The Successful Contractor Podcast

Book a free strategy call with CertainPath to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ 

Or call us at: (214) 453-1591 

One man. Three trades. $7.9M in twelve months. Here's how Chris Roberts turns a $300 light switch call into a $100,000 job. 

Chris Roberts isn't a salesman. He's an electrician who learned to sell — and last year he closed $5.1M in electrical, $2.3M in plumbing, and $500K in HVAC personally. The plumbing total happened in roughly one month. 

He's the first double Crown Champion in CertainPath history. Chris runs sales for Bailey Plumbing, Safety First Electric, and Comfort Heating and Cooling — three companies operating under one roof out of San Jose and Morgan Hill, California. 

Chris started in the union, watching his electrician's check stay flat while his family kept growing. When the union got slow, he took what he thought was a short-term gig at Safety First Electric — installing, not selling. A few weeks in, the owner asked him to go run a sales call. He brought back $7,000 in signed work. By the end of his first month in sales, his check rewrote his understanding of what was possible. He called his wife and said, "I'm not going back to the union." 

In this episode, Chris walks Bob Houchin through the exact playbook — every word he uses, every door he opens, every shirt he wears — for turning a single service call into a six-figure multi-trade job. 

In this conversation, you'll discover: 

• The $7.9M sales reveal — and why most of the plumbing total came in roughly a month 

• Why Chris never says the word "finance" on a sales call (and what he says instead) 

• How a $300 light switch call becomes a six-figure rewire, re-pipe, and drain job 

• The "Two Costs and One Price" framework that crushes "I need to think about it" 

• Why Chris wears a different shirt on Day 2 — and what it sells 

• The 4-option pricing system that lets Bailey charge $70K for a rewire (when competitors price it at $25K) 

• Why he won't sell a re-pipe to a customer who doesn't need one — and why disqualifying like this builds trust 

Whether you're a sales tech trying to break $1M for the first time, a sales manager building a multi-trade playbook, or an owner trying to understand what makes one rep close $7.9M across three trades — Chris's process is a masterclass in stacking trades without losing trust. 

Watch 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. 

About 

The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. 

Meet the Guest 

Chris Roberts is the head sales manager at Bailey Plumbing, Safety First Electric, and Comfort Heating and Cooling — three home-services companies operating under one roof out of San Jose and Morgan Hill, California. A former union electrician, Chris transitioned into in-home sales his first year at Safety First, then took on plumbing and HVAC sales as the companies grew. Last year, he personally closed $5.1M in electrical, $2.3M in plumbing, and $500K in HVAC — making him CertainPath's first-ever double Crown Champion. 

Connect 

CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com 

Show Notes 

The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — 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/ 

Book a free strategy call with CertainPath to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ or call us at: (214)-453-1591 

On a roof at 17 in 90-degree heat. Eight years later — Crown Champion at his family's Pennsylvania roofing company with $2 million in personal sales his first full year. Mostly replacements. Plus a few full-house exterior packages topping $100K. 

Mast Roofing & Construction in Oley, PA has been around 30 years — Seth's dad started it. Seth grew up putting together sales folders in the family barn, mowed the property when his dad finally built a real building, and went full-time on a roof crew at 18. A year of installs. A year as a repair tech under Mast's top performer. And almost by accident, he slid into a sales seat when another rep wouldn't run a townhome. Eight months later — Crown Champion. By twelve months — $2M sold. 

In this conversation, you'll discover: 

• The 3-option close he learned in CertainPath's Service Essentials class — and why it ends every pitch 
• Why he never pre-judges a trailer (or a mansion) — and what to look at instead 
• The "30 minutes on the pictures" inspection that doubles as authority-building 
• The mold-decking story he uses to pre-empt the attic objection before he ever walks upstairs 
• The single line — "if you had this shingle on here, I would probably not be sitting right now" — that handles cheap-shingle objections in one sentence 
• His first-question close: "They've already decided. It's just when and who." 
• Why his close ratio jumped 10% the first time he went to a CertainPath training 

Whether you're a roofing rep trying to break your first $1M, a sales manager building a training program, or an owner trying to understand what makes a young rep close like a veteran — Seth's process is a masterclass in education over pitching. 

🎧 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. 

About 

The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. 

Meet the Guest 

Seth Mast is a Roofing Specialist at Mast Roofing & Construction in Oley, Pennsylvania — a family-owned roofing and exterior contractor his dad started 30 years ago. After a summer on a roof at 17 and a year as a repair technician, Seth moved into replacement sales and finished his first full year as a Crown Champion with $2 million in personal sales. He credits CertainPath's Service Essentials class and the team at Integrity Roofing for the foundation he learned from. 

Connect 

Mast Roofing & Construction: https://mastsroofing.com/ 

CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com 

Show Notes 

The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — 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/ 

For almost fifteen years, Dan Barger grew Apollo Plumbing the hard way — no price book, no P&L, no real read on his margins. His financial reporting system was opening the bank account and hoping. 

Today, Apollo does $8 million a year in residential plumbing. 

What changed? 

On this episode of The Successful Contractor, host Bob Houchin sits down with Dan — owner of Apollo Plumbing in Marysville, Washington — for the honest version of a twenty-year run. 

You’ll hear: 

• Why a broken water heater turned Dan into a 20-year plumber. 
• The moment Dan realized his “financial reporting system” was costing him money. 
• Why 60–70% of Apollo’s marketing spend goes to radio — and what it buys. 
• The comp model Apollo switched to last year — and what it did to close rates. 
• The one thing Dan wishes he’d done seven years sooner. 
• Where Dan’s taking Apollo next. 

If you’re running a contracting company, Dan’s story will sound uncomfortably familiar — and hopeful. 

Guest 

Dan Barger Owner, Apollo Plumbing — Marysville, WA 

Host & Show 

Host: Bob Houchin 

Show: The Successful Contractor, powered by CertainPath 

CTA — Close of Description 

Book your free discovery call at mycertainpath.com. 

Enjoyed the episode? Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast player — it helps other contractors find the show. 

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591

🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5

For more information about Sean Mitchell's RevenueAscent Program: https://hub.mycertainpath.com/hub/resources/make-execution-consistent-with-the-revenueascent-program-featuring-sean-mitchell

Check out the Kingdom Method Show with Jimmie Dale and Jeff Cox: https://www.youtube.com/@KingdomMethodShow

He built a $100M+ home service company with one non-negotiable: they had to want to win so bad it made them sick. Everything else — credentials, experience, background — was secondary to that.

Jimmie Dale spent over three decades as President of Baker Brothers Plumbing & Air, building one of the most respected home service operations in the country. He developed leaders from scratch, cut players who weren't performing before they poisoned the rest of the team, and created a culture where urgency wasn't a mood — it was the operating system.

In this conversation, Jimmie brings over 30 years of hard-earned leadership insight to the table — the kind you can only get from building something real and running it through every kind of market.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

•        The one hiring trait Jimmie values above everything else — and why wanting to win is the only non-negotiable he never compromises on

•        The A, B, C player framework: how to identify your C players, put them on a 30-to-60-day timeline, and stop letting nice guys drain your A players

•        The two-month warning — why every great initiative dies two months after launch, and the discipline it takes to keep it alive

•        Start, Stop, Keep: the group exercise that gets every leader in the room aligned and subtracting what isn't working

•        Why the first place to look when your team is underperforming is the mirror — not your employees

•        The insurance tip worth the price of admission: how to audit your loss runs and fight back against inflated premium reserves

•        Urgency of execution: how to build a culture where deadlines are commitments, not suggestions

•        How CertainPath transformed from a hard-sell, suit-and-tie operation into a culture-first organization — from someone who was there

•        The bell curve of leadership: why the moment you stop learning is the moment your business starts declining

•        Recreate AI and ScheduleBot: why the future of home service booking looks more like OpenTable than a phone call

•        Be Google for plumbing: the sales philosophy that turns techs who hate selling into trusted advisors customers want to buy from

Whether you're a $5M contractor trying to build your first real leadership team, a $30M operator wondering why your best people keep leaving, or anywhere in between — this episode is packed with the kind of straight talk that only comes from someone who's actually built it.

🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.

About

The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company.

Meet the Guest

Jimmie Dale is the former President of Baker Brothers Plumbing & Air, COO of The Perfect Light, investor in Recreate AI, and co-host of the Kingdom Method Show alongside Jeff Cox. A fourth-generation master plumber, Jimmie spent over three decades building Baker Brothers into a $100M+ home service operation known for its culture, its people, and its relentless standard for winning.

Connect

Kingdom Method Show: https://www.youtube.com/@KingdomMethodShow

CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com

Show Notes

The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — 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/

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591

🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5

$20 million in revenue. A service area of 240,000 people. And a business that’s been growing — almost without exception — for four decades.

James Wisler didn’t set out to build a $20M multi-trade powerhouse in one of the smallest markets you’ll ever hear about on this show. He grew up in the business — running crews at 15, becoming GM at 23 — and learned every hard lesson the hard way. New construction. Bathroom remodeling. Green-fielding HVAC. Adding electrical through acquisition. Every pivot came with a price.

But here’s what’s remarkable: Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric serves just two counties in Southwest Virginia, with a population that most contractors would walk away from. Electric grew 30% last year. Plumbing north of 15%. HVAC is on track to surpass plumbing in total size next year. And their water treatment division — running since 1986 — now holds 750 service agreements with a lead model that works the exact opposite of every other trade.

This is a masterclass in what disciplined, market-smart growth actually looks like over 40 years.

In this conversation, you’ll discover:

•        How Wisler built a $20M multi-trade business in a 240,000-person market — and why small markets can be a massive advantage

•        The sales-install model they pioneered in plumbing before almost anyone else was doing it — and the $2,500 threshold that drives it

•        Why green-fielding HVAC was the hardest thing they’ve done — and what they’d do differently (acquire)

•        The #1 operational mistake that stunted their HVAC growth — and how they finally fixed it

•        How to build a water treatment business with 750 service agreements, a 60/40 lead split, and a sales system that works

•        The Culture Index hiring system: why they run it at the application stage, what it actually measures, and why it’s a confirmation tool — not a crutch

•        Their panel interview rule: 3 people, diverse panel, and if it’s not unanimous — don’t hire

•        How they acquired an electrical company in 2024, grew it from $1.2M to $1.8M in year one, and why that’s the better path

•        The “Guiding Light” document: how James defines faith, family, excellence, and courage in a way that actually sticks

•        The weekly culture minute, the 6-7 hour monthly manager meeting, and the annual kickoff that’s replaced their holiday party

Whether you’re running $2M and wondering if you can scale without a major metro, thinking about adding a trade, or trying to figure out what a real hiring system looks like — this one is packed with 40 years of hard-earned lessons.

🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.

For more information about Sean Mitchell’s RevenueAscent Program: https://hub.mycertainpath.com/hub/resources/make-execution-consistent-with-the-revenueascent-program-featuring-sean-mitchell

About

The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company.

Meet the Guest

James Wisler is the CEO of Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, based in Rocky Mount, Virginia. James grew up in the business his father started in 1986, became GM at 23, and — alongside his brother Brian — purchased the company in 2014. Under his leadership, Wisler has grown from a plumbing-only service company into a $20M multi-trade operation serving HVAC, plumbing, water treatment, and electrical across Southwest Virginia. James has been a CertainPath member since nearly the beginning and is a fixture in the peer community.

Connect

Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric: https://www.wislerhomeservices.com

CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com

Show Notes

The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we’ve helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — 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/

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591 

🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5 

$3.5 million in service revenue. A new construction company that survived the Great Recession on discipline and a war chest. And a son who'd spent summers on job sites watching his dad build something real. 

RJ Magee didn't plan to build a $110 million multi-location HVAC and plumbing empire. He planned to take over his dad's company in Las Vegas. Then they sold it — and everything changed. 

Sierra Air Conditioning and Plumbing in Las Vegas alone went from $13 million in 2020 to $50 million in 2025. Their comfort advisor made $500,000 last year. Flip techs clear $200K. And in Boise, they hired a bartender two weeks ago — one week of training, five for five, $18,000 average ticket. 

This is a masterclass in what it actually looks like to scale a residential HVAC company — and what it costs when you don't. 

In this conversation, you'll discover: 

• How CertainPath coaching helped Sierra grow from $3.5M in service revenue to $50M in Las Vegas alone 
• The 3 things RJ says took them from $3.5M to $13M — and the operational discipline behind it 
• How to acquire HVAC companies: market selection, what makes a good partner, and why they keep every call center local 
• How they changed fix-it culture shops into sales-minded organizations — without losing the team 
• Why RJ pays his flip manager $30 per same-day flip (and how that drives behavior better than EBITDA bonuses) 
• The personal loss in 2019 that finally made him build a team — and get his priorities in the right order 
• Their 5-year plan: $500M by 2030, 16–18 partner companies, 20% EBITDA 

Whether you're at $3M trying to hit $13M, thinking about what a sale might look like, or just want to understand how a $110M HVAC operation actually runs — this one is packed. 

🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle. 

About 

The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. 

Meet the Guest 

RJ Magee is the President of Sierra Group, overseeing Sierra Air Conditioning and Plumbing in Las Vegas, NV along with partner locations in Boise, Denver, and Tucson. RJ grew up working summers on his father's job sites, joined the company full-time in 2010, and helped grow the service division from $3.5M to $13M before a private equity sale in 2020. Since then, he has led Sierra's Las Vegas operation from $13M to $50M while building a multi-location portfolio targeting $500M by 2030. 

Connect 

Sierra Air Conditioning and Plumbing: https://www.sierraair.com 

CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com 

Show Notes 

The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we've helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — 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/ 

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591

🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series — Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5

$400,000 in revenue. Two wrapped vans. $50,000 in unpaid taxes. That was electrician Matt Wehrle in January 2019 — sitting in an office for the first time in his life, wondering if he’d made a massive mistake.

Six years later, Safe Electric & Plumbing in Columbus, Ohio hit $10.6 million. 28 trucks. Double-digit net profit. And a plumbing division that did $2 million in its first full year. Matt’s story isn’t a slow, steady climb — it’s a masterclass in what happens when a field electrician stops doing things his way and follows a proven system.

In this conversation, you’ll discover:

•        How CertainPath coaching helped one electrician grow from $400K to $10.6M in 5 years

•        Starting a residential electrical business with $10K in the bank and $50K in unpaid taxes — and booking nearly 100% of calls in year one

•        Adding a plumbing division to an electrical company — $2M first full year (after hiring the wrong manager first)

•        Catching bookkeeper embezzlement: fake LLC, unauthorized ACH transfers, and stolen credit cards for 13 months

•        His recruiting secret every contractor will steal — and why “nobody wants to work” is nothing but an excuse

•        What he’d tell his 2017 self: “Drop everything else and just do THIS!”

Whether you’re an electrician thinking about adding a second trade, a contractor trying to build culture, or a business owner who’s been burned by someone you trusted — Matt’s story will hit home.

🎧 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.

About

The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company.

Meet the Guest

Matt Wehrle is the owner of Safe Electric & Plumbing in Columbus, Ohio. A lifelong electrician who started his career in new construction, Matt launched his residential service company in 2019 with two vans and $10,000 in the bank. In six years, he’s grown Safe Electric & Plumbing to $10.6 million in revenue with 28 trucks, a thriving plumbing division, and double-digit net profit.

Connect

Safe Electric & Plumbing: https://safeelectricohio.com

CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com

Show Notes

The Successful Contractor Podcast is part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath is a business coaching program for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. For 25 years, we’ve helped contractors double their revenue, hit 20% net profit, and build teams that stay. With proven systems, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong — 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/

- Book a free Discovery Call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591

- Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series, Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5

- CertainPath Members: For more information on Sean Mitchell’s RevenueAscent Program, log into your member-exclusive HUB website: https://hub.mycertainpath.com/hub/resources/make-execution-consistent-with-the-revenueascent-program-featuring-sean-mitchell

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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"

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

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/

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591

Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series, Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5

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“How did I do this before?”

That’s the number-one thing ServiceTitan hears from contractors after they make the switch. And now, ServiceTitan and CertainPath are officially partnered—which means the best coaching in home services just got paired with the most powerful software platform in the industry.

In this episode of The Successful Contractor, Bob sits down with Joseph Morales and Phil Stern from ServiceTitan—recorded live at CertainPath’s Eagles’ Summit—to unpack what this partnership means for contractors, what’s new with ServiceTitan’s Pro Products, and why the AI revolution is already changing how you dispatch, market, and grow.

Joseph has spent four years on the road meeting contractors face-to-face. Phil came from 12 years at Google, where he worked on AI solutions and partnerships with brands like Wells Fargo and Ford. Together, they break down ServiceTitan’s biggest announcements—from the commercial and construction expansion to the AI-powered Dispatch Pro that’s already proving your gut instincts wrong.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

•        Why ServiceTitan and CertainPath partnered—and why Phil says “CertainPath’s model was a perfect fit”

•        The “How did I do this before?” moment—what contractors consistently say after adopting ServiceTitan

•        How one contractor was spending 4 hours a day tracking time through email—and how geo-fencing automation eliminated it overnight

•        Dispatch Pro: the AI tool that’s matching the right tech to the right job for profit—and proving that your “best guy” isn’t always who you think

•        Marketing Pro: the most-adopted Pro Product, with smart campaigns, UTM tracking, reputation management, and AI-powered ad optimization

•        Scheduling Pro: how to automate maintenance contract bookings and online scheduling—straight into your ServiceTitan dashboard

•        Atlas and Titan Intelligence: ServiceTitan’s new AI-powered voice and dispatching tools

•        Titan Score: how ServiceTitan grades your software usage and tells you where to expand next

•        The commercial and construction expansion: why contractors who dismissed ServiceTitan as “residential only” need to take a second look

•        ServiceTitan’s roofing push: the GAF partnership and growing adoption across trades

•        CertainPath coach certification: 40–60 hours of training, full curriculum access, and demo accounts—so your coach knows the software inside and out

•        Why ServiceTitan is “all in” on CertainPath events—not a one-and-done partnership

Whether you’re already on ServiceTitan and want to get more out of it, or you’ve been on the fence about making the switch—this episode gives you the inside track on where the software is going and how CertainPath coaching is about to make it even more powerful.

🎧 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 Joseph Morales & Phil Stern, ServiceTitan

01:58 – Joseph’s Journey: From Snacks & Coffee Roasters to ServiceTitan

04:06 – Phil’s Path: 12 Years at Google to ServiceTitan

05:22 – What It’s Like Working with Contractors

08:35 – The CertainPath + ServiceTitan Partnership

10:07 – Why Coaching + Software Is a Perfect Fit

15:30 – Roofing Expansion & the GAF Partnership

17:00 – How ServiceTitan Sources Contractor Feedback

18:07 – AI Features: Atlas & Titan Intelligence

19:28 – “How Did I Do This Before?” – Contractor Feedback

20:32 – Automation That Saves You 4 Hours a Day

24:28 – Titan Score: Know Where to Grow Next

25:00 – Onboarding, Support & Dedicated Success Managers

27:45 – Technician Workflows, Forms & Photo Documentation

28:46 – CSR & Dispatch Board Value

30:00 – Route Optimization & Decentralized Dispatching

31:10 – ServiceTitan as a Retention Tool

32:20 – 200+ Built-In Reports & Custom KPIs

33:14 – Pro Products Deep Dive: Dispatch Pro

36:38 – Marketing Pro: Campaigns, UTM Tracking & AI Ads

40:35 – Smart Campaigns & Maintenance Contract Automation

41:57 – Scheduling Pro: Online Web Scheduler

43:50 – Coaching Certification: 40–60 Hours of Training

46:30 – Partner Jam: First Impressions from ServiceTitan

48:55 – “We’re All In” – What’s Next for the Partnership

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/

Book a free Discovery Call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591 

🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series, Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5 

Kevin Henderson calls himself a “forever learner.” It’s the mindset that took him from green apprentice in 1996 to owner of a $6.5 million HVAC and plumbing company—and he’s just getting started. 

After 17 years working for someone else, Kevin took a leap in 2013 when a colleague offered him a small business: take it or I’m shutting it down. He talked to his wife, and the answer was simple: “I’m not getting any younger. I know how to do this.” 

In this episode of The Successful Contractor, Kevin Henderson of Home Comfort Systems Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Greenwood, SC, shares how he acquired 5 small companies, implemented real systems, and profitably grew his business by 600%. But it wasn’t all smooth—stress-related health problems forced him to stop doing everything himself and start building a real team. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

• How Kevin went from $1 million to $6.5 million—and why his next target is $20 million in 5 years 

• The “forever learner” mindset that drives his growth—and why he reads every single day 

• Why he acquired 5 small “fire sale” businesses—and it fueled leads more inexpensively than traditional marketing 

• The stress breaking point that forced him to hire an operations manager—and how it freed him to focus on growth 

• Why he hires technicians green: “People that are experienced, it’s kind of hard to retrain them” 

• How he went from zero Google reviews in 2013 to almost 1,700 today—more than anyone in his market 

• His training structure: Tech Tuesday, Sales Monday, Plumbers Thursday, Install Friday—and why “get back to basics” was last year’s theme 

• How CertainPath’s SOAR program identified marketing waste ($700-800/lead on direct mail) and fixed it 

• Why he added his sales guys to the daily accountability text—and how competition drives results 

• The #1 number he watches: gross margin—plus overtime and callback percentages 

• Why “compassionate leadership” beats yelling and screaming: “We don’t manage by pinning people up” 

• His sobering reminder: “You can do $20 million and go bankrupt”—why efficiency matters more than revenue 

Kevin’s story is proof that you don’t need to have it all figured out on day one. With the right mindset, the right systems, and a willingness to keep learning, any contractor can build something remarkable. 

🎧 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 – “I’m Not Getting Any Younger”: Kevin’s Leap into Ownership 

05:22 – From $1M to $6.5M: Joining CertainPath and Setting a BHAG 

09:47 – 20% Growth Every Year: The Acquisition Strategy 

11:45 – Adding Plumbing: How an Acquisition Brought a New Trade 

14:29 – Building the Team: Org Structure and the Operations Manager 

16:02 – The Stress Breaking Point: Health Problems Forced Change 

16:50 – SOPs and Systems: “If You’re Gonna Ask Every Week, Write It Down” 

18:25 – Hiring Green: Why Experienced Techs Are Harder to Retrain 

21:03 – Culture Index: Matching Personality to Role 

25:58 – Training Structure: Tech Tuesday, Sales Monday, Install Friday 

28:47 – The SOAR Program: Carl’s Fire Hose and Marketing ROI 

34:03 – Marketing Evolution: Zero to 1,700 Google Reviews 

36:03 – Sales Management Mastery Group: Accountability That Works 

37:50 – The Numbers That Matter: Gross Margin, Overtime, Callbacks 

38:20 – Call Center & Dispatching: Booking in the High 80s-90s 

44:08 – Cash Flow and Financial Discipline 

47:09 – Compassionate Leadership: “We Don’t Manage by Yelling” 

51:45 – Kevin’s Evolution: From Doing Everything to Letting Managers Lead 

53:15 – The $20 Million Vision: Efficiency, Expansion, and What’s Next 

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: 

Kevin Henderson is the owner of Comfort Systems Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Greenwood, South Carolina. A self-described “forever learner,” Kevin started as a green apprentice in 1996, spent 17 years learning the trade, and launched his own company in 2013. Through 5 strategic acquisitions and a commitment to real systems, he’s grown from $1 million to $6.5 million—with a goal of $20 million in the next five years. Kevin is a member of CertainPath and active in a number of its programs including: Total Access Training, The Accountability Group (TAG), Strategic Operation Action Review (SOAR), and Sales Management Mastery Group (SMMG). 

Connect with Kevin: 

Comfort Systems Heating, Cooling & Plumbing: https://www.homecomfortsc.com/