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He started his electrical company as an apprentice in 2003. No business plan. No connections. Just desperation and a willingness to do anything to eat. Two decades later, Brevik Tharaldsen had seven trucks, but he was still doing everything—bidding, invoicing, running calls—and it was destroying him.
Then a kids’ wrestling coach changed everything. That coach turned out to be a general manager for another home service company. A year later, Rob joined Norske Electric as GM—and the first thing they did was sign up for CertainPath and ServiceTitan. On the same day. Everything Brevik knew in 20 years went out the window.
In this episode of The Successful Contractor, Brevik Tharaldsen of Norske Electric in the greater Minneapolis area shares how he went from $2 million to targeting $5 million in just three years—while nearly doubling his bottom line from 12-14% to a consistent 25-26%.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• How Brevik started his electrical company as an apprentice in 2003—handing out flyers and taking any job he could get
• Why a kids’ wrestling coach turned out to be the most important hire he ever made
• How launching CertainPath and ServiceTitan on the same day forced a total business rewrite—“Sleepless nights with two laptops doing data entry”
• The mission shift from “customers first” to “employees first”—and why great electricians matter more than customers in his market
• How he nearly doubled his bottom line from 12-14% to a consistent 25-26%
• Why inventory management was the single biggest margin driver—and how standardized vans get 90% of jobs done without a supply house trip
• How “How can we light up your life?” transformed their phone experience—and why Brevik was reluctant at first
• The hiring process that weeds out bad fits on the phone interview—before they ever walk in the door
• How building 650+ club memberships from zero is bridging the shoulder season gap
• Why having CertainPath’s Carl show technicians “where the money goes” was the icing on the cake for buy-in
• What CertainPath has meant personally: “It has allowed me to have a family life again.”
Brevik’s story is a raw, honest look at what happens when a burned-out owner finally stops doing everything himself and invests in the right people, the right systems, and the right coaching. If you’re grinding 100-hour weeks and wondering when it gets better—this is your episode.
🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.
Chapters:
00:00 – Meet Brevet Carlson, Norske Electric
02:13 – Starting an Electrical Company as an Apprentice
03:06 – Surviving the 2008 Crash
04:29 – Putting the Tools Down to Work ON the Business
05:28 – Growing Through COVID — But Still in Survival Mode
06:05 – How a Wrestling Coach Became His General Manager
07:46 – Executive Perspective in Dallas
09:06 – "We Rewrote the Book"
09:56 – Employees First: The Mission Shift
11:59 – Training Culture: Two Meetings a Week
14:29 – "How Can We Light Up Your Life?" — Phone Scripts That Work
15:20 – Hiring a Call Taker Changed Everything
17:28 – From 12% to 25–26% Net Profit
18:02 – Chart of Accounts: Knowing Where the Money Goes
19:57 – Inspections on Every Job
21:18 – 650+ Club Memberships with Lifetime Warranty
22:40 – Managing Gross Margins Daily
24:13 – Hiring for Culture Fit Over Technical Skill
25:51 – The 3–4 Day Onboarding Process
27:45 – Standardized Vans: The Biggest Margin Saver
30:29 – Marketing: Doubling Spend from 3%
32:20 – Teaching Techs the Real Cost of Business
33:51 – New Training Facility as a Recruiting Tool
35:22 – "I Was at My Bottom — I Didn't Have a Choice"
36:51 – Looking Ahead: Sustaining 30% Growth
38:12 – "CertainPath Changed My Life"
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Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years. We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. Let us show you the way. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
About the Guest:
Brevik Tharaldsen is the owner of Norske Electric, a residential electrical company in the greater Minneapolis area. A Dunwoody trade school graduate and entrepreneur since 2003, Brevik has grown Norske Electric from $2 million to a projected $5 million in just three years with CertainPath. He’s passionate about employee-first culture, building systems that work, and proving that any contractor willing to change can transform their business—and their life.
Connect with Brevik:
Norske Electric: https://norskeelectric.com/
