PodcastsBusinessThe Home Service Expert Podcast

The Home Service Expert Podcast

Tommy Mello: $200 Million Founder|Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur Columnist
The Home Service Expert Podcast
Latest episode

458 episodes

  • The Home Service Expert Podcast

    The Art of Customer Service: Building a Culture-First Business with Rob Anderson

    03/02/2026 | 1h 13 mins.
    In this conversation, Rob Anderson shares his insights on the importance of company culture, customer service, and effective recruitment strategies in the home services industry. He emphasizes the need for businesses to focus on making customers happy and creating a positive work environment for employees. Rob discusses the significance of data-driven decisions, the impact of partnerships, and the challenges posed by private equity. He also highlights the importance of leadership development, emotional intelligence, and the art of storytelling in building relationships with clients and partners. Ultimately, Rob encourages a forward-looking mindset and the continuous pursuit of personal and professional growth.
    00:00 The Importance of Culture in Business 
    05:52 Recruitment and Retention Strategies
    08:55 Defining and Measuring Company Culture
    15:01 Navigating the Challenges of Home Services
    18:04 The Role of Partnerships in Business Growth
    20:57 Giving Back to the Community
    23:50 The Impact of Private Equity on Business
    26:58 Leadership Development and Emotional Intelligence
    30:07 The Art of Storytelling in Business
    33:00 Building Relationships with Clients and Partners
    35:57 The Future of Business and Personal Growth
  • The Home Service Expert Podcast

    Marketing, Sales, Capacity Planning, and Scaling Home Services with Ismael Valdez

    02/23/2026 | 1h 8 mins.
    Tommy Mello hosts a Super Bowl day episode of The Home Service Expert with Ismael Valdez, founder of VE and NextGen (Anaheim), discussing how to scale home service businesses through disciplined marketing, sales process mastery, and operational execution. Ishmael explains how he would evaluate investing in a $20M company by first assessing the energy and leadership of the C-suite/upper management, then reviewing data systems like CRM/ServiceTitan and financials, contrasting this with smaller $4 - $5M owner-driven businesses. They discuss the importance of competitiveness, infrastructure, and recruiting, and Tommy's focus on lead generation and funnel math (booking rate, cancellations, conversion rate), including capacity planning, overstaffing with outbound to fill boards, and lowering cancellations driven by response time. Ishmael emphasizes three core departments: marketing, sales, and operations/customer fulfillment, and argues many operators underperform in marketing and sales.
    00:00 The Importance of Client Empowerment
    06:03 Marketing as the Foundation of Success
    11:53 Managing Seasonality in Business
    14:59 Investment Strategies Post-Exit
    22:28 Creative Financing and Collaboration
    31:14 Market Entry Strategies and Performance Metrics
    36:27 Marketing and Brand Recognition
    39:06 Sales Techniques and Customer Engagement
    49:19 The Power of Personal Branding
    55:16 Sales Strategies and Growth Goals
  • The Home Service Expert Podcast

    The Art of Differentiation in Marketing with Brian Sooy

    02/16/2026 | 1h 11 mins.
    In this conversation, Tommy Mello and Brian Sooy discuss the critical aspects of branding, marketing, and leadership in the home services industry. They explore the importance of clarity in branding, the need for differentiation in a competitive market, and the balance between branding and direct response marketing. Brian shares insights on creating memorable customer experiences, the role of storytelling in branding, and the significance of data-driven decision-making. They also touch on building a strong company culture and the mindset of ownership that can drive success in business.
    00:00 The Importance of Branding and Leadership
    05:52 Clarity in Branding and Customer Connection
    12:04 Specialization in Home Services Marketing
    17:50 Differentiation in a Competitive Market
    23:56 The Balance of Branding and Direct Response
    30:07 Creating Memorable Customer Experiences
    35:53 The Role of Storytelling in Branding
    42:04 Data-Driven Decision Making in Marketing
    47:54 Building a Strong Company Culture
    53:55 The Mindset of Ownership in Business
  • The Home Service Expert Podcast

    The Future of AI and Marketing with Benjy Uhl

    02/10/2026 | 19 mins.
    In this conversation, Tommy Mello interviews Benjy, a data analytics expert, discussing the critical role of data in AI and marketing. They explore how businesses can leverage customer data for targeted marketing strategies, the importance of consistent marketing efforts, and the future implications of AI on the workforce. Benjy shares insights on understanding customer personas and the necessity of viewing marketing as an investment rather than a cost. The discussion also touches on the evolving landscape of AI and its potential impact on human roles in various industries.
     
    00:00 The Importance of Data in AI
    01:30 Benjy's Journey into Data Analytics
    02:43 The Excitement of AI and Data Lakes
    03:56 Leveraging Customer Data for Business Growth
    05:02 Targeted Marketing Strategies
    06:22 Neighborhood Targeting and Data Utilization
    08:04 The Power of Consistent Marketing
    10:16 Marketing as an Investment
    12:57 The Future of AI and Human Adaptation
    15:05 The Role of Data in Consumer Confidence
    17:16 Optimism and Concerns about AI's Impact
    18:14 Understanding Your Ideal Client
  • The Home Service Expert Podcast

    How Amazon's Customer Obsession Inspired a Home Service Revolution with Zac Dearing

    02/02/2026 | 58 mins.
    In this episode, Tommy Mello interviews Zach Deering, co-founder of Mantle, an AI-powered sales platform for home services. They discuss the evolving landscape of home services, the importance of creating a shopping experience for homeowners, and how technology can enhance sales processes. Zach shares insights from his background at Amazon and McKinsey, emphasizing customer obsession and the need for simplicity in business. The conversation also touches on generational differences in shopping behavior, the role of financing in home services, and the future of AI integration in the industry.
    Learn more about Mantel: www.usemantel.com
    Mantel Homeowner Shopping Attitudes Report https://www.usemantel.com/survey
    00:00:00 Cold Open
    00:00:06 Title Sequence
    00:00:26 Show Notes VO 
    00:01:11 Intro Into Interview
    00:26:02 Insertion
    00:27:04 Interview Resumes
    00:57:45 Outro

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About The Home Service Expert Podcast

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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