Bug Bux Podcast
Bug Bux Podcast is designed to help pest control owners start and rapidly scale their company. The hosts, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus, are experts in the pest industry, and they are committed to providing the best guests and resources to help entrepreneurs. Their goal is to help you become a bug money millionaire.
Eric Bassett started out as a door-to-door sales representative in 2008. Then he quickly worked his way into upper management and a sales director role before joining Natura as an owner and Vice President. His areas of expertise are inside sales and customer service training, organizational leadership development, and business strategy. He's also an Associate Certified Entomologist. You can follow his journey on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @iamericbassett
Jake Claus started his journey in the pest control world in 2005, selling door-to-door for brands across Idaho, California, and Texas until he and his wife, Jana, started Natura Pest Control in the Portland, Or/Vancouver, Wa area in 2013. Jake loves the science and service side of pest control, as well as developing innovative ways to grow and expand his business. Personal development and pursuing his vision for his business and family achievements are his number one endeavor. Aside from being the President and Founder of Natura Pest Control, Jake is also an Associate Certified Entomologist, Structural Pest Inspector, and holds licenses in every major category of structural pest control. Jake is also a part-time paid Firefighter/EMT with his local fire department.
Episodes
192 episodes
Episode 191: The Power & Pitfalls of Partnerships with Allan Draper
In this episode, Allan Draper, entrepreneur and founder of Bug Bux, shares the origin story of Bug Bux and what’s on the horizon. He dives into the dynamics of partnerships in the home services space, discussing the challenges, opportunities, a...
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Episode 191
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24:37
Episode 190: Mayor, Firefighter, Pest Pro: The Wild First Year of Matt Alexander
What do you get when you combine a firefighter, a small-town mayor, and a first-time pest control business owner? You get Matt Alexander—a man who's literally putting out fires on and off the job.In this high-energy episode of the Bug B...
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Episode 190
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47:20
Episode 189: The Spy Who Loved Bugs: Global Pest Control, Mad Science & the Future of Insecticides
In this wildly entertaining and surprisingly heartfelt episode of the Bug Bucks Podcast, Eric and Jake sit down with the “mad scientist of Syngenta” herself, Lisa Eppler. From studying parasitic wasps in Germany to field-testing herbic...
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Episode 189
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53:35
Episode 188 : Beating the Algorithm: How AI is Rewriting Marketing Rules for Pest Control Companies
In this high-energy episode of the Bug Bucks Podcast, Eric and Jake sit down with Matt Rogers, COO of Lizard, to break down how artificial intelligence is flipping the script on digital marketing. From old-school Yellow Pages nostalgia to the l...
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Episode 188
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48:38
Episode 187: Behind the Scenes of the NPMA with Dr. Jim Fredericks
In this jam-packed episode of the Bug Bux podcast, Eric and Jake sit down with the legendary Dr. Jim Fredericks—board-certified entomologist and Senior VP of Public Affairs at the NPMA. From tick awareness and pest control PR to the difference ...
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Episode 187
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47:15
Episode 186: Nailing the Knock: Mastering Door-to-Door Sales with Eric Bassett & Jake Claus
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus dive into the art (and science) of door-to-door sales—sparked by a real-world question from Dan Christensen in the Facebook group. They unpack why some deals fall apart b...
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Episode 186
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1:02:33
Episode 185: Scaling through Unity and Extreme Ownership with Aaron Davis
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with Natura Pest Control's GM and intrapreneur extraordinaire, Aaron Davis. From unexpected beginnings to leading a powerhouse team, Aaron shares the real-world strate...
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Episode 185
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51:40
Episode 184: How to Reduce Customer Cancellations and Boost Retention Rates
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric Basset and Jake Claus discuss powerful strategies every pest control company owner needs to know. From the roots of attrition to retention team strategies and subscription billing hacks, they unpack ...
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Episode 184
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45:06
Episode 183: Rain, Snow, and Pests—Oh My! Pest Control Protocols for Every Forecast
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric and Jake dive into the nitty-gritty of how weather impacts pest control—from rainy-day treatments in the Pacific Northwest to snow-driven rodent and vole activity. They share real-world strategies, s...
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Episode 183
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31:48
Episode 182: Crushing Sales Barriers and Revolutionizing Field Teams with Paiv
In this powerful episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with Jess Reagan, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Paiv, to explore how cutting-edge AI technology is reshaping the world of field sales. From re...
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Episode 182
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50:45
Episode 181: Bug Bux Con Recap: A First Time Success and What’s Next
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus dive into the highlights of our very first Bug Bux Con! From a packed event with just six weeks of planning, to scorpion hunting after hours, the conference was a huge su...
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Episode 181
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53:44
Episode 185: Scaling through Unity and Extreme Ownership with Aaron Davis
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with Natura Pest Control's GM and intrapreneur extraordinaire, Aaron Davis. From unexpected beginnings to leading a powerhouse team, Aaron shares the real-world strate...
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Episode 185
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51:40
Episode 180: Industry insights and innovations with Nick Grisafe from Syngenta
In this insightful episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with Nick Grisafe, a longtime industry expert from Syngenta, to discuss the industry’s biggest challenges and innovations. They dive into Integrated P...
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Episode 180
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36:49
Episode 179: Mastering Product Inventory & Strategy with Pest Management Supply
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with Jared Ingalls, Vice President of Sales at Pest Management Supply. Jared shares insights from his 30+ years in the pest control industry, discussing everythi...
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Episode 179
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43:16
Episode 178: Breaking Barriers in Pest Control: Eve Pappas’ Inspiring Journe
On todays episode of The Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with industry legend Eve Pappas, VP of Business Development & Growth at Hoffman’s Exterminating. With over 40 years in the pest control industry, Eve share...
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Episode 178
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48:49
Episode 177: Big accounts, Big Opportunities: How to Land and Manage Large Property Management Deals
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus tackle a hot question from the Facebook group: How do you price and manage pest control services for a large property management company? They break down strategies for s...
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Episode 177
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33:52
Episode 176: Unlocking Growth with Wolfpack Advising
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus dive into the fascinating journey of Aaron Shishilla, CEO and founder of Wolfpack Advising. Aaron shares his unexpected career path—from working at Publix, to getting “Cl...
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Episode 176
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49:43
Episode 175: “This or That” Pest Control Edition
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus shake things up with a unique “This or That” debate—pest control style! With a little help from AI, they tackle industry questions like residential vs. commercial service...
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Episode 175
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34:20
Episode 174: Inside Sales Revolution: How Vult is Changing Industry Growth
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with Josh Zuniga to discuss Vult, his game-changing inside sales solution for pest control companies. From selling 1,500 door-to-door accounts in a single season...
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Episode 174
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49:01
Episode 173: The Power of People: Josh Schiffman’s key to Building a Legacy
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus sit down with industry leader Josh Shifman, owner of Sage Pest Control, to uncover his journey from selling alarms to dominating the pest control space. Josh shares insig...
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Episode 173
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56:34
Episode 172: Mastering Price Increases and Customer Retention
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus tackle one of the most challenging aspects of running a pest control business: raising prices without losing customers. From maintaining profitability to navigating conversatio...
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Episode 172
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48:55
Episode 171: Unconventional Risks, Unexpected Rewards: The Ben Riches Story
Join hosts Eric Bassett and Jake Claus in this inspiring episode of the Bug Bux Podcast. Tune in as they sit down with Ben Riches, a 23-year-old high school dropout turned successful pest control entrepreneur. Discover how Ben built his busines...
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Episode 171
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48:46
Ep 170: Banker to Bug Guy. Featuring David Morgan from Biggest Bird Pest Control
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Jake and Jana Claus dive into an inspiring journey with David Morgan, the founder of Biggest Bird Pest Control, as he shares how he transitioned from managing a bank to starting his own pest control compa...
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Episode 170
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49:19
Ep 169: Turning Rodents into Revenue
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus discuss the intricacies of rodent control, offering practical advice for pest control professionals. From investigating rodent activity and pricing strategies to the science be...
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Episode 169
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43:03
Ep 168: Acquisitions: The Devil in the Details
In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus dive deep into the intricacies of purchasing a pest control company. From real-life acquisition stories to tips for minimizing risk, they cover everything you need to know. Whe...
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Episode 168
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31:09