The Home Service Expert Podcast

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com David Bach is a ten-time New York Times bestselling author and the man behind The Automatic Millionaire. In this episode, David and Tommy break down why $3,000 a year saved from age 15 to 19 beats saving from 27 to 65, the one hour a day rule for retiring a millionaire, why a tech making $250,000 can still be broke, why owners should buy the building their business is in, and David's idea for a flat tax on IRA accounts. Get The Automatic Millionaire, 20th Anniversary Edition ⟶ https://davidbach.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:37 - The Number One Rule: Pay Yourself First 03:17 - Save One Hour Of Pay A Day 03:57 - How 565,000 People Became 401(k) Millionaires 06:46 - The Myth About Investing Aggressively When You're Young 07:32 - Tommy's Roth IRA At 16 08:56 - What $20 A Day Becomes 10:06 - The $27.40 A Day Leak 13:38 - The Corvette Ride That Started It 16:19 - Born To Spend Or Born To Budget 18:15 - A Lesson At McDonald's At Age Seven 24:10 - Homeowners Are Worth 40 Times More Than Renters 27:31 - Why A Garage Door Is Worth Financing 28:29 - Buy The Building Your Business Is In 30:04 - Wealthy But Not Free 31:49 - Why High Earners Start To Resent Their Jobs 32:49 - Making $250K With Nothing Saved 35:25 - The Chart: Start At 15, 19 Or 27 39:33 - Why David Holds Zero Private Equity 41:07 - The Advice He Wishes He Had At 20 45:01 - Batteries Included People 48:11 - $46 Trillion Sitting In Retirement Accounts 50:42 - The IRA Flat Tax Idea 58:37 - Social Security In 2033 1:00:48 - Why The Trades Aren't Going Away 1:01:40 - The Barber Who Saved 75% Of His Income 1:04:55 - What Money Taught David About Himself 1:08:10 - Discipline And Non-Negotiables 1:18:05 - What People Said At His Father's Funeral 1:25:00 - The 20th Anniversary Edition 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Dan Kuschell grew up on welfare in Detroit, built a direct mail company to $1 million in its first year at 22, and now helps home service companies grow through Breakthrough3X. In this episode, Dan and Tommy break down the one message method, why "know, like and trust" is the wrong model, the five pillars Dan found across 5,000 companies, how to ask for introductions instead of referrals, and the family photo mailer Tommy sent to 3,000 neighbors. Get Dan's free gift package for home service owners ⟶ https://breakthrough3x.com/tommymello Growth to Freedom Podcast ⟶ https://www.growthtofreedom.com/ -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 03:23 - From Welfare In Detroit To A Million Dollar Mail Business 05:05 - The Coach Who Blackballed Him And The Mailer That Fixed It 10:04 - 34,000 Leads A Month And Why Recruiting Comes First 14:44 - A 1 In 500 Surgery Two Weeks After His Son Was Born 16:19 - The Questions That Rebuilt His Life 18:49 - Tommy's Grandmother And The Good Hours 24:18 - The Question That Took Six Weeks To Answer 27:33 - When Being A Man Of Your Word Holds You Back 31:20 - Could You Take 30 Days Off Your Business 34:17 - The One Message Method 39:06 - Five Pillars Found Across 5,000 Companies 42:36 - Why Know, Like And Trust Is Wrong 45:01 - One Post A Week And $5 A Day 46:00 - Agencies That Own Your Website And Ad Accounts 48:28 - Answer Every Lead In A Minute Or Less 52:39 - Why Hiring Ads Bring In Customers 55:35 - Be The Chairman, Not The Technician 1:00:14 - Is Branding A Waste Under $20 Million 1:02:34 - Partner Gifts That Create Referrals 1:08:44 - The Truck That Does Everything And Stands For Nothing 1:09:27 - Fix Your Pricing First 1:13:22 - Stop Asking For Referrals, Ask For This 1:17:28 - A Family Photo Mailed To 3,000 Neighbors 1:20:55 - Where To Find Dan 1:25:38 - Two Books That Shaped Dan 1:26:57 - Play A Bigger Game 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote Influence, the book behind almost every sales training a home service tech has ever sat through. In his second visit with Tommy he goes past the seven principles into the smallest changes that move the biggest numbers: the two words a restaurant added to its booking call that cut no-shows 62%, the one question that took Boy Scout popcorn sales from 15% to 52%, why "967 reviewers" beats "967 reviews," the number one rule of sales every trainer teaches backwards, and the $75,000 envelope Charlie Munger mailed him for a single chapter. Then Tommy puts him on the spot with two live persuasion role-plays. Learn more from Dr. Cialdini and the Cialdini Institute: https://cialdini.com Influence Unleashed, December 5 and 6 in Tempe, 75 seats, $500 off with code A1GARAGE -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:53 - 75 seats in December 03:16 - Who Robert Cialdini is 04:29 - You already paid for this research 05:44 - What ethical influence actually is 07:17 - The seventh principle: unity 08:01 - The couples study and the word "we" 12:54 - Two words that cut no-shows 62% 14:20 - Chris Voss and getting to "no" 15:00 - The Boy Scout popcorn question 16:35 - Social proof and the McFlurry 18:54 - Say reviewers, not reviews 19:38 - Authority: who vouches for you 21:00 - The number one rule of sales 22:22 - A welcome line that lifts conversions 23:42 - Scarcity done honestly 24:52 - Advice to young Robert 26:40 - Put them in the boat with you 28:19 - Ask for advice, not opinions 29:43 - The $75,000 envelope from Charlie Munger 32:44 - Two mints and a 23% tip 34:16 - Give first, before they decide 37:41 - Why 89% beats 90% 40:06 - Warren Buffett's letters and honesty first 42:37 - "You're worth it" 45:12 - Pre-Suasion: the moment before the message 48:39 - Live role-play: talk me out of your book 50:17 - Building a following the ethical way 51:59 - Rapid fire 54:14 - Charlie Munger on why wealth matters 57:39 - Tommy makes it right with a customer 59:46 - What changed his mind, and what's next 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Zac Garside spent eight years training CSRs before he noticed the most profitable channel in home service was the one nobody used: the customer list. Now his agency Send It runs email for some of the biggest contractors in the country, including A1. In this episode Zac and Tommy break down why contractors rebuy customers they already paid for, the one-email-a-week plan any company can run tomorrow, the Will/Won't research framework that tells you what homeowners are really afraid of, and why two CSRs with identical scripts book at completely different rates. Get Zac's free swipe file of 20 top-performing campaigns: https://withsendit.com/expert -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:46 - From training CSRs to running email 01:58 - Booking jobs the week you need them 02:54 - How to stay out of the spam folder 04:45 - The subject line has one job 06:35 - The 6x in 60 days guarantee 07:40 - Open estimates first, then members 10:36 - Homeowners read email. Owners don't 13:03 - Email, SMS and direct mail 14:09 - It has to come from a friend 15:54 - Tommy's neighbor letter and $225,000 20:44 - What a good open rate looks like 24:49 - The next wave: personalization 29:31 - The two-year spring campaign 34:31 - Broadcasts, campaigns and automations 37:27 - "You're never talking to them again?" 44:20 - Starting from scratch 45:23 - One email a week, four segments 49:26 - The Will/Won't research framework 52:53 - Same script, 90% vs 50% 55:58 - Making customers feel something 1:00:41 - The easiest ROI in home service 1:03:40 - One piece of advice: trust 1:06:00 - Free swipe file and where to find Zac 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Revenue is everywhere in home service right now. Profit is not. Tommy sits down with his mentor Al Levi, author of The 7-Power Contractor, and Jim Leslie, president of Home Service Freedom, to break down why: the hiring excuse every contractor uses ("nobody wants to work") and the answer Jim gives back, what a lost tech really costs, the five things of staffing, why you should triple your pricing, why the owner who is the best CSR, dispatcher and tech is the ceiling on his own company, the zero-or-two cranes rule for your org chart, and the listening tour every owner should take this week. Al is retiring at the end of the year. His last small-room session is at Freedom 2026: Monday, October 26, 6 PM, Mandalay Bay. Use code ALFREEDOM at freedomevent.com to unlock a seat in the room with Al and Jim. Home Service Freedom: https://homeservicefreedom.com | The 7-Power Contractor: https://7powercontractor.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:50 - Al, Jim and Freedom 2026 02:03 - Revenue for vanity, profit for sanity 03:49 - Put your pricing online 05:50 - Three kinds of testimonials 06:38 - Lead times and the boom-bust cycle 11:19 - The five things of staffing 11:32 - What a lost tech really costs 12:35 - Al's last room at Freedom 15:00 - The empty truck in your yard 15:44 - Stand on the bridge 16:39 - Triple your pricing 17:51 - Fighting commoditization 22:15 - Would you send me to your mom's house 25:29 - They just don't want to work for you 27:22 - The best CSR, dispatcher and tech 28:15 - Zero cranes or two 30:09 - The five-year org chart trap 32:26 - Burning tokens on technology 35:33 - There is no silver bullet 40:40 - What your accountant should say 42:24 - $2.6 million to the bottom line 46:54 - The listening tour 50:04 - Al's three-month notice 55:57 - One thing to do this week 59:45 - The room at Freedom 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Most home service owners hear virtual assistant and think someone to answer emails. Alyssa Shivers and Mia Juan of Ready Roles think bigger: five callers on $5.75 an hour brought one moving company almost $500,000 in paid estimates in a single month. In this episode they break down what owners get wrong about VAs, why a $3 an hour VA gives you a $3 outcome, the 10-day onboarding that makes a remote hire work, the flat fee model where every dollar after that goes straight to your VA, how many calls a data activator makes a day, and the real reason most VAs fail (it is not the VA). If you are still reading your own email, this one is for you. Ready Roles: https://readyroles.com | Mia Juan on YouTube: search "Mia Juan" VA readiness checklist from Ready Roles: [LINK OR ATTACHMENT FROM READY ROLES] -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:55 - What a VA actually does 02:13 - Data activators explained 05:56 - The first-hire mistake 08:01 - The owner is the problem 10:00 - Night shift in the Philippines 13:47 - $3 an hour buys a $3 outcome 15:11 - VAs and AI tools 20:16 - My Home Story Pro 21:19 - $500K from five callers 23:18 - The pitch and the script 26:35 - The Dream 100 list 29:10 - The time study 30:00 - How to start with a VA 33:04 - Ten minutes a day 34:46 - What to pay a great VA 40:25 - The octopus executive assistant 41:38 - Eight steps of delegation 42:34 - The owner who blamed his VA 48:30 - The Big League Movers story 52:58 - What it costs 54:56 - 200 calls a day 58:08 - Go after the big players 1:01:58 - Closing advice 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Derek Cornish got laid off, answered a job ad, and became the top salesman at a window company. Then he and his partner Lakota Tidd built Top Home Improvements from a garage to $20 million a year across three Michigan locations on door knocking and 300 events a year. In this episode Derek breaks down the sales system behind it: why close percentage is the first KPI to track, why his Detroit manager did more revenue with fewer reps, the month they raised prices 30% and had their biggest month ever, sweat questions, same day next day, first in last in, the scariest room in the company, and how to fix commission breath before it costs you the sale. If you run a home service or home improvement sales team, this is the playbook. Follow Derek Cornish and Top Home Improvements: https://tophomeimprove.com | derek@tophomeimprove.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Laid off, then top salesman 07:35 - Selling to people not looking 09:25 - Why 3 out of 10 wins 10:43 - Bottom line beats top line 14:37 - Never scared of price 16:41 - From texts to a KPI system 18:37 - Fewer reps, more revenue 26:30 - Commitments and accountability 29:45 - The scariest room 33:01 - The first KPI to track 34:26 - Same day, next day 37:27 - Beating the big brand 39:58 - When they ask for a discount 45:46 - Selling out of your own pocket 54:31 - Go for the no 55:37 - Commission breath 59:39 - A million behind, a million ahead 1:03:04 - Pancakes and the Top Home cult 1:09:01 - Raised prices 30%, biggest month 1:11:54 - Fractional CFO and accrual 1:13:14 - Role play, role play, role play 1:21:26 - Predictable Success 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy Mello does $410 million a year and admits he is still chasing the next thing. Tal Ben-Shahar taught the most popular course in Harvard's history, built the world's first master's and PhD in happiness studies, and won Israel's national squash title at 16 only to feel nothing three hours later. Together they break down the arrival fallacy that runs every entrepreneur, why happier companies post better margins, the SPIRE model, minimum viable interventions you can do in 60 seconds, why New Year's resolutions die by January 17, the phone-in-a-box rule, the accountability buddy that raises follow-through by 200 percent, the good enough life, and what it means to give yourself permission to be human. Connect with Tal ⟶ https://talben-shahar.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:27 - The unhappiness that started 30 years of research 03:23 - National champion at 16, satisfied for three hours 05:40 - What is the arrival fallacy? 06:30 - Unhappy versus depressed and quiet desperation 08:11 - Enough is never enough and the $3 billion regret 09:38 - Two schools of thought and turning goal theory on its head 13:43 - SPIRE: the five elements of wellbeing 17:20 - Minimum viable interventions 18:34 - Five things you can do in the next 60 seconds 22:31 - Vision boards and the environment that primes you 25:04 - The six-week challenge and why resolutions die on January 17 26:51 - Keystone habits and islands of sanity 28:16 - Would you sleep next to a bottle of whiskey? 30:45 - Habits belong on the calendar 31:39 - The age of distraction and being bored with dignity 35:43 - Zero startup cost and the 200 percent accountability buddy 37:54 - Commitment bracelets and the letter N 42:53 - Stress is fine, recovery is what's missing 43:51 - Does happiness lead to success or the other way around? 45:01 - Six Fs, balance and fitting 48 hours into 24 48:59 - Wearables, step counts and building happiness into a blue collar culture 52:49 - Speed round: the biggest misconception high achievers have 53:46 - Live every day as if it's your first 57:27 - Rate it 1 to 10: cold plunge, sauna, sleep and reading 1:00:39 - Permission to be human 1:02:02 - Learn to fail or fail to learn 1:03:47 - Advice for your 20s and the 90-minute sprint 1:05:34 - $10 million and the Happiness Studies Academy 1:06:35 - Five books, one for each SPIRE element 1:08:19 - How to reach Tal and his closing message 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Jason Feifer has run Entrepreneur Magazine for 10 years, and his message to owners is the opposite of what you'd expect: the title you hold is rented, press won't save you, and the only safe ground is something you own. He and Tommy get into being singular instead of interchangeable, the billionaire mentor he walked away from, why he tells businesses to stop chasing coverage, and the arbitrary yes that keeps life interesting. Connect with Jason ⟶ https://www.jasonfeifer.com Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/heyfeifer/ -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 02:05 - Singular or interchangeable 05:33 - Accessible vs available 06:51 - The title you rent 10:37 - Who should actually be an entrepreneur 16:20 - Why he ditched his own framework 18:50 - Ryan Reynolds: willing to be bad 21:05 - The Mailchimp all-hands story 25:43 - The Gary Vee focus debate 28:05 - The billionaire's list 30:46 - An interesting life 31:40 - The Dan Martell exchange 35:28 - How the speaking career started 37:50 - Don't bother with press 39:40 - Google zero 41:57 - What matters most: brand trust 43:01 - Awards, rankings, and recruiting proof 46:00 - The rapid-fire round 47:34 - No meetings before 11 52:40 - The Dave Eggers sellout screed 59:01 - Where to find Jason 1:01:00 - The arbitrary yes 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Jon McNeill ran Tesla as president while revenue went from $2 billion to $20 billion in 30 months. In this episode he hands Tommy Mello the exact formula, The Algorithm: question every requirement, delete what the customer doesn't pay for, simplify, apply speed, and automate last. Then he runs it live on a real home service business, from $350 pay per click leads and 30,000 in-home appointments a month to technician equity and the two-question performance review. Connect with Jon ⟶ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmcneill1/ DVx Ventures ⟶ https://www.dvx.ventures -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:04 - From a Nebraska farm town to Tesla 03:02 - The Sheryl Sandberg phone call 05:47 - The growth target that sounded insane 12:38 - Questioning a $100M rocket requirement 16:40 - Circle what the customer pays for 18:12 - A garage door install in under 10 minutes 22:43 - Good, fast, and cheap: pick three 23:07 - The $350 click and 30,000 appointments 24:16 - Why be in the home at all? 27:08 - Automate last 30:19 - Network effects for local business 37:05 - The Jeff Wilke trunk-delivery story 39:19 - Training 200 technicians a month 43:02 - Equity for technicians 46:01 - Watching your money go to work 50:11 - The two-question performance review 53:08 - 168 hours and the six Fs 57:12 - How long will we live? 1:02:05 - The Ottoman Empire's mistake 1:04:23 - Bring your A game every day 1:06:03 - Where to find Jon 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy sits down with Mark C. Winters, co-author of Rocket Fuel and author of the new book Visionary, to name the seat most founders never see: the integrator. They get into why four visionaries exist for every one integrator, why founders who sell rarely last a year, the 2017 hire that set Tommy free, and the one question every owner should answer before they ever think about selling. Get Mark's book Visionary ⟶ https://visionarybook.com Follow Mark C. Winters ⟶ https://markcwinters.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:43 - Mark's Origin Story 04:11 - Predictable Visionary Patterns 06:55 - Small Shops To $400M 08:20 - Is "Founder" A Risk? 09:40 - Why Founders Leave After The Sale 12:18 - Who Becomes The Integrator 16:10 - What Getting Stuck Looks Like 20:11 - Five Abilities To Break Ceilings 23:50 - Can Your Spouse Be The Integrator? 27:58 - The Seat Founders Can't See 31:15 - The Thankless Number Two 34:09 - The Three-Piece Puzzle 39:33 - The First Sign It's Failing 42:38 - Four Visionaries, One Integrator 43:34 - The Bottleneck At The Top 46:57 - The Ski Resort CEO 49:00 - How To Find Your Integrator 51:09 - The Hard Truth 55:01 - The One System To Install Now 1:02:40 - Would You Give It All Back? 1:08:48 - Where To Find Mark 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy Mello sits down with two returning guests: Aaron Gaynor, founder of Eco Plumbers, Electricians, and HVAC Technicians, fresh off crossing $100 million and pacing $113M this year, and Zac Dearing, co-founder of Mantel, the AI-powered sales platform behind some of the sharpest shopping data in home services. No rehashed stories, just what is working right now: why recruiting beats leads, the new hire who sold $1M of HVAC in his first month, the labor burden number every tech should know, why 60 to 70% of deals are still alive after you leave the home, the 15% market share rule that tells you when to grow, and the marketing math that separates maintaining from grow-grow. Follow Aaron Gaynor and Eco: https://geteco.com Follow Zac Dearing and Mantel: https://usemantel.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:03 - Aaron's $100M Milestone And The New Headquarters 06:23 - Where Homeowners Spend Their Decision Time 08:46 - Two Years On Mantel: Eco's Close Rate Now 10:37 - 69% Shop For Pricing Online And Most Find Nothing 12:23 - The Options Formula And The Sunday Effect 14:55 - Recruiting Beats Leads: Who Not How 17:09 - The New Hire Who Sold $1M In One Month 18:46 - Loyalty, Labor Burden, And The 24% Line 24:33 - The One Truck Exercise And What A Call Really Costs 29:01 - Private Equity, Labor, And Who Really Benefits 34:04 - What Contractors Actually Adopt In AI 35:43 - Charging More Than The Average Bear 42:27 - Sales Is Not A Dirty Word 44:53 - Shopping Beats Selling 49:33 - When Homeowners Actually Read Your Proposal 51:31 - Buy Or Build: The Greenfield Answer 56:30 - Marketing Math: Maintain, Grow, Or Grow Grow 01:00:21 - The 15% Rule: When To Enter A New Market 01:06:30 - Closer Hats, Next Missions, And Final Advice 01:12:40 - Stop Assuming The Deal Is Dead 01:16:09 - The Apollo 11 Close 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Danny Morel built a Southern California real estate machine he describes as $1B a year in sales with 400 agents, then answered no to happy, in love, and loving his work in the same breath. One night the questions he'd been avoiding caught up with him, and he walked away to teach entrepreneurs how to heal instead. He and Tommy Mello get into why the drive you brag about might be the thing to fix, the energy ladder from shame to enlightenment, the 4:30 AM lie all over your feed, and the mentor's rule that ran a billion-dollar company on 20 hours a week: split your day in thirds, delegate everything else, and never trade your peace for the next milestone. Get Danny's book Awaken Your Highest Self ⟶ https://www.amazon.com/Awaken-Your-Highest-Self-Stuck/dp/140199864X More from Danny ⟶ https://dannymorel.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 03:10 - The Billion-Dollar Empire 03:40 - Three Questions He Feared 04:58 - Tommy Asks Them Back 06:14 - Loving Yourself First 08:37 - Tommy Opens Up 10:14 - Why Enough Is Never Enough 13:33 - From Judgment To Healing 15:48 - "You Learned To Be Driven" 17:41 - Fear And Victim Consciousness 20:20 - The Energy Ladder 23:13 - Bob Marley And Vibration 25:26 - Purpose Isn't Doing 30:17 - The 4:30 AM Lie 32:25 - The 20-Hour Rule 33:00 - A Day In Thirds 36:24 - Game-Changing Advice 41:08 - Life Happens For You 42:31 - The Book 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Can your techs close like a doctor prescribes? Jeremy Miner, founder of 7th Level and creator of NEPQ, the largest B2C sales training company in the world, joins Tommy Mello to break down why customers say "let me think it over" to salespeople but never to their doctor, the five tonalities that make prospects persuade themselves, how to seed doubt without pressure, the four types of people (wingers, dabblers, know-it-alls, and the committed to mastery), and why you probably don't need more leads, just better conversations. They get into recruiting people with a chip on their shoulder, the train station rule for growing teams, and the watch-write-rehearse path to actually mastering a skill. Get Jeremy's NEPQ Black Book of Questions ⟶ text 480-637-2944 Learn more from Jeremy ⟶ https://7thlevelhq.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:18 - Why "7th Level" 02:40 - The One Skill That Rules Everything 05:03 - The Buy-Back Lens 07:31 - Creating Demand From Nothing 08:41 - "How Often" Beats "Do You Ever" 10:30 - The Zero-Cancellation Concept 13:05 - The 5 Core Tones 16:55 - Could He Sell Anything? 22:14 - Sales FOR People, Not TO People 23:41 - The Doctor Status Flip 25:50 - Deframe, Then Reframe 27:22 - The 4 Types Of People 34:38 - The Chip On Your Shoulder 38:50 - You Don't Need More Leads 39:26 - The Train Station Rule 43:29 - Songs Vs. Books 45:10 - Watch, Write, Rehearse 49:35 - Hiring People With The Chip 55:30 - The Final Round 01:10:20 - The NEPQ Black Book 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Are the AI layoffs about to reverse? Workplace futurist Alexandra Levit joins Tommy Mello to break down blunt force automation: why CEOs who replaced their teams with AI are about to want them back, how every AI rollout quietly creates six new jobs, and what the 95% failure rate on AI investments means for business owners. They get into why the skilled trades are the safest bet in America right now, the return to office mistake, learning agility as the number one career skill, and how owners should actually be investing in AI training. Connect with Alexandra: https://alexandralevit.com Make School Work: https://makeschoolwork.org -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - What A Futurist Actually Does 03:44 - Is Every Desk Job Doomed? 04:32 - Six Jobs Per AI 08:07 - The Case For The Trades 12:51 - Blunt Force Automation 14:54 - The Rise Of Craftsmanship 18:14 - Building Learning Agility 21:10 - The 95% Problem 25:56 - AI's Energy Problem 29:19 - Cautiously Optimistic 32:05 - Psychology To Futurist 35:33 - Training AI To Oppose You 40:04 - Advice For Your 20s 43:10 - The RTO5 Mistake 44:51 - Flexibility That Pays 48:30 - Deep Talent Explained 51:30 - Simulations Beat Resumes 52:54 - The Training Gap 56:40 - Closing Thoughts 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ For the first time in 700 episodes, Tommy hands the other mic to his fiancée, Bre. From interviewing to be his EA at A1 Garage to planning their January wedding, they cover how they met, the season of scaling that scared her most, living below your means, faith, family plans, and the honest answer to what building something big takes from the person sitting next to you. -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:31 - How We Met At A1 03:28 - The Early A1 Days 09:30 - Bre's Upbringing 10:56 - Grandpa Stories 14:30 - Does He Ever Stop? 16:00 - Living Below Our Means 23:39 - The Work-Life Balance Debate 24:49 - What We Sacrificed 27:02 - The Wedding Plans 28:40 - The Scariest Season 34:04 - Faith And Getting Baptized 37:11 - The Next Five To Ten Years 38:53 - Rapid Fire: Who's More Likely? 48:37 - Advice For Couples Who Work Together 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Pace Morby went from bagging groceries and building 700 homes for hedge funds to controlling hundreds of properties without banks, credit, or his own money. In this one, he and Tommy trade playbooks: how seller financing actually works and why terms beat price, the capital gains conversation that gets retiring sellers to yes, the expired listing niche feeding him a house a day, the four KPIs that fix any company, and why the worst agent market in 35 years is handing buyers the opportunity of a decade. Connect with Pace ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/pacemorby/ -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:47 - Number Three Of Twelve Kids 04:55 - The Secret-Sharing Culture That Built Home Service 06:53 - AI Is Coming For Jobs, But Not These 09:11 - The Expired Listing Niche Nobody Wants 10:03 - The $5 Million RV Park Phone Call 11:06 - No Money Down At $20 Million 13:04 - Why You'd Better Be Greedy 15:26 - How A Technician Actually Makes More 17:41 - The Boomer Buyout Wave (And Who Shouldn't Ride It) 19:57 - The $500 An Hour Meeting At Starbucks 20:42 - Hedge Fund Flipper: 700 Homes For The Big Funds 23:32 - Bethany's Genius: The Bird Dog Move 25:16 - The Lead Geeks Full Circle Moment 30:44 - What Keeps Tommy Hungry 35:15 - Four KPIs That Fix Any Company 38:52 - Live Teardown: Pace's Lending Business 53:47 - Who's Gonna Compete With You? 56:20 - PE's Hard Lesson: Keep The Founder 59:59 - Speed Round: Three Tips For Beginners 1:02:28 - Why He Buys One RV Park A Month 1:06:04 - The Kermit, Texas Deal 1:06:39 - The Capital Gains Play That Closes Sellers 1:10:23 - The Slowest Market In 35 Years 1:15:14 - How To Work With Tommy 1:17:16 - The Best Add-On In Home Service 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Michael Werner has lived several business lifetimes: Goldman Sachs M&A, president of Werner Ladder at $500 million plus, the Gerber turnaround from $100 million to $700 million, and founder of HomeX, where he sold Schedule Engine to ServiceTitan for nine figures. Twenty years ago, doctors told him he had about four years left. In this episode, he and Tommy break down private equity done right, why ownership changes how people work, the three things that motivate every employee, and the four trends that will decide which home service companies survive the next decade. Connect with Michael ⟶ michael@homex.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - Why He Asks Everyone Their Origin Story 04:19 - Goldman's 15 Minute Rule 06:05 - Growing Werner Ladder Past $500 Million 08:49 - Too Entrepreneurial To Stay 12:07 - The Gerber Turnaround: $100M To $700M 14:30 - Satisfy Customers Or Delight Them? 19:41 - Trust, Time, Transparency: The HomeX Idea 23:30 - Why He Took A Minority Partner 29:09 - The Rental Car Ownership Test 32:29 - The Three Things That Motivate People 36:19 - Did The Trades Give Him Cancer? 38:53 - Hold The Mirror Up Before You Sell 42:39 - Never Say Retirement 47:15 - Four Trends That Decide Who Survives 50:33 - The David And Goliath Strategy 53:00 - Where He'd Put His Money 59:39 - The Death Sentence, In Full 1:02:10 - Long-Term Greedy: Final Advice 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy sits down with Jason Wild, co-author of Genius at Scale (Harvard Business Review's lead title) and the innovation leader behind $6B+ in enterprise deals at IBM, Salesforce, and Microsoft. From child actor rejected 500 times to advising the world's biggest companies, Jason breaks down why you can copy products and poach talent, but culture is the one thing money can't touch, and what home service owners can steal from MasterCard, Pfizer, and Marc Benioff to build teams that run without them. Grab Jason's book Genius at Scale ⟶ https://geniusatscale.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:35 - Child Actor Roots 05:01 - The Zen Of Selling 07:52 - Writing With Harvard 11:28 - Focus Vs Innovation 13:17 - MasterCard's Reinvention 16:46 - The Elon Musk Take 22:16 - The Talent War 24:40 - What Money Can't Copy 28:38 - Global Innovation Lessons 34:11 - The Billionaire In Line 37:54 - Three Rapid-Fire Questions 45:22 - The Bridger Role 49:13 - AI And Your Jobs 58:37 - The Book's Big Lesson 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Most home service companies think they have a lead problem. Lauren Kingsley says they have a friction problem, and she has the receipts: $5.1 billion in revenue managed across multiple organizations, a call center scaled from 25 people to 800-plus, and the playbook she wrote for Renuity after telecom ran this exact consolidation a decade ago. In this episode: the client who dropped raw volume 20% and watched net sales jump 36% in one month, the 48-hour scheduling window that decides 85% of your jobs, why 1 to 5% of your EBITDA disappears into data silos every year, zip-code-level marketing strategy, the greenfield playbook (canvass first, digital last), building Sovereign Command as a Layer 2 over your tech stack, and the "don't trust, verify" mindset she brought from Bitcoin into business. Learn more about Lauren: https://laurenkingsley.now Contact Lauren: lauren@laurenkingsley.now -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 0:30 - Welcome: a friction problem, not a lead problem 1:45 - Hopping fences and selling art: Lauren's path to telecom 3:30 - Writing the Renuity playbook 5:30 - Sovereign Command: a Layer 2 over your tech stack 8:25 - One source of truth: don't trust, verify 10:40 - Time: the only asset you can't create 11:00 - Inside Tommy's daily pacing report 12:30 - Dynamic lead assignment: propensity to net close 13:55 - 400,000 calls analyzed: let the machine pick the questions 15:10 - Frictionless journeys and omnichannel nurture 17:20 - AI search jumped from 6% to 60% of homeowners 19:00 - Brand vs direct response: the 80/20 flip 20:50 - Zip code strategy: where spend goes to die 22:30 - The case study: 20% fewer raw leads, 36% more net sales 25:00 - Speed to lead: 48 hours or lose 85% 25:50 - Aggregators, bots, and where the ROI really is 29:15 - The numbers: 1 to 5% of EBITDA lost, 27% missed callbacks 30:35 - Attribution: billboards, Yelp, and 7,000 tracking numbers 34:45 - Blue Sky Jets and the Wall Street stepdad 36:25 - 2008: "something's wrong with the money" 38:50 - The $100M question: Bitcoin as a long-term savings plan 43:00 - Legislation, cold storage, and 21 million coins 46:25 - Grow wide or grow deep? The hybrid answer 48:50 - Pre-approval financing and the whole-home sell-in 51:20 - Greenfield playbook: canvass first, digital last 54:40 - Retail from Costco to Ace, by zip code 57:50 - Your people are the lifeblood 1:00:45 - Dream Manager and DreamStride 1:06:00 - Bench strength and performance-pay training 1:09:55 - How to reach Lauren 1:10:15 - What keeps Tommy up at night 1:14:00 - Very few winners, massive winners 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Recorded live at the Freedom event — Kevin O'Leary sat down with Tommy minutes after walking off stage. Mr. Wonderful built and sold The Learning Company in one of the largest tech deals of all time, runs a portfolio of more than 50 companies, and spent years selling to Steve Jobs — who taught him the rule he still runs his life by: pick the three things that matter, and block out 70% of everything else. In this episode: why home service is one of the best businesses on earth, the contractor-first deal he now makes with every new CEO, why unhappy customers are your most valuable asset, the 70/30 listening rule, and what money actually buys once you have enough of it. As Kevin put it about Freedom: "if you ever get a chance to come to one of these sessions, you should." Follow Kevin O'Leary: https://www.instagram.com/kevinolearytv/ -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:40 - Mr. Wonderful, live at the Freedom event 01:25 - Why Kevin still shows up for entrepreneurs 02:15 - "One of the best times ever" for home service 03:45 - What Kevin pays up for: recurring revenue 05:00 - The AI doom question: buggies & burger robots 07:25 - Private equity's biggest mistake: losing the founder 09:50 - The $6,000 earpiece productivity stack 11:50 - $3.75M/month in marketing and a 10X ROAS 13:05 - Wonder Ads: how TV attribution finally works 15:20 - The 4 KPIs that build any company's budget 16:20 - Running 54 companies at once 17:40 - Quit making transactional ads — tell stories 19:35 - "Always tell the truth" — the lesson from Kevin's mom 22:15 - Kevin's rule: contract first, hire second 24:15 - Ideas are cheap, execution is everything 25:25 - Steve Jobs stories: brutal meetings & 70/30 28:15 - Equity done right: 70/30 deals and dilution 31:00 - Unhappy customers are your most valuable asset 34:25 - Listen 70%, talk 30% 36:20 - The $10M restart plan & 31% in real estate 38:25 - "I don't need more money" 39:10 - Your first $5M is a safety net 41:00 - Who inspires Kevin: Musk at 100% signal 42:15 - Own your failures or he won't invest 43:10 - The book that changed him: Keith Richards 45:05 - Close: "come to one of these sessions" 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo3-freedom2026 George Paladichuk built a million-dollar AI company at 22 — and he's the first person selling AI who will tell you NOT to hand it your phones. His platform, NaiL, sits behind 100+ franchise locations and catches nearly 1,000 calls a day for Superior Fence & Rail alone — recovering $2.5 million a month in revenue from calls that would have hit voicemail. In this episode, Tommy sits down with George to break down where AI actually belongs in your call flow, the businesses that should never use it, the disclosure test that quadrupled hang-ups, what it really costs, and the three pitfalls that kill AI rollouts. Tommy even calls George's AI live on air — see if you can tell. 💎 Top 5 Takes for this Episode! AI is your safety net, not your first touch. Booking rates AND customer satisfaction go up when AI backs up an A-player on the phones — not when it replaces them. Missed calls are a hidden metric. No dashboard reports them — and for one franchise they were worth $2.5M a month. Some calls should never go to a machine. Restoration, funeral homes — nobody in a moment of distress wants to hear a robot. Don't lead with "this is an AI." Announcing it up front 4X'd hang-ups in 30 seconds. Solve the caller's problem first — 80% never notice. Solve the problem before you build the product. That one shift took George from $4K to $50K a month in 90 days. ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 — "The last thing they want to hear is a robot" 0:40 — Who is George: 22, CU Boulder, founder of NaiL 2:15 — Wholesale real estate at 18 → digital marketing → a $1M AI company 7:45 — Superior Fence & Rail: recovering $2.5M/month in missed calls 10:15 — The hidden metric: ~1,000 missed calls a day 12:45 — Don't fire your CSRs: AI as the safety net, not the first touch 17:25 — When AI is the WRONG answer: restoration & funeral homes 20:30 — Overseas agents vs AI: cost, coverage, and one-call-at-a-time 23:30 — "The worst AI will ever be": how fast the voices got good 25:55 — Outbound calling, TCPA compliance, and why SMS wins 30:35 — The next 2–3 years of AI receptionists 32:40 — Should you disclose it's AI? The 4X hang-up test 36:15 — LIVE DEMO: Tommy calls the AI 38:45 — Where to start + pitfall #1: solve the problem, not the technology 43:00 — Pilot programs: 30–60 days, build to launch 46:00 — Why young female voices win 47:40 — What it costs: $10–20K pilots, ~$997/location/month 50:00 — Advice to young builders: find the problem first, then market the hell out of it 54:15 — What's next for NaiL + how to reach George 57:20 — Why rollouts fail: vision, results, and a spokesperson 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo3-freedom2026 Learn more about NaiL here: https://usenail.com Contact George: george@usenail.com George Paladichuk is the founder of NaiL, an AI voice receptionist platform for home service franchises. A 22-year-old CU Boulder graduate, he went from wholesale real estate at 18 to running a digital marketing agency through college to building NaiL, which now serves 100+ franchise locations. His biggest client, Superior Fence & Rail, recovers $2.5 million a month in revenue from missed calls handled by the platform. Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ My other podcast: Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello Live Q&A submission form: https://homeserviceexpert.com/questions

🎟️ Join us at Freedom 2026 → https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo2-freedom2026 Kent Yoshimura walked away from two Shark Tank offers because they came in under the number he set before entering the tank — then became the only founder in show history to come back and close a deal, with KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky. The NeuroGum CEO breaks down the Ring doorbell playbook for selling home services, the 4 Es of marketing, and why sleep is the most underrated CEO skill. Plus Tommy reveals the $400M number and the growth comp that stunned his banker. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 0:00:00 Cold Open 0:00:32 Guest Intro 0:06:46 Art Meets Business 0:11:49 Sleep Tips 0:15:47 Cold Plunge Science 0:17:19 Influencer Marketing 0:18:24 The Ring Playbook 0:21:26 AI And Jobs 0:30:28 Rapid Fire Advice 0:32:49 The Ryan Story 0:34:49 Partnership Rules 0:37:42 Mental Discipline 0:47:43 Shark Tank Story 0:50:40 The $400M Reveal 0:57:43 The Rat Experiment 🎟️ Freedom 2026 → https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo2-freedom2026 TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/officialtommymello

🎟️ Join us at Freedom 2026 → https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo2-freedom2026 Cameron Herold is back for round two — the man who scaled 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $2M to $106M in six years breaks down why two A-players beat six average hires, the exact matrix Jack Welch used to decide who stays, and the profit math that tells you whether you should even own a home service business. If you're stuck between $3M and $10M, this one's for you. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 0:00:00 Cold Open 0:02:26 Idea Capture 0:08:30 Vivid Vision 0:11:19 The HVAC Trap 0:19:19 Red KPIs Only 0:25:14 Expansion Warning 0:31:05 Interview Training Gap 0:40:37 Jack Welch Matrix 0:48:51 A-Player Math 0:52:12 The Doubt Rule 1:01:51 Entrepreneur Reality 1:13:54 Profit Over Revenue 1:17:28 P&L Basics 1:26:15 Call Center Rule 1:44:44 Books And Contact 🎟️ Freedom 2026 → https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo2-freedom2026 TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/officialtommymello

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo-freedom2026 Tommy Mello sits down with Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of VaynerMedia and VaynerX, for a conversation every home service owner needs to hear. Gary breaks down how he transformed his dad's New Jersey liquor store into Wine Library, why he saw the internet coming in 1995, and what he looks for before investing in any company today. He explains kind candor, the feedback system he trains 2,700 employees on, and answers the 10 million dollar question about starting over from zero. Then Tommy runs him through a true or false speed round on the biggest social media myths, where Gary explains why blaming the algorithm is costing you views, subscribers, and money. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 04:45 Father's Lessons 09:14 Store Transformation 13:10 Internet Moment 16:45 Jockey and Horse 19:56 Kind Candor 22:59 The $10M Question 26:06 Exit Philosophy 29:20 Sandcastle Philosophy 34:35 Myth Speed Round 00:53 Was Gary Vee born with business talent? 02:54 Do immigrants have an advantage in business? 04:45 What did Gary Vee learn from his father? 06:25 What was Gary Vee paid at his dad's liquor store? 09:14 How did Gary Vee grow Wine Library? 13:10 When did Gary Vee first see the internet? 16:45 What does Gary Vee look for before investing? 19:56 What is kind candor at VaynerMedia? 22:59 What would Gary Vee do with 10 million dollars? 35:15 Does taking a posting break reset the algorithm? 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://mellomedia.s.gy/promo-freedom2026 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialtommymello

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Adam Shampaine went from Capitol Hill to CEO of HomeFix, a $68 million home improvement company, and then built his own supply company, finance company, and window brand. In this episode, Tommy Mello and Adam break down how vertical integration creates a moat competitors can't copy, why company DNA decides which growth channels actually work, how a door-to-door canvasser can earn $300K a year, and the one lesson Adam learned from building five companies: he would be richer if he had built one better. If you run a home service or home improvement business, this is the conversation on canvassing, financing, and focus. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Episode Open 01:52 Capitol Hill Origin 07:20 Part-Time to Sales 12:20 Always The People 18:00 Solar and Supply Stack 23:20 Pure Finance Origin 30:30 Finance Platform Growth 37:20 Company DNA Canvas 43:50 Canvassing As Math 48:50 Canvas vs Demand Leads 54:12 Brand Power vs Canvas 1:02:02 One Thing Regret Questions this episode answers: 01:52 How did a Capitol Hill staffer end up in home improvement sales? 12:20 Is it the market or the salespeople when a sales territory fails? 18:00 Why would a home improvement company build its own supply chain? 23:20 Should contractors start their own consumer finance company? 30:30 How does in-house customer financing actually make money? 37:20 Can you change your company's culture and business model? 40:50 Why do canvassing consultants fail at most companies? 43:50 How much can a door-to-door canvasser make per year? 48:50 What is the difference between canvas leads and demand leads? 54:12 Does brand marketing beat door-to-door canvassing? 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialtommymello

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Sahil Bloom spent seven years "winning" in private equity — while living 3,000 miles from his parents, drinking seven nights a week, and 50 lbs heavier than today. Then one sentence from a friend changed everything: "You're going to see your parents 15 more times before they die." In this episode, Tommy Mello sits down with the author of The 5 Types of Wealth to break down the 85-year Harvard study that found the #1 predictor of your health at 80 isn't blood pressure, smoking, or cholesterol — it's how you feel about your relationships at 50. They cover the Life Razor, why "nobody cares" is the most freeing advice you'll ever get, the phone rule that reclaimed 68 days a year, delegation without dumping, and what AI means for the next decade of work. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The #1 Predictor of Health at 80 (Cold Open) 00:48 Who Is Sahil Bloom? The 5 Types of Wealth 02:22 Winning in Private Equity While Losing Everything Else 03:18 "You'll See Your Parents 15 More Times Before They Die" 04:26 The 5 Types of Wealth Explained 05:43 Sahil's Daily Routine & Business Ecosystem 08:29 How Success Gets Redefined After 30 12:57 Phones, Presence & the People You Love 17:19 Why Entrepreneurs Can't Enjoy the Journey 19:01 A Violent Bias for Action 19:45 What Is a Life Razor? (The Apollo 13 Story) 24:11 Game-Changing Advice You Wish You Knew in Your 20s 24:32 "Nobody Cares" & the Spotlight Effect 26:10 The Science of Slow, Steady Progress 27:59 Starting Over With $10 Million 28:56 The Goal: Positively Impact a Billion Lives 31:19 The 5 Types of Wealth in Your 20s vs Your 50s 34:21 What Makes Happy Couples Stay Happy 35:38 Keeping the Fire Alive After Kids 39:26 The Harvard Study: Health at 80, Predicted at 50 40:36 Counseling, Being Right & Changing Your Mind 44:28 Relationship Advice for Young People + The Phone Rule 49:31 Your Quest Has to Be Yours 50:51 Speed Round: Time Blocking & Work Smart vs Hard 53:38 How to Delegate Without Dumping 55:32 Design Your Perfect Day 56:12 Sahil's Viral Ideas: Proximity Is Wealth 58:03 Kids, Priorities & Adaptability 1:00:37 Be Unapologetically Yourself 1:02:49 AI, Jobs & the Next 10 Years 1:06:24 How They Actually Use AI 1:07:09 Robots, Blue Collar & What's Coming 1:14:38 The Book That Changed His Life 1:15:58 Final Advice: Invest in Your Relationships 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Dustin Sims went from running a window tint shop to VP of Operations at A1 Garage Door Service — a $400 million company — in under five years, promoted three times along the way. Tommy pulls back the curtain on how A1 actually runs: why serving the customer has to be the North Star, why incentives alone drive the wrong behavior, how to interview for the one trait that isn't on any resume, rebuilding a dispatch culture that had checked out, and the AI stack (call analysis, machine-learning dispatch) behind 30,000 jobs a month with a team of 20 dispatchers. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:22 Window Tint to VP 03:40 Private Equity Reality 11:26 Rebuilding Dispatch 20:44 Leadership That Serves 24:48 Loyalty and Culture 31:38 Customer North Star 38:40 Interviewing for Care 45:50 Family and Discipline 51:04 Raving Fans Standard 59:30 AI in the Call Center 1:05:20 Dispatching 30,000 Jobs 1:12:36 CSR vs Dispatcher 1:18:10 Culture Over Everything 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ #HomeServiceExpert #A1GarageDoor #Leadership

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ More than half of private equity–backed CEOs don't make it through the hold period. Samantha Allison and Taavo Godtfersen studied the ones who 5X'd their companies instead — and wrote The 5X CEO. Tommy digs into the five disciplines behind those outcomes, the talent audit that finds the 8–20 roles creating 80% of your value, equity-for-all, what the first 90 days under PE actually demand, and the shift from chief problem-solver to chief system designer. Whether you ever plan to sell or just want to run your company like the ones that do — this is the playbook. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 06:24 Founder CEO vs Hired CEO: Why Private Equity Replaces Owners 11:32 CEO Talent Audit: The 8 to 20 Roles That Create 80% of Value 19:10 The 5X CEO Model: Five Disciplines of Top Performers 27:39 First Year With Private Equity: The 90-Day Playbook 35:42 Blank Sheet Exercise: How Top CEOs Disrupt Themselves 43:02 Nine Box Talent Review and Leading Indicators 50:21 Is Private Equity Good or Bad for Business? 59:33 How Much Debt Should a Business Take On? 1:05:22 CEO Time Audit and Decision Audit Explained 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ A1 Garage Door is about to cross $410 million — and Garage Door Freedom exists to hand other owners the exact systems that got it there. GDF coach Jon Hartey breaks down the Freedom Framework, the KPIs that actually move a business, what the first 90 days look like, and the real member stories — including the owner who burned his whole team down and came back at nearly 100% conversion. Whether you're doing $500K or $5M, this is the look inside. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:53 How Garage Door Freedom Started 03:10 The Freedom Framework 04:01 Where Owners Actually Struggle 05:39 What's the Moat Around Your Business? 08:35 What the First 90 Days Look Like 09:29 Meet the GDF Team 11:48 Better Your Best Technician Training 14:21 The KPIs That Matter Most 15:54 Why A1 Books 92% of Calls 16:39 The Most Underrated Growth Lever 21:27 Real Member Success Stories 24:34 Own Your Market — Don't Chase Four 26:57 The ServiceTitan Price Book Advantage 28:17 How the Program Pays for Itself 29:21 Inside Vertical Track 32:56 The Only Objection That Matters 35:19 He Burned It Down and Came Back Stronger 37:55 Work On the Business, Not In It 38:32 Final Thoughts 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Evan Carmichael started with $300 a month, dead-ass broke, too afraid to tell anyone. He sold his company at 22, built a YouTube channel from nothing, and reached 4 million subscribers by helping entrepreneurs believe in themselves. But the most powerful thing he said in this conversation had nothing to do with YouTube: "We don't care who watches the video. It's a relationship." Evan breaks down the exact content strategy home service owners should be using — not to go viral, but to build the referral relationships that 5-10x their revenue. Plus: why your purpose comes from your pain, the neuroscience behind serving others, and the real reason most billionaires aren't happy when they finally get there. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 05:48 Team Mentoring as Content 11:35 The Office Hours Method 19:10 Borrowed Belief 26:03 Identity & Standards 34:05 Built to Serve 44:27 Catch Them Doing Something Right 51:12 Just Start and Keep Going 57:44 Content as Relationships 1:02:44 Buyer Breakthrough Videos 1:17:36 Book Recommendations 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Window Nation had 80% employee turnover. Within 6 months, Mike Matalone brought it down to 23% — without changing their sales process, marketing, or compensation. The only thing he changed was how they hired, onboarded, and developed their people. Mike is the founder of XP3 Talent Systems and the bestselling author of Hire, Train, Retain. He spent 5 years coaching 45 CEOs through Vistage, where he discovered that 80-90% of all business problems trace back to one thing: people. In this episode, Tommy and Mike break down the exact people operating system that transforms average hires into A players in 30 days — and why the owners who think they can hire their way to a great team are already losing. ⏱️ CHAPTERS ⏱️ 00:00 Intro 00:24 XP3 Origin Story 06:59 Window Nation Turnaround 12:34 Three Hiring Criteria 18:14 Psychological Connection 23:44 Personality Assessments 30:42 AI For Interviews 36:04 Wow Onboarding 42:56 Company Advocates 53:19 What's In It For Them 1:01:14 Define Success 1:06:24 Build A Business Not A Job 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Chuck Thokey built sales teams that generated $220 million in revenue — and his first coaching client went from under $1 million to a $6 million net profit before being acquired by private equity. In this episode, Tommy sits down with the co-founder of Top Rep Sales Training to break down exactly why most sales teams are either your biggest asset or your most expensive liability — and why most owners can't tell the difference. Chuck covers the four buyer personality types (the Platinum Rule), why best-better-good pricing closes 90% of customers at the middle tier, how to give a price without flinching, and the daily Power Hour training system that keeps reps sharp. He also unpacks the uncomfortable truth: 80% of sales leaders are either struggling or need to be replaced — not because they're bad people, but because they were never trained for the role. If your sales team isn't performing, this is the starting point. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Episode Open 01:21 Aerospace Origin Story 08:30 Four Buyer Types 13:30 Tier Pricing Tactics 20:27 Power Hour Training 30:00 Rep Performance Standard 37:14 Hiring and Simulation 44:23 Leadership Failure Rate 49:13 Six Million Case Study 57:00 Growth Mindset Scaling 1:02:18 KPI Dashboard Mastery 1:07:41 Final Thoughts 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Your brand is either quietly growing your business or quietly killing it. In this episode, KickCharge Creative President Terri Briggs reveals why the most expensive decision home service contractors make is waiting — and how the right brand transforms average tickets, conversion rates, employee retention, and company value from day one. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Episode Introduction 03:49 - Brand Creation Process 07:00 - Revenue Impact Data 11:13 - Color Ownership Strategy 15:00 - Long-Term Brand Value 18:40 - Cost of Waiting 22:10 - Brand ROI Measurement 26:38 - Branded Not Blended 30:12 - JumpSpark Fleet 33:54 - The Profit Problem 39:06 - Free Brand Scan 43:46 - Test of Time 🔍 FREE BRAND SCAN: Is your brand healthy, or quietly holding you back? Terri Lynne Briggs will personally review your name, logo, and truck wrap and tell you what's working and what's costing you. No charge. Book yours: https://www.kickcharge.com/brand-scan/ 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Jim Leslie is the CEO of Home Service Freedom and former CMO/CTO at A1 Garage Door — where he helped build the company to over $400 million. Today he breaks down exactly what's killing revenue inside most home service companies (hint: it's not your marketing), walks through real HSF member success stories with real numbers, and explains how the right systems, community, and coaching can take any home service company further, faster. In this episode: ▸ The #1 reason home service marketing doesn't work (it's your booking rate) ▸ How a $22M multi-trade company was losing money without knowing why — and turned it around ▸ The speed-of-implementation principle that separates companies that grow from those that stay stuck ▸ How AI is flipping the labor equation — and what it means for your team right now ▸ Why going deeper beats going wider — every time ▸ What smart investors actually look for in a home service company ▸ Inside HSF: membership, coaching, training, and the 90-day money-back guarantee ▸ Freedom Event: October 26–28, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 — Jim Leslie / HSF 08:11 — HSF Membership Overview 16:00 — Member Turnaround Story 23:52 — Speed of Implementation 29:05 — AI Productivity Shift 36:28 — Smart Investor Criteria 44:15 — Freedom Event Details 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Senja Spellman is a fractional CMO who has spent over a decade inside the marketing departments of companies like Tundra Land ($100M), Leaf Home, Bath Works, and Home Genius Exteriors. She took Bath Works from $12M to $25M in one year — now pacing $52M. Today she shares exactly how home service companies can build brand trust, track TV attribution, grow with zero ad spend, and disrupt in a market where everyone looks the same. In this episode: ▸ Why 66% of customers pick by trust — and only 7% by price ▸ The TV attribution model that ties every spot to a lead ▸ How to use ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to audit your brand visibility right now ▸ Brand vs. direct response — which one your business actually needs ▸ The 97% rule: why branding matters more than most owners think ▸ Omnichannel data strategy: how to hit the right person across mail and CTV ▸ Marketing budget benchmarks: growth (20–22%) vs. maintenance (15–18%) ▸ How cause marketing builds internal culture and external brand ▸ Why marketing is meant to disrupt — and how to stop blending in -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 — Senja's Background 07:06 — TV Attribution Model 15:31 — LLM Brand Visibility 22:48 — Home Service Differences 30:25 — Marketing Budget Benchmarks 36:10 — The 97% Rule 41:30 — Omni-Channel Data Strategy 49:50 — Private Equity Risks 57:07 — Brand Story Process 01:03:55 — Lead Gen Quick Wins 01:12:05 — Disruption in Marketing 01:17:55 — Senja's Contact Info 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Tony Hoty filed bankruptcy at 29. Spent 10 years on the road training companies across the country because he had no choice. Then rebuilt to $10M+ in retail remodeling with Window Expo and Bath Expo. His message is simple: stop throwing money at digital ads and start building a system that creates demand. Tommy and Tony break down door-to-door canvassing, home shows, events, call center follow-up, and the lead handling mistakes costing most remodelers thousands every month. -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 Intro & Origin Story 05:40 Hunting vs. Farming 08:42 Door-to-Door Playbook 13:13 Creating Infinite Demand 17:10 Capacity Planning 19:42 Culture & Hiring 23:33 Event Profiling 29:54 Lead Handling & Leakage 33:03 Lead Follow-Up Mistakes 38:53 Process & Discipline 43:11 Ride-Alongs vs. Technology 46:45 Vision & Self-Improvement 49:28 Lead Gen Expo 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Justin Feichter started Providence Roofing just over a year ago — after getting pushed out of his last company as a minority partner. In his first eight months he realized his pricing was completely wrong, rebuilt his systems on the fly, and crossed $1.2M in revenue. He's still in the field every day. This is a real-time look at what it actually takes to build a blue-collar business from the ground up — the pricing mistakes, the social media strategy that's working without a budget, and what happens when you refuse to quit. -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 Intro & Background 06:00 Year One Pricing Mistakes 12:00 Hiring for Your Weaknesses 18:00 Trades as the New Goldmine 24:00 Competing on Price 30:00 Retention & Relationships 36:00 Technology & Systems 42:00 Tax Strategy 48:00 Sales Process & First Contact 54:00 Vendor Strategy 01:00:00 Close Rate & Lead Sources 01:06:00 Social Media & Content 01:12:00 Goals for 2026 01:17:00 Lead Gen & AI — Tommy's final word 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Peter Thomas built $8 billion in real estate — then lost $70 million when his silent partner went bankrupt. At 87 years old, he's sharp, happy, and still building. Tommy gets the real story: how Peter faced 18 creditors with nothing, negotiated every single one, and rebuilt from zero. The lesson? Your skill set and your network are the two things no collapse can ever take from you. -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 Peter Thomas introduction 01:15 Century 21 Canada 1974 01:34 Built $8 billion 02:13 Biggest failures discussed 03:39 Living well at 87 04:31 What are your values? 04:45 Health and freedom aligned 06:05 Choose your life partner 06:19 Give everything away 07:09 Tommy grew up alone 07:40 Partner went bankrupt 07:58 Down $70 million 08:41 Skill set always survives 09:16 What was next move? 09:42 Negotiating 18 creditors 10:20 Worked all 18 deals 11:00 How to find Peter 11:29 Happiness is a choice 11:48 Tommy's life at 45 12:26 Manifesting your future 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ My other podcast: Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello Live Q&A submission form: https://homeserviceexpert.com/questions

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Joe Crisara has trained thousands of home service technicians — and the number one thing he hears is that they don't want to be called salespeople. In this episode, Joe breaks down why that resistance is costing your team money, your customers their options, and your business its potential. The fix isn't motivation. It's finishing the sentence. Joe's system, built over decades working with plumbers, HVAC techs, electricians, and garage door companies, is simple: make a friend, diagnose the whole system, build premium, mid-range, and economy options, personalize them, and close with "what should we do?" That framework closes 92% of jobs. Not because it's pushy, because it's honest. What you'll learn: — Why "sales" became a dirty word and how to fix it for your team — The five-step system behind a 92% close rate — Why financing is the primary offer — not an afterthought — How "magic moments" create raving fans without manipulation — The self-esteem problem behind underperforming techs — and the trainable fix — Pure-motive service and why caring outsells closing every time 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ My other podcast: Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ John Block didn't build Unity Partners by being the smartest guy in the room. He built it by making sure he never was. As the founder of one of the fastest-growing private equity firms in home services, John has a framework that most operators never hear — and it has nothing to do with hustle, willpower, or grinding harder than everyone else. In this episode, John breaks down why chasing revenue is the wrong game, what private equity actually looks for before acquiring a home service company, and the one mindset shift that separates operators who plateau from those who build something that lasts. If you're running a home service business and you feel like you've hit a ceiling — this episode is the reason why, and exactly what to do about it. What you'll learn: — Why being the dumbest person in the room is the smartest move you can make — The difference between building bigger and building better — and why it matters — What PE firms actually measure beyond EBITDA — The "who not how" principle and how to apply it to your team right now — Why most operators overestimate what they'll do in a year and underestimate the hockey stick -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ My other podcast: Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Dr. Benjamin Hardy is one of the world's leading organizational psychologists — PhD, bestselling author of 10X Is Easier Than 2X, and Dan Sullivan's writing partner. In this episode, Tommy sits down with Dr. Hardy to break down why you don't need to be ready to start, how your future self is already waiting for you to decide, and the one mindset shift that separates the operators who scale from the ones who stay stuck. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Start Before You're Ready 02:54 Welcome and Introductions 04:31 Tommy's Hockey Stick Growth 05:28 Ben's Background Today 07:01 Profitability Over Revenue 09:26 Ben's Origin Story 16:08 Meeting Dan Sullivan 21:48 How to Co-Write Books 24:30 Building Your Audience 30:13 The Power Law Explained 36:24 How to 10X 43:59 Writing Seven Books 47:34 The Gap and the Gain 48:59 Future Self Framework 57:14 Stop Waiting for Perfect 01:00:11 Future Self Deep Dive 01:07:48 The Science of Future Self 01:21:40 Closeout Questions 01:25:01 Start Over With $10M 01:28:20 Ben's Favorite Books 01:31:18 Find Ben Online 🔗 Build Your Freedom → https://homeservicefreedom.com/ 📱 Follow Tommy: TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/officialtommymello 🎙️ Home Service Expert Podcast → https://homeserviceexpert.com

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ The biggest myth in home service technology? That software solves problems. It doesn't. People do. Tommy sits down with Richard Kohberger — the go-to ServiceTitan expert and founder of Blue Collar Nerd — for one of the most honest conversations about technology, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a great home service company in the AI era.In this episode you'll learn: — Why most companies use ServiceTitan wrong — and what it actually looks like when you use it right — The truth about AI replacing CSRs and what to do about it before it happens to you — Why adding more AI to your business means your people need MORE human attention, not less — The four metrics every home service owner should know cold — Why emotional intelligence is the most underrated skill in home service leadership -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:34 - Richard's Background and Blue Collar Nerd Origin 03:08 - Why Investors Are Rushing Into Home Service 06:02 - Advanced ServiceTitan Integrations 10:31 - When to Get on ServiceTitan 13:50 - AI-First Software and What's Coming 17:46 - Tommy's AI-Written Radio Ad Live 21:16 - Social Media vs Traditional Advertising 28:03 - The A1 Garage Model vs HVAC 32:28 - Which Industry Would Richard Build In? 36:12 - Tommy's 2017 Trifecta and Podcast Origin 38:49 - SOPs: SweetProcess vs Trainual 41:13 - AI Supporting People Not Replacing Them 44:41 - Technology Changing Leadership and Culture 47:52 - Longevity Science and Fasting 51:03 - Skills the Next Generation of Operators Needs 54:14 - EQ vs IQ in Leadership 58:42 - Rapid Fire: The Four Metrics Every Owner Must Know 1:09:08 - Die With Zero and Tommy's Philanthropy Plans 1:13:53 - Get Clear on Your WHY 1:17:35 - Is "I'm Doing It for My Family" Really True? 1:23:39 - Meditation, Facing Fears, and Final Thoughts 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Most home service companies don't fail from a lack of opportunity — they fail because they lose focus. Tommy sits down with Yarin Gaon, a growth advisor who has mentored over 397 businesses through Chicago and SCORE and helped company after company break through the $1M–$10M plateau. Yarin's framework is built on one core idea: the path of least resistance always wins. In this episode you'll learn: — Why your current business model might not be the version worth scaling — How to find the 20% of your operation driving 80% of your profit — The growth canvas replacing vision traction organizers for home service leaders — What "path of least resistance" actually looks like applied to your business — Why you need to pause before your next quarterly session and design Version 2 Yarin's free playbook: fractional.partners — no lead magnet, no catch. Just the framework. -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Yarin's Background and Story 05:06 - Hustle vs Focus 06:08 - What Vision Actually Means 08:20 - Defining Your Real Success Metric 10:39 - How to Build a Monopoly in Your Market 12:11 - Military E-Commerce Business Breakdown 15:49 - Diversification Mistakes and When to Cut 21:17 - The Wrong Growth Model 23:51 - Growth by Addition vs Subtraction 30:50 - Profitability Before Capital 33:41 - How Private Equity Values Your Business 37:47 - What the Best CEOs Have in Common 39:53 - Better Decisions Equal More Profit 1:05:46 - Why Franchising Fails in Home Service 1:07:09 - The Explicit Decision Framework 1:09:45 - The Growth Model Framework 1:12:48 - Free Playbook and Book Recommendation 1:13:32 - Path of Least Resistance Explained 1:15:14 - Build a Machine That Prints Profit 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello Live Q&A ⟶ https://homeserviceexpert.com/questions

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://homeservicefreedom.com/ 💎 Top 5 Takes for this Episode! 1. People overestimate what they can do in one or two years — and massively underestimate what they can do in five to ten. Stick with the boring work. 2. Blue collar is the new rich. AI won't replace the trades. Private equity loves scalable home service. Most people couldn't name three flooring companies. That's the opportunity. 3. The real game isn't revenue — it's enterprise value. Lifestyle businesses extract cash. Legacy businesses build an asset worth selling. 4. Master the mundane. Discipline over dopamine. Repetition over inspiration. That's the only secret. 5. There's nothing more dangerous than a wealthy man who gets bored. The same hunter energy that builds empires can destroy everything. Channel it right or it eats you alive. -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introducing Cody Sperber — The Clever Investor 01:30 - From Navy vet to flipping houses off a napkin 03:39 - 14 months, $30K in debt, and one deal that changed everything 04:57 - Collapsing time: 14 months to 2 months to 3 weeks 06:09 - From wholesaling to rentals to real estate education 07:47 - Why real estate teaches entrepreneurship faster than anything 10:03 - Real estate is a people business — AI can't replace that 11:36 - Why Cody was the best marketer in real estate 16:02 - Why blue collar is the new rich 17:16 - Why Cody chose flooring: most people can't name two companies 18:10 - Selling the education business: first time playing the right game 18:27 - Enterprise value vs. lifestyle business 19:00 - Getting emotional at the Service Titan debate about private equity 20:03 - Why taking chips off the table was about parents, not profit 22:01 - The American dream is still real — immigrants prove it 41:24 - Why authenticity beats selling courses every single time 46:17 - Having kids doubled his income — the hunter mindset intensified 46:42 - The upfront conversation every entrepreneur needs with their partner 48:34 - The system that made marriage and business work together 50:37 - 18 years and a divorce: 'We friendzoned each other' 52:06 - The most dangerous thing a wealthy man can do when he gets bored 53:26 - Having everything on paper and feeling completely empty inside 55:11 - The year and a half that rebuilt his character from the ground up 58:05 - One piece of advice for your 20s: Master the mundane 58:35 - People overestimate 1-2 years. They underestimate 5-10. 59:22 - Why Cody loves failure and what he tells his team 1:00:47 - If you had $10M and your network — what would you build? 1:22:29 - Floor Daddy at 2 years: three crash and burns, $1M+/month 1:23:53 - Tommy's close: financial discipline and the 15% EBITDA rule Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/ My other podcast: Tommy Mello Millionaire ⟶ https://www.youtube.com/@officialtommymello Live Q&A submission form: https://homeserviceexpert.com/questions