Episode 41 — Leadership Lessons and Management Mantras with Edge COO Mitch Smith

Step into the Boardroom with one of Paul’s favorite pest control people. Mitch Smith discusses experiences which shaped his management style. He shares leadership lessons learned throughout his 35+ year career. This Boardroom guest started in the industry as a technician and rose in the ranks at both TruGreen and Centex. Before Mitch’s current position as COO of Edge, Mitch was the Pacific Division President at Orkin. Mitch brings an interesting perspective to the ‘lawn vs pest’ discussion. He shares the direct connection between business maturity and universal technicians. Service specialist salesmanship may sound like an oxymoron, but trust and unrefinement go hand in hand. While personality profiles find their way into this culture conversation. What are the betting odds when against forcing a square peg into a round hole? Mitch preaches that influencing company culture is more than attending a two-week seminar. It turns out that learning from direct reports and self-reflection has a lot to do with leadership. Mitch recalls a realization moment when a mentor taught him to look in the mirror. Sports analogies abound as running, juggling, and lifting get shared in this sit-down discussion. Hear how Mitch describes spending energy units for high growth and high service delivery standards. Mitch brings management metrics into focus as he shares his tenured strategy. Do you come to this conversation with buy-side in mind? Tune-in to hear Mitch’s post mortem metrics following an acquisition. Perceived value is critical to keep the recurring revenue wheels turning. Before you listen, ask yourself, ‘how do I measure world class service?’ Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of hdaudiopost.com