The Fire Time Podcast

"I can't sell Harman because there's a dealer too close to me, but I'd donate a kidney and my firstborn to get it."

In this episode, Tim sits down with Dane Harman, Karen Harman-Smeltz, and Peter Parsons to trace how a burn pot rooted in anthracite coal became the backbone of one of the hearth industry's most beloved pellet stoves—and what it takes to keep innovating decades later. Dane built Harman Stoves into a legend, Karen carried its values forward, and Peter built a pellet market from almost nothing on an island ninety miles out in the Atlantic.

In this episode, Tim, Dane, Karen, and Peter cover:

- Why Dane's 1991 Pellet Pro feeder still works today—and how a coal-pushing block evolved into a laser-cut slide plate that runs entirely on temperature.

- The real difference between a private company's "right" decision and a public one's—and why a profitable model can still get killed to protect a stock price.

- Whether tightening EPA regulations actually force better stoves or just strip the fun out of innovation—and where diminishing returns turn good intentions into expensive ones.

Don't miss the moment Dane explains why deciding—truly deciding—pulls a whole team behind you, because this conversation about fire, family, and pressure-fueled innovation will change how you think about building anything worth keeping.

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Links from this episode:

Big Enough: Building a Business that Scales with Your Lifestyle

https://a.co/d/0e8WRuD7

Fire Time Podcast Q&A Episode

http://itsfiretime.com/ask

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nXru0bLymCQ

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join

"Core values allow us to lead to a standard—without those core values, things can slip."

In this episode, Tim speaks with Kyle Titsworth (General Manager and Partner, The Fireplace Showcase) about transitioning from manager to owner in a family business. Kyle shares insights from his journey taking over partial ownership while serving on the Northeast HPBA board, leading a team where most employees have decades more experience than he does.

In this episode, Tim and Kyle cover:

• Why setting core values becomes crucial when you're a young leader managing seasoned veterans—and how it prevents business standards from becoming "wishy-washy"

• The power of simplifying customer choice through strategic showroom design—like Kyle's "remodel wall" that presents just three fireplace replacement options instead of overwhelming customers

• How weekly sales meetings and forcing salespeople to track their own metrics transforms behavior better than any manager-generated report ever could

Don't miss Kyle's take on why manufacturers need to stop speaking in industry jargon and start organizing around customer situations—because nobody walks into a showroom asking for a "zero clearance fireplace."

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Links from this episode:

WhyFire Website: https://whyfire.com

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rZ4lSOzYNAs

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join

"It can never be too long, it can only be too boring."

In this episode, Tim shares a class he taught in Denver, Colorado at AES Dealer Days, where he explores why most marketing messages in the fireplace industry fail—and reveals a simple framework that can triple your leads without spending a penny. Drawing from real examples of businesses that position themselves as heroes instead of their customers, Tim shows how to craft messages that actually resonate.

In this episode, Tim covers:

• The three deadly sins of marketing—making your business the hero, cramming too many things into one message, and focusing on products instead of customer problems

• The PEACE framework for creating sound bites that cut through noise and make prospects turn their heads—from articulating problems better than customers can to showing genuine empathy

• Why "family owned for 50 years" belongs in tiny print, not your headline—and how companies waste tens of thousands on beautiful websites that break fundamental messaging rules

Don't miss Tim's breakdown of real fireplace company websites that demonstrate these principles in action—plus the exact tagline changes that could transform your lead generation overnight.

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Links from this episode:

Whyfire Website: http://whyfire.com

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k5mqmLpLZe0

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join

"I've been looking for this kind of clarity in my life."

In this episode, Tim talks with April Sunshine Hawkins (Former Co-Host of the Marketing Made Simple Podcast and Storybrand Private Workshop Instructor) about why most marketing fails and how to craft messages that actually resonate. April brings deep expertise from teaching the StoryBrand framework worldwide, plus insights on the internal blocks that sabotage even the smartest business owners.

In this episode, Tim and April cover:

• Why cognitive load kills your marketing—and how speaking in insider jargon instantly loses your audience

• The PEACE framework that transforms confusing websites into customer magnets in five simple steps

• How fear and ego create marketing that serves the business instead of the customer—and what self-awareness has to do with better sales

Don't miss April's breakdown of why "people like us do things like this" means you should stop trying to appeal to everyone and start speaking directly to your ideal customer—because a message for everyone is a message for no one.

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Links from this episode:

Q&A Episode: http://itsfiretime.com/ask

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z_2bFUzpx4w

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join

"The customer doesn't want to hear your story—they want to hear how you can solve their problem."

In this episode, Tim sits down with Robert Schnell (Principal, Arctic Sales) fresh from a StoryBrand marketing intensive in Nashville to unpack the messaging frameworks that actually drive sales. Robert brings eight years of experience applying these principles in the complex lighting industry, offering concrete insights for fireplace retailers ready to transform their marketing approach.

In this episode, Tim and Robert cover:

• Why making your customer the hero—not your company—is the foundation of all effective marketing and how this simple shift changes everything

• The critical importance of owning your customer's problem by articulating it more clearly than they can, because clarity about the problem creates clarity about the solution

• How persistent follow-up systems (think 104 touchpoints, not just three) keep you top of mind when customers finally experience their problem again

Don't miss their breakdown of why most marketing fails before it starts and the specific tactics—from mini-books to quarterly service reminders—that turn lukewarm prospects into loyal customers who see you as the obvious choice.

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Links from this episode:

WhyFire Pro: http://whyfire.com

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9O30LMu2vDs

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join

"This is the conversation for you if you've been trying to think about how we ease the tension between retailers, distributors, and manufacturers."

• Jessica Voss-Kehl and how AI will fundamentally change how hearth and patio businesses operate—from customer service to inventory management

• Tim Reed moderates a panel discussion with industry leaders Dave Rettinger, Deb Hannig, and Zack Fisher - Making the Shift: How Our Industry Stays Relevant in the Years to Come

• The specific roles retailers, distributors, and manufacturers must play to reduce industry tension and create mutual value

"It was my feeder and burn pot, they decided to make their own burn pot and change the design. That's where things didn't work very well for very long..."

In this episode, Tim sits down with Dane Harman (founder of Harman Stoves) and his daughter Karen Harman-Smeltz for a rare father-daughter conversation about building one of America's most respected hearth companies from a basement workshop in rural Pennsylvania. From cutting stove parts with Gloria's cutting board as a template to pioneering the pellet technology that powers today's industry, this is the untold story of grit, innovation, and the $40 electric bill that changed everything.

In this episode, Tim, Dane, and Karen cover:

• How a shocking electric bill jump from $40 to $100 sparked the idea to build their first wood stove—using a cutting board, T-square, and acetylene torch in the basement

• The evolution from welding corners by hand on the floor to precision laser cutting that's accurate to ten thousandths of an inch

• How coal stoker technology accidentally birthed the pellet pro feeder system—plus the Vermont Castings partnership that launched Harman into the big leagues

Don't miss this intimate look inside the mind of a true industry pioneer who went from three employees in a 40x80 building to revolutionizing an entire industry—all while never losing sight of the principle that you build to a standard, not a price.

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pAb7YMvWWyQ

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join

"Leadership is a game of trust at the end of the day. If you cannot trust people doing what they do best and better than ourselves can do, you're not going to move forward."

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7WBEFmztFSU
Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268⁠⁠
Listen on Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2⁠⁠
Read The Fire Time Magazine: ⁠⁠https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine⁠⁠
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: ⁠⁠https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe⁠⁠
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: ⁠⁠https://www.itsfiretime.com/join⁠

"If you don't make the hard decisions, you actually make it worse for yourself—but they're very difficult."

In this episode, Tim sits down with Don and Kris Richardson (founders of RPG Brands) to unpack their remarkable journey from humble beginnings to industry empire. Don started with his wife Debbie in a house with no clue what they were doing, while Kris learned to work hard by jackhammering feather rock in 120-degree heat for $5 an hour.

In this episode, the Richardsons cover:

• How owing $750,000 to Majestic Fireplaces in the late '80s became the defining moment that taught them resilience—and why Don treasures those dark times as foundational training

• The gutsy decision to cash in a life insurance policy for $254,000 to fund Modern Flames in 2009, and how admitting failure on a steam fireplace project eight years later pivoted them toward massive success

• Why starting three separate companies within the family business allowed each Richardson to build their own identity while staying collaborative and how they continue to prioritize connection.

Don't miss this candid conversation about confronting brutal facts, leading by example, and the servant leadership required to hand off the reins while you still have plenty to give.

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/4XMtw_CzsQA
Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268⁠⁠
Listen on Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2⁠⁠
Read The Fire Time Magazine: ⁠⁠https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine⁠⁠
Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: ⁠⁠https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe⁠⁠
Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: ⁠⁠https://www.itsfiretime.com/join⁠

"I hate huge. I don't like meetings. If I get sucked into a meeting, I always want to have a list of things that need to be addressed afterwards and a time frame from when you need to check in, to be able to get it done."

In this episode, Tim talks with Courtney Hammer (Office Manager, Sutter Home & Hearth) about her transition from practicing chiropractic medicine to running operations at her husband's hearth business. After injuries forced her out of patient care, she discovered that what started as a simple admin role became transforming an entire company's organizational backbone. In this episode, Tim and Courtney cover:

Don't miss Courtney's insights on why support staff are the "unsung heroes" who pay for themselves through efficiency gains and how stashing Girl Scout cookies can solve morale problems faster than any meeting.

Links from this episode:

WhyFire: https://whyfire.com

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Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZMBk3BUdpkE

Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2

Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine

Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe

Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join