On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews David Poplin, CEO and founder of CDS Services, the parent company of Legion Pest Management. David is a U.S. Marine veteran with more than 30 years in the pest control industry, and his service-disabled veteran-owned company now holds over 62 federal government contracts and provides pest control services to roughly 20% of all VA medical centers in the country. He also co-founded a trade school that trains veterans and the unemployed for careers in pest control.

David walks through how he moved from a 100% residential and commercial model to roughly 95% government work, a shift that started with nine straight months of submitting bids and losing before he landed his first contract. From there the wins snowballed, and he explains the service-disabled veteran-owned set-aside that gives qualifying companies an edge on federal and state contracts, why the lowest bid does not always win, and how experience and CPARS ratings carry real weight with the government. He also shares how his business grew 20% during COVID with zero contracts put on hold, proving just how stable government pest control work can be.

The conversation gets tactical on how David subcontracts with veteran-owned and family-owned companies across the country while keeping the government's trust, and how he landed and kept all those VA medical center contracts through referrals and high CPARS ratings. He breaks down what actually earns a strong rating, why responsiveness and communication matter more than most owners realize, and how he uses his trade school to bring transitioning veterans and underemployed workers into the industry. He closes with a hard truth every pest control owner should hear: you do not own your customers, and the relationship is something you have to keep earning.

David Poplin, CEO of Legion Pest Management:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-poplin-ace-5255064b

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FootballRef951/

Website: https://legionpest.com/

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:16 - From the Marine Corps to Pest Control

05:40 - The Veteran-Owned Set-Aside Explained

07:23 - Switching From Residential to 95% Government

08:34 - Nine Months of Losing Before the First Contract

17:28 - Landing 20% of VA Medical Centers

20:39 - Finding the Right Subcontractor Partners

27:54 - Scaling the Team and Restructuring Leadership

35:39 - Terminix Lessons and the Case for Outsourcing

40:55 - The Truth About Door-to-Door Sales

47:02 - Training Veterans and the Career Path in Pest Control

52:46 - Final Message to Pest Control Owners

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

In this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Jonas Olson, who built Pest Badger past $10 million in just over five years, about the exact revenue levels where pest control owners get stuck and how to break through each one. Most pest control businesses don't fail, they plateau. They hit a ceiling, sit there for years, and never figure out why. Jonas walks through every stage, starting with the technician trap that keeps solo operators frozen at $250K to $300K, then the first hire that feels terrifying but has to happen, and the move to buy back your time with a CSR before you ever add another technician.

From there the conversation gets into what it actually takes to scale. Jonas explains why you need real systems and SOPs to break past $1 million, why so many owners get bored and chase shiny objects right around $1.5 million, and how buying genuine A-player talent is what gets you to $3 million and beyond. Underneath all of it are the mindset shifts that separate a lifestyle business from real growth, including treating your time like it's already worth what your company will be one day, reinvesting profit instead of pulling every dollar out, and reinventing yourself every six months.

Want to grow your pest control or lawn care business? Join the Pest Control Millionaires program, with over 300 owners, 20 hours of courses, and weekly group coaching calls with Dan, Jonas, and Jake, at pestcontrolmillionaires.com/program. If you're not ready to join yet, search "Pest Control Millionaires" on Facebook and fill out the form to get into the free group. Grab the book Zip Code Kings on Amazon, and follow Jonas on YouTube at Pest Control Millionaire and on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Jonas Olson, CEO of Pest Badger:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCRyMCZtwf9sgBNOKcF-FNig 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonas.olson.18/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-olson-00b34b8b/

Pest Badger: https://pestbadger.com/

Pest Control Millionaires: https://pestcontrolmillionaires.com/

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Intro: Jonas Olson and the $10M Pest Badger story

02:30 Where pest control businesses plateau

04:00 Plateau 1: The technician trap ($250K to $300K)

07:00 Making your first hire and why it's the scariest

11:00 Who to hire first (and why not friends)

12:30 Plateau 2: $500K to $750K and buying back your time

15:30 Why your time is worth $30,000 an hour

18:30 When to finally get out of the truck

21:00 Jonas's lawn care company and 2 years stuck at $250K

23:00 Plateau 3: $1M and the systems you need

26:30 Video SOPs and building the business the right way

29:00 Busy vs growing, and knowing your number

30:30 Plateau 4: $1.5M and learning to manage managers

31:49 Evolving as a person: health, reading, and mentorship

37:00 Why you should spend 5% of revenue on yourself

40:30 Lead by example and your circle of five

43:30 Plateau 5: $3M and buying A-player talent

47:30 How Pest Badger hires and filters for talent

50:30 How to join Pest Control Millionaires

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

In this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Tony Hoffman, co-founder of Rumble Pest Solutions, and Greg Lake, Rumble's CEO. Tony and his three partners started the company in Springdale, Arkansas in 2017 with a $40,000 investment, $10,000 from each founder. They were cash flow positive in two months and profitable in six. Nine years later, Rumble is doing $12 million in revenue and just landed on the PCT Top 100 for the first time. Greg joined as CEO in August 2025 after two decades scaling TruGreen from $200 million to over $1 billion and running 200 branches with 3,000 door to door reps.

We get into the actual mechanics of how Rumble scaled: the door to door playbook, why they keep sales teams small at 12 to 15 reps per market, and the 18 month retention cliff that determines whether a customer stays long term. Tony breaks down how he thinks about partnerships and why he treats his four way co-founder relationship like a marriage. Greg walks through what he learned running pest control at scale and how it applies to a growth stage business now backed by Dynamic Core Capital Partners. We also cover their acquisition scorecard, their greenfield expansion model for two new markets, and how private equity values door to door companies differently than digital-grown ones.

The back half of the conversation gets into culture and people. Greg explains the difference between internal and external customers and why every operational decision at Rumble runs through both. Tony talks about the hiring profile that has worked best for them in door to door (small town kids with manual labor backgrounds over flashy talkers), and the pressure test he uses for every business decision: whether his technicians are proud to wear the logo to their kid's soccer game. We also get into Greg's framework for consistency across branches, why pursuing excellence means refusing to be mediocre, and how culture functions as the personality of the organization rather than a poster on the wall.

Tony Hoffman, Co-founder of Rumble Pest Solutions:

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.j.hoffman.1

Website: rumblepestsolutions.com

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:51 Tony's Path Into Pest Control and Starting Rumble

06:01 Is Door to Door Required for Pest Control

07:30 Greg's Journey From TruGreen to Rumble

14:36 Customer Obsession and Internal vs External Customers

22:59 Scaling From $1M to $10M Through Retention

26:56 Consistency Across Branches

31:26 Advice for Operators Under $1M

37:00 Partnership Dynamics and the Four Co-Founders

39:08 Greenfield Expansion and Private Equity Backing

44:02 Door to Door Tradeoffs and the 18 Month Cliff

48:47 Hiring for Door to Door and Management

52:02 Building Culture

54:36 Final Message to Pest Control Operators

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

In this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Jeremy and Jason Julio, better known as the Blue Collar Twins. Jeremy and Jason built Last Bite Mosquito and Tick Control and Total Home Pest Control into a multi seven-figure operation with 55 technicians, all while teaching PE full-time, before selling both companies to Viking in an 8-figure deal in 2023. Today they co-host the Boardroom Buzz podcast, advise operators through their Blue Collar Twins platform, and are running the playbook again with a new venture in dog waste removal called Ruff Stuff.

Jeremy and Jason share how they bootstrapped Last Bite with a $7,000 investment and one truck, reinvested every dollar of profit for the first three years by living off their teaching and coaching incomes, and built a prepay model that had 70 to 80 percent of customers paying upfront annually for a 20 percent discount. They walk through the guerrilla marketing tactics that drove growth, including infiltrating local Facebook groups, branded yard signs on every job, creative video ads, extreme charity fundraisers that earned them statewide media coverage, and a deep community involvement strategy built on chambers of commerce, youth sports sponsorships, and authentic relationships.

Tactical takeaways include why they chose to niche down on mosquito control instead of going general pest, how they later acquired Turner Pest Control and grew it from $100K to $1M in a few years through cross-marketing, how they structured the Viking deal with Potomac's guidance after walking away from a low initial offer, what they look for when starting a new home services business in an underserved market, and why community involvement and customer-facing ownership beats outsourced marketing every time.

Jeremy Julio, Cofounder of Ruff Stuff Pooper Scoopers:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-julio-532a0a168/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_s_julio/

Blue Collar Twins: https://bluecollartwins.com/

Jason Julio, Cofounder of Ruff Stuff Pooper Scoopers:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-julio-68133786/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjulio08/

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:01 How They Got Into Pest Control

04:05 Scaling While Teaching PE Full-Time

11:15 Breakthrough Moments And The Prepay Model

15:46 Why They Niched Down On Mosquito Control

20:54 Acquiring Turner Pest And Scaling To $1M

25:16 Guerrilla Marketing And Extreme Charity Events

31:18 Selling To Viking With Potomac

38:01 Advice For Owners Looking To Sell

42:00 Starting Rough Stuff Dog Waste Removal

45:14 Running A Business As Identical Twins

49:00 Lessons From Boardroom Buzz Interviews

58:09 Yard Signs, Facebook Groups, And Community

1:06:22 Final Message To Pest Control Owners

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Ryan Marshall, founder and CEO of Vinx Pest Control. Ryan started Vinx in 2015 with a $10,000 Costco credit card, a white truck, and a bunch of stickers he ordered online. Eleven years later, Vinx is a multi-state operation with locations across Utah, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia servicing tens of thousands of homes, and Ryan has become one of the top operators in the door-to-door pest control space.

Ryan makes the case that service managers, not sales reps, are the real growth lever most pest control owners are overlooking. He breaks down what he actually looks for when hiring service managers, why he wants them in the field instead of the office, and how a great service leader bridges the retention gap that kills most door-to-door companies. He also gets specific on how Vinx got their technicians to embrace upgrades without using the word sell, the Roger Bannister effect inside a technician team, and why paying up for A-plus talent has been one of the harder but more important lessons of his career.

The second half of the conversation goes deep on the tactical side. Ryan shares the initial-service pricing study that changed how they pay door-to-door reps, the selfie-style proof of service videos that have transformed customer retention, how implementing EOS helped them cut average route miles from the fifties down to the low twenties, and the specific KPIs Vinx tracks every week. If you're scaling a pest control company, wrestling with door-to-door attrition, or trying to figure out where your real bottlenecks are, this episode will give you a full playbook of things to steal.

Ryan Marshal, CEO and Founder of Vinx Pest Control:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-marshall-14205b26

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/llahsramnayr

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

0:00 — Intro

0:50 — Starting Vinx with a $10K Credit Card

4:20 — What Makes a Great Service Manager

9:00 — Leadership and Motivating Your Team

11:50 — Getting Technicians to Embrace Upgrades

18:10 — The Roger Bannister Effect and Team Culture

21:00 — Door-to-Door Sales and What Actually Works

23:50 — Solving the Door-to-Door Attrition Problem

27:30 — Vinx's Tech Stack and Proof of Service Videos

32:40 — Why Word Choice Matters in Pest Control

36:20 — Managing a Multi-State Operation

39:20 — Implementing EOS and Tracking KPIs

44:20 — Cutting Route Times in Half

46:20 — Final Message: Stop Being the Bottleneck

49:50 — Where to Connect with Ryan

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Preston Peterson, co-owner of Alta Pest Control, ranked #26 on the PCT Top 100. Preston started out selling pest control door to door, built Ardent Pest Control onto the Inc 5000 for seven consecutive years, then merged with Alta in 2022 to create one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry. He has had six exits in pest control and now owns multiple businesses across different industries from his home base in Puerto Rico.

Preston walks through the full story of the Ardent and Alta merger, a rare true strategic merger where neither company bought the other, and explains why seeing the bigger picture is what makes deals like that possible. He breaks down the private equity process that followed, why he stepped back from the CEO seat after 20 years of running companies, and why most pest control owners stay small because of ego rather than strategy. He also gets tactical on culture, sharing the specific things Ardent did to create a company where technicians literally tattooed the logo on their bodies.

The conversation also goes somewhere most business podcasts don't. Preston opens up about the depression he experienced after his biggest exit, the identity crisis of having money but no purpose, and the day trading losses that came with it. He shares how faith, serving the youth at his church in Puerto Rico, and returning to vision-based goal setting pulled him out of it, and why chasing results without becoming the person who can handle those results is the fastest way to lose everything. Whether you're bootstrapping your first branch, eyeing a merger, or wondering what comes after the exit, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Preston Peterson, Co-owner of Alta Pest Control:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-peterson-9637304

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preston_peterson848/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preston.peterson.33

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

0:00 — Intro 

0:50 — How Preston Got Into Pest Control

3:00 — Starting Ardent with $7K and Credit Cards

6:00 — The "20-Year Overnight Success" Reality

7:30 — College vs. Dropping Out to Build

10:10 — The Ardent and Alta Merger Story

14:00 — Why Most Owners Can't See the Bigger Picture

17:45 — Going Private Equity After the Merger

19:45 — Why Owners Fight to Stay Small (Ego vs. Growth)

23:30 — Building a Culture People Tattoo on Their Bodies

28:00 — Hiring Leaders Who Actually Believe Your Core Values

31:30 — Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital

33:40 — Becoming the Person Your Business Needs

37:00 — Moving to Puerto Rico and the Depression That Followed

44:00 — How Faith and Serving Youth Pulled Him Out

47:00 — Vision Boards, Prayer, and New Businesses

53:00 — Why You Can't Skip the Journey

57:30 — Being Around Billionaires in Puerto Rico

1:02:00 — Why Pest Control Owners Are Prideful

1:06:30 — Your Business Is Either Outgrowing Your People or Vice Versa

1:15:50 — Final Message: Enjoy the Journey

1:18:20 — Where to Connect with Preston

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Greg Young, co-founder of Natura Pest Control. Greg has spent nearly two decades building pest control businesses across the US. He started his first company in 2012, scaled it to five offices, and sold it to Terminix in 2017 for over $4 million — then started over from scratch that same year and has since built back to roughly $7 million in revenue.

Greg opens up about the hard lessons from his first company, including why being three salespeople-turned-owners created a business that was great at selling accounts but terrible at keeping them. He walks through the partnership dynamics that shaped two decades of his career, how to recognize when partners want fundamentally different things, and why getting brutally honest about what you actually want is the single biggest unlock for an owner. He also explains how his perception of money completely shifted post-exit, and how that change reshaped every decision in the rebuild.

The conversation goes deep on building a customer-centric operation, including the 7-step customer experience roadmap Natura uses to drive retention, why your professional background (sales, tech, accounting) silently defines how you run your company, and how they took churn from 38% down to 14%. Greg and Dan also cover when door-to-door is the right play versus when it becomes a long-term liability, what traits actually matter in a business partner, and why the most important job of a pest control owner is finding the #1 bottleneck holding the business back — which is often the owner himself.

Greg Young, Co-founder of Natura Pest Control:

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graphicbeast

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Greg Young

04:23 The Journey of Starting Natura Pest Control

10:38 Understanding What You Really Want in Business

15:11 The Dynamics of Business Partnerships

21:32 Traits of Successful Business Partners

24:40 The Reality of Entrepreneurship

25:50 Navigating Business Challenges

28:34 The Decision to Sell

29:41 Starting Fresh: A New Approach

31:46 Customer-Centric Business Model

37:00 Understanding Churn Rates

40:45 The Ethics of Door-to-Door Sales

45:05 Diversifying Marketing Strategies

47:53 Finding and Fixing Bottlenecks

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Carmen Reino, founder and president of Anchor Pest Control out of East Brunswick, New Jersey. Carmen left a career in IT on Wall Street, bought a small pest control company for $120,000 with zero industry experience, and has since built it into an eight-figure operation servicing the entire tri-state area.

Carmen breaks down exactly how he grew, from landing housing authority bids and deploying one of the first bed bug detection dogs, to building a review culture that's generated over 13,000 Google reviews across four locations. He shares why he stayed mostly commercial for nearly two decades before shifting toward residential, how he grew 25% last year with almost no marketing spend, and the hard lessons he learned from two failed acquisitions.

This conversation also gets into the specific tools and strategies Carmen uses to stay ahead, from AI sales coaching with Siro, to branded water bottles at local little leagues, to incentive structures that pay technicians an extra $1,000 to $2,000 a month. Whether you're stuck at $2 million or pushing toward eight figures, Carmen's approach to branding, hiring competitive people, and borrowing from other home service industries is full of ideas you can act on today.

Carmen Reino, Owner of Anchor Pest Control:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-reino-29019733

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmen.reino.3511/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenreino79/

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Carmen's Journey into Pest Control

02:51 Growth Strategies and Early Challenges

05:51 Transitioning to Residential Pest Control

09:07 Understanding Profitability in Commercial vs. Residential

12:07 Key Breakthroughs in Business Growth

15:32 Implementing EOS and Organizational Changes

18:29 The Power of Reviews and Branding

21:45 Future Growth and Marketing Strategies

25:54 Starting Right: The Importance of Branding

26:50 Buying vs. Starting: Navigating Business Ownership

27:45 Lessons from Failed Acquisitions

29:55 Key Performance Indicators: Tracking Success

34:28 Breaking Through Growth Barriers

37:01 The Role of Positivity in Business

41:44 Adapting to Change: The Future of Pest Control

#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Paul Alley, president of Pestmaster Services of the Hudson Valley and a 39-year veteran of the pest control industry. Paul is an associate certified entomologist, a bedbug detection canine handler, and the leader of the #1 franchise in the entire Pestmaster system with a team of 42 professionals.Paul and his wife Amy started from scratch in 2001, doing just $35,000 in revenue their first year in a market where they knew nobody. Today they service everything from residential accounts to government contracts at West Point Military Academy and the New York Governor's Mansion — and Paul maintains a customer churn rate under 1%, with clients staying an average of 7 to 10 years.In this conversation, Paul breaks down how he built that kind of loyalty through old-fashioned customer service, his no-nonsense hiring process (including why he walks every candidate to their car), how he and Amy divide responsibilities to run the business together, and how he now manages the entire operation remotely from a fishing dock in Vero Beach, Florida. This one is packed with real lessons on leadership, trust, and building a company that runs without you in the truck.Paul Alley, Owner of Pestmaster Services of the Hudson Valley:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-alley-ace-975144aFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulalleysrDan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt Website: https://danleibrandt.comPest Control Legends Platforms:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends Podcast Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Paul Alley02:34 Building the Pestmaster Franchise04:14 Navigating Government Contracts11:30 The Role of Family in Business12:21 Importance of CRM and Software15:42 Opening New Markets in Pest Control18:37 Generating Leads and Sales20:28 Customer Retention Strategies22:54 Hiring and Trust in the Workplace33:38 Balancing Business and Personal Life49:43 Final Thoughts and Advice#pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

In this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews Chad Louk, the founder of Prodigy Pest Solutions and Prodigy Marketing Pros. Chad shares his journey from getting recruited into door-to-door sales right out of high school to building a multi-branch, eight-figure pest control operation across Florida — starting with just $7,000 and a beat-up Ford Ranger. He opens up about his rough first summer selling only 78 accounts, the years he spent stuck in the truck as a one-man show, and what it finally took to step out of the field and into a true leadership role.

Chad breaks down the nuts and bolts of how he uses door-to-door sales to break into new markets, including his strategy of growing a branch to $2 million before scaling back and layering in other marketing channels. He also shares his approach to training reps as technicians first, why he believes in hiring ahead even when it hurts short-term profits, and how his technicians are now driving revenue through cross-selling services like rodent exclusion and termite treatments.

Whether you're a solo operator trying to get out of the truck or an established company looking for new ways to grow, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on scaling, team building, and knowing when to take risks. Chad also discusses the realities of acquisitions at different company sizes, the KPIs he tracks daily, and why being friendly with your competition might be one of the smartest moves you can make.

Chad Louk, Founder of Prodigy Pest Solutions:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chad-louk-5844b6117

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadlouk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chad.louk/

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt   

Website: https://danleibrandt.com

Pest Control Legends Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Chad Louk 

03:07 The Transition from Technician to Business Owner

08:55 Secrets to Successful Door-to-Door Sales

13:44 Consulting vs. Implementation in Pest Control

21:35 Scaling from One to Ten Million

25:05 Pros and Cons of Wildlife Services

27:05 Team Building and Hiring Lessons

30:11 Branch Expansion Strategies

33:40 Market Differences in Door-to-Door Sales

36:10 Key Performance Indicators in Pest Control

39:55 Online Advertising Strategies

40:41 Advice for Pest Control Owners

##pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #pestcontrollegends #danleibrandt #pestcontrolowner #pestcontrolpodcast

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