Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

Is Chick-fil-A entering home services… and what does that mean for contractors?
At first glance, it sounds like a joke — but it’s real. A Chick-fil-A–backed venture has launched a home service brand focused on handyman work, and it raises a much bigger question:
Who’s coming for the home service industry next?
In this episode, John Wilson is joined by Jack Carr (CEO of Rapid HVAC) to break down what this move actually signals — from venture capital entering the trades to the long-term impact of consolidation.
They also unpack a core issue most operators misunderstand: why handyman businesses are incredibly hard to scale, despite looking simple on the surface.
From scope creep and pricing pressure to labor challenges and customer expectations, this conversation gets into the realities behind “easy” service models — and where the real opportunities are.
In this episode, we discuss:
 Why Chick-fil-A’s move into home services isn’t as crazy as it sounds 
 The hidden challenges of running and scaling a handyman business 
 How “small jobs” turn into complex operations 
 Why the word “handyman” can hurt your pricing power 
 The rise of venture capital and institutional buyers in home services 
 What consolidation means for contractors over the next decade 
 How distribution (Home Depot, Costco, etc.) could reshape the industry 
If you’re building, buying, or scaling a home service business — this episode will give you a clearer view of where the industry is heading next.

Break through the $5M ceiling.

Join John Wilson and Jack Carr May 5–7, 2026 in Akron, Ohio for the Breaking $5 Million Workshop—a 3-day, in-person event for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical owners ready to scale. You’ll see the Wilson operation live, sit in on a real sales huddle, tour the shop, and build your roadmap to $5M+.

🎟 Get $500 off with code BREAKINGEARLYBIRD HERE  

💼 iWallet — Cut Payment Fees & Simplify Your Cash Flow

Running 5+ trucks? You know payments are a mess—slow checks, high fees, and disconnected systems.

iWallet is built for home service businesses, combining cards, ACH, and digital checks into one platform that plugs into your CRM.

👉 Book a demo HERE
Host: John Wilson https://x.com/WilsonCompanies
Guest: Jack Carr (Rapid HVAC) https://x.com/thehvacjack
Send Us Mail!
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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

If you’re trying to win in HVAC in 2026… most of what you’ve been told about marketing is wrong.
Contractors are wasting thousands on agencies, chasing “leads,” and relying on channels they don’t actually control.
In this solo episode, John breaks down the exact HVAC marketing system he’s using to scale one of the largest non-private equity-backed home service companies in Ohio—and what’s actually working right now.
This isn’t theory. It’s what’s driving real calls, real jobs, and real growth.
If you’re stuck in feast-or-famine, trying to grow past $1M, or scaling toward $10M+, this is the playbook.
What You’ll Learn:
 The difference between controllable vs. uncontrollable demand (and why it matters) 
 The exact channels driving consistent HVAC leads today (SEO, Google Ads, LSA, direct mail) 
 Why most contractors underinvest in marketing—and how it holds them back 
 The “speed to lead” system that turns missed calls into booked jobs 
Follow John Wilson:
https://x.com/WilsonCompanies

More Solo Content:
https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonStudio
Send Us Mail!
More Ways To Connect with O&O
John's YouTube Channel
Weekly Newsletter 
Owned and Operated 
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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Is your home service marketing actually working — or is Google getting all the credit? In this episode John Wilson and returning guest Tony Castelucci (Wanamaker Advertising) explain why cost‑per‑lead (CPL) often misleads, how attribution and demand generation are changing in 2026, and practical steps to measure true marketing ROI for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC businesses.
They unpack why cost per lead is often the wrong metric, how demand capture and demand creation work together, and what operators need to track if they want to scale profitably instead of just chasing cheap leads.
What we cover:
Why last-click attribution gives too much credit to Google
Why cost per lead is one of the most misleading metrics in marketing
The difference between demand capture vs demand creation
Why branded traffic and direct traffic are often your best leads
How to use timestamps, call data, and CRM reporting to measure true marketing ROI
If you're spending more on marketing but still struggling to understand what’s truly driving booked jobs and profitable growth, this episode is for you.
Host: John Wilson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/
Guest: Tony Castelucci (Wanamaker)
[https://wantmore-leads.com]

💼Shoutout to Avoca AI!

Looking to train your call center and improve technician performance? Avoca AI helps teams identify issues, improve call quality, and drive results from start to finish.
 🔗 Schedule a demo

💼 Big Reputation — Stop chasing reviews and watching competitors outrank you. Big Reputation is the AI-powered review + SEO platform built for home service pros. Automate review generation, respond with AI, track local SEO, and integrate with your CRM. Setup is free, and your first month’s on the house.

👉 Book your demo

💼 Extra Special Thanks to Service Scalers!

We’ve been partnering with Service Scalers to maximize our Local Service Ads (LSAs) and optimize our Google My Business profiles, and the results have been incredible. With hundreds of thousands in sales and 900+ calls in a single week, GMBs are now our top-performing organic lead channel.
 Want to learn how Service Scalers can do the same for you?

 🔗Check Them Out Here 
Send Us Mail!
More Ways To Connect with O&O
John's YouTube Channel
Weekly Newsletter 
Owned and Operated 
Leave a Review
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

Is AI killing SEO—or just changing how it works?
In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Lisa from Service Scalers to talk about what SEO actually looks like in 2026. They break down why AI isn’t replacing search, why Google still dominates high-intent local buying behavior, and what home service companies need to do to stay visible.
They cover the shift away from low-intent traffic, why Google Business Profiles matter more than ever, and how authority, trust, and user experience are replacing old-school SEO tactics.
In this episode, we cover:
-Why AI is changing SEO, not killing it
-Why low-intent traffic is dropping
-How Google Business Profiles drive local leads
-Why brand search matters more than most owners realize
Host: John Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/
Guest: Lisa Appleby https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-appleby/?originalSubdomain=uk

📞 Sponsored by Quo — The Modern Business Phone for Service Pros

Missed calls mean missed business. Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is the AI-powered phone system that logs calls, creates summaries, and automates follow-ups — keeping your team connected and customers happy.?

🎁 Start your 7-day free trial and get 20% off your first six months HERE

💼 Shoutout to Quick Staffers LLC

 Need trained HVAC & plumbing CSRs at a fraction of the cost? Quick Staffers LLC specializes in placing top-tier global talent with the best SOPs and scripts.

🔥 Get $500 off your first placement here

💼 Big Reputation —
Stop chasing reviews and watching competitors outrank you. Big Reputation is the AI-powered review + SEO platform built for home service pros. Automate review generation, respond with AI, track local SEO, and integrate with your CRM. Setup is free, and your first month’s on the house.

👉 Book your demo
Send Us Mail!
More Ways To Connect with O&O
John's YouTube Channel
Weekly Newsletter 
Owned and Operated 
Leave a Review
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

I was obsessed with hitting $10M.
And when we finally got there… everything broke.
In this solo episode, John breaks down what it actually looks like to scale a trades business from $1M to $40M over the last decade — including the messy middle no one talks about.
If you’re trying to grow past $1M, push to $10M, or build a $100M platform, this episode maps out the three stages every operator goes through:
$1M–$5M: Survival & Scrappiness
$5M–$20M: Structure & Systems
$20M+: Scale, EBITDA & Expansion
This is the unfiltered version of building a trades business — no playbook, no perfect plan, just figuring it out one step at a time.
If you’ve got big ambitions but no clear roadmap yet… you’re in the right place.
📈 What You’ll Learn:
The exact playbook we used to grow from 8 employees to 200+
Early-stage marketing and sales moves that drove 70% growth
How to structure acquisitions without relying on banks
The 4 core pillars of a scalable business (HR, Marketing, Accounting, Leadership)
How to think about growth when you’re past $20M
Host: John Wilson https://x.com/WilsonCompanies

More Solo Content https://www.youtube.com/@JohnWilsonStudio
Send Us Mail!
More Ways To Connect with O&O
John's YouTube Channel
Weekly Newsletter 
Owned and Operated 
Leave a Review
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.