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Unlocking the Secrets of Private Equity with Johnny Conklin

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Release Date: 12/29/2025

The Sales System That Took Him to $300M+ Revenue (David Peterson) show art The Sales System That Took Him to $300M+ Revenue (David Peterson)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

David Peterson is Senior Vice President of Sales at Annuity, a powerhouse in the home improvement industry. With over 15 years of experience, David has scaled multi-brand platforms to nearly 1,000 sales representatives and helped grow Mad City Windows from a regional player to a $300 million+ powerhouse before its acquisition. David is a proven expert in in-home selling, KPI-driven management, and building repeatable sales systems that deliver consistent results. From overcoming early career challenges to leading a billion-dollar company’s sales strategy, David shares insights on...

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The Future of Blue-Collar is Tech, AI, Roofing, and Power (Josey Parks) show art The Future of Blue-Collar is Tech, AI, Roofing, and Power (Josey Parks)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Josey Parks is a CEO, venture entrepreneur, and one of the most forward-thinking voices at the intersection of blue-collar industry and technology. As the founder of multiple companies spanning roofing, construction, and AI—including Total Home Roofing, RFX, Roofix, Think Unlimited, and Cognitive Contractor—Josey has built a reputation as a true category creator in the trades. A former Inc. 5000 honoree and one of the youngest leaders to make a major impact in roofing, Josey has been featured on CNBC’s Blue-Collar Millionaires and This Old House and was named “Roofing’s Fearless...

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How Top Entrepreneurs Rewire Their Thinking to Win (Shawn & Kaitlin Feurer) show art How Top Entrepreneurs Rewire Their Thinking to Win (Shawn & Kaitlin Feurer)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Shawn and Kaitlin Feurer are the founders of Shawn Feurer Consulting, a mindset and performance coaching company based in Draper, Utah, helping business owners across the U.S. and Canada unlock higher levels of execution, leadership, and growth. Together, they’ve built a reputation for blending mindset mastery with real-world business strategy—helping entrepreneurs break through internal limitations and scale companies that actually last. Shawn, known as The Universal Mindset Disruptor, is the creator of The Inner Blueprint™ and brings over two decades of entrepreneurial experience,...

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The Highest ROI Marketing Tool for Home Service Businesses (Tim Hilcove) show art The Highest ROI Marketing Tool for Home Service Businesses (Tim Hilcove)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Email tim@smartwrap.com to get your first wrap FREE! Tim Hilcove is the founder of SmartWrap, a Phoenix-based vehicle wrap and branding company he launched in 2009 alongside his father. Over the past 15+ years, Tim has helped businesses across the country transform their vehicles into high-performing marketing assets: combining design, messaging, and strategy to generate real, measurable growth. With a background in design, production, and marketing, Tim has built SmartWrap into a full-service operation, producing and installing thousands of wraps annually through an in-house model that...

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Psychology Tricks That Got My Business to $500M (David Royce) show art Psychology Tricks That Got My Business to $500M (David Royce)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

David Royce is the founder and chairman of Aptive Environmental, one of the fastest-growing residential pest control companies in North America. Under his leadership, the company scaled to a $500M+ business operating across 30+ states and thousands of cities, with a team of over 6,000 employees. Recognized by Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The Wall Street Journal, David is a recipient of the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Beyond business, he brings a unique perspective by combining operational excellence with psychology, leadership...

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How to Scale and Exit Your Business (Brian Franco) show art How to Scale and Exit Your Business (Brian Franco)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Brian Franco is a visionary entrepreneur, dealmaker, and private equity investor widely known as “The M&A Guy.” He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Meritage Partners, where he has spent over two decades guiding founders, private equity groups, and strategic acquirers through transformative mergers and acquisitions—helping generate billions in successful exits. Brian is the author of Inevitable Exit, a definitive guide to business succession, strategy, and legacy, and the creator of Empire Builder Studio, a platform focused on scaling companies and preparing them for liquidity...

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Inside LJW: 40+ Years of Advertising That Actually Works - Sam John show art Inside LJW: 40+ Years of Advertising That Actually Works - Sam John

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Learn more about LJW Advertising here: https://www.larryjohnwright.com/ Larry John Wright Advertising (LJW) is a full-service creative and media strategy firm based in Mesa, Arizona, helping growth-focused companies turn marketing into measurable revenue. Founded in 1982, LJW specializes in combining strategic media buying with strong creative execution—placing campaigns across television, radio, billboards, streaming, digital, and social platforms. With in-house production studios creating thousands of ads each year, LJW helps clients move faster, control costs, and maintain consistent...

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How to Optimize Your SEO Strategy and Start Converting (Nate Fischer) show art How to Optimize Your SEO Strategy and Start Converting (Nate Fischer)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Nate Fischer is a technologist and the CTO of Local Optics, a digital marketing and SEO company focused on helping home service businesses dominate their local markets. With a background in software development and search engine optimization, Fischer has built his career at the intersection of data, automation, and performance-driven marketing. Throughout his work, Fischer has helped contractors and service companies rethink how they approach online growth—moving beyond traditional SEO tactics and toward systems that leverage real-world job data, customer interactions, and...

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How AI Is Closing Deals for Home Service Businesses with Chiirp (Ryan Fenn) show art How AI Is Closing Deals for Home Service Businesses with Chiirp (Ryan Fenn)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Ryan Fenn is an entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Chiirp, a software company focused on helping home service businesses convert more leads into booked jobs. A lifelong entrepreneur, Fenn built his career from the ground up—starting with a windshield repair business he launched with just a few hundred dollars and scaling it into a multi-location operation. Through his early experience in sales and home services, Fenn identified a major gap in the industry: most companies weren’t losing revenue because of poor marketing, but because of inconsistent and slow follow-up with...

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Why Direct Mail Still Dominates Home Service Marketing (Dan Harlacher) show art Why Direct Mail Still Dominates Home Service Marketing (Dan Harlacher)

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Interested in a complimentary market scan or ads workshop from Valpak? Click here: http://asktommypodcast.com/Valpak In this episode of The Home Service Expert, Tommy sits down with Dan Harlacher from Valpak, a marketing expert with over 30 years of experience helping local businesses generate leads and grow through targeted direct mail and data-driven marketing strategies. While many marketers focus only on digital advertising, direct mail continues to be one of the most powerful and underutilized lead generation tools, especially for home service businesses. Valpak has evolved from the...

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More Episodes

In this conversation, Tommy Mello interviews Johnny Conklin, founder and managing partner of 16 South Capital Partners. They discuss the importance of partnerships in business, the evolving landscape of private equity, and the role of founders in driving success. Johnny shares insights from his journey in private equity, emphasizing the need for authenticity, transparency, and a focus on non-economic goals. He explains the unique approach of 16 South Capital, which prioritizes legacy preservation and team culture over traditional leverage strategies. The conversation also touches on the misconceptions surrounding private equity and the importance of preparing for life after a sale.

00:00 The Importance of Partnerships
06:11 Navigating the Changing Landscape of B2B and B2C
09:03 The Role of Founders in Business Success
11:54 Understanding the Value of Non-Economic Goals
14:45 The Unique Approach of 16 South Capital
20:54 The Importance of Team and Culture
26:47 The Misconceptions of Private Equity
29:45 Preparing for Life After a Sale
32:50 Advice for Aspiring Business Owners
35:51 The Future of Private Equity and Business Growth