$105M Revenue, $18M EBITDA — and the Improbable Road There: Bubba Thurman's Story of Culture and Excellence

Book a free strategy call with CertainPath to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ Or call us at: (214) 453-1591 He broke his back chasing pro baseball, spent 22 years in ministry, then helped build a $105M, $18M-EBITDA contractor. This is Bubba Thurman's story. Bubba Thurman is the president of Baker Brothers Plumbing, Air & Electric in Dallas–Fort Worth — the first non-family president in the company's history, dating back to its founding in 1945. Last year, Baker Brothers did $105 million in revenue and exceeded $18 million in EBITDA — a level of profitability most home services companies only dream about. His path was anything but linear. A Division-I baseball catcher who was certain he'd go pro, Bubba broke his back in a 1991 on-field collision and watched the dream die. “Baseball was a false well,” he says. He spent the next 22 years in ministry — helping build the largest youth ministry in the country and learning leadership under his mentor, Steve Stroop — before burning out and making an improbable leap into the trades. Recruited by Jimmie Dale to Baker Brothers, Bubba earned the team's trust the hard way: “I ran calls, I dug trenches, I wore a uniform.” Then he drove the culture transformation that helped take Baker Brothers from roughly $20 million to more than $100 million. In this episode, Bubba walks Bob Houchin through the whole journey — and the playbook beneath it. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why culture is “just a set of norms” — and how to make excellence the normal The $0 cleanliness campaign that started the turnaround: “don't step over a piece of trash” How to layer standards one at a time so they actually stick The three-win strategy that aligns the customer, the employee, and the company What changes when leadership “lands on your desk” — the real weight of the top job His message for a tough market: stop chasing what you can't control — “you are your best marketer” “You earn equity when you do things above and beyond” — and the Miss Johnson light-bulb test Why “when you roll up, the clock starts” — and how micro-changes compound across 700 jobs a day Whether you lead an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or roofing company — or you're building toward your first leadership seat — Bubba's story is a masterclass in building a culture of excellence that scales. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.  About the Show The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company.  Meet the Host Bob Houchin has spent 20+ years immersed in the home services industry — listening to, learning from, and serving the people who run it. As host of The Successful Contractor, he's interviewed hundreds of the brightest minds in the trades. Beyond the mic, Bob is a Senior Strategist at CertainPath, building the training, onboarding programs, keynotes, and playbooks used by 1,200+ residential service companies. His motto: smart contractors learn from their mistakes; wise contractors learn from the mistakes of others.  About CertainPath CertainPath is a business coaching and training organization that has built successful home service businesses for more than 25 years. We serve 1,200+ member companies across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing with professional coaching, training for every role, software solutions, and a vendor partner network that delivers millions in member rebates every year. Doubling your sales with a 20% net profit and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.