Rebuilt at 45: How Chris Rocher Turned a Layoff into an HVAC Powerhouse

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A layoff at 45 could have been the end of the story. For Chris Rocher, it became the door to Advanced Air Technology of South Carolina—an HVAC company built on discipline, customer experience, and a relentless commitment to follow-through. We talk about what it takes to move from corporate life to hands-on service, how a state retooling program jump-started his skills, and why one bad review can undo months of good will if you don’t design for trust at every step.

Chris breaks down the simple systems that compound: organizing parts and finances, writing clear playbooks for calls and visits, and using tools like WAV and House Pro without losing the human touch. He explains the summer grind in the South—phones lighting up from May to October—and how he guards one day a week for family to stay sane and effective. We dig into the growth engines that actually work: word of mouth fueled by proactive check-ins, BI’s vetted networking ecosystem, and a culture that bans negativity and resets between jobs so the next customer gets your best.

Hiring is refreshingly straightforward: teach the skills, recruit the character. Chris shares what he looks for in techs, how he recovers from mistakes by owning and fixing them fast, and why your business will mirror who you are, online and off. Then we look ahead to HVAC’s future: Wi‑Fi thermostats, zoned ductwork with smart dampers, and home hubs that tie HVAC, appliances, and security into one app. This is comfort, efficiency, and peace of mind delivered through tech and trust.

If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, Chris’s advice is direct: step back, audit the gaps, and seek serious peers even if they cost more—you’ll get it back in time, clarity, and better decisions. Subscribe for more candid conversations on entrepreneurship, share this with a business owner who needs a lift, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep raising the bar together.

If this conversation helped you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review with your favorite takeaway—we read every one.

📲Guest contact info:

aatsc911@gmail.com

advancedairtechnologysc.com

Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/

All the best!
Bill

Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review,  and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Epic Entrepreneurs. I am Cliff McCray with Action Coach Business Growth Partners, where we work with local business owners to turn big ideas into real scalable growth. Today I'm excited to be joined by uh Christopher Rocher, Advanced Air Technology of South Carolina. How are you doing today, sir?

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Good. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Doing great, doing great. So uh Chris, thanks for being here, and let's go ahead and jump right into things. So, for those who may not know it yet, who is Chris Rocher and what is Advanced Air Technology of South Carolina?

SPEAKER_02 1:09

I am an owner of a local heating, ventilation, and air conditioning business. I hold degrees from Bob Jones University here in Greenville, South Carolina. And I also hold a degree from Greenville Technical College, which is also here in Greenville, South Carolina.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Perfect, perfect. Yeah, that's awesome. So take us back to the very beginning of when you started your business. What made you say, yep, I'm doing this, I'm starting this particular business?

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Well, it it was an interesting start. I was after Bob Jones, I eventually built my education. I worked for Verizon for a long time, uh 13 to 15 years. And during the 2020 COVID, they did mass layoffs. And I realized that I had absolutely no trade skills whatsoever. I had obviously educational skills that were very advantageous, but I realized at that point, if there was anything I ever needed to fix on my own or do, I didn't know how to do anything, really, honestly. I used to have my kids do it all. My wife and I have six kids, and they would be the ones that would be tasked with even changing the light bulb. Wow. So when they did the um the cuts, the state contacted me and said I was at midlife because I was already 45 years old at the time. And they asked me if I wanted to go back for the retooling program and that they would cover my tuition. I said that was fine. And I went for refrigeration, and it eventually led to me opening up my own air conditioning business.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Oh, very nice, very nice. That's an interesting story there. So basically it was the state that kind of got you started with everything. It was.

SPEAKER_02 3:03

It absolutely was. And that's awesome. That's awesome. As my business got good, um, my wife went into real estate, and that is eventually how I became connected with BI.

unknown 3:16

Hmm.

Starting Over With State Retraining

SPEAKER_01 3:17

Okay. So, and and this is all hypothetical, but let's say if you had to start again from absolute scratch, your business, you know, no brand, no clients, no safety net, what would you do differently the second time around?

Do-Overs And Organizing For Growth

SPEAKER_02 3:31

That is really a good question. And I really think if I could do it a second time around, my organization skills would have been much better. I think I realized as time went on, things just don't magically work themselves out. And I was all over the place from organizing my finances to getting parts to so-called winging it, and eventually it just doesn't work out well. And so I think if I could do it all over again, I would have gone in it a little bit more strategically and a little bit more well organized.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Okay. So, you know, what's a lesson you learned the hard way as a business owner that no one really prepares you for?

SPEAKER_02 4:27

That's a good question because being in the service industry, I think what's a little bit different is you're gonna come across various customers. And I think the one thing that I learned is that you really need to be on your game. And what I mean by that is you have customers who don't know you and will go ahead and malign you, and just that one bad survey can really hurt your business.

Hard Lessons In Customer Experience

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Okay, okay. So, what would you do differently then, as far as that is concerned? Would you do anything differently?

Business Acumen And BI’s Impact

SPEAKER_02 5:04

I would. And I think part of being with B I has changed me for the better. I believe being with B I has allowed me to be more polished, more organized, more thoughtful in how I relate to my customer base. I believe I went out there with this idea that if I'm honest, everything's gonna work out just fine for me because I am an honest person. But I realize being in BI, there's business acumen that will help you to drive a successful business. It's just not about being honest, making money, having the finances, to retain that customer base. It really, the customer experience really matters. And within that customer experience, I have learned through BI and through others that from that comes how do I present myself? How do I talk and relate to my customers? How is my reputation in the community? Those things really came into factor once I joined BI and I had a chance to really take a hard look at how I was operating.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Okay, okay, yeah, love that. So, what's one common myth people believe about running a business that makes you laugh now? Laughing already.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

I believe this is my personal bit my personal belief. My business is a reflection of who I am. And so I believe the principled life that I live and how I present myself is how my business presents itself as well. When people look at my business, they look at me. May I give you an example?

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Yeah.

Reputation, Social Media, And Trust

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Many people who look at me and they look at my business, they also want to know about my social media. They want to know who I am. Who are they letting into their house? Because think about this. From the service perspective, I'm literally coming into your home where you have your family, your loved ones, things you protect, and they want to know who is the person that's coming in that front door. And so when you run a business, it does need to be a reflection of who you are in today's world. I think in the past there was the idea that you know your personal life and your business were separated. In that regard, it's true, but from a mirror and image, we're in a whole different ballgame these days. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

So the idea that, you know, so the idea that, you know, your business and you are separate, I would say in this time and age we live in, not so, because the person who is the business is who they're going to look at, not so much the name, if that relates well.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

Okay. So be be honest. Are you are you naturally more of an entrepreneur or an employee at heart? And why?

SPEAKER_02 8:06

I'm definitely more of an entrepreneur. I am a go-getter. I absolutely want to run my own ship. I was a longtime manager for Verizon when I was there. And so I prefer to be my own entrepreneur. And it's just not about running my own schedule. It's just not about making my own money. I love a challenge. I love being innovative. I learn so much from troubleshooting and staying ahead of the game. That is how my mind works. I like moving all the time.

Summer Grind And Winter Downtime

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Okay. So how do you personally handle stepping away from the business? Like vacations, downtime, unplugging. Are you the kind of person that works nine to five and then at six o'clock you turn everything off, or are you still working around the clock? How do you handle that?

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Being in the air conditioning service industry, it is definitely a different ball game, especially here in South Carolina. I would say from May to early October, the business owns me. Most businesses here that run air conditioning, we you ever hear the expression we're wide open? That means they are full. That means we are going around the clock. The thing there is in South Carolina, we don't get harsh winters. So we don't make a lot off of the heating season. Like for instance, today it's 72 degrees. Last week it was 20 degrees. So now we see good weather. So in the summertime, it's very difficult to have a personal life balance when there are so many people calling because their air conditioning's out. When you have people calling because someone didn't show up as they should on time. Really, it's very difficult in the summer to balance it. I do uh on Sundays, I just turn my phone off. And that allows me just to have time with my family. However, Monday through Saturday, I go around the clock, I would say, probably starting at six in the morning, and my day probably ends at seven at night.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Okay. All day, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

All day. And and and that's part of being in this type of an industry. And it's part of being reliable and having that good that good reputation. But like I said, we don't have a winter, so there are times my wife comes in a room and says, Oh, you're still here. Can you go out in your garage and find something to do? So yeah, it's like it's like an amusement park. We make all of our money from May to October, and then I get plenty of downtime during that winter and holiday season.

Growth Drivers: Word Of Mouth And BI

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Okay. So looking back at it, what what would you attribute most of your growth uh so far in your business to?

SPEAKER_02 11:05

I would say word of mouth is very powerful. When when when people know you have an honest and reliable business and that they can trust you to come into their home and that your work is good and your price is fair, your name will spread. And I believe having that coupled with then with BI, which is an awesome network, and I believe it has really allowed me to grow leaps and bounds. But I will but I will say if your work is bad, people will hit it on social media these days.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

No, I definitely agree with that. The word will get out there if you do a bad job, I agree. So uh now getting into that a little bit more, you know, what would you say? Have you done anything to you know attribute most of your growth? Like have you done anything yourself? Um, what have you done to actually attribute to most of your growth personally?

SPEAKER_02 12:06

I continuously educate myself on how to keep running and building my business ahead. Whether it's efficiency through applications, constantly reaching out to my customers to see how they're doing, even if they haven't called me in a year. This has really contributed to my growth because, for one, keeping up with my customers has really been probably number one on the overall scale. And I pick up so many recommendations from people, and they're like, you know, Gina recommended you. And I'm thinking, that's awesome. And I'm thinking in my mind, who's Gina? And then I'm going through and I get so many recommendations from customers that I kept up with just to see how they're doing. And having that customer relationship has really built my business. In addition to running, like I said, uh, I we run flyers, we run emails, we run reminders for maintenance through social media and that aspect. But there's nothing like picking up the phone and calling a customer and talking to them. I believe they really like that that human that human interaction really is pivotal.

Hiring For Attitude Over Skills

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Yeah, no, I totally agree with that. So when you're building your team in your business, what traits matter more to you than what's on someone's resume?

SPEAKER_02 13:29

You know what? I can always teach somebody a skill if they're lacking it. And this is one thing I've learned. I can always teach them a skill if they're missing something. But if they come in with the right attitude and they're a great person to be around, and they're honest, and they talk wonderful to my customers, and they talk good to their fellow employees, that makes all the difference. I it it if an if if somebody's a big negative, I'm telling you, it it can really bring down your business.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Yeah, no, I totally agree with that.

Culture: No Negativity, Real Support

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Um, and so really I think I have learned that you can teach somebody a skill, but you can't teach people to be honest. And so, really, not just a background check, but how they interact and how and their ability to learn and relate to others, it's pivotal. I will say this to you when you lose a customer due to a bad interaction, it's almost impossible to gain that customer back. And so I have learned how we treat the customers goes the extra mile. If we make a mistake and it and and they realize it, we go back and correct it. Most customers are great because we came back and we were honest. And so, really, how a person treats everyone really does matter and how they relate.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Okay, okay. So, what's something you do intentionally to keep your workplace positive, motivated, and productive, you know, especially during stressful seasons, like you said, during the summertime basically here?

SPEAKER_02 15:19

Yeah, I think the the the one thing I don't allow is talking bad about our customers or even the competitor. It has to begin somewhere. And so if they have a negative experience, I let them vent and I and and I let them talk through it, but carrying that negative experience over to the next customer can really impact you negatively. And so that is one thing I I don't allow is for us, even if the customer was in the wrong, it's fine. We'll just pick up, we'll keep moving. So keeping that positive atmosphere there, making sure everything's okay with the employee. How's their day going? You know, sometimes days are long, you know. Sometimes they see me more than they see their own families Monday through Friday. You know, how's their kids doing? What do they have planned for the weekend? And keep them looking forward to it. Hey, today's Wednesday, your son's ball game's on Saturday, you excite it? That lets them know that we're there and that we're engaged with the with our employees. If they do have a problem, it's good just to deal with it then on the spot because you don't want them carrying certain things through throughout the entire week with them. It will impact the atmosphere. And then, of course, when it's time, have fun. Joke around. Don't make everything about a heavy business. If if a job is done and they're on their way to a next job, have fun. Joke with them. Let them know that you're right there with them in it.

Quick Fire: Execution, Risk, Discipline

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Right, perfect. Yeah, appreciate that answer. So we're getting ready to head into what's called the quick fire round. Uh, and basically how this works is you know, I will give you one word and I want you to tell me basically the first thing or the first idea really that comes into your head when you hear about this word in regards to running your business. Okay. So first word is education. You kind of talked about a little bit about this earlier.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

Up to date. Ahead. Okay. Next word is planning. Discipline. Okay. Next word is inspiration.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Motivational.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Commitment.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

Dedication.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

And then this next word, you kind of you actually said it earlier, but discipline.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

Organized.

SPEAKER_01 17:42

Okay. Next word is risk.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

Leap of faith.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Love it. And the last word is execution.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

That's a good one. To me, to execute means I am able to follow through on what I've committed to. Um, so one word for execution. That's good. Implement.

Advice For Overwhelmed Owners

SPEAKER_01 18:04

Implement. Okay, okay. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I appreciate that for the quick fire round. So uh just to wrap things up here a little bit, so you know, and I want you to be as candid as you can on this answer here of this next question. But let's say if a business owner is listening right now to the podcast episode today, and you know, that business owner feels stuck or overwhelmed or out of place. What's a piece of advice you'd want them to hear from you today?

SPEAKER_02 18:29

Yeah, take a step back and go ahead and don't be afraid to look at your weaknesses as a person and as a business. Because through that weakness will come strength. Do an audit of the business. Look and see where you are hitting target, look and see where you're not. Because if you're overwhelmed, then that means there's something in the organizational structure that is not working out. So it doesn't hurt to reach out to other business owners. Or, like I said, there's plenty of organizations out there. I use one called WAV, and then I'll I'll use another one called House Pro, and they there help you to manage your business. Pretty much service calls, inventory. Don't walk away. Challenge is an opportunity. Don't walk away from crisis, run to it. It's an opportunity to do some introspection and see where you are missing it, but where you can also fix it and move ahead.

SPEAKER_01 19:35

Perfect. Yeah, no, I appreciate that advice. So you've talked about some networking groups earlier in the conversation. You know, other than BI, are there any other networking groups you'd recommend for small business owners looking to grow?

Networking That Pays Back

SPEAKER_02 19:48

B I is the best one so far. I think BI is the best because B I thoroughly reviews every candidate, and you are in a very good network for small business. And obviously, the local chamber of commerce is a very good one. I belong to both. And then, of course, um, but but really I think those are the best two networks. Let me say this to you about the networking thing, if you don't mind. Yeah, go ahead. You only you're only going to reap what you sow. So you're only going to get out of it what you put in. And some of the networking groups like B I and some others, they might be expensive to join, but the end result is so much better. You get quality people you meet who can groom you. You get it back on the back end. Um, BI, it allows me to meet people who guide me and they give me advice. They give me books to read, they give me classes to take, small podcasts, and in the end, I find I'm reaping so much back from it, it's worth the investment. So, my advice to small business owners is make that wise investment. You'll save time and money in the long run.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

I like that.

Smart HVAC And Home Integration

SPEAKER_01 21:09

All right. So, what's next for advanced air technology of South Carolina? What should people be excited about? What's coming up next?

SPEAKER_02 21:17

Well, I got all kinds of cool things coming up. Obviously, we're now moving into the world of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in HVAC. So, as you can see, you've got your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi thermostats. And we are now innovative. Uh, we have customers now who we even put Wi-Fi ductwork in their house that allows them to control dampers to how much flow they want on one floor. Pretty much too. Uh, we've been able to innovate with people where they're able to control their home security system, their appliances, and their air conditioner from one central hub on their wall. So meeting the customers in the new technology is right where we're moving ahead.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

So it's nice is from your application on your phone, we install a hub in your home. And on this application, you control you can control the temperature of your home, you can control your stove if you have something cooking, your refrigerator, you can see your appliances, you can see the security of your home, you can see your smoke detectors, your carbon monoxide alarms, all from one central hub.

Connect, Hiring Timeline, Closing

SPEAKER_01 22:32

Okay. So, and finally, what's the best way for someone to connect with you or learn more about what you do?

SPEAKER_02 22:39

On Facebook, we have our Advanced Air Technology SC. People can connect with us. We're always open and we're always willing to communicate. And then, of course, if anyone's a part of BI, feel free to look me up.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Perfect. I appreciate that. Are you guys hiring right now at Advanced Air Technology SC?

SPEAKER_02 22:59

We we will be in the next month or two because as the summer comes, we will be slammed.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Okay. So you're thinking maybe early April? Oh, yes. Late, late March. Okay. All right, perfect. So just keep that in mind, folks. All right, perfect. Yeah, so I really appreciate it, Chris. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. It was really a pleasure speaking to you about your business, you know, behind the scenes and all that good stuff. And I didn't feel like you you had some really good nuggets today, and I feel like uh this was a great episode.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

Thank you so much, Cliff. I enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Yeah, thank you very much.