Trent Lowenstein sits down with Dustin Van Orman and Bill Russell — two guys who've done six exits across five verticals, totaling over $130 million in sales — to break down exactly what makes a trade business worth buying.If you're sitting at $2-5 million and wondering what it actually takes to attract private equity, this is the conversation you need to hear. Dustin and Bill get into the real metrics buyers look at, why a 20% EBITDA at $3 million is actually a red flag, how to structure equity for your team so nobody wants to leave, and why turnover is the number one EBITDA killer most operators never see coming.This one goes deep. Two days of recording, one conversation you won't want to miss.What's covered:- What PE buyers look for beyond the financials- The 40% gross margin floor and why it matters- Lifestyle business vs. enterprise business- The trailing 12 equity model for sales reps- Why retention is your most important growth lever- Onboarding that actually keeps people

Trent has been Jewish his whole life. And in the last two years, he's heard more conspiracies about what Jews believe than in all 35 years before that combined.

So he brought in Rabbi Zalman — Chabad rabbi, subject matter expert, and someone who's spent his career making Judaism accessible to people inside and outside the faith — to set the record straight.

No agenda. No filter. Just two people who care about getting it right.

They cover:

• What actually makes someone Jewish
• Why Judaism doesn't seek converts — and what people get wrong about that
• The "chosen people" — and why enlisted is a better word
• Do non-Jews have souls? Can they go to heaven?
• What Judaism actually believes about hell
• The Talmud — what it is and why you can't pull a single line out of context
• What Jews think about Jesus
• Tikkun Olam and the half of the verse nobody quotes
• Why antisemitism never goes away — and why the target never changes

This isn't a debate. It's an education.

Want to work with Trent? Get in touch here: https://www.godmodeconsulting.comIs "burning the ships" a requirement for being a successful entrepreneur, or is building within a bigger ecosystem the smartest move you’ll ever make? We tear down the 4:00 AM hustle myth and the "Wizard of Oz" facade of business to reveal why high-level strategy always beats raw effort in the trades. Watch this debate to decide once and for all if you have the "dog" in you to go solo or if you're built to dominate as a high-level intrapreneur.

Bryce Kelly grew up in a double wide with nothing to fall back on — and later sold his company for over $120 million. In this conversation, Trent sits down with Bryce to figure out what actually separates people who make it from people who don't.

They get into the mindset that comes from having nothing to lose, why Bryce's dad pushed him harder than anyone even after his own failures, how ADHD and not fitting the mold might actually be an advantage, and why two people can grow up in identical circumstances and end up living completely different lives.

Plus — a debate about whether or not you should be allowed to wing a prayer at the dinner table.

Most shop owners promote their best tech and wonder why everything falls apart. The skills that make a great technician have almost nothing to do with what makes a great leader — and confusing the two is one of the most expensive mistakes in the trades.Trent sits down with Lincoln Walpole, former CFO of AnyHour ($10M to $500M), and Jacob Reese from Standard Plumbing Supply to break down the real playbook for scaling a trades business.What we cover:Why your best tech is often your worst managerThe Color Code framework for hiring, placing, and motivating your teamHow to measure leadership with actual KPIsWhat a VMI program is and whether your shop qualifiesWhy one-on-ones exist for retention first, training secondConnect with Lincoln Walpole: [email protected] CPAs: prudent.comConnect with Jacob Reese: Standard Plumbing Supply#TradesBusiness #Leadership #HVAC #Plumbing #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Trades #ScalingABusiness

What started as a conversation about AI turned into one of the most unexpected theology discussions we've ever had. Tom Howard — a Mormon with a depth of religious knowledge that will genuinely surprise you — breaks down the questions that stumped every priest and pastor he ever met, why Mormon theology answered them when nothing else could, the Jewish marriage customs that suggest Jesus may have been married, and what it actually means that only Mormons can go to hell.No agenda. No preaching. Just three guys pulling on threads that most people are too afraid to touch.

Are you afraid AI is going to take your job? Good. That fear might save your business.Trent sits down with Tom Howard (Service Titan) and Aaron Cooper (CEO of Same Day AI) to talk about what AI actually means for contractors and home service businesses — right now and in the next 2-5 years.What we cover:Why AI is bigger than the Industrial Revolution and the internetHow Same Day AI books jobs at 92-96% — and why your CSR can't match that consistentlyThe real cost of a missed call when leads cost $180+Why businesses that ignore AI will be out of business in 2 yearsThe companies adopting AI now will have more money for marketing, better wages, and lower overhead. The ones that don't? They're getting left behind — fast.🔗 Same Day AI: https://www.gosameday.com🔗 Service Titan: https://www.servicetitan.com🔗 Next Level Pros: https://gonextlevelpros.com#AI #Contractors #HomeServices #Trades #BusinessGrowth

What does it mean to play life in “Godmode” and how can it change the way you approach business, success, and personal growth?In this episode of Trent and Friends, Trent Lowenstein sits down with Ellen Rohr to break down the Godmode mindset, using concepts from video games to explain how top performers think, make decisions, and show up in their lives.They cover:How to see yourself as “Player One” in your own lifeWhy most people operate like NPCs (and how to break out of it)The connection between mindset, business success, and personal responsibilityHow to “unlock” people and create better outcomes in business and leadershipIf you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or someone in the trades looking to level up your mindset and results, this conversation will give you a completely different way to think about growth