In this episode of The Garage Door Podcast Lab, host Andy Felice sits down with Matt Kuehlhorn, owner of Kooler Garage Doors in western Colorado, for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond springs and openers.

Matt shares his unconventional path from guiding wilderness expeditions to running a new school garage door company—and why he defines "new school" as serving homeowners with value instead of chasing builders to the bottom. They dive deep into Matt's ambitious AI project, a custom-built tool that handles troubleshooting, customer communication, and data aggregation for his team. Matt explains how he's building his agent to be the "Kooler brain"—capable of answering calls, texting customers, pulling reports, and even helping map out the company's future growth.

The conversation explores the bigger picture of where AI is headed in the trades, the importance of owning your data, and why the human element becomes more valuable as technology advances. Matt offers practical advice for garage door owners just getting started with AI: open an LLM, turn on the voice feature, and just start talking.

They also discuss the critical role of CSRs in setting the stage for successful sales calls, the value of daily training and huddles, and why having a simple, memorable sales process beats over-engineering every time.

Throughout the episode, Matt returns to his guiding philosophy: use technology to human better. It's a refreshing look at how one owner is embracing the future while keeping people at the center of it all.

Find Kooler Garage Doors here:

https://koolergaragedoors.com/

Find Andy Felice and Garage Door Marketing lab here:

https://gdmarketinglab.com/

In this episode of The Garage Door Podcast Lab, host Andy Felice sits down with Stuart Eisler, owner of MasterCraft Garage Door Service, to talk about what it actually takes to grow a garage door company in today's landscape. Stuart shares how his team achieved 35% year-over-year growth with a 16% net profit margin—not through complicated tactics, but by making intentional changes to how they operate.

Stuart opens up about the power of defining roles, separating installers from service techs from salespeople, and why having your guys do everything actually holds you back. He explains how giving technicians more time on site—not less—has increased ticket averages, improved customer experience, and even reduced stress for his team. He also walks through the "second knock" sales approach and why ethical upselling, when done right, benefits both the customer and the bottom line.

The conversation also covers the importance of including your team in building processes and policies to create real buy-in, and how Stuart uses AI tools like custom GPTs and Rilla to streamline operations, build SOPs, and free up his time. He shares why pricing should be based on what you need to make, not what your competitors are charging, and why raising prices might be the smartest move you're not making.

Whether you're running a few trucks or looking to take your business to the next level, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who's in the trenches every day.

Find MasterCraft Garage Door Service here:

https://mastercraftgaragedoorservice.com/

Find Andy Felice and Garage Door Marketing lab here:

https://gdmarketinglab.com/

In the premiere episode of The Garage Door Podcast Lab, host Andy Felice sits down with Matthew Lockemy of M&M Garage Doors—widely recognized as Michigan's premier garage door company—for an in-depth conversation about the forces shaping the industry today.

They dive into the current private equity landscape, exploring why so many companies are selling and what garage door owners need to consider before making a deal. Matt shares his perspective on why alignment with personal goals matters more than the check itself, and why private equity isn't one-size-fits-all.

The conversation shifts to operations, where Matt gets honest about what he wishes he'd prioritized sooner in his 15 years in business—from sales processes and KPIs to the real value of annual maintenance programs.

They also explore how AI is transforming day-to-day operations, with Matt sharing practical examples of how his team uses AI powered tools to coach technicians, performance, and create efficiencies. And yes, they tackle the big question: Will robots ever replace garage door techs?

Beyond the business talk, Matt shares the surprising story of how he met his best friend at a garage door event—a reminder that this industry is about more than just doors.

Whether you're a solo operator or running a multi-truck company, this episode offers real talk on navigating private equity, streamlining operations, and staying open to what's next.

Tune in to hear why Matt says: "You don't know everything. You're not always right. And other people aren't always wrong."

Find M&M Garage Doors here:

https://mandmdoors247.com/

Find Andy Felice and Garage Door Marketing lab here:

https://gdmarketinglab.com/