Leadership Skills for Home Service Owners Who Want to Scale
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Release Date: 04/15/2026
How to Optimize and Automate Your Home Service Business
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Most home service business owners are excited about automation, AI, and new technology. But here’s the problem… They’re implementing tools before fixing their processes. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Nathan Whittacre, CEO of Stimulus Technologies, to break down what actually works when it comes to optimizing and automating your business. Nathan shares decades of experience helping companies implement technology the right way and explains why most tech investments fail. What You Will Learn in This Episode Why automation without optimization...
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Most business owners think they only have two options when they want to scale: Pay expensive consultants… or give up equity to investors. But what if there was a third option? In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Mike Michalowicz and Greg Eckler from The Prosper Group to break down a completely different approach to scaling service businesses. Instead of charging fees or taking ownership, their model focuses on partnering with business owners, executing alongside them, and only getting paid when the business becomes more profitable. What...
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Leadership Skills for Home Service Owners Who Want to Scale
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Most home service business owners start as technicians. But scaling a business requires a completely different skill set. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Elise Radawitz, President and Owner of Velocity Leader, to break down the leadership skills contractors need if they want to grow their business. They discuss why promoting your best technician into a management role often fails, how leadership is a learned skill, and what it actually takes to lead people effectively. Elise shares practical insights on developing leaders inside your company,...
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Building a Trades Business Brand That Gets Real Results
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Most home service businesses are posting content… but not getting results. Why? Because they’re missing the most important piece: connection. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Jen McKee, founder of Kee Hart Marketing, to break down what actually works when it comes to building a brand in the trades. They dive into why personal branding matters, how social media really drives business growth, and why most contractors are overthinking their content strategy. Jen explains why “boring” everyday work is actually powerful content, how authenticity...
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Automation vs. Real AI: What Works, What’s Hype, and How to Profit
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
AI is everywhere right now. But most contractors don’t actually understand how it works. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Jeff Torello, founder of Sinjun AI, to break down what AI really is, how it works under the hood, and why so much of the industry is getting it wrong. Jeff explains that AI isn’t some all-knowing system. It’s a probability engine that predicts the next word, with no real memory and no true understanding of context. If you’ve been confused, overwhelmed, or skeptical about AI, this episode will give you a...
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Most contractors are still hiding their prices. But customers are already finding that information somewhere else. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Joshua Crouch sit down with Paul Redman, President of Contractor Commerce, to break down the real impact of transparent pricing in home service businesses. They discuss why pricing transparency is no longer optional, how AI search and Google are already surfacing pricing data, and why contractors who don’t adapt risk losing control of the customer conversation. Paul shares how online pricing tools,...
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AI Employee: How Home Service Businesses Are Scaling Without More Staff
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
AI is no longer just automation or chatbots. It’s becoming a real employee for service businesses. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, recorded live at AHR Expo 2026, Tersh Blissett sits down with Dennis Steele, co-founder of Podium, to talk about the rise of AI agents and how they’re transforming HVAC and plumbing companies. From answering calls and booking jobs to handling angry customers and following up on estimates, AI agents are beginning to perform real work that previously required multiple team members. Dennis shares how Podium started by helping contractors get more...
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Marketing for home service businesses is evolving faster than ever. Rising lead costs, private equity competition, new AI-driven ad platforms, and changing consumer behavior are forcing contractors to rethink how they attract customers. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Justin Riley, founder of UpFrog, to talk about what the future of marketing really looks like for HVAC, plumbing, and other home service companies. If you want to understand where marketing for home service businesses is heading and how to stay competitive in the years ahead, this...
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How Dual Fuel Heat Pumps Are Changing the Game for HVAC Contractors
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Electrification is accelerating across North America. Rebates are expanding. Regulations are tightening. And HVAC contractors are being asked to deliver higher efficiency, lower emissions, and better comfort all at the same time. So where does dual fuel fit in? In this episode of Service Business Mastery, recorded live at AHR Expo, Tersh Blissett sits down with Matt Schlegel and Charles Hurd to break down how dual fuel heat pumps are becoming a powerful solution for commercial and residential contractors. If you’re trying to navigate electrification, cold climate performance, rebate...
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How HVAC Contractors Are Making More Money with Duct Sealing Technology
Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Most HVAC contractors focus on equipment upgrades, but one of the biggest opportunities for better installs and higher profit is hiding in the ductwork. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, recorded live at AHR 2026 in Las Vegas, Tersh Blissett sits down with Jarrod Scott from Aeroseal to explain how duct sealing from the inside works, why it is different from traditional mastic and tape, and how contractors can use it to improve comfort, increase system efficiency, reduce callbacks, and create a real competitive advantage. They also discuss commercial and multifamily applications,...
info_outlineMost home service business owners start as technicians. But scaling a business requires a completely different skill set.
In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Elise Radawitz, President and Owner of Velocity Leader, to break down the leadership skills contractors need if they want to grow their business.
They discuss why promoting your best technician into a management role often fails, how leadership is a learned skill, and what it actually takes to lead people effectively.
Elise shares practical insights on developing leaders inside your company, managing the transition from field to office, and building a culture where people want to follow you, not just comply.
They also dive into burnout, self-awareness, communication challenges, and the internal mindset shifts that separate struggling managers from effective leaders.
If you’re trying to grow your team, step out of the field, and lead at a higher level, this episode will give you a real-world perspective on what it actually takes.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
• Why great technicians don’t automatically become great leaders
• The biggest mistake contractors make when promoting employees
• How to transition from technician to business owner
• Why leadership is a learned skill, not a natural trait
• How to earn respect without being in the field
• The importance of self-awareness in leadership
• How your internal mindset impacts your team
• Why burnout happens and how it affects leaders
• How to lead without micromanaging
• The importance of consistent one-on-one meetings
• How to communicate more effectively with your team
• Why culture starts with how you show up as a leader
Timestamps
00:00 Supporting team performance goals
05:25 Unexpected management promotions
09:01 Leading by example at Velocity Leader
12:46 Addressing self-limiting beliefs
16:59 Doing research and writing papers
20:19 The importance of regular manager check-ins
24:50 Stream of consciousness discussion
29:09 Active listening and communication skills
29:40 Practicing curiosity over judgment
33:01 Helping the sales team succeed
39:15 Using trampolines to improve mindset
39:39 Using music to uplift mood
44:42 Episode conclusion and next steps
Follow the Host and Guest
Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/
Elise Radawitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliseradawitz/
Velocity Leader: https://www.linkedin.com/company/velocity-leader/
Connect with Us
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@servicebusinessmastery
Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/servicebusinessmasterypodcast
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servicebusinessmasterypodcast
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