
Advertise on podcast: The Home Service Expert Podcast
Rating
4.7from
This podcast has
519 episodes
Language
EnglishExplicit
No
Date created
2018/01/28
Latest episode
2026/10/29
Average duration
74 min.
Release period
4 days
Description
The Home Service Expert podcast is the No. 1 podcast for ambitious home service entrepreneurs, whether they are in plumbing, HVAC or another niche. In this show, Tommy Mello, a $200M business founder, will talk with the best entrepreneurs and experts in the home service industry and beyond, to share insights that have made them successful: from the newest marketing tools to the best scaling strategies. Previous podcast guests include Terry Nicholson (former national trainer of NYSE-listed home services company), Craig Smith (President of HomeAdvisor, a home services marketplace valued at $2B+), Cameron Herold (former COO of three $100M+ companies), etc.
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This Podcast Listener Built A Door Company Doubling Profits Every Year | Billy Cline
2026/10/29
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Billy Cline spent 15 years running a door business without a playbook. Then he found this podcast, read the E-Myth, and started doing the work. Today YourNewDoor.com is a Dallas residential door replacement company that has doubled every year for three years, runs all W-2 crews with no subcontractors, and closes high ticket jobs entirely by phone. Tommy and Billy break down selling doors over a screen share, why his close rate went up after a 25% price increase, how he took over a struggling competitor for no money and watched its phone number sell over $1 million, why he never kills an old brand, and why owners who say nobody wants to work are looking in the wrong place.
Connect with Billy Cline ⟶ https://www.yournewdoor.com/
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
03:41 - Bring Culture Into Their Homes
05:45 - The Marble Jar Theory
07:56 - Fifteen Years Without A Playbook
18:36 - How He Paid For Harvard
20:36 - Meeting Roy Williams
26:31 - Never Kill Your Old Brand
28:43 - Home Service Vs Home Improvement
36:50 - Why Customers Really Call
39:47 - Selling Doors Over The Phone
44:53 - The Guided Buying Experience
45:50 - Close Rate After Raising Prices
47:56 - Chase Margin, Not Revenue
57:49 - Nobody Wants To Work?
59:09 - One Key Hire Away
1:05:00 - Why Tommy Posts Everything
1:07:41 - A Competitor For No Money
1:18:39 - The Affiliate Installer Program
1:24:27 - Advice To His 2020 Self
1:29:44 - Don't Ever Quit
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
He Built A $20 Million Remodeling Company Knocking Doors In Blizzards | Lakota Tidd
2026/10/20
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Lakota Tidd dropped out of college at 21, started Top Home Improvements in his mom's garage with two lawn chairs and no money, and built it to $20 million in seven years by knocking doors, including the day his pen froze solid in a Michigan blizzard with nothing on the board. No digital marketing, no bought leads: $14 million came from canvassing and events alone, and in March his events team did $1 million in revenue in one week. In this episode he breaks down how he recruits and pays canvassers, why he treats them like kings, the sword and shield mentality that got him through five years as a lone wolf, the scarcity paradigm that kept him stuck at $10 million, why he stopped tracking nothing and built a board, and what he would say to the owner who is spending $40,000 a month on leads that never come.
Top Home Improvements ⟶ https://www.tophomeimprove.com
Follow Top Home Improvements ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/Tophomeimprovements/
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
01:55 - Two Lawn Chairs And A Frozen Pen
04:26 - Lone Wolves Die Alone
06:26 - The Sword And Shield Mentality
08:50 - What You Focus On Grows
10:08 - Treat Your Canvassers Like Kings
11:18 - Fresh Blood Every Single Week
13:32 - Hiring Is Guessing, Firing Is Knowing
16:01 - Competing With The Summer Programs
18:05 - Spending $40K A Month And Waiting For Leads
19:46 - Does Door Knocking Hurt Your Reputation?
21:24 - How Canvassers And Event Reps Get Paid
24:57 - Why $100 Million Is Not The Goal
28:54 - Kids, Leftover Time, And Balance
31:15 - Showers For Soldiers
34:47 - Profit Matters More Than Revenue
35:59 - The Law Of The Lid
38:06 - Build The People, Not The Business
43:20 - The Barbaric Way To $20 Million
45:15 - Enjoy The Bottom While You Have It
48:56 - The Sickness Of Indecision
52:32 - Five Books, Read Many Times
56:31 - Real Confidence Vs Fake Confidence
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
He Built A $300,000 Truck Brand With Zero Ad Spend And One Daily Habit | Chau Nguyen
2026/10/15
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Chau Nguyen sold two tech companies, bought a 1974 Bronco that kept breaking down, and turned that headache into Vintage Modern, a $60 million luxury vehicle company that hand builds classic inspired trucks for LeBron James, Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Lopez, and Tommy himself. He did it with no outside capital and no ad budget: he posted three times a day for seven years, built a following of millions, and made social media his number one sales channel. In this episode he breaks down why organic leads buy at three times the rate of paid leads, why rich customers are tighter with money than most contractors assume, how to market a home service company to the affluent, why the founder has to be the face of the brand now, and the hiring mistake that nearly held his company back.
Vintage Modern ⟶ https://vintagemodern.co
Follow Vintage Modern ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/vintagemodern/
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
01:37 - The Bronco That Made His Wife Smell Like Gas
03:33 - From Coupon Books To A Top 100 App To 40 Cars
06:14 - No Investors: Sales Paid For Everything
07:15 - How Do You Charge For 900 Hours Of Craftsmanship?
10:42 - His Kids Taught Him Instagram
14:23 - Organic Vs Paid: Why Organic Leads Buy 3X More
16:25 - Your Product Probably Has A Hole In It
20:46 - Scarcity, Exclusivity, And Selling To The Elite
26:30 - Why He Has Never Paid An Influencer
29:18 - How A Home Service Company Markets To The Affluent
35:13 - Rich Customers Are Tighter Than You Think
38:12 - The Mark Wahlberg DM And The Tyler Perry Referral
42:16 - Should The Founder Be The Brand?
47:36 - Competing With Ferrari At $60 Million
51:03 - Robotaxis, EVs, And Listening To Paying Customers
54:52 - Productive Paranoia: Why Winning Is The Dangerous Moment
59:07 - The One Piece Of Advice He Has Never Shared
1:03:03 - On His Hands And Knees Under The Car
1:07:36 - The Two Books He Has Listened To 50 Times
1:12:11 - Where To Find Chau
1:13:36 - Grinding From Zero To 5 Million Followers
1:18:00 - What Comes Next For Vintage Modern
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
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How Tommy Mello Spends $5 Million A Month On Marketing And Tracks Every Dollar | Sara Nay
2026/10/13
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Sara Nay is the CEO of Duct Tape Marketing and the author of Unchained. In this episode, Sara and Tommy break down why most contractors rent their marketing instead of owning it, which accounts your agency should never control, why referrals alone stall a home service company around $1 million, how to get found in AI search, and the two fixes to make this week if your marketing feels like chaos.
Get Sara's free marketing audit for home service owners ⟶ https://dtm.world/hsep
Duct Tape Marketing ⟶ https://ducttapemarketing.com
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
02:59 - Tommy Spends $5 Million A Month On Marketing
04:34 - Do You Need More Leads Or A Better Journey?
05:58 - What's Broken About The Agency Model
07:47 - The Accounts You Should Own, Not Rent
08:32 - When The Agency Keeps Your Website
11:41 - Random Acts Of Marketing
13:00 - One Person Can't Run Six Marketing Roles
15:33 - Direct Response Or Brand?
16:38 - 87% Of Searches Now Touch AI
19:34 - Should Contractors Publish Prices?
20:38 - The $400 Steakhouse Problem
23:23 - Interview Your Best Clients
23:46 - Record Every Sales Call
28:49 - Nextdoor, Angi, Yelp: Pick Two And Own Them
33:19 - The A Team Sells You, The Interns Run You
34:38 - The Five Questions To Ask Your Best Customers
36:59 - A 91% Booking Rate And The Calls You Still Miss
38:11 - The Money Sitting In Your Old Customer List
39:33 - Why Competition Becomes Irrelevant
41:46 - Why Referrals Alone Are Dangerous
43:14 - The Sign: Pay More Per Lead, Always Win
44:53 - Marketing To The Affluent
47:38 - What Marketers Get Wrong With AI
50:40 - Your Home Page Is What AI Reads First
56:29 - The Founder's Brand Beats The Company's
1:00:06 - Use Your Voice To Pull Stories Out
1:06:30 - Buy Back Your Time
1:09:22 - Delegating Versus Dumping
1:10:24 - Two Fixes To Make This Week
1:13:33 - Sara's Final Advice
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
How To Turn $15,000 Into $1.6 Million Without Adding Another Dollar | David Bach
2026/10/08
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
David Bach is a ten-time New York Times bestselling author and the man behind The Automatic Millionaire. In this episode, David and Tommy break down why $3,000 a year saved from age 15 to 19 beats saving from 27 to 65, the one hour a day rule for retiring a millionaire, why a tech making $250,000 can still be broke, why owners should buy the building their business is in, and David's idea for a flat tax on IRA accounts.
Get The Automatic Millionaire, 20th Anniversary Edition ⟶ https://davidbach.com
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
01:37 - The Number One Rule: Pay Yourself First
03:17 - Save One Hour Of Pay A Day
03:57 - How 565,000 People Became 401(k) Millionaires
06:46 - The Myth About Investing Aggressively When You're Young
07:32 - Tommy's Roth IRA At 16
08:56 - What $20 A Day Becomes
10:06 - The $27.40 A Day Leak
13:38 - The Corvette Ride That Started It
16:19 - Born To Spend Or Born To Budget
18:15 - A Lesson At McDonald's At Age Seven
24:10 - Homeowners Are Worth 40 Times More Than Renters
27:31 - Why A Garage Door Is Worth Financing
28:29 - Buy The Building Your Business Is In
30:04 - Wealthy But Not Free
31:49 - Why High Earners Start To Resent Their Jobs
32:49 - Making $250K With Nothing Saved
35:25 - The Chart: Start At 15, 19 Or 27
39:33 - Why David Holds Zero Private Equity
41:07 - The Advice He Wishes He Had At 20
45:01 - Batteries Included People
48:11 - $46 Trillion Sitting In Retirement Accounts
50:42 - The IRA Flat Tax Idea
58:37 - Social Security In 2033
1:00:48 - Why The Trades Aren't Going Away
1:01:40 - The Barber Who Saved 75% Of His Income
1:04:55 - What Money Taught David About Himself
1:08:10 - Discipline And Non-Negotiables
1:18:05 - What People Said At His Father's Funeral
1:25:00 - The 20th Anniversary Edition
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
How A Burned Out Owner Set Up His Company To Run 6 Months Without Him | Dan Kuschell
2026/10/07
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Dan Kuschell grew up on welfare in Detroit, built a direct mail company to $1 million in its first year at 22, and now helps home service companies grow through Breakthrough3X. In this episode, Dan and Tommy break down the one message method, why "know, like and trust" is the wrong model, the five pillars Dan found across 5,000 companies, how to ask for introductions instead of referrals, and the family photo mailer Tommy sent to 3,000 neighbors.
Get Dan's free gift package for home service owners
⟶ https://breakthrough3x.com/tommymello
Growth to Freedom Podcast ⟶ https://www.growthtofreedom.com/
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
03:23 - From Welfare In Detroit To A Million Dollar Mail Business
05:05 - The Coach Who Blackballed Him And The Mailer That Fixed It
10:04 - 34,000 Leads A Month And Why Recruiting Comes First
14:44 - A 1 In 500 Surgery Two Weeks After His Son Was Born
16:19 - The Questions That Rebuilt His Life
18:49 - Tommy's Grandmother And The Good Hours
24:18 - The Question That Took Six Weeks To Answer
27:33 - When Being A Man Of Your Word Holds You Back
31:20 - Could You Take 30 Days Off Your Business
34:17 - The One Message Method
39:06 - Five Pillars Found Across 5,000 Companies
42:36 - Why Know, Like And Trust Is Wrong
45:01 - One Post A Week And $5 A Day
46:00 - Agencies That Own Your Website And Ad Accounts
48:28 - Answer Every Lead In A Minute Or Less
52:39 - Why Hiring Ads Bring In Customers
55:35 - Be The Chairman, Not The Technician
1:00:14 - Is Branding A Waste Under $20 Million
1:02:34 - Partner Gifts That Create Referrals
1:08:44 - The Truck That Does Everything And Stands For Nothing
1:09:27 - Fix Your Pricing First
1:13:22 - Stop Asking For Referrals, Ask For This
1:17:28 - A Family Photo Mailed To 3,000 Neighbors
1:20:55 - Where To Find Dan
1:25:38 - Two Books That Shaped Dan
1:26:57 - Play A Bigger Game
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
Charlie Munger Mailed This Author One Share And It Became $735,000
2026/10/01
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote Influence, the book behind almost every sales training a home service tech has ever sat through. In his second visit with Tommy he goes past the seven principles into the smallest changes that move the biggest numbers: the two words a restaurant added to its booking call that cut no-shows 62%, the one question that took Boy Scout popcorn sales from 15% to 52%, why "967 reviewers" beats "967 reviews," the number one rule of sales every trainer teaches backwards, and the $75,000 envelope Charlie Munger mailed him for a single chapter. Then Tommy puts him on the spot with two live persuasion role-plays.
Learn more from Dr. Cialdini and the Cialdini Institute: https://cialdini.com
Influence Unleashed, December 5 and 6 in Tempe, 75 seats, $500 off with code A1GARAGE
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
00:53 - 75 seats in December
03:16 - Who Robert Cialdini is
04:29 - You already paid for this research
05:44 - What ethical influence actually is
07:17 - The seventh principle: unity
08:01 - The couples study and the word "we"
12:54 - Two words that cut no-shows 62%
14:20 - Chris Voss and getting to "no"
15:00 - The Boy Scout popcorn question
16:35 - Social proof and the McFlurry
18:54 - Say reviewers, not reviews
19:38 - Authority: who vouches for you
21:00 - The number one rule of sales
22:22 - A welcome line that lifts conversions
23:42 - Scarcity done honestly
24:52 - Advice to young Robert
26:40 - Put them in the boat with you
28:19 - Ask for advice, not opinions
29:43 - The $75,000 envelope from Charlie Munger
32:44 - Two mints and a 23% tip
34:16 - Give first, before they decide
37:41 - Why 89% beats 90%
40:06 - Warren Buffett's letters and honesty first
42:37 - "You're worth it"
45:12 - Pre-Suasion: the moment before the message
48:39 - Live role-play: talk me out of your book
50:17 - Building a following the ethical way
51:59 - Rapid fire
54:14 - Charlie Munger on why wealth matters
57:39 - Tommy makes it right with a customer
59:46 - What changed his mind, and what's next
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
The Guy Behind Tommy Mello's Emails Only Sends 4 A Month For A Reason | Zac Garside
2026/09/30
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Zac Garside spent eight years training CSRs before he noticed the most profitable channel in home service was the one nobody used: the customer list. Now his agency Send It runs email for some of the biggest contractors in the country, including A1. In this episode Zac and Tommy break down why contractors rebuy customers they already paid for, the one-email-a-week plan any company can run tomorrow, the Will/Won't research framework that tells you what homeowners are really afraid of, and why two CSRs with identical scripts book at completely different rates.
Get Zac's free swipe file of 20 top-performing campaigns: https://withsendit.com/expert
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
00:46 - From training CSRs to running email
01:58 - Booking jobs the week you need them
02:54 - How to stay out of the spam folder
04:45 - The subject line has one job
06:35 - The 6x in 60 days guarantee
07:40 - Open estimates first, then members
10:36 - Homeowners read email. Owners don't
13:03 - Email, SMS and direct mail
14:09 - It has to come from a friend
15:54 - Tommy's neighbor letter and $225,000
20:44 - What a good open rate looks like
24:49 - The next wave: personalization
29:31 - The two-year spring campaign
34:31 - Broadcasts, campaigns and automations
37:27 - "You're never talking to them again?"
44:20 - Starting from scratch
45:23 - One email a week, four segments
49:26 - The Will/Won't research framework
52:53 - Same script, 90% vs 50%
55:58 - Making customers feel something
1:00:41 - The easiest ROI in home service
1:03:40 - One piece of advice: trust
1:06:00 - Free swipe file and where to find Zac
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
The Best CSR, Dispatcher And Tech In The Company Was The Problem | Jim Leslie & Al Levi
2026/09/24
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Revenue is everywhere in home service right now. Profit is not. Tommy sits down with his mentor Al Levi, author of The 7-Power Contractor, and Jim Leslie, president of Home Service Freedom, to break down why: the hiring excuse every contractor uses ("nobody wants to work") and the answer Jim gives back, what a lost tech really costs, the five things of staffing, why you should triple your pricing, why the owner who is the best CSR, dispatcher and tech is the ceiling on his own company, the zero-or-two cranes rule for your org chart, and the listening tour every owner should take this week. Al is retiring at the end of the year. His last small-room session is at Freedom 2026: Monday, October 26, 6 PM, Mandalay Bay. Use code ALFREEDOM at freedomevent.com to unlock a seat in the room with Al and Jim.
Home Service Freedom: https://homeservicefreedom.com | The 7-Power Contractor: https://7powercontractor.com
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
00:50 - Al, Jim and Freedom 2026
02:03 - Revenue for vanity, profit for sanity
03:49 - Put your pricing online
05:50 - Three kinds of testimonials
06:38 - Lead times and the boom-bust cycle
11:19 - The five things of staffing
11:32 - What a lost tech really costs
12:35 - Al's last room at Freedom
15:00 - The empty truck in your yard
15:44 - Stand on the bridge
16:39 - Triple your pricing
17:51 - Fighting commoditization
22:15 - Would you send me to your mom's house
25:29 - They just don't want to work for you
27:22 - The best CSR, dispatcher and tech
28:15 - Zero cranes or two
30:09 - The five-year org chart trap
32:26 - Burning tokens on technology
35:33 - There is no silver bullet
40:40 - What your accountant should say
42:24 - $2.6 million to the bottom line
46:54 - The listening tour
50:04 - Al's three-month notice
55:57 - One thing to do this week
59:45 - The room at Freedom
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
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How a Home Service Owner's Cheapest Hire Is Now His Biggest Revenue Line
2026/09/23
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Most home service owners hear virtual assistant and think someone to answer emails. Alyssa Shivers and Mia Juan of Ready Roles think bigger: five callers on $5.75 an hour brought one moving company almost $500,000 in paid estimates in a single month. In this episode they break down what owners get wrong about VAs, why a $3 an hour VA gives you a $3 outcome, the 10-day onboarding that makes a remote hire work, the flat fee model where every dollar after that goes straight to your VA, how many calls a data activator makes a day, and the real reason most VAs fail (it is not the VA). If you are still reading your own email, this one is for you.
Ready Roles: https://readyroles.com | Mia Juan on YouTube: search "Mia Juan"
VA readiness checklist from Ready Roles: [LINK OR ATTACHMENT FROM READY ROLES]
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
00:55 - What a VA actually does
02:13 - Data activators explained
05:56 - The first-hire mistake
08:01 - The owner is the problem
10:00 - Night shift in the Philippines
13:47 - $3 an hour buys a $3 outcome
15:11 - VAs and AI tools
20:16 - My Home Story Pro
21:19 - $500K from five callers
23:18 - The pitch and the script
26:35 - The Dream 100 list
29:10 - The time study
30:00 - How to start with a VA
33:04 - Ten minutes a day
34:46 - What to pay a great VA
40:25 - The octopus executive assistant
41:38 - Eight steps of delegation
42:34 - The owner who blamed his VA
48:30 - The Big League Movers story
52:58 - What it costs
54:56 - 200 calls a day
58:08 - Go after the big players
1:01:58 - Closing advice
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
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The First KPI Every Home Service Owner Should Track (Not Revenue) |
2026/09/17
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Derek Cornish got laid off, answered a job ad, and became the top salesman at a window company. Then he and his partner Lakota Tidd built Top Home Improvements from a garage to $20 million a year across three Michigan locations on door knocking and 300 events a year. In this episode Derek breaks down the sales system behind it: why close percentage is the first KPI to track, why his Detroit manager did more revenue with fewer reps, the month they raised prices 30% and had their biggest month ever, sweat questions, same day next day, first in last in, the scariest room in the company, and how to fix commission breath before it costs you the sale. If you run a home service or home improvement sales team, this is the playbook.
Follow Derek Cornish and Top Home Improvements: https://tophomeimprove.com | [email protected]
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
00:51 - Laid off, then top salesman
07:35 - Selling to people not looking
09:25 - Why 3 out of 10 wins
10:43 - Bottom line beats top line
14:37 - Never scared of price
16:41 - From texts to a KPI system
18:37 - Fewer reps, more revenue
26:30 - Commitments and accountability
29:45 - The scariest room
33:01 - The first KPI to track
34:26 - Same day, next day
37:27 - Beating the big brand
39:58 - When they ask for a discount
45:46 - Selling out of your own pocket
54:31 - Go for the no
55:37 - Commission breath
59:39 - A million behind, a million ahead
1:03:04 - Pancakes and the Top Home cult
1:09:01 - Raised prices 30%, biggest month
1:11:54 - Fractional CFO and accrual
1:13:14 - Role play, role play, role play
1:21:26 - Predictable Success
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
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You Hit $5M, Then $10M. Why It Never Feels Like Enough (& What Actually Does)
2026/09/15
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Tommy Mello does $410 million a year and admits he is still chasing the next thing. Tal Ben-Shahar taught the most popular course in Harvard's history, built the world's first master's and PhD in happiness studies, and won Israel's national squash title at 16 only to feel nothing three hours later. Together they break down the arrival fallacy that runs every entrepreneur, why happier companies post better margins, the SPIRE model, minimum viable interventions you can do in 60 seconds, why New Year's resolutions die by January 17, the phone-in-a-box rule, the accountability buddy that raises follow-through by 200 percent, the good enough life, and what it means to give yourself permission to be human.
Connect with Tal ⟶ https://talben-shahar.com
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - The unhappiness that started 30 years of research
03:23 - National champion at 16, satisfied for three hours
05:40 - What is the arrival fallacy?
06:30 - Unhappy versus depressed and quiet desperation
08:11 - Enough is never enough and the $3 billion regret
09:38 - Two schools of thought and turning goal theory on its head
13:43 - SPIRE: the five elements of wellbeing
17:20 - Minimum viable interventions
18:34 - Five things you can do in the next 60 seconds
22:31 - Vision boards and the environment that primes you
25:04 - The six-week challenge and why resolutions die on January 17
26:51 - Keystone habits and islands of sanity
28:16 - Would you sleep next to a bottle of whiskey?
30:45 - Habits belong on the calendar
31:39 - The age of distraction and being bored with dignity
35:43 - Zero startup cost and the 200 percent accountability buddy
37:54 - Commitment bracelets and the letter N
42:53 - Stress is fine, recovery is what's missing
43:51 - Does happiness lead to success or the other way around?
45:01 - Six Fs, balance and fitting 48 hours into 24
48:59 - Wearables, step counts and building happiness into a blue collar culture
52:49 - Speed round: the biggest misconception high achievers have
53:46 - Live every day as if it's your first
57:27 - Rate it 1 to 10: cold plunge, sauna, sleep and reading
1:00:39 - Permission to be human
1:02:02 - Learn to fail or fail to learn
1:03:47 - Advice for your 20s and the 90-minute sprint
1:05:34 - $10 million and the Happiness Studies Academy
1:06:35 - Five books, one for each SPIRE element
1:08:19 - How to reach Tal and his closing message
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
The One Thing Nobody Can Take From Your Home Service Business | Jason Feifer
2026/09/11
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Jason Feifer has run Entrepreneur Magazine for 10 years, and his message to owners is the opposite of what you'd expect: the title you hold is rented, press won't save you, and the only safe ground is something you own. He and Tommy get into being singular instead of interchangeable, the billionaire mentor he walked away from, why he tells businesses to stop chasing coverage, and the arbitrary yes that keeps life interesting.
Connect with Jason ⟶ https://www.jasonfeifer.com
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/heyfeifer/
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
02:05 - Singular or interchangeable
05:33 - Accessible vs available
06:51 - The title you rent
10:37 - Who should actually be an entrepreneur
16:20 - Why he ditched his own framework
18:50 - Ryan Reynolds: willing to be bad
21:05 - The Mailchimp all-hands story
25:43 - The Gary Vee focus debate
28:05 - The billionaire's list
30:46 - An interesting life
31:40 - The Dan Martell exchange
35:28 - How the speaking career started
37:50 - Don't bother with press
39:40 - Google zero
41:57 - What matters most: brand trust
43:01 - Awards, rankings, and recruiting proof
46:00 - The rapid-fire round
47:34 - No meetings before 11
52:40 - The Dave Eggers sellout screed
59:01 - Where to find Jason
1:01:00 - The arbitrary yes
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
The Man Who Took Tesla From $2B To $20B Shares The Exact Formula | Jon McNeill
2026/09/10
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Jon McNeill ran Tesla as president while revenue went from $2 billion to $20 billion in 30 months. In this episode he hands Tommy Mello the exact formula, The Algorithm: question every requirement, delete what the customer doesn't pay for, simplify, apply speed, and automate last. Then he runs it live on a real home service business, from $350 pay per click leads and 30,000 in-home appointments a month to technician equity and the two-question performance review.
Connect with Jon ⟶ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmcneill1/
DVx Ventures ⟶ https://www.dvx.ventures
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
01:04 - From a Nebraska farm town to Tesla
03:02 - The Sheryl Sandberg phone call
05:47 - The growth target that sounded insane
12:38 - Questioning a $100M rocket requirement
16:40 - Circle what the customer pays for
18:12 - A garage door install in under 10 minutes
22:43 - Good, fast, and cheap: pick three
23:07 - The $350 click and 30,000 appointments
24:16 - Why be in the home at all?
27:08 - Automate last
30:19 - Network effects for local business
37:05 - The Jeff Wilke trunk-delivery story
39:19 - Training 200 technicians a month
43:02 - Equity for technicians
46:01 - Watching your money go to work
50:11 - The two-question performance review
53:08 - 168 hours and the six Fs
57:12 - How long will we live?
1:02:05 - The Ottoman Empire's mistake
1:04:23 - Bring your A game every day
1:06:03 - Where to find Jon
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
Doing Whatever You Want, Is Keeping Your Business Small (Here's Why) | Mark C Winters
2026/09/03
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Tommy sits down with Mark C. Winters, co-author of Rocket Fuel and author of the new book Visionary, to name the seat most founders never see: the integrator. They get into why four visionaries exist for every one integrator, why founders who sell rarely last a year, the 2017 hire that set Tommy free, and the one question every owner should answer before they ever think about selling.
Get Mark's book Visionary ⟶ https://visionarybook.com
Follow Mark C. Winters ⟶ https://markcwinters.com
-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 --
00:00 - Introduction
00:43 - Mark's Origin Story
04:11 - Predictable Visionary Patterns
06:55 - Small Shops To $400M
08:20 - Is "Founder" A Risk?
09:40 - Why Founders Leave After The Sale
12:18 - Who Becomes The Integrator
16:10 - What Getting Stuck Looks Like
20:11 - Five Abilities To Break Ceilings
23:50 - Can Your Spouse Be The Integrator?
27:58 - The Seat Founders Can't See
31:15 - The Thankless Number Two
34:09 - The Three-Piece Puzzle
39:33 - The First Sign It's Failing
42:38 - Four Visionaries, One Integrator
43:34 - The Bottleneck At The Top
46:57 - The Ski Resort CEO
49:00 - How To Find Your Integrator
51:09 - The Hard Truth
55:01 - The One System To Install Now
1:02:40 - Would You Give It All Back?
1:08:48 - Where To Find Mark
🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com
Check Out My Social Media:
Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello
Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
Podcast reviews
Read The Home Service Expert Podcast podcast reviews
@leftyjack 2026/07/03
Evan Carmichael
Listen to this episode a lot. The more you do, the better you will get. Awesome!
Damon Hawkins 2026/02/27
Game changer
Tommy and the show has been so helpful to me. I’ve learned so much in the last 8 to 10 months since I met Tommy and started listening to this podcast....
roachroofing 2025/10/16
Weekly “can’t miss” podcast
Tommy’s podcast has been a staple in my weekly routine ever since we met last winter in Marco Island. He’s locked in every week—bringing on sharp, lik...
Felipe@liferei 2025/10/08
Raising the Bar for Home Service Operators
The Home Service Expert is one of the few podcasts that actually moves the needle. Tommy gets straight to what matters: people, systems, and accountab...
Conman6 2025/10/02
Fantastic podcast fantastic information
The information on this podcast is second to none. I try and take one thing from every episode that I try to implement into my daily dealings in our g...
Bummed out 1000 2025/09/07
Always good
Always the best content. I’m not in garage doors but this works with everything. Tommy is the Man!
5 Year Listener 2025/08/23
5 Year Listener
I have been following Tommy Mello for over 5 years. He’s been a phenomenal inspiration to home service companies. Always bringing a wealth of knowledg...
Jeanchick 2025/08/14
This is my guy!
I really enjoy listening to Tommy and his passion for the home service industry. I first discovered him about three years ago through his book Home Se...
Chocobo100 2025/06/04
Seasoned Advice
Tommy brings seasoned advice in an entertaining format and is great for business owners looking to do better. Sometimes his advice isn’t relevant to b...
Fritz Rachi 2025/03/16
Phenomenal Content
Tommy gets it and shows us where we’re gonna go with the right mindset. Although he’s a business monster, he’s as genuine and down to earth as your u...
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