Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
The Owned and Operated Podcast is the go-to show for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical business owners who want to grow faster, increase profits, and scale smarter.
Hosted by John Wilson and Jack Carr, real home service operators in the trenches. This podcast delivers 2x weekly, no-BS conversations on what’s actually working in the trades today. From lead generation and marketing to hiring top-tier talent and building scalable systems, every episode is packed with actionable strategies you can implement immediately.
If you're an HVAC contractor, plumber, or electrician looking to grow your business, improve operations, and stay ahead in a competitive market, this podcast is for you.
New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday.
Learn more at www.ownedandoperated.com
Episodes
364 episodes
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...
The REAL Systems That Take You From $1M to $10M
Most contractors who can't scale their home service business aren't failing — they're solving the wrong problems at the wrong time.John Wilson sits down with FieldPulse
Why Most Home Service Companies Scale Too Early
Most home service companies don’t fail because they scale too slowly — they fail because they scale too early.In this episode, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down the biggest scaling mistakes contractors make between $2M–$5M, including ...
I Bought 15 HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Companies — Here’s What Actually Happens After Closing
Having acquired 15 businesses in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical services, John Wilson breaks down what really happens after the acquisition closes. Learn practical strategies for how to buy a business, including sourcing off-market deals, busin...
The 2026 Google Strategy for Home Service Companies
What separates the fastest-growing home service companies from everyone else?In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Julie from Big Reputation to break down what’s actually working in local SEO, Google Business Profiles (GBP), and on...
How We Doubled a Plumbing Business in 90 Days | Cash Flow, Sales & Buying Businesses Explained
What actually drives growth in home services?In this compilation episode, John Wilson shares the systems and strategies behind scaling a $40M home service company — including how his team doubled a plumbing business in 90 days, im...
Buy vs Build: The Fastest Way to Grow a Home Service Business
Most entrepreneurs think starting a business from scratch is the best way to grow. John Wilson disagrees.In this episode, John breaks down why buying an existing business can dramatically accelerate growth, reduce startup friction, and c...
Most Home Service Companies Are Wasting Their Best Leads (Referral Marketing Blueprint)
Home service companies are leaving serious money on the table when it comes to referrals. In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Murphy Nadauld from
High-Ticket Sales in Home Services: What Actually Works
High ticket sales in home services aren’t about being pushy — they’re about giving customers the right options.In this episode, John Wilson and Jack Carr break down the systems behind bigger tickets, better close rates, and stronger sale...
Why Your Techs Aren’t Selling High Ticket (And What to Fix)
Most home service companies think they have a sales problem. In reality, they have an organizational problem.In this bonus episode, John Wilson breaks down why low average tickets usually come down to poor positioning, weak training, and...
The Real Reason Everyone in the Trades Is Starting a Podcast
In this episode, John sits down with Jackie Aubel, host of ServiceTitan’s Toolbox for the Trades, to unpack what content actually does for a home service business—and why most people get it wrong from the start.They bre...
How Door-to-Door Marketing Is Driving Millions in Home Service Revenue
Most home service companies rely too heavily on digital channels—and that’s a risky game.In this episode, John Wilson and Sam Preston break down door-to-door marketing (canvassing) and why it’s becoming one of the most powerful, scalable...
Cash Flow 101: Why Profitable Businesses Still Go Broke (and How to Fix It)
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson ($40M revenue, ~200 employees), breaks down a hard truth: profit doesn’t keep businesses alive—cash does.In this episode, he explains how companies can look profitable on paper while quietly running out ...
The MOST Overlooked Growth Lever in Home Services
Most home service companies don’t have a lead problem—they have a follow-up problem.In this episode, John and Sam break down lifecycle marketing and how to turn every lead into more revenue without increasing ad spend. From speed to lead...
Fleet Strategy: How to Buy, Finance, and Scale Your Vehicles
Most home service companies treat their fleet like a necessity.The best operators treat it like a strategy.In this episode, John and Jack break down how to actually think about fleet management—from financing vehicles to choosing ...
What Buyers Actually Look for When Buying a Business
If you think a big EBITDA number alone will get you a big exit… you’re in for a rude awakening.In this episode, John sits down with longtime business advisor David Barnett—who’s helped sell hundreds of companies—to break down what actual...
Why Most Business Owners Lose Millions When They Sell
If you’re not building your business to sell, you’re building yourself a job.In this episode, Jack sits down with Steve and Austin from McCall Wealth Advisors to break down what actually drives business value—and why most owners l...
We Merged Our Home Service Companies—Now We’re Building to $100M
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson is joined by Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid Response, to break down their recent partnership and the strategy behind building a multi-market home service platform.They share what it actu...