Kimberly Ray was the fifth employee at Rescue Air & Plumbing in Dallas, TX. She reimagined the way a residential service call center operated, stressing the importance of a good wage and great company culture to not only retain employees, but help them perform at a high level which elevatated Rescue Air's bottom line. She also bridged the gap between Installers and Sales Reps, enabling them to work hand-in-hand to increase sales and customer postivity.

Rescue Air provides heating, cooling, and plumbing services in the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex.

Before there was Google, Dennis Yu was one of the original algorithm writers at Yahoo!. In this episode, he does a deep dive on how residential service companies can optimize their’ online presence, detailing the few things you must do to rank high on any search engine. He also discusses why marketing agencies fail on almost every promise they make, and how small business owners can navigate the internet in order to boost sales, awareness, and credibility.

David Johnson built fences as a young man before “officially” joining the skilled trades. Now, as VP of Sales for BoomNation — an online community for America’s forgotten blue-collar laborers and skilled tradesmen — David stresses the importance of bridging the gap between what the trades can offer and what the younger generations want in a career. His ultimate goal is to bring more young men and women into the trades, and he points to the successful careers of welders, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians as examples. BoomNation also works with contractors to pair them with the right talent for any given job.

Libby DeLucien is the CEO of 3 trades-oriented businesses, one of which is WootRecruit, the premiere recruiting software for service businesses worldwide. Early in life, she managed a chaotic schedule, working with North America's largest collection of Asian Elephants, shuttling them around the country for Ringling Bros. Circus. Through keen observation of poor management and failed systems, Libby dedicated herself to build a company with a foolproof standard operating procedure. She expresses a sentiment of extreme ownership for failures in business, reminiscent of Jocko Willink and Jordan B. Peterson.

Not many tradesmen can say they took control of the major company they started at, and almost none of them can say they took the business from $8 million a year to 9 figures in revenue. Bert Wells apprenticed for many well known tradesmen before earning a college degree from Texas Tech. With the newfound knowledge, Bert ascended the ranks to become a major player in the commercial trades. He's now the President & CEO of Beard Integrated Systems.

In college, Tyler Hoskins struggled to find a major that excited him. He overslept, partied too much, and bounced from job to job, sometimes getting fired, until he found plumbing. And while math wasn't his forté, plumbing gave him a sense of meaning and a way in which to provide. Now, as a tradesman plumber, specializing in leak detection and slab leaks, he makes over $200,000 a year, and has found a career.

Joe Kroninwetter learned early that if you want something, you have to work hard — and if you work hard enough, you might even get more than you bargained for. As a young man, he followed his passion, working on Harley's and sport bikes. But when a friend introduced him to the world of HVAC, he found a career that would provide more money and sustainability for years to come. In his words, "The trades are recession proof."

Melvin Viera cut his teeth at the bottom in the skilled trades, running parts and doing administrative work for Rescue Air. But that job gave him the necessary knowledge to become a successful HVAC Installer. He discusses his trades-based education, the brotherhood, pride, and comradery of being a tradesman, as well as his quick ascent to making over 6-figures per year in under than 24 months.

If you ask the teenage version of Saul Granado, his Texas summers sure as hell wouldn't be spent sweating his ass off in an attic. But now, as the sole provider for a family of 6, Saul Granado is grateful for his father introducing him to the trades. He is the LEAD HVAC INSTALLER for Rescue Air & Plumbing at the ripe age of 30, banking upwards of $150,000/year. In Saul's words, "Not everyone can do what we do. It takes a special breed to be up in that attic and do what we do for the amount of time we do it."

Day one, Randy Carpenter found himself hand-digging an existing grease trap. Looking back, he's surprised he didn't quit by noon. Now, as the plumbing manager at Rescue Air & Plumbing, Randy discusses his early life in the trades, and the importance of training for making a successful tradesman.