In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, JC Chanowsky, founder of Patriot Illumination, shares his journey from pressure washing and Navy service to building a $1.2 million Christmas light installation business in Wilmington, North Carolina. JC candidly unpacks the lessons he learned since entering the holiday lighting space in 2016—emphasizing the importance of training, coaching, hiring early, and building systems for growth. He dives into practical sales strategies for service pros looking to add Christmas lights to their offerings, like leveraging existing customer databases, delivering emotional experiences, and never underestimating the power of persistence in landing commercial clients. With anecdotes, real numbers, and tactical advice, JC’s story is a blueprint for turning a seasonal service into a thriving business. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling to seven figures, this episode delivers actionable insights for home service pros looking to win the holidays—and their market. Show NotesFeatured Guest JC Chanowsky – Founder of Patriot Illumination Resources: The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup The Huge Insider Podcast Downloadable Action Guide Foundations Platform Trial Offer Huge Mastermind Info Page Huge Foundations Facebook Group Transcript:  What's up everybody? My name is JC Chanowsky with Patriot Illumination in Wilmington, North Carolina, and I've been asked to talk about Christmas lights and share my story and experiences in the Christmas light industry. And if you're listening to this, then maybe you're either. Currently a Christmas light installer or considering doing it.And I wanted to just talk to you about some of the wins and struggles that we've experienced since we started doing the Christmas light install business in 2016. And when I started it, I actually attended a trade show. It was for pressure washing. Probably the one, like the huge that you should be attending.And I'll say that I didn't know that this was a service or an option. And 2016 social media was probably a little bit different wasn't as robust and. And everybody's face like it is now. So you really needed to get out there and make yourself vulnerable and talk to people and find information a little bit differently than we do today.But I was grateful for attending this event and I will say that it transformed and changed the future of my business. I was, running a pressure washing business while working full-time with the Navy. So it was really like a, not really a hobby, but it wasn't a full-time commitment. So 2016, started Christmas lights got a little bit of knowledge about it, but didn't get my hand dirty, didn't get training, was able to install a couple houses, and then finally got to do some training the year after that, which highly recommend if you're, looking to install Christmas lights or even if you are currently installing Christmas lights, have never been to a formal training. Being able to see how others are able to install differently, maybe more efficiently will really change the way you view things. We only know what we know and if.I taught myself how to do something, then that's the way I'm gonna do it until somebody shows me a better way. So that's why firm believer on constantly getting yourself out there, attending trainings, talking to people, networking 'cause. We don't wanna reinvent the wheel, but if there's easier, faster, safer, smarter ways to do things, then I'm all about it.And we're gonna jump on board and go ahead and do that. Got the training done 2019, and 2019 I went full-time. I stopped working full-time in the Navy, so I went full-time into pressure washing full-time into Christmas lights. Got my first. Coach Pat Clark was my coach, attended Sales Boost and joined Conquer what used to be Conquer.I don't know what it's now, but without those three things that happened all at once. Literally I think this was January, I signed up for Conquer Sales Boost and had Pat

Summary On this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef dives deep into the most profitable yet overlooked strategy in the home service industry: customer retention. Featuring Daniel Dixon, CEO of SendJim and a 7-figure floor coating business owner, this episode is a goldmine for service providers who want to maximize revenue by focusing on their existing customer base.   Daniel Dixon, CEO of SendJimWebsite Mentioned Tools & Platforms SendJim – client retention and automation platform Jobber – CRM software for home service businesses Housecall Pro – home service software ServiceTitan – field service management software Zapier – automation tool Resources (Mentioned Every Time) The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook Group Events The Huge Convention 2025 – August 20–22 in Nashville, TNTickets: https://thehugeconvention.com/ Transcript Sid Graef: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. It's Sid Graef and the Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals striving to break the million dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're definitely in the right place. We want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. So we've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven and eight figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from $2 million to $40 million a year and more. And we bring you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners—not armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the folks quietly building empires behind the scenes. This month, we're focusing on the things you must do to get and keep happy, profitable clients. Things like quality control, reviews, referrals, and long-term retention. Today, the topic is long-term retention. Once you get a customer, how do you keep them forever? Today, you're going to hear from Daniel Dixon. Daniel has a 7-figure floor coating company. He's been in the carpet cleaning industry, and now, in addition to his service business, he’s the CEO of SendJim—a client retention automation and marketing platform. But the episode isn't about SendJim—it's about how to retain clients forever. We also have a downloadable action guide to help you with a retention plan. It’s available at https://www.thehugeinsider.com. Let’s get into it. Daniel Dixon: Hey everybody, this is Daniel Dixon, CEO of SendJim. Today I’m going to talk to you about customer retention. You’ve got these customers—now how do you keep them? How do you sell more to them? And why is this important? The reason is simple: customer retention generates the highest return on investment of any marketing strategy. Selling to existing clients is easier, cheaper, and far more profitable than acquiring new ones. Think about it: they already know you, like you, and trust your company. If you delivered a great experience, there's no reason they would go anywhere else—unless they forget about you. That’s why staying in touch is essential. Let’s say your cost per lead is $45 or more through Google Ads. Compare that with $1–$3 to follow up with an existing customer through a text, postcard, or voicemail. That’s a no-brainer. Daniel Dixon: Here’s how to retain customers: Increase Frequency – Get clients to use your service more often. If they hire you once a year, can they hire you twice or more? Upsell Services – Many customers only know you for the first service they bought. Tell them what else you do—pressure washing, roof cleaning, holiday lights, etc. Stay Top of Mind – Most customers forget your business name a month later. Use automated marketing like texts, emails, and postcards to stay in front of them. You can automate all of this using SendJim. We integrate with CRMs like Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, and anything connected via Zapier. For exa

In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, Sid Graef takes you to the mountaintops of his hometown, Missoula, Montana, to frame today’s powerful topic: referrals. Sid shares how you can create a low-cost, high-conversion referral program by simply asking at the right times. From planting the seed during the initial call to reinforcing the ask after the job is done, Sid outlines a step-by-step strategy that took his business from just a few monthly referrals to 3–5 every week. Referrals bring in high-trust, price-flexible customers who are easier to close—making this free marketing method one of the most profitable strategies you can implement. Be sure to download the free action guide at www.thehugeinsider.com to start building your referral system today. Show Notes Resources Mentioned The Huge Insider Action Guide The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup Foundations Platform Trial Offer Huge Mastermind Info Page The Huge Convention Tickets The Huge Insider Facebook Group The Huge Transformations Podcast(Available at thehugeinsider.com) Transcript Sid Graef:Welcome back to The Huge Insider Podcast. I’m Sid Graef, I’m your host, and this is the show for home service business builders who are trying to break the million-dollar mark. And here’s why: we’ve gathered a group of experts who run seven- and eight-figure businesses, businesses doing anywhere from $2 million a year to $40 million a year. We get their best wisdom, their best insights, their best advice, and we give it to you straight—undistilled, no fluff. Just, “Here it is. This is a tactic or strategy you can apply in your business today that will make your business stronger, better, more profitable tomorrow.” That’s why we put out the show—we want to help you grow steadily, quickly, profitably. So today’s topic is referrals. That’s pretty cool. I’m going to show you around, for those of you that are watching this. Right behind me—let me step out of the way—is my hometown: Missoula, Montana. Missoula is a small to medium-sized mountain town. It’s really beautiful here. There’s a river that runs right through it over here, and mountains surround us all the way around. The iconic “M” Mountain is here—it’s got the big “M” on it for the University of Montana. Over here is the “L”—it’s for Loyola High School, a private school. And then you’ve got neighborhoods and people living off in the woods like this. It’s absolutely stunning. Let me spin this a little bit more. Also, we’ve got a lot of wildflowers going on. I’m at the top of a place called Waterworks Hill. So, why do I tell you all that? Here’s why—because this is a part of our community, and no matter where you live, people form communities. You may have a small, tight-knit community, or you may live in a big city, maybe you’re in Minneapolis, but there are community pockets all around within larger metro areas. So that leads me to the topic of referrals. Here’s the thing—people, for as long as time has existed, want to do business with those they know, like, and trust.So how do you get people to know, like, and trust you? There are a lot of ways. Usually, it’s a handshake, eye contact, a great conversation, and doing something good for someone. That’s how you start a relationship and build trust. But in a digital age, how do you build trust quickly?One of the most powerful ways to build trust and gain new customers at literally no cost is referrals. People love to refer businesses they’ve had great experiences with.They talk about great restaurants, good movies, sporting events, cool people they’ve met.So the first part of gaining referrals is being worthy of being talked about.Do business in a way that is so good, people can’t ignore you—they want to talk about you. That’s the baseline for getting referrals. But here’s the catch: people don’t refer as often as they could, because you don’t ask them. If you want to build a deliberate, focused referral program, here’s what we do: Plant the s

In part two of this series, host Sid Graef is back with Nick South from SoTellUs, diving deeper into how to maximize your reviews and turn them into powerful marketing tools that bring in higher-paying customers. Nick reveals that reviews are the most trusted form of content because they serve as word-of-mouth proof that your business delivers on its promises. In fact, companies with a 4.7 to 5.0-star rating can charge up to 31% more than lower-rated competitors. But it doesn’t stop at collecting reviews—you need to get them seen. Nick explains how SoTellUs helps businesses automate review sharing across websites, social media, SEO landing pages, and even your customers' personal networks—amplifying your reputation and reach. This episode highlights how review visibility = revenue growth. Be sure to grab the free downloadable action guide at www.thehugeinsider.com to start putting these strategies to work today.   Resources Mentioned The Huge Insider Action Guide The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup Foundations Platform Trial Offer Huge Mastermind Info Page The Huge Convention Tickets The Huge Insider Facebook Group Learn more about SoTellUs. We love and use them, and asked if they could hook you up with a special offer.  Get it here sotellus.com/huge-booyah-llc/   Transcript:   Sid Graef:Welcome back to The Huge Insider Podcast. It’s Sid Graef here, and this is part two this week with our conversation with Nick South from SoTellUs, talking about the value of the review, how to maximize your reviews, and how to get more reviews. So today, I just asked him the question. I'm like, “Hey, you’ve got good reviews. How do you maximize those? What can you do with a review that is not obvious, and how do you do that?” So he shares some real wisdom, some insights, and some eye-opening ways you can utilize the reviews you’ve already got to really impact your business and make more money on the jobs that you’re doing. So with that, let’s dive in. Here’s Nick with SoTellUs. Nick South:Hey guys, Nick with SoTellUs again. So I wanted to talk about how to maximize your reviews to get higher-paying jobs. Okay, so the first thing I want you to think about is: if you get a ton of awesome, happy five-star reviews from your clients, but nobody gets to see them, what good is that doing for your business? I work with a ton of businesses, and a lot of people want to come in to get reviews. The biggest thing is they want reviews to help get found, push customers over the edge, attract new clients, and increase their online rankings on Google, their websites, and other places like that. And those are the real reasons to get reviews. It’s not just to get them to say, “Look how many reviews I’ve got.” It’s time to take those reviews and get them found. Because reviews are another form of content. But I’ll tell you why it’s the best form of content—because it’s not just something saying, “This is who we are or what we do,” or “Here’s some tips and tricks on these new things.” No, it’s literal social proof. It’s the most attractive content for a customer because it’s showing them that you are a person of your word, that you are able to fulfill the promises you give to your customers. And that’s what they want to see. You’re selling them the experience through another person’s word of mouth. That is insanely powerful. And just so you guys know, if you Google a stat, you’ll see that businesses that actually have up to a five-star rating are able to charge up to 31% more for their services compared to those who have four stars or lower. So a 4.7 to a 5.0-star rating is peak—that’s where you want to be at. And leveraging those reviews by putting them on different places is going to be dramatic for your online presence and reputation. Like for our system, what our system does is it automatically takes all reviews, puts them on your website, your social media sites. We even run SEO with them by giving every review its own landing page

In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef sits down with Nick South, Director of Sales at SoTellUs, a review automation platform helping over 20,000 businesses in 50+ countries. Nick shares the game-changing truth that customers are willing to pay 31% more for companies with top-tier ratings (4.7–5.0 stars). But reviews only work if people see them. Nick explains how to strategically showcase your best reviews on your website, social media, and marketing channels to instantly build trust and credibility—turning social proof into higher-paying jobs. You’ll also hear about SoTellUs' tools to automate your review and referral collection process, saving you time while maximizing impact. This is Part 1 of a two-part series on leveraging reviews to grow your business. Be sure to grab the free downloadable action guide to help you implement this week's strategies at www.thehugeinsider.com. Show Notes Resources Mentioned The Huge Insider Action Guidehttps://www.thehugeinsider.com The Huge Insider Newsletter Signuphttps://thehugeconvention.com/insider Foundations Platform Trial Offerhttps://thehugeconvention.com/1foundationstrial Huge Mastermind Info Pagehttps://www.thehugemastermind.com/interest The Huge Convention Ticketshttps://www.thehugeconvention.com The Huge Insider Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/hugefoundations SoTellUs (Review Automation Platform)https://sotellus.com/ Guest Information Nick South – Director of Sales at SoTellUshttps://sotellus.com(No direct social links provided in the episode) Contact the Show Call or Leave a Voicemail(804) 600-4843(Spells 804-600-HUGE)Transcript: Sid Graef:Welcome back to The Huge Insider Podcast. It's Sid Graef here, and The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals who are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're in the right place. Here’s the thing—we want to help you skip the BS, and there's plenty of it out there. We want you to skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from two million a year to forty million a year. And we bring you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. And these are real owners. These are the ones quietly building empires behind the scenes. This month, we're focusing on the things you must do to get and keep happy, profitable clients. These four things are quality control, reviews, referrals, and long-term retention. And today's topic is reviews. We’ve got several of the eight-figure business owners in our network that have great review processes, but they all have one thing in common—they rely heavily on automation software to get those reviews. So rather than have me or someone else talk to you about how we do our reviews, we've gotten in touch with Nick South, and he's the Director of Sales for SoTellUs. SoTellUs is a company dedicated to helping companies get more reviews and referrals. They're an automation software that handles that type of technology and a whole lot more. They’ve helped over 20,000 companies in over 50 countries to gain more reviews. So rather than me talking about my process, which is just my way of thinking about it, we’ve got the guys that obsess about millions of reviews every single day to share with you some insights on a simple process to get more reviews and the value of good reviews. So this is going to be a two-part series, and I want to introduce you to Nick South again. He's the Sales Director at SoTellUs. Let's hear from Nick. And last thing before we dive in—we’ve got a downloadable action guide for you, and it's available at thehugeinsider.com. Let’s get into it. Nick South:Hey guys, Nick with SoTellUs here again. Today, what I want to talk to you about is how to maximize your reviews to get higher-paying jobs. So now, when you get review

In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef dives deep into the critical topic of quality control—the first pillar in a four-part series on building happy, profitable client relationships. Speaking directly to home service pros and business owners scaling past the $1M mark, Sid breaks down how quality is not a fluke—it’s a system. He shares his proven framework used at Spectrum Window Cleaning, where performance-based pay, job ownership, and strategic incentives create a culture of accountability and pride. From smart hiring to random job site checks, Sid explains how aligning incentives with expectations leads to fewer callbacks, better reviews, and long-term client retention. If you’re ready to reduce chaos and scale responsibly, this episode is your blueprint. Show Notes Topics Covered: The 4 pillars of client happiness: Quality Control, Reviews, Referrals, and Retention Why quality control begins with hiring the right people Performance-based pay: benefits and pitfalls How job ownership prevents corner-cutting Spectrum’s 3-part quality system (Training, Ownership, Random Checks) How to align pay structures with performance standards Real-life incentives and consequences to drive better behavior The long-term impact of enforcing high standards   Mentioned Resources & Links: The Huge Insider newsletter signup Downloadable action guide Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook group for service pros 📍 The Huge Convention 2025 — Nashville, TN, August 20–22 🌐 Spectrum Window Cleaning (Business owned by Sid Graef – more at upcoming episodes)   Connect with Sid Graef: LinkedIn Facebook Group     Transcript:Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, the huge insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're definitely in the right spot. If you're already over a million dollars in revenue, you get even more out of this show. So here's the thing, we really want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We have gathered. Wisdom and insight directly from seven and eight figure business owners, people that are running companies that do anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year. And we bring you the best insights every week, all focused on a single topic every month. Real owners, no, no opinions, just experience. So here's the thing. This month we're focusing on the things that you must do to get and keep happy, profitable clients. These four things are quality control. Reviews, referrals, and long-term retention. So today's topic is quality control. Might sound boring, but it's incredibly important. So today I get to share our processes and the core principles behind quality control. So last thing before we dive in, wanna remind you, we've got a downloadable action guide for you. It's available@thehugeinsider.com and I hope you download it and use it. So let's get into it. Quality control. If you've got a crew that's out doing window cleaning or pressure washing or whatever your business does, and you're not on every single job site, you're growing your company, then this episode is for you. Here's the deal. Quality control is not an accident, it's a process. It, here are the underlying principles for quality control. Number one is what gets measured, gets managed, and then number two is incentivize behavior that you want. And disincentivize behavior that you don't want. So if you don't build systems to ensure your quality, you end up with callbacks, bad reviews, lost clients, and honestly, that would be your fault, even if you're not the one holding the squeegee because you are the business owner and you're the one that sets the tone, the foundation, and the direction of your company. So here's the foundation of quality. It doesn't really start with a checklist or inspection. It starts with your people.

In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef shares a powerful and practical guide to running effective team meetings for service-based businesses. With firsthand insight from leading a seven-figure window cleaning company in Montana, Sid breaks down how structured weekly meetings drive alignment, productivity, and team culture. He admits to once avoiding meetings due to perceived cost—only to learn that skipping them cost far more in missed opportunities, confusion, and team disconnection. Sid outlines his company’s proven two-meeting system: the Monday “Money Meeting” that sets the week’s tone with wins, safety reminders, and upsell planning, and the Wednesday “Training Meeting” focused on team culture, soft skills, and leadership development. The episode is packed with real-world tips and frameworks that any business owner can immediately implement. If you’re trying to scale your service business and empower your team, this episode is a must-listen. Show Notes Resources (mentioned every episode): The Huge Insider newsletter The Huge Insider downloadable action guide Foundations platform trial Huge Mastermind info page Facebook Group References & Mentions: Nashville Huge Convention 2025: August 20–22,  Core behaviors discussed for April 2025: Be on time, leave it better for the next person, lift up teammates, take pride in your work       Transcript: Sid Graef:Welcome back to The Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it's Sid Graef here, and this is The Huge Insider, the show for home service professionals like you who are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark per year. And if that's you, you're definitely in the right place. If you're already over a million dollars of revenue, you'll get even more out of this show. We want to help you skip all the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We've gathered insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people running companies that are currently doing anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year and more. We're bringing you the best insights all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners—not armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the people quietly building empires behind the scenes. Generally, they're not on social media looking for attention. They're in business, making things happen. Last month, we focused on hiring A-players. This month, we’re answering the question: what do you do once you hire the right person—once you get that A-player? The topics we’ve covered week by week are onboarding, pay structure, training, and this week—it’s meetings. Weekly meetings. How to manage and handle a meeting that makes your team more productive. You’re about to hear from me. I know, that’s kind of weird. But I have a seven-figure window cleaning company in Western Montana, and I want to talk with you a little bit about the way we handle and manage meetings to make our company more productive. Before we dive in, the last thing I want to mention is we have a downloadable action guide for you. It’s available at www.thehugeinsider.com. And with that—let’s get into it. So, here’s the question: Why are team meetings important? What is especially important about doing team meetings for the home service industry? I’m going to start by admitting my mistake. For years, I thought team meetings were dumb—that they were an expensive waste of time. People should just know what to do, how to do it. We trained them. You give them the work tickets and let them run. I only saw team meetings as a cost—ten people in a meeting at $20 an hour for an hour. That’s $200 per meeting. So I avoided them. I rarely held team meetings, honestly, because I thought I was losing money. But the reality is, avoiding those meetings cost us money. It cost us time. We lost alignment. We lost momentum. We lost opportunities. Here’s the truth about team meetings: A well-run, structured team meetin

In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, Michael Kaplan breaks down how team meetings, when done right, can drive culture, mission alignment, communication, and motivation across an entire organization. Instead of boring status updates, great meetings reinforce your company’s purpose, deliver key information, cascade leadership messages, and celebrate success. You'll walk away with actionable tips on how to plan your meetings with purpose, inject energy into the room (think "Black Betty" as a hype song), and engage your team so they leave energized and informed. If you want your team rowing in the same direction—toward growth and excellence—this episode gives you the blueprint. Show Notes Guest Michael Kaplan Home service entrepreneur since 2006 Scaled a carpet cleaning business to over 150 employees and eight figures in revenue Resources Mentioned Downloadable Action Guide The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup Foundations Platform Free Trial The Huge Mastermind Info Page Facebook Group Huge Convention Tickets August 20–22, 2025, in Nashville, TN  Transcript Sid Graef: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it's Sid Graef here, and the Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. And if that's you, you're in the right place. If you're already over a million dollars in revenue, you will get even more out of this show. So we want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners, people who are running companies that do anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year, and we're bringing you their best insights, all focused on one single topic each month. And these are real owners. They're not armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the ones that are quietly building empires behind the scenes. They're not on social media looking for attention. They're in business actually making things happen. So last month we focused on hiring A-players, and this month we answered the question, what do you do once you hire the right person? You've got onboarding, pay structure, training, safety, and much more. And today's topic is team meetings and the value of team meetings. So you're about to hear from Michael Kaplan. Michael Kaplan built a strong eight-figure carpet cleaning business in the Midwest, and he knows about team meetings because they had over 150 employees and they had to get everyone on the same page week after week after week. So he goes into a lot of detail about what a good team meeting needs to be successful and why it's important. You know, most businesses treat team meetings as an afterthought or skip them altogether and just assume that everybody knows what to do and where they need to be. Last thing before we dive in, we've got a downloadable action guide for you for this episode, and it's available at thehugeinsider.com. So with that, let's dive into it. Michael Kaplan: Hello, podcasters. My name's Michael Kaplan. I've been a home service entrepreneur since 2006, and I drew the short straw. So I get to talk to you about team meetings, and actually, I'm a bit of a team meeting nerd, so maybe it's not a super short straw. But most people groan and hate the prospect of having a team meeting because most meetings suck. And no offense, your meetings probably suck. Mine have too, and I've got a couple of tips here to help you think through how to make your meetings suck less or maybe even accomplish a couple of goals. So think about the tone of the meeting as much as the content of the meeting. How you deliver the message matters almost as much as the message. And similarly important, think really hard about how much you're trying to accomplish. Less is more, and the risk of overextending is real, and you'll dilute the message if you do overextend. So you've got the full t

In this episode of the Huge Transformations Podcast, Liz Trotter flips the script on traditional onboarding. Forget stuffing forms into Day One—real onboarding is about connection, clarity, and belonging. Liz walks us through how onboarding should begin the moment the offer is accepted—not the moment they walk through the door. From sending pre-start welcome kits to scheduling intentional one-on-ones, this is the people-first playbook for retaining great hires from day one. If you're tired of the revolving door of new hires or want a smoother, more human onboarding system, this episode is your roadmap. What You’ll Learn: Why onboarding starts before Day One The emotional goal of onboarding: connection + clarity What to send before their first shift to reduce anxiety How to create a first-day experience that builds loyalty What kind of conversations to have in week one to build trust Pro Tip: Onboarding isn’t a checklist—it’s how you bring people into the soul of your business. Downloadable Action Guide The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup Foundations Platform Free Trial The Huge Mastermind Info Page Facebook Group Huge Convention Tickets August 20–22, 2025, in Nashville, TN Transcript Sid Graef: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, Sid Graef here, and The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. And if that's you, you're definitely in the right place. If you're already above a million dollars, you're going to get even more out of the show. So we want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people who are running companies that do anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year. We bring you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real business owners. They're the ones actually quietly building empires behind the scenes, so they're in business making things happen. Now, last month we focused on hiring A-players, and this month we answer the question: what do you do once you hire the right person? The first thing you do is you onboard them. And not just with a list of tasks and forms to sign, but by embedding them into the soul of your company culture. That’s exactly what today’s guest, Liz Trotter, is here to teach us. Liz is a true business rockstar with several seven-figure businesses. She owns them—she's not running the day-to-day. So anytime Liz speaks, I listen carefully and take notes. In this episode, she’s going to walk us through not only an onboarding checklist but also a deeper onboarding philosophy. Let’s dig in, and remember, there’s a downloadable action guide for this episode at thehugeinsider.com. Liz Trotter: Hey all, Liz here. I want to talk to you a little bit about onboarding today. The idea behind onboarding might be a little different than what you're used to. Most people think onboarding is just what you do on day one—uniforms, legal forms, job description talks. And sure, you need to do that stuff, but that’s not onboarding for success. Onboarding should start the minute someone accepts your job offer. You want to begin embedding them into your company culture before they ever walk in the door. That might look like sending them a job description, expectations for behavior, and even a "favorites list" to help you connect on a personal level. Clarity reduces anxiety, so the more prepared and informed your new hire feels, the better they’ll perform. Let them know how success is measured in the role—even if it’s just a brief overview. You can dive into details later, but start with transparency. Day one should include a warm welcome. Whether it’s a welcome kit with their name on it, a Slack introduction, or a name up on the board, make sure they feel like they belong. Introduce them to the team, and start giving

Safety training isn’t box‑checking—it’s profit, people, and peace of mind. Host Sid Graef interviews Sheila Smeltzer (President, A+ Pro Services and former IWCA president) about building a bullet‑proof safety culture for home‑service firms. Sheila explains why OSHA 1910 rules matter, how a single four‑foot drop can cost six‑figure fines, and why ladder incidents alone send 200,000+ workers to the ER every year. Her framework is simple: Know the law. OSHA 1910 Subpart D (walking‑working surfaces) and Subpart I (PPE) govern most field work. Use qualified trainers. Hire or outsource a qualified person who can certify employees and document everything. Systemize it. Flag hazards in your CRM (e.g., ServiceTitan), create written Job Hazard Analyses and Safety Work Plans, and re‑train annually. Document or it didn’t happen. Clear, signed records slash liability and keep crews—and profits—intact. The takeaway: a documented, repeatable safety program protects lives and margins better than any marketing hack. Show Notes Guest – Sheila Smeltzer, President, A+ Pro Services (window cleaning & exterior maintenance, NC) – https://aplusproservices.com/ A+ Pro Serivces | (910)-754-2263 Host – Sid Graef, Huge Insider Podcast – https://thehugeinsider.com References & Links Mentioned OSHA 1910 General Industry Standards – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910 Subpart D – Walking‑Working Surfaces – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartD Subpart I – Personal Protective Equipment – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartI International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA)  Power Washers of North America (PWNA) Expert Safety Services / Safety Advocate App ServiceTitan field‑service CRM Call‑in line to share your story – (804) 600‑4843 Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide Foundations platform 1‑month trial The Huge Mastermind info Huge Foundations Facebook group Transcript SID GRAEF: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sid Graef here. The Huge Insider is the show for home‑service professionals who are striving to break the million‑dollar revenue mark. If that’s you, you’re in the right place, and if you’re already over a million dollars of revenue, congratulations—you’re going to get even more out of this show. We want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. That’s why we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven‑ and eight‑figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from $2 million a year to $40 million a year—and we’re bringing you the best insights. It’s all focused on one topic each month, and these are real owners. There are no arm‑chair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the people quietly building empires behind the scenes; they’re not on social media looking for attention—they’re in business making things happen. Last month we focused on hiring A‑players. You can’t build your dream without people, so you’ve got to have the right people. This month we answer the question, What do you do once you hire the right person?—on‑boarding, pay structure, training, and more. And today’s topic is safety training. You’re about to hear from Sheila Smeltzer. She owns a thriving window‑cleaning business in North Carolina and has been the president of the IWCA—the International Window Cleaning Association. She goes into a lot of detail today about what safety training needs to be successful. And it’s funny, because most service businesses treat safety training as an afterthought. They make jokes like, “Just be careful—if you fall, you’re going to be fired before you hit the ground.” Safety’s not a joke; it requires planning, diligence, and repetition so that you can keep your people safe, because there really is no window that needs to be clean

In this episode of the Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef dives into the critical topic of onboarding and training new employees with insights from expert guest Liz Trotter. Liz breaks down the essential steps in creating a simple, effective training structure that’s built on clarity, consistent feedback, and hands-on experience. From setting clear success benchmarks for each training phase to offering “feed-forward” coaching instead of backward-looking critiques, Liz’s approach keeps your new hires confident, motivated, and ready to excel. These strategies help ensure new employees quickly become competent, enthusiastic contributors to your business, benefiting service-based professionals looking to streamline operations and bolster team performance. Show Notes Guest: Name: Liz Trotter Background: Nearly 30 years of experience, owns a seven-figure house cleaning business, a training business, and a large real estate portfolio. Key Topics Covered: Importance of clear benchmarks (day-by-day success criteria) Hands-on training to build confidence and competence Using “feed-forward” instead of focusing on past mistakes Segmenting training into phases for measurable progress Assigning a buddy or mentor for new hires Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook The Huge Convention Live event in Nashville, TN (August 20–22) Call in with questions or stories: (804) 600-HUGE (804-600-4843) Transcript Sid Graef (Host):Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, this is Sid Graef here. The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals who are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're in the right place, and if you're already over a million dollars in revenue, you're gonna get even more out of this show. So why is this the show? Well, there are a lot of people online and around the world with big opinions and very little experience. There are even some fake gurus out there. We want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from real, experienced business builders. So we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people running companies doing anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year, and some more—and we're bringing you their best insights, distilled and focused on a single topic each month. And these are real owners, no armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the ones that are quietly building empires behind the scenes. They're not on social media looking for attention; they’re in business making things happen. So last month we focused on hiring A-players. The whole month was about hiring. And this month we answer the question: What do you do once you hire the right person? You've got onboarding, pay structure, training, and more. So today we’re diving into training. We have a very special guest contributor, and that is Liz Trotter. Liz has been in business for almost three decades and owns a seven-figure house cleaning business as well as a training business, plus a large real estate portfolio. She’s been in the game for a long time, and she’s one of the best when it comes to onboarding and training your employees. She demystifies and simplifies the training process. But why is training for a new employee so important? Because the training establishes the foundation of how that person is going to operate and perform in your business, hopefully for a long, long time. So without further ado, let’s dive in. Meet Liz Trotter. Liz Trotter (Guest):Hey all. Liz here, and I have got some training tips for you. Now, I’m not going to tell you how to train your people—that’s up to you—but what I am going to talk to you about today is how to build some things into your training program so that you have more success, so that your people feel like

In this episode of the Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef and guest Jared Skinner discuss how to create performance-based pay structures that motivate and reward high-achieving employees without sacrificing quality or compliance. You’ll learn about the importance of setting clear standards, understanding legal requirements (like the 7(i) exemption), implementing base pay combined with commission, and establishing guardrails to maintain quality. By tracking performance with dashboards and scoreboards, you can “gamify” your team’s efforts and ensure everyone is incentivized to perform at their best. These insights are especially valuable for service-based business owners looking to improve profitability, increase employee retention, and maintain high-quality services. Show Notes Guest: Name: Jared Skinner Owns multiple seven-figure businesses (window cleaning, concrete coatings, holiday lighting) Topics Covered: Why performance-based pay boosts production The 7(i) exemption and legal requirements Combining a base hourly wage with commission Setting guardrails to ensure service quality Tracking and displaying performance metrics (gamification) Resources (Mentioned & Essential): The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook Group The Huge Convention tickets and info Call in with questions or stories: (804) 600-HUGE (804-600-4843) TranscriptSid Graef (Host):Welcome back, my friend, to the Huge Insider Podcast. My name is Sid Graef, and this is the Huge Insider Podcast. It is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're in the right place. Now, if you're already over a million in revenue, guaranteed, you're gonna get even more out of the show. So why do we say this is the show? There are a lot of people with big opinions and not so much experience. There's a lot of fake gurus out there, and we want to help you skip the B.S. and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. That's why we've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners. These folks are running companies doing anywhere from two to forty million dollars a year. We bring you their best insights and experiences, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners—no armchair philosophers or fake gurus. They've done it. These are the ones quietly building empires behind the scenes. They're not on social media looking for attention; they're in business making things happen. Last month, we focused on hiring A-players. This month, we answer the question: What do you do once you hire the right person? When you get your A-player, what do you do about onboarding, pay structure, training, and more? Today, we're diving back into performance-based pay: how do you structure your pay plan to reward, motivate, and retain high performers? You're gonna meet Jared Skinner today. Jared owns a window cleaning company, a concrete coatings company, and a holiday lighting company, and they're all seven-figure companies. He probably owns more than that, and I don't even know about it. But remember, the goal here is to structure your pay in a way that is motivating to your employees and profitable for your company. This can be a tricky tightrope to walk. Everything Jared talks about is in the show notes. Just to be clear, he’s not an attorney or a tax professional—he’s a business owner speaking from experience. If there's a specific tax or legal question that comes up, talk to a professional. That said, the last thing before we dive in: we’ve got a downloadable action guide for you, and it’s available at thehugeinsider.com. With that, let’s dive into today’s topic. Jared Skinner (Guest):Everyone, welcome to the Huge Insider Podcast. Today, I'm gonna talk a little bit about pay for performa

🎧 Podcast Summary: “Why I Love Performance-Based Pay” Speaker: Ethan Moore, Moore Exteriors (Branson, MO) Ethan Moore explains the benefits of switching from hourly pay to performance-based (commission-style) pay for technicians. In his system, lead techs earn a flat 20% of the daily revenue from the jobs they complete. This incentivizes speed, efficiency, and quality, because techs earn more when they do more. For example, if a technician like Larry completes $1,000 worth of work in a day, he earns $200. If he becomes more efficient and completes $2,000, he earns $400. This model encourages: Efficiency: The faster a job is completed (without sacrificing quality), the more the tech can do—and earn. Ownership: Techs see a direct link between effort and income. Company Growth: More work gets done per truck and per day, increasing capacity and profits.   Show Notes: Resources: Elevate by Tommy Mello The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook Call-in line to share wins or lessons: 804-600-HUGE (4843)  

In this episode, host Sid Graef continues with the month’s main theme: hiring. He introduces Jim DuBois, a seasoned business owner from “Squeegee Pros,” who’s spent over 25 years building a 45-plus-employee team. Jim shares his strategies for creating a company culture that naturally attracts and retains A-players, from designing compelling job ads and hosting engaging hiring events to filtering out uncommitted applicants who don’t fit his team’s mission. His core takeaway: Build a great company first, and great employees will come. If you need to expand your workforce with high-quality team members, Jim’s approach offers fresh tactics and valuable clarity on how to stand out as a top-tier employer. Show Notes Guest: Jim DuBois, Owner of Squeegee Pros (Window Cleaning/Pressure Washing, ~45 employees) Key Topics: Crafting “magnetic” job ads aimed at your ideal candidate demographics. Hosting hiring events that reveal real A-players through engagement and Q&A sessions. Emphasizing the importance of presenting a business that top talent wants to join. Using your company vision, culture, and “unique selling propositions” to attract and retain the best employees. Mentioned: Squeegee Pros (no direct link provided) WindowWashingWealth.com (Jim’s high-level coaching company; URL mentioned only in passing) Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signuphttps://thehugeconvention.com/insider The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guidehttp://www.thehugeinsider.com The Foundations platform trial offerhttps://thehugeconvention.com/1foundationstrial The Huge Mastermind info pagehttps://www.thehugemastermind.com/interest Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/hugefoundations Transcript Sid Graef (Host):Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sid Graef here, and The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. So if that’s you, you’re in the right place. And if you’re already over a million dollars in revenue, you’re gonna get even more out of this show. So why is this the show? It’s not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show. It’s not an expert-driven show. Instead, what we’ve done is we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people that are running companies doing anywhere from 2 million to 40 million dollars a year in revenue. And we’re bringing you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners; there are no armchair philosophers and no fake gurus. These are the ones that are quietly building empires behind the scenes. They’re not on social media looking for attention; they’re in business, making things happen. So it’s still the month of March, and we’re wrapping it up. We’ve been diving deep all month long into hiring. If you have a big dream, you’re not gonna build it by yourself—you have to hire people to carry it out and build a team. And today, you’re gonna hear from Jim DuBois. He’s been on this show and shared with us one other time, but Jim is in South Carolina—or, well, maybe North Carolina (forgive me, Jim)—and he’s got a window cleaning company. He’s been in the business for over 25 years, he’s got over 45 employees, and they hire people all the time. They’re constantly screening for great talent. So he’s going to share his experience and how he separates the wheat from the chaff—how he finds A-players and how he sorts them out. Everything he talks about in the show is in the show notes. Everything we discuss on the program is in the show notes, and we have a downloadable action guide for you regarding this episode available at thehugeinsider.com. So let’s get into it. Jim DuBois (Guest):I’m Jim DuBois with WindowWashingWealth.com—my high-level coaching company—and Squeegee Pros, which is my window cleaning/pressure washing company. Forty-five employees make up that company. So today’s

In this episode, host Sid Graef focuses on valuable hiring insights from expert consultant Chris Dexter, a veteran at recruiting in various trades (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and more). Chris explains how to set a hiring budget, effectively use job posting platforms (like Indeed and BetterTeam), and automate the screening process with tools such as Calendly. He also highlights creative strategies like multi-location job postings, open-house group interviews, and tapping into trade schools. The key takeaway? Building a strong hiring system—complete with a dedicated budget, scheduled phone interviews, and a clear focus on culture—will help you attract and retain the A-players you need to grow past the million-dollar mark and beyond. Show Notes Guest: Chris Dexter (private consultant with extensive hiring experience) Mentioned Resources & Tools: Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/ BetterTeam: https://www.betterteam.com/ Calendly: https://calendly.com/ Local trade schools and academies Other Key Resources (always included): The Huge Insider newsletter signuphttps://thehugeconvention.com/insider The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guidehttp://www.thehugeinsider.com The Foundations platform trial offerhttps://thehugeconvention.com/1foundationstrial The Huge Mastermind info pagehttps://www.thehugemastermind.com/interest Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/hugefoundations Transcript Sid Graef (Host):Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sier, the huge insider, and this is the show for home service professionals who are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. That’s you—you are in the right place, and even if you’ve already gotten over a million-dollar revenue, well, you are gonna get even more out of the show. So why do I say this is the show? This is not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show. It’s not an expert-driven show. Instead, what we’ve done is we have gathered wisdom and insights directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people that are actually running companies that are doing everywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year. And we bring you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners—there’s no armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the ones quietly building empires behind the scenes. They’re not on social media looking for attention; they’re in business, and they’re making things happen. So we’re wrapping up the month of March, and it’s all about our main subject, which is hiring. Today you’re gonna hear from Chris Dexter. Chris has been the CEO, he has been the owner, he has been the partner, and now he’s a private consultant. He has been responsible for hiring hundreds, if not thousands, of technicians in electrical, HVAC, plumbing—the trades, the home services. So he knows his stuff, and I asked him, “What are your best practices for attracting and then hiring A players? How do you get them to come to you? How do you sort out the A players from everybody else?” And this is what he had to say. We’re about to get started. I just want to let you know everything we talk about, or that Chris talks about, is in the show notes as well as our action guide based on this week’s episode. So with that, let’s get into it. Chris Dexter (Guest):First of all, thank you, Sid, for asking for my input regarding hiring techniques. I’ll keep it brief. When customers first retain my services for human resources counseling, hiring—you name it—I always ask ’em the same question, and I get a number of different responses, but one is overwhelming. I ask them, “So, what’s your budget for hiring?” Employers often tell me, “The most important thing we do, or the most important thing we can do right now, is hiring.” And when I ask how much their budget is for it, they typically don’t have one set aside. I’m not certain if they don’t know how to create a budget for it or if they’ve

In this episode of the Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef teams up with Kyle Ray from Geek Window Cleaning in Austin, Texas, to dig deeper into hiring best practices. Their conversation focuses on crafting a compelling job ad that attracts top-tier talent, ensuring applicants fit your company culture, and implementing an effective screening process. By using tools like ChatGPT for ad creation and including small details (like an “Easter egg”) in the job listing, Kyle shows how to filter and find standout employees. From creating thorough candidate “personas” to developing interview q Sid Graef (Host):Okay, so what did you learn today from Kyle about hiring and how he manages his process? Better question is, more importantly, what are you gonna do with it? Is this something that you can take and implement in your business today to make it better so you can hire more A players? That’s the goal—to each week and every time, multiple times a week, give information straight from the mouth of an expert—someone who is actually putting it in practice. This is not theory. Take it and do it, so you can have a better, more profitable business. So here’s your next step: Everything that was covered in the show today is in the show notes, but most importantly, download the action guide. It’s located at thehugeinsider.com. You just go there, download it, and make sure that you are subscribed to our free weekly newsletter. It’s also called The Huge Insider. The same thing goes there—we’ve got actionable tips and strategies that will help you build a better business right now, and it is free. Other resources that we have for you: we’ve got our Facebook group and community, and that’s the place where, when you join, you can share ideas and collaborate with other people who are in the field in their business, working hard to make it better. You can help each other. And every summer, of course, we have the Huge Convention. This is the ultimate event for home service business owners. This year, we’re in Nashville from August 20th to the 22nd. Tickets are really, really inexpensive, so grab yours at thehugeconvention.com before prices go up. Prices do go up on April 1st, by the way. But this event is where real breakthroughs happen, and it’s the place for networking, education, and the biggest trade show in the industry for our industries. If you’ve already crossed the threshold and hit the million-dollar mark in your business, and you’ve got five employees or more, check out the Huge Mastermind. This is a place for the fast track to a freedom business. You can get more information in the show notes on that one. In the future, if you’ve got a success story, or you’ve had a great learning experience—meaning you’ve tried something, fell flat on your face, had a painful learning experience, and got back up and built a better business because of it—we want to hear from you. Call us up at 804-600-HUGE (that’s 804-600-4843). Leave a message, tell us all about it. We might just feature you on an upcoming episode. We’d really love that. That’s it for this week. Don’t just listen—take action. We want you to win and prosper. I’m Sid Graef, and I’m your host. This is the Huge Insider Podcast. We’ll see you next time. uestions that invite real vulnerability, you’ll learn to recruit “A players” who mesh perfectly with your business values. Show Notes Guest: Kyle Ray, Geek Window Cleaning (Austin, Texas) No direct links provided in the transcript. Mentioned Tools & Resources: ChatGPT or “Chad GPT”/DeepSea (AI platforms for generating job ads and interview processes) “Hire Buss” (a final filter for hiring; no direct link provided) The Huge Convention (annual event for home service business owners) The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook community Sid Graef (Host):Welcome back, my friend, to the Huge

This episode of The Huge Insider podcast dives into effective hiring practices for growing home service businesses. Host Sid Graef spotlights Kyle Ray of Geek Window Cleaning in Austin, Texas, who is scaling quickly through a multi-pronged recruitment strategy. Kyle emphasizes the power of consistent, creative outreach, from social media messages to in-person “shoulder tapping,” group interviews, and a culture that highlights career growth and vision for recruits. He outlines how setting up simple yet systematic hiring processes—like pre-screen filters, regularly scheduled group interviews, and leveraging your current team’s network—can help bring in a constant flow of motivated applicants. Whether you’re under or over the million-dollar mark, Kyle’s tactics can help you attract and retain high-quality team members who fit your company culture. Show Notes Kyle Ray – Geek Window Cleaning (Austin, Texas) Frenzy (referral software mentioned) – https://www.frenzy.co/ Brian Gottlieb (keynote speaker at The Huge Convention; built a $150M business) Marcus Sheridan – Author of They Ask You Answer Learn more: https://marcussheridan.com/ They Ask You Answer (book mentioned by Marcus Sheridan) Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signuphttps://thehugeconvention.com/insider The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guidehttp://www.thehugeinsider.com The Foundations platform trial offerhttps://thehugeconvention.com/1foundationstrial The Huge Mastermind info pagehttps://www.thehugemastermind.com/interest Facebook grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/hugefoundations TranscriptSid Graef: Hey, welcome back to the Huge Insider podcast, my friend. It’s Sid Graef, and if you’ve caught our first few episodes, you already know this is a new show for home service professionals who are working hard to break the million-dollar revenue mark. And if that’s you, you are definitely in the right place. If you’ve already passed the million-dollar mark, you’ll get even more out of this show for sure. So here’s the deal. It’s not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show. It’s certainly not an expert-driven show where one really smart person shares all their insight. Instead, what we’ve done is gather together a whole bunch of seven-figure business owners and eight-figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year, and sometimes more. We bring you their best insights each week, and it’s all focused on a single topic. This month, we’re focused on hiring. It’s March, and it’s time to staff up for the spring rush. These are real owners, quietly building empires behind the scenes. They’re not on social media looking for attention; they make their money from their businesses. As I said, this is March, our main subject is hiring, and today you’re going to hear from Kyle Ray. Kyle has Geek Window Cleaning in Austin, Texas, and he is growing fast. One of the things he’s doing is hiring dozens of people every week, running them through a system so they can grow and scale. I asked him a couple of questions: How are you recruiting? How do you make your business a place where A-players want to come and work? And what would you do if you only had two hours a week and had to hire two A-players every single week? What would you do? Here are the answers he gave us. Let’s get into it. Kyle Ray: Hey, what’s up? Kyle here with Geek Window Cleaning, and here to answer or give my two cents on this month’s hot topic of hiring, letting you guys know what we’re doing over here. So let’s get into it. There are four different things we do for recruiting: social media, shoulder tapping, circle, and Indeed/ZipRecruiter. 1. Social media: We look for profiles that seem like the person may be a good culture fit with our company. We send them a DM to generate curiosity, invite them to come learn more about our opportunity. We also run ads targeting college-age students on Facebook

In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, Guest Joshua Brown, founder of Brown’s Pressure Washing, shares four key practices for making your company appealing to top talent: Define and live your core values – Align hiring, firing, and promotions with clear, purposeful values. Set and celebrate high standards – Provide metrics, celebrate wins publicly, and reward excellence. Build a leadership development culture – Go beyond training by mentoring your team for personal and professional growth. Create a sense of ownership – Show transparency, encourage decision-making, and link success to team performance. By putting these strategies into action, you’ll create a purposeful workplace that naturally attracts high-performing individuals who seek growth, clarity, and a chance to make a real impact. Show Notes Guest: Joshua Brown, Founder of Brown’s Pressure Washing Website: Brown’s Pressure Washing Additional info: pressurewashingpastor.com Podcasts Mentioned: The Huge Insider Podcast The Huge Transformations Podcast (available on iTunes and Spotify) Events: The Huge Convention (August 20–22 in Nashville, TN) Phone: (804) 600-4843 (Leave a message to share wins, lessons, or feedback) Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook Transcript: Sid Graef:Welcome back, my friend. This is The Huge Insider Podcast, and I’m your host, Sid Graef. And if you’ve listened to the show, you already know that every week, what we’ve done is we’ve located seven-figure business owners, eight-figure business owners. We just ask them a simple question about the topic of the month. This month’s topic is hiring. And so we ask them specifics, like, how would you make your business a place that A-players want to come and work? How do you attract A-players? And then we let them give the answer. And the cool thing about this is, you’re getting—it’s lean. It’s husked. It’s like separating the wheat from the chaff. You’re getting 100% wheat and 0% chaff. You’re getting someone who is an expert, an experienced expert in their business. They’ve grown it to well over a million bucks a year. And they’re just going, “Oh, that’s the question. Here’s how we did it in our business.” And it is—you talk about cutting the learning curve and getting straight to the point—this is the time. This week, we actually asked that question of Joshua Brown. Joshua Brown has Brown’s Pressure Washing in Nashville, Tennessee, a multi-seven-figure operation, and they focus deliberately on leadership—like helping build leaders within the company. But we asked him, “How do you have a company that A-players want to work at? How do you attract A-players?” And this is what he had to say. So please meet my friend Joshua Brown, also known as The Pressure Washing Pastor. And I hope you take what you learn and immediately apply it and see the results that benefit your business, your family. We want you to win and prosper. Joshua Brown:Hey guys, this is Joshua Brown, founder of Brown’s Pressure Washing and Roof Cleaning, where we don’t just clean houses—we create jobs, make disciples, and serve our city. I want to talk about a crucial topic for business owners: How do you make your company a place where A-players want to work? The truth is, great businesses don’t find A-players; they attract them by being the kind of place that that type of talent wants to be at. Here’s how we do it at Brown’s Pressure Washing and how you can implement these same principles inside your business. The first thing you have to do is define and live your core values. A-players don’t just want a paycheck; they want purpose. At Brown’s, our core values are hiring humble, honest, and hardworking people and “drive it” in everything we do. But here’s the key: core values can’t just be words on a wall. You have to hire, fire, and promote by them. That means if som

Summary In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef discusses why they’re publishing more frequent mini-episodes, each featuring valuable insights from proven seven- and eight-figure business owners. He introduces Jim Dubois, a highly experienced window cleaning entrepreneur, who shares his strategy for getting a jump on the spring “money season.” By proactively contacting customers in January and February with special deals, loyalty rewards, bundled offers, and referral incentives, Jim ensures his company’s schedule fills up before the seasonal rush. He also emphasizes the role of office teams and sales staff in effective follow-ups, upsells, and overall customer engagement. Ultimately, Jim’s tips highlight the importance of proactive planning and marketing to outpace competitors and boost spring revenue.   This clear, action-oriented episode is especially relevant for service-based businesses and marketers seeking to maximize seasonal opportunities through organized promotion, team motivation, and early market priming.   Show Notes •Guest: Jim Dubois •Founder of Window Washing Wealth •Owner of Squeegee Pros in Charlotte, NC • References & Resources: 1. Window Washing Wealth 2. Squeegee Pros 3. The Huge Convention (August 20–22 in Nashville) 4. The Huge Insider Podcast Action Guides 5. Phone: 804-600-HUGE (804-600-4843) – Call to share wins or lessons learned   Transcript: Sid Graef: “Hey, my friend, it’s your host Sid Graef here. Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. We’ve only published a couple of episodes and we’re already starting to publish many episodes that go in between our primary Monday episode. And here’s why we’re doing that. We’ve had so much good insight and feedback from seven- and eight-figure business owners that want to share tactics and strategies that are specifically related to what we’re talking about this week, we decided instead of just doing one a week every Monday, we’re doing a Monday, Wednesday, we may even add a Friday pretty soon because we’re really picking up some steam.   So here’s the deal. This is a brand-new show for home service professionals who are stuck trying to break the million-dollar revenue mark. If that’s you, if you haven’t gotten to a million yet, this is your spot. You’re in the right place. And you already know this: if you’re over a million dollars in revenue, you’re going to get even more out of the show because you’ve already experienced some of the breakthroughs and you go, ‘Oh man, I can take that tactic and run to the bank with it.’   So here’s the deal. It’s not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show. It’s not expert-driven. We’ve just gathered up a whole bunch of our—literally a bunch of our friends that are seven-figure business owners, eight-figure business owners, and in one case, nine-figure business owners. And we ask them for insight on a specific topic and they roll, we record it, we publish it here, and you get the raw unedited version of what they have to say about how to benefit and grow from a certain strategy or a certain topic or a certain principle. And honest to goodness, I can’t think of any better way to learn and learn fast.   So I’m going to stop talking now. I want to introduce you to a legend in the window cleaning industry. His name is Jim Dubois. He gave us a short five-minute recording on how he primes his marketplace to maximize the end of winter and go into spring so far ahead of his competition that they cannot keep up. Meet Jim Dubois.”   Jim Dubois: “Hey, I’m Jim Dubois with WindowWashingWealth.com and Squeegee Pros, based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. We have 45 employees that make up my window cleaning and pressure washing company.   So today’s Huge Insider tip has to do with pre-season promos. Lots of things that we do with pre-season to kick off the season. And March, April kind of really mark the beginning of the busy season for so many, and how you prepare now determines how much

SummaryIn this episode of the Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef brings you powerful hiring strategies from Brandon Vaughn, a veteran entrepreneur who grew his [Sid Graef]:Hey, my friend, welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. This is your host, Sid Graef, and if you've been listening to our podcast, you already know this is a brand-new show for home service professionals who are committed to breaking the million-dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're in the right place. If you’re already over a million in revenue, you’ll get even more out of the show. So you already know—this is not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show; it’s not expert-driven. Instead, we’ve gathered seven- and eight-figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from two million a year to 40 million a year—and we’re bringing you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real operators, quietly building empires behind the scenes—not on social media looking for attention. They are in their element, building businesses and making things happen. So it’s March 2025, and this month we’re diving into hiring. A lot of you have seasonal businesses, and you know it’s time to staff up now so you can maximize your capacity to handle the spring rush. Last week, we heard from Michael Dahlke—he talked about the difference between core behaviors and core values, why it’s so important, and how that can be critical for your hiring and company culture. Today, you’re going to hear from Brandon Vaughn. Brandon started a window cleaning and power washing company as the sole employee (bought it from his dad), grew it to over 70 employees, and sold it. Then he built the Conquer coaching program—coached hundreds of small business owners—and also built Wise Coatings (which is still active). Now he’s building HireBus, a brilliant tool for hiring A-players. We asked Brandon: “What’s your best advice for best hiring practices?” Here’s what he had to say. [Sid Graef]:So in the world of hiring, there's nobody better for us to ask these questions. We've got Brandon Vaughn on, and the question is: What are the best practices for your hiring process? How do we find and hire A-players? [Brandon Vaughn]:Happy to dive in—this is one of my favorite topics. I'll share what I'm doing with my home service companies. For example, Wise Coatings has a waiting list of about 260 technicians waiting to join. There’s a major reason: we treat it like a marketing problem. Imagine your business is a product on a store shelf with many other options. How do you stand out? Most job ads are bland, generic. They don’t capture attention or describe what the opportunity is. We know how to sell a cleaning job to a customer—who our ideal customer is, marketing materials, videos—but if we don’t do that for employees, we fail. If we have no great employees, we can’t deliver. When writing our job ads, we start with a strong “who you are” opening hook—our ideal candidate profile: “You’re always working to level up in life personally and professionally. You love running toward problems…”—referencing our core values. Then we say who we are, selling them on us: “We were awarded Top 100 Emerging Franchises by Entrepreneur, one of the fastest-growing floor coatings companies…” Then we include a quick video: “See what it’s like to work here.” Future-pace them—what would it be like being part of our team? It’s about selling the opportunity. If your business isn’t big, it’s still “sexy”: a family-owned business with big dreams. Cast that vision. If it’s big enough for their dreams to fit inside, that’s how you attract A-players. Also, clean up your shop—fix the flickering light. Make it a place they want to work. Think about onboarding, training, job descriptions, so they have clarity. Second, we keep ads running all year. “Always be recruiting,” as it’s a lot of work. That’s why we built HireBus—an AI fractional recruiter that posts the job ads,