Plumbers, SEO, and $8.5 Million: The Ryan Redding Story

Today’s guest, Ryan Redding, didn’t hold back — we got into how AI, customer experience, and smart leadership are rewriting the rules for trades businesses.Ryan shared how he accidentally found his way into marketing for the trades and how that detour turned into building Levergy, a digital marketing agency focused on helping home service companies grow smarter and stronger. Ryan’s journey wasn’t traditional — it was built on real-world experience, quick learning, and finding smart ways to grow along the way.We dug into the serious shifts happening in the trades: from AI taking over customer service tasks to how companies are changing their pricing models to stay profitable in slower markets. Ryan didn’t sugarcoat it — if you’re still doing business the way you did ten years ago, you’re already falling behind.We also talked about the real danger of trying to compete on price. Ryan laid it out clearly: if you’re not building a strong brand and delivering a top-notch customer experience, you’re making yourself a commodity — and commodities are easy to replace.We wrapped up with Ryan’s belief that success in today’s market isn’t just about showing up — it’s about leading smarter, focusing on the right customers, and constantly adapting to what’s coming next.Highlights:How AI is reshaping home service companies.Why COVID made bad business habits look good temporarily.Why competing on price is a fast track to failure.How trades businesses are using tech and leadership to pull ahead.Why a strong brand experience matters more than ever.If you’re enjoying the show, hit subscribe, leave us a review, rate the episode on Apple Podcasts, and share it with someone who’s ready to stop making excuses and start building smarter.Connect with Ryan:WebsiteFacebookLinkedInYoutubeConnect with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy