensboro Wages
57:25 - Understanding KPI Pressures and Employee Mass Exits
58:35 - Why Technicians Stay for Culture and Run from Structure Changes
01:01:40 - The Flaw in Flipping: Why Passing Hands Leads to Volume Loss
01:05:43 - Processing the Reality of Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisitions in the Trades
01:07:55 - The Challenge to Maintain Massive Service Value Over Time
01:10:17 - Will AI Supplement or Completely Replace Modern Jobs?
01:12:00 - How To Choose a Software That Actually Helps Reduce Workload?
01:12:42 - Why the CTO’s Workload Increases When Implementing AI?
01:13:55 - The Sandbox Mindset: Starting From a Place of Natural Curiosity
01:18:15 - Managing Scope Creep When Coding with Accelerated AI Speed
01:21:38 - How Non-Technical Leaders Can Leverage Claude?
01:23:59 - The "Twice a Day" Automation Rule: Building Your Operational Task List
01:28:46 - The Importance of Context and Direct Communication to Create a Prompt correctly
01:31:12 - Ostrich Mentality: Why Ignoring the Automation Wave Will Cost People Their Careers
01:31:47 - Focus on Eliminating Time Rather Than Solving the World's Problems
01:34:00 - How To Hold People Accountable Without Destroying The Company Culture ?
01:34:48 - Facts Over Feelings: Gathering Documentation and Data Before Tough Conversations
01:38:25 - Final Thoughts on How to Build a Scalable Organization

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Most Home Service business owners treat AI like a basic tool to create robotic prompts with generic results and poor return. 

In this episode of the Let's Vent Podcast, we sit down with a creative advertising legend and the CMO of Clover Growth Partners, Ken Moskowitz. He is a marketing mastermind who has spent over 40 years helping more than 1,000 businesses transform their brand messaging and drive real sales.

He explains and show with real examples why the secret to elite marketing is knowing the right questions to ask, forcing the AI to ask you clarifying questions, and go deep into conversational voice modes to create authentic strategies.


Connect with Ken Moskowitz:
🔹 Instagram: @spankymoskowitz
🔹 CMO: Clover Growth Partners / https://growwithclover.com/
🔹 CEO: Ad Zombies / https://www.adzombies.com/

Time Stamps: 

00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Meet Ken Moskowitz: 40 Years of Moving Consumers to Action
03:52 - Are Modern Marketers Lazy? The Lost Art of Making a Sale
05:58 - How Ken Overcame Cancer and Turned His Crisis into a Blessing
08:24 - Why Everyone is a Practitioner: The Rapid Evolution of AI
09:20 - The Power of Claude Prompts That Ask Questions
10:33 - Chat GPT vs. Claude: Choosing the Best AI Tool for Copywriting
11:41 - The Secret Tool Meta Bought: Building Service Pages in Minutes with Manus
13:50 - Stop Worrying About the Subscription Cost
14:55 - How to Audit and Analyze Your Marketing Data with Claude Code
16:28 - How Much Time Should You Dedicate to AI?
18:12 - Live Demonstration: Why You Need to Stop Typing and Start Talking to Chat GPT
21:54 - The 6-Step Framework to Lock In Your Authentic Brand Voice
26:45 - The Website Pulse Check: Auditing Your Brand Online with Google Labs
28:44 - Building Live: Ken’s 6-Hour Immersive AI Workshop Details
30:45 - Final Thoughts: Staying Curious & Scaling Your Shop's Potential
31:00 - Connect with Ken: Direct Email & Contact Information
31:25 - Episode Ends

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We had the absolute honor of sitting down with an absolute industry powerhouse, Mary Jean Anderson, former owner and CEO of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air.

In this episode, Mary Jean peels back the curtain on the exact strategies that allowed her company to average a staggering $3.6 million in growth every single year placing the right people in the right seats, and why true leadership requires you to "hire your weakness" to protect your own business goals.

If you are a contractor ready to take your plumbing, HVAC, or electrical company to a 7 or 8 Figure Business, grab a notebook because this episode is packed with invaluable, real-world business wisdom.

Reach Out Mary Jean Anderson

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryjeananderson/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryjean-anderson-68b56714/

Facebook

This Episode Is Sponsor By Free Agency

Time Stamps: 

00:37 – Introducing Mary Jean Anderson
02:05 – Managing Stage Nerves After Decades of Team Leadership
03:41 – The Anderson Story: From a $3.2M Operation to a $62M Exit
05:01 – Building an Actionable Mission Statement That Outlasts Artwork
08:50 – How to Help People Become Their Best to Drive a Company Growth
09:44 – Mastering Profitability: Inventory Control on a 200-Truck Fleet
10:35 – Interview Secrets: Using Negative Prompts and Asset Questions to Filter Talent
12:11 – Delivering a 98.2% "Wow Experience" Customer Retention Strategy
14:18 – Shifting from Transactional Customers to Lifelong Clients
14:50 – Transitioning From Nursing to HVAC: The Art of Hiring Your Weakness
15:58 – Breaking Stereotypes: Why Women Are Crushing It in the Trades
18:18 – Leveraging Maintenance Agreements to Drive In-Home System Sales
19:10 – Launching an Internal Training Institute to Combat Labor Shortages
20:17 – The Critical Dangers of Third-Generation Watered-Down Training
21:30 – Visionaries vs. Integrators: How Brain Trusts Build Empires
22:55 – Let's Start Actively Hiring Women In The Trades
25:56 – Launching an Internal Training Institute to Eliminate Labor Shortages
27:07 – The Critical Dangers of Third-Generation Watered-Down Training
28:21 – Visionaries vs. Integrators: How Brain Trusts Build Empires
29:40 – Hire Your Weakness: Why the Best Trade CEOs Leave some Skills to the Experts
31:18 – The Cost of Forcing Yourself Into Roles You Hate
32:32 – This Episode Is Sponsored By Free Agency 
34:00 – Behind the $62M Empire: Mary Jean’s Biggest Business M&A Mistake
36:30 – How to Connect with Mary Jean Anderson and Final Closing Remarks

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In this episode, we talked with Jordan Cordero from Live Oak Bank about the massive wave of mergers and acquisitions transforming the home services industry. Jordan is one of the key players on these deals, and he shares exactly how independent trade companies are scaling from local operations into seven- and eight-figure regional powerhouses. If you are running an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business, this episode provides all the necessary nuggets when it comes to financial strategies.

If you are looking for an inside look at where interest rates are heading for the rest of 2026, this episode shows you how to structure a win-win deal that protects your retirement or your investment.


Time Stamps: 
01:05 - Introduction: Funding the Home Services Acquisition Wave
02:23 - The Mom and Pop Boom: How 2M Companies Are Buying Competitors
03:30 - Adding Service Lines To the Deals: Merging HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical
04:55 - How to Source Hidden Business Deals in Your Area
07:45 - Why Right Now is the Perfect Time to Buy a Trade Business
09:29 - Interest Rate Trends and the Reality of Capital Costs
10:30 - SBA 7a Loans vs Seller Financing: Shifting the Risk to the Bank
13:10 - The Hidden Trap of Seller Notes: Post-Sale Disagreements
15:15 - Creative Financing Structures and Tax Planning Options
16:40 - Acquisition Horror Stories: When the Seller Badmouths the Buyer
19:30 - Sponsor: Free Agency 
21:18 - Why You Need a Lender Who Specializes in the Home Services Vertical
23:46 - The MCA Warning: How Predatory Working Capital Loans Ruin Cash Flow
26:12 - Can You Refuse or Refinance a Merchant Cash Advance?
27:10 - Market Forecast, Where Interest Rates Are Heading Next28:02 - Impact of Interest Rates on Acquisitions.
29:02 - Loan Structure and its effects.
30:01 - Fixed vs. Variable Rates in SBA Loans.
31:00 - Revenue Projections in Acquisitions.
34:52 - The Importance of Strategic Growth.
36:18 - Are You a Fit for SBA programs?
37:17 - Closing Remarks and Appreciation.

Sponsor: 
Free Agency - https://freeagency.ai/

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In this episode with Ryan Fenn and Justin Judd from Chiirp, we discuss the power of language, customer communication, and innovative marketing strategies in the trades. They share insights on how your choice of words, consistent follow-up, and technology like AI can transform business growth and strengthen customer relationships.

Time Stamps: 

00:00 - The Power of Words in Business
02:51 - Transforming Customer Engagement
06:09 - The Art of Giving Value First
09:01 - Building Trust Through Reciprocity
11:58 - Creating Effective Playbooks
15:08 - Lead Conversion Strategies
17:55 - The Importance of Follow-Up
20:47 - Nurturing Customer Relationships
23:48 - Leveraging Technology for Communication
27:04 - Creating Memorable Customer Experiences
31:21 - Harnessing AI for Lead Conversion
34:04 - The Role of Speed in Lead Response
36:58 - AI and Human Interaction: Finding the Balance
39:46 - The Future of Human Senses in AI Interaction
41:39 - Building Human Connections in a Tech-Driven World
43:58 - Reassessing Efficiency: The Value of Human Interaction
51:29 - Revenue Optimization: Identifying Business Leaks
55:50 - Streamlined Implementation: Making AI Accessible


Connect with Ryan and Justin: https://chiirp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandfenn/ ; https://www.instagram.com/highonutah/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-fenn-76568b165/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-judd-b5052297/

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In this episode, Colleen Keyworth talks about the real impact of AI in home services, leadership in the trades, and how to leverage technology for business growth. We discussed How AI's role is saving time in Operations and Processes, content authenticity, and building a legacy in the industry.

Time Stamps: 

00:00 - Navigating the Current AI Landscape
10:11 - The Role of AI in Business Efficiency
20:17 - Content Creation and Authenticity in the AI Era
27:24 - The Evolution of Content Value and Trust
29:20 - Local Search and AI's Role in Home Services
30:41 - The Importance of Technical SEO
32:37 - Navigating Client Relationships in Marketing
33:56 - The Future of Marketing Agencies in an AI World
35:40 - The Human Touch in Customer Service
37:46 - After-Hours Service and Customer Experience
40:32 - Creating Memorable Customer Experiences
43:47 - The Importance of Personal Connections in Business
45:14 - Leaving a Legacy in the Trades

Resources: 
Women in HVACR
International Women's Network in Cooling (IWNC)
HVACR Industry Events

Where To Find Colleen Keyworth

LinkedIn : linkedin.com/in/colleen-keyworth 
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ckeyworth04/

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Gil Cavey, host of HVAC Uncensored, shares his journey through business, personal struggles, and insights on industry challenges like permitting and training. 

Discover how he balances control, quality, and growth while navigating personal setbacks and embracing failure.

Time Stamps: 
00:00 - Introduction and Gil Cavey's background
01:04 - Transition from podcasting to business ownership
02:31 - Lessons from previous business partnerships
04:12 - Frustrations with permitting process
05:36 - Training and developing technicians
06:42 - Using AI to streamline operations
08:46 - Maintaining respect and leadership with technicians
11:22 - Selling options without pushing unnecessary services
12:58 - Balancing training and proficiency in HVAC
14:24 - Dealing with permitting and regulatory hurdles
16:42 - Embracing AI and technology in HVAC
19:30 - Marketing and growth strategies
22:07 - Building relationships with technicians
27:12 - Personal life and overcoming personal struggles
34:11 - Overcoming fear of failure and personal growth
37:18 - The importance of mental health and therapy
38:32 - Final thoughts and encouragement

Where to Find Gil Cavey

HVAC Uncensored Podcast : https://www.hvacuncensored.com/#dm