Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
Owned and Operated is the podcast for home service entrepreneurs who want to build larger, more profitable businesses.
Hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr, each episode features candid conversations with the founders, operators, investors, and industry leaders shaping the future of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, septic, roofing, restoration, and the wider home service industry.
From acquisitions and marketing to sales, leadership, hiring, finance, AI, and operational excellence, you'll hear real-world lessons, proven strategies, and actionable playbooks from people who have actually built successful companies.
If you're buying your first business, scaling past your next revenue milestone, or building toward an eventual exit, Owned and Operated delivers practical insights you can apply immediately.
New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
Learn more at www.ownedandoperated.com
Episodes
380 episodes
Google Just Changed Local Services Ads (Here's What Contractors Need to Know)
Google is changing Local Services Ads again, and this one actually matters.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Sam Preston of Service Scalers to break down Google's biggest LSA update yet. With Local Service...
Why We Stopped Buying $60,000 Service Vans
The fastest-growing home service companies don't scale by spending more. They scale by making smarter operational decisions.In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down one of t...
Why Growing Home Service Companies Can't Find Great Leaders
The fastest-growing home service companies don't fail because they run out of demand. They fail because they run out of leaders.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jim Lose of The Military Veteran to discuss...
Why Septic Might Be the BEST Home Service Business to Own
Septic may be one of the most overlooked businesses in home services, but it might also be one of the best.In this special compilation episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson brings together two of the biggest conversations we've had ...
The Biggest Acquisition I Walked Away From
Not every acquisition is worth making.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson shares the story of one of the biggest acquisitions he chose to walk away from, even though it had the potential to double the size of his business....
Stop Tracking Cost Per Lead (Track This Instead)
Most home service companies think they're tracking marketing. They're actually tracking the wrong metrics.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how to measure marketing ROI the right way. They explai...
How We're Using AI to Scale towards a $70M Home Service Business
Most home service businesses are using AI the wrong way.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how AI is actually changing the trades and why the biggest opportunity isn't replacing technicians, but r...
He Bought a $1.5M HVAC Business. Here's 18 Months Later...
Most home service businesses aren't sold for what they're capable of being worth.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Will Schryver reveal what separates a business that sells for a premium ...
How They're Building a $9M HVAC Business
What does it really take to build a home service business from the ground up?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Ryan and Aaron Osterkamp of Quality Comfort Home Services to unpack the journey from on...
10 years as CEO has taught me every owner struggles with this.
Managing the leadership challenges that come with being a CEO can be surprisingly lonely.In this solo episode, John Wilson reflects on the last decade of leading Wilson Companies from a team of seven employees to more than 220. He shares...
The Ultimate HVAC Marketing Guide for 2026
Google search is changing. AI is changing how homeowners find contractors. And the marketing strategies that worked just two years ago aren't enough anymore.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Service...
How We'd Build a $10M Home Service Business Today
If We Had to Start Over, We'd Do This InsteadIf John Wilson and Jack Carr lost everything tomorrow, how would they rebuild?In this episode of Owned and Operated, they tackle one of the biggest questions every entrepreneur e...
Good Service Isn't Enough to Grow Your Company
Stop relying on quality work alone to grow your home service business. Learn why prioritizing marketing and sales is the real key to small business growth.Many tradespeople and contractors believe that doing good work will naturally bri...
After the Acquisition: Rebrand or Leave It Alone?
When should you rebrand an acquisition, and when should you leave it alone?In this episode, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how they think about branding after acquisitions. They discuss the operational tradeoffs, marketing benefits...
If We Started Over Today, These Are the Businesses We'd Buy
If We Started Over Today, These Are the Businesses We'd BuyWhat’s the best home service business to start in 2026?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down the industries they'd bet on ...
The 5 KPI's that show problems before they happen
Many small business owners struggle with identifying core issues, often guessing at problems instead of relying on concrete data. This video emphasizes the importance of focusing on measurable key metrics within a home services business. By tra...
He Left Tesla to Buy a Plumbing Company. Here's What Happened Next.
How do you go from Tesla to owning a plumbing company?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Jared Worthen to discuss buying a plumbing business, transitioning from tech into the trades, and wha...
Why We're Building Our Own Software for Home Service Businesses with AI
Most contractors are using AI to save time. John Wilson and Service Scalers CEO Sam Preston argue the real opportunity is much bigger: using AI to replace software, automate workflows, and build custom tools that drive growth.In this epi...
How Top Contractors Convert More Leads Without Spending More on Marketing
How Speed to Lead Unlocks More Revenue From Every Lead SourceMost contractors think they need more leads. According to Tyson Chen, co-founder of Avoca, most home service companies actually need a better system for capturing, contacting, ...
Dirty Jobs, Big Profits: Inside the Poop Scooping Business
Most people think pet waste removal is a side hustle. Erica Krupin built a real business around it.In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Erica Krupin, founder of Kroopin's Poopin' Scoopin', to break down the surprisingly scalable w...
10 Books That Scaled My Business to $44M
This week, I’m sharing the books that shaped the way I think about business and helped me scale my family’s company from $1 million to $44 million in revenue.These are more than popular business books sitting on a shelf. Each one solved ...
The Biggest Lead Source Most Home Service Companies Are Ignoring
Most contractors wrote off Yelp years ago. But the platform has quietly become one of the most powerful lead-generation engines in the home service space, powered by AI partnerships with OpenAI and Perplexity that are funneling search tra...
How We Built a 30+ Person Offshore Team (And Why It Changed Everything)
Most contractors think offshoring is about saving money. It's actually about creating leverage.John Wilson and Jack Carr break down how offshore teams helped them scale faster, build better systems, and free up key leaders to focus on gr...
We Replaced 40 Service Vans with Ford Mavericks and Saved Thousands
We swapped 40 Ford Mavericks into our home service fleet — and the results changed the way we think about fleet management.Most home service companies are overspending on vehicles without realizing it. A new service van can cost $50,000...