Ep. 8 | Scaling Gecko Garage Doors, Google Jail, and What Actually Builds a Real Operation

Preston Hiller grew up in the garage door industry, literally. He was on the truck as a teenager, took over his family’s business years later, and then made the hard shift from being a technician to building an actual operation. In this episode of Lifted, Preston breaks down what changed when Gecko Garage Doors went from a small, family-run shop to a six-truck company and what didn’t. We talk honestly about burnout, why wrench-turning doesn’t scale, and how putting the right systems in place was the only way to grow without losing control. Preston explains how CRMs changed their business, where companies quietly lose jobs without realizing it, and why hiring for culture matters more than resumes. A major part of this conversation centers on the Google Business Profile suspension, which Preston calls “Google jail.” After opening a second location, Gecko Garage Doors lost visibility almost overnight, cutting off a significant portion of inbound calls. We get into what happened, how vague Google’s enforcement has become, and what this kind of disruption actually costs real businesses. We also cover: Growing from one truck to six in a competitive market Hiring techs outside the garage door industry Why home-based operations can scale further than people think Email marketing that works without burning your list Social media and video content that actually builds trust Old-school tactics that still compound over time This episode isn’t theory or hype. It’s a real conversation about growth, mistakes, systems, and adapting when the rules change mid-game. If you’re building a garage door company or thinking about taking it to the next stage this one’s worth your time. Interview by Blair Witkowski