Guest: Keith Flores — Owner, HG Home Services | Founder, Home Guardian Guest Links: Website: https://hghomeguardian.com

Keith Flores started in the trades at 12 years old crawling under houses for $200 cash days, scaled and exited multiple HVAC companies (including walking away from a $7.5M payout when his partner wanted to keep grinding), and is now launching Home Guardian, the first real preemptive smart home monitoring system built for contractors. In this episode, he gets honest about what really happens when you go all in on a service business, the mistake of teaching people who aren't all in, and why the trades are the most recession-proof industry in the world right now. The conversation gets deep on Home Guardian, the wireless system that monitors water quality, SEER rating, leak detection, and electrical performance in real time, telling homeowners and contractors about problems before they happen so you stop being reactive and start owning the customer for life.

You'll learn:

• Why the trades are the most recession-proof and pandemic-proof industry right now
• Keith's "go all in" startup philosophy and the 12 trucks he bought before getting his license
• Why being an entrepreneur is gambling, and what you're really gambling on (yourself)
• The right teammate isn't a business partner, it's your spouse or significant other
• Why most gurus and coaches in the trades are looking out for their own wallet
• How to spot a "house of cards" exit story vs a real one
• Why teaching people who aren't all in is a waste of your time and theirs
• The first real preemptive smart home monitoring platform built for contractors
• Real-time water quality monitoring (patented, never been done before)
• Real-time SEER rating monitoring (also never been done before)
• How Home Guardian tells you a roof will leak before it leaks
• Why "smart home" lights and music aren't actually smart, they're dumb homes
• The contractor retention play: stay connected to every home through one dashboard
• Why builders want this for warranty reduction (2-3% off a 10-year warranty)
• How to budget your household like a car dashboard (real-time utility spend tracking)