SMB15

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.When Dane Sawyer came across Roland Swiss Pastry & Bakery, he wasn’t looking to buy a food business. In fact, he told every broker he wanted nothing to do with food.But Roland wasn’t just any bakery. It was a 60-year Houston institution founded by a Swiss craftsman in the 1960s, someone who once rented a pizza shop’s oven at night to bake gingerbread houses because it was the only one he could find.Today, Dane is the third-generation owner, running a 95% wholesale, 5% retail operation that supplies pastries and desserts to hotels, convention centers, stadiums, and coffee shops across the city.In this episode, Dane shares how he stepped into a business with decades of history, why the bakery’s danishes “can’t be copied,” and what it really takes to keep an artisanal operation running day and night.We talk about the challenges of managing inventory and labor in a 24-hour kitchen, how standing orders and smart pricing stabilized the business, and why owning a bakery is one of the hardest, but most rewarding, ways to build something that lasts.Key Takeaways* Artisanal moat: Unique, documented recipes + a veteran team (20–25+ year tenures) make the product hard to replicate.* Wholesale first: ~95% wholesale / 5% retail; hotels, convention centers, and stadiums drive predictable volume.* Operational rhythm: Offset shifts keep six stacked ovens humming; early crew starts ~2:00 a.m. for coffee shop runs.* Volume at a glance: ~50 dozen jumbo muffins/day, ~100 dozen danishes/day, ~20 sheet cakes/day, plus handheld desserts.* Inventory strategy: Standing orders (with a 15% discount) create baseline demand; extra buffer handles last-minute hotel spikes.* Pricing to market: Benchmarking against broadline distributors and on-route intel unlocked price resets without churn.* Distribution control: In-house delivery preserves freshness and quality control, harder, but part of the brand.* Cost focus: COGS, labor scheduling, route optimization, and van maintenance are the weekly KPIs that matter.* Owner reality: Bakeries aren’t “mailbox money”, expect time intensity, but also addictive fulfillment.* Process over playbooks: No EOS; Dane leans on his Lean Six Sigma background to build living SOPs as issues arise.Where to find Dane Sawyer and Roland’s Swiss Pastry & Bakery:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-sawyer-muffin-man-86babb1ab/* Website: https://www.rolandsswissbakery.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 00:00 Origin Story of Roland’s Swiss Bakery* 1:53 What Makes Swiss & European Pastries Unique* 3:30 Why Buy a Bakery* 5:04 How Wholesale Became 95% of Revenue* 7:01 Supplying Houston’s Stadiums & Hotels* 8:23 A Day in the Life at the Bakery* 10:04 Production Volume & Operations* 12:36 Managing Costs & Delivery Logistics* 14:06 Building Culture with a Longtime Team* 17:16 Optimizing Inventory & Standing Orders* 19:53 Lessons from Owning a Bakery This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.When Nick Thompson launched Grounded Lawn, it started as a side hustle doing backyard installs, sod, rock, and hardscape projects for new Colorado homes. By 2021, he realized there was a bigger opportunity. Recurring maintenance wasn’t just steadier income; it was a more sellable business model.In this episode, Nick shares how he turned Grounded into a profitable, scalable operation without relying on paid marketing or debt, while keeping a six-person team working year-round. We talk about the realities of cash flow in a seasonal business, how reputation can grow through simple Google reviews, and why Nick believes buying a business is often easier than building one from scratch.Key Takeaways* From installs to maintenance: Grounded started with project-based installs (median $20K–$30K jobs) before shifting to recurring lawn care for predictable revenue.* Recurring revenue wins: Weekly mowing (27–30 visits per client per year) turned one-off projects into year-round contracts.* Smart seasonality management: Winter months are filled with installs and snow removal, keeping W2 employees fully staffed year-round.* Route density = profitability: Each worker runs solo routes, covering 2–3 properties per hour, maximizing efficiency and reducing payroll bloat.* Tech + transparency: Using Lawn Buddy for routing, tracking, and customer communication helped streamline ops without marketing spend.* Culture of servitude: Grounded’s three values, Responsibility, Quality, Servitude, drive how they operate and win referrals.* Selling the business: Nick’s now preparing for an exit. His main lesson: zero to one is hardest—and buying an existing “engine” can be smarter than building one.Where to find Nick Thompson and Grounded Lawn:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-thompson-b6915587/* Website: https://www.groundedlawn.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 00:00 From backyard installs to Colorado lawns* 00:45 Landscaping vs. hardscaping 101* 1:20 Learning installs from his dad’s DIY projects* 2:05 Targeting new builds during the COVID boom* 3:00 Job sizes: $3K to $75K, most in the $20Ks* 3:40 Why recurring maintenance beat one-off projects* 4:25 Keeping six W-2 employees through winter* 5:05 Snow removal as the off-season bridge* 6:00 Over-communicating with customers* 6:45 The 2021 pivot to recurring revenue* 7:30 Route density: solo crews > teams* 8:15 How Lawn Buddy powers daily ops* 9:00 Splitting commercial vs. residential routes* 9:40 Smarter gear: ramp racks, standers, no trailers* 10:30 Lessons from late-night R&D* 11:20 Grounded’s three values: responsibility, quality, servitude* 12:00 Growth without marketing—just Google reviews* 12:45 Nick’s role today: payroll and check-signing* 13:30 Preparing Grounded for sale* 14:15 “Buying is easier than building”* 15:00 How to know if you’re wired to build* 15:45 Final lessons on leadership and honesty This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.When Brian Reyburn’s father left the Air Force fire service to start a landscaping company, no one could have predicted it would lead to refurbishing fire trucks for the U.S. military and fire departments across the country.In this episode of SMB15, Brian shares the 20-year journey of building Fire Trucks Unlimited, from a “dumb idea” combining old landscaping mechanics and fire service connections into a thriving 50+ person operation.Key Takeaways* Market creation: Fire Trucks Unlimited applied military refurbishment practices to municipal fire departments after the 2008 crisis, inventing a market where none existed.* Economics: A new ladder truck can cost $1.2M–$2.5M. Refurbishment? Less than half that.* Funding model: They avoid debt and floor plan financing by collecting 50% deposits up front.* Trust in sales: Photo journaling refurbishments created transparency and built trust across fire departments nationwide.* Family business lessons: Respect isn’t automatic, Brian had to earn it with his team, even as the founder’s son.* Exit wisdom: “Get as much money day one” when selling to PE; earnouts favor the buyer.* Personal balance: After selling, Brian shifted into sales-only to prioritize family time during his kids’ last years at home.Where to find Brian Reyburn and Firetrucks Unlimited:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-reyburn-7bb84746/* Website: https://www.firetrucksunlimited.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Brian’s family roots in business* 1:00 From landscaping to fire trucks* 2:00 First big break with the military* 3:30 2008 crash creates a new market* 4:30 Fire truck economics: $2.5M new vs half the cost refurbished* 5:30 How the industry consolidated to 3 big players* 6:30 Early projects, big losses, key lessons* 7:45 Funding projects with customer deposits* 9:00 What “refurbishment” really means* 10:00 How long fire trucks actually last* 11:00 Anyone can buy a fire truck (and people do)* 12:00 Wildest sales stories: ISIS, war zones, remote islands* 13:00 Photo journaling turns into a sales engine* 16:00 Family business: challenges + respect on the shop floor* 17:30 Lean manufacturing lessons from Tesla to fire trucks* 20:00 What Brian learned from selling businesses (twice)* 22:00 Advice for sellers: get paid upfront, beware earnouts* 23:00 Life after the sale: shifting into sales, focusing on family This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.From a life-changing trip to Sonoma to scaling three retail locations in New Jersey, Jeff Carroll’s journey with Wine Dads shows how passion and persistence can reshape a career. He shares the leap from Trader Joe’s into entrepreneurship, the million-dollar challenge of opening his first store, and why he calls Wine Dads “a boutique shop cleverly disguised as a liquor store.”In this episode, we dive into the realities of alcohol retail: licensing hurdles, financing constraints, and cash flow management. Jeff also shares lessons on hiring sommeliers, curating a product mix, and finding expansion opportunities near Trader Joe’s. His story offers a candid look at how to build a retail brand in one of the most regulated industries.Key Takeaways* Passion can pivot careers. A trip to Sonoma in 2008 transformed Jeff from a casual drinker into a wine professional determined to open his own shop.* Location is leverage. Positioning Wine Dads near Trader Joe’s allowed Jeff to capture traffic and build awareness while maintaining his boutique identity.* Licensing is the biggest hurdle. In New Jersey, retail liquor licenses can cost seven figures, and navigating regulation is half the battle.* Cash flow is king. With alcohol invoices due in 30 days, retailers need disciplined inventory turnover. Wine Dads manages 10–12 turns per year.* Hire for expertise. Sommeliers and certified staff not only elevate the customer experience but also give credibility to the shop.* Approachability wins. By disguising a boutique selection inside a standard liquor-store look, Jeff made Wine Dads welcoming to everyday shoppers.Where to find Jeff Carroll and Wine Dads:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-carroll-61252364/* Website: https://winedadshoboken.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 00:00 - Falling in love with wine* 02:00 - Early retail lessons* 04:00 - Opening the first Wine Dads* 07:30 - Financing & licensing hurdles* 10:30 - Expansion strategy near Trader Joe’s* 13:30 - Pocket licenses & growth plan* 15:30 - Hiring sommeliers & staff* 17:00 - Delegating store management* 20:00 - Cash flow challenges in alcohol retail* 22:30 - Building a curated selection* 24:30 - Advice for aspiring shop owners* 26:00 - What’s next for Wine Dads This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.From a five-star review on his very first job to scaling toward $600K in revenue, Will Barrett’s journey with Will Do It Windows shows what happens when you combine grit with speed of execution. He shares the scrappy beginnings, the early hires, and the lessons that helped him turn a simple service into a serious business.In this episode, we dive into starting lean, finding the right marketing mix, and building culture in the trades. Will explains how he used door knocking, Google reviews, and Meta ads to drive growth, and why “just doing it” is the only real way to learn.Key Takeaways* Start small, sell first. Don’t waste thousands on equipment until you actually have paying customers. Focus on landing jobs, then invest in tools that help you move faster.* Hire early to scale. Will realized within a month that he couldn’t sell, clean, and manage everything at once. Bringing on a technician freed him up to focus on growth.* Culture drives consistency. Reliability, communication, and shared vision are what keep his technicians motivated. Every five-star review reinforces both accountability and pride in the work.* Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. Meta ads, steady Google reviews, and even simple yard signs have been enough to build consistent inbound demand.* Execution beats perfection. Will doesn’t wait for the “right time”, he acts on ideas quickly, learns from mistakes, and adjusts. This mindset helped him grow fast without overthinking.* Community matters. Small business ownership isn’t just about revenue; it’s about relationships. Running into clients at the grocery store or events makes the work more personal and rewarding.Where to find Will Barrett and Will Do It Windows:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-barrett-101840313* Website: https://www.willdoitwindows.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 00:00 - First job* 01:00 - Door knocking* 02:20 - First hire* 04:00 - Residential vs. commercial* 05:40 - Building culture* 07:00 - Marketing channels* 08:00 - Starting an agency* 08:30 - Why business is simple* 09:30 - Bootstrapping lessons* 10:30 - 2026 goals* 11:30 - Soft wash story* 12:40 - Community connections* 14:00 - Where to find Will This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Brandon Karam was practicing patent law when he stumbled on a very personal problem: he loved wet wipes but developed an allergic reaction that forced him to stop using them. That frustration led him and his cousin to launch Pristine Sprays, a toilet paper spray that transforms regular toilet paper into a wet wipe alternative. What started as kitchen counter experiments with gloves and hairnets turned into a patented product featured on Shark Tank, CNBC, and Good Morning America.In this episode, Brandon walks through the early product development process, the challenges of finding a manufacturer willing to do a small run, and how Shark Tank helped validate demand. We also cover the realities of building a lean CPG brand, balancing direct-to-consumer with Amazon, and why focusing on brand trust is the best defense against copycats in a crowded market.Key Takeaways* You don’t need experience, just obsession. Brandon didn’t know anything about CPG. But he was curious, resourceful, and willing to test formulas by hand. That beat out perfectionism.* Start scrappy, but outsource fast. Bottling 200 units by hand taught them this wasn’t scalable. They quickly realized where DIY ended and manufacturing had to begin.* Manufacturers can take your IP if you’re not careful. Many early-stage CPG founders don’t realize that unless you bring your full formula, a manufacturer might own part of it. Brandon emphasizes keeping ownership clear from day one.* The Amazon vs. DTC debate is overhyped. They spent 80% of their time on their website, but 80% of their revenue was coming from Amazon. Eventually, they stopped fighting it and leaned into what was working.* Brand is your moat. Even with IP protection, copycats show up. Brandon believes trust, consistency, and transparency are the only real long-term defensibility for CPG brands.* Shark Tank was the validation they didn’t know they needed. The exposure helped them find early traction, yes, but more importantly, it proved there was real customer demand.Where to find Brandon and Pristine Sprays:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-karam/* Website: https://www.pristinesprays.comIn this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 From Law to CPG* 0:41 Startup Obsession* 1:22 The Wet Wipe Problem* 2:32 Kitchen Formulation Begins* 4:18 DIY Chemistry Trials* 6:00 Manufacturing Reality Check* 7:19 Finding the Right Partner* 9:46 First Run Under $5K* 10:38 Website Flop* 11:57 Betting on Amazon* 13:00 Retail via FAIR & Markets* 14:29 Beating the Copycats* 16:53 Amazon = Ally, Not Enemy* 18:40 Shark Tank Strategy* 21:28 First Big Spike* 23:33 Staying Lean* 25:00 Avoiding Cash Crunches* 26:58 Daily P&L Checks* 27:26 4x ROAS Goal* 28:37 Buy What You’re Curious About* 29:18 Slow Burn Wins This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.From $2M worth of equipment bought for just $265K to building a team around veterans and experienced distillers, Jordan Griffie’s story isn’t your typical spirits launch. In this episode, Jordan shares how Valor Peak Distillery came together out of a bankruptcy auction, and the systems, culture, and discipline that keep it running like a business instead of a hobby.Key Takeaways1. Treat it like a business, not a hobby. Most distilleries fail because founders chase passion for “making great juice” but forget the basics: systems, sales, distribution. Jordan and his team flipped that, prioritizing revenue channels (like private label) and business discipline over chasing perfection in the product alone.2. Buy assets smart, not retail. The Valor Peak team picked up a $2M setup for $265K out of bankruptcy. Auctions and bank-owned assets are opportunities if you know where to look, and they let you launch at scale without crushing debt.3. Use private label as a revenue bridge. Brand awareness takes time. Cashflow can’t wait. Valor Peak’s private-label program (36-bottle minimum with your logo) funds operations and distribution pushes while the Valor Peak brand grows.4. Don’t lock into long distribution deals. Distributors want 5–7 year contracts. Jordan insisted on flexibility, a 2-year deal with a 90-day out. It’s better to learn the industry before locking yourself in.5. Manage by lead measures. Instead of obsessing over last week’s revenue, Jordan asks his managers: “What does it look like to win the week?” Lead measures drive the lagging results, and if lagging results aren’t there, you adjust the leads.6. Change nothing for 90 days. Whether starting or acquiring, the first rule is: don’t change anything. Observe, map systems, then implement strategically. Overloading teams too soon destroys trust.7. Build culture with personality insights. Every employee takes the Enneagram test. It helps managers tailor communication and motivation. Add the rule: if you bring a problem, bring at least one possible solution. Ownership is built into the culture.8. Anchor your drive in family. Jordan’s why is clear: provide a life for his kids without the stress of bills hanging overhead. That clarity informs how he structures, operates, and grows every business he touches.Where to find Jordan and Valor Peak Distillery:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-griffie-56806bb3/* Website: https://www.valorpeakdistillery.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 First Business* 0:41 Lessons on Saving vs. Leveraging Debt* 1:19 Starting Valor Peak Distillery* 2:32 Buying Distillery Assets Out of Auction* 3:30 Launching with a Full Spirit Lineup* 4:17 Why Most Distilleries Fail* 5:06 Private Label Strategy* 6:01 Distributor Terms* 6:42 $2M Distillery Bought for $265K* 8:51 Alcohol’s Three-Tier Pricing Explained* 10:13 What Distributors Want* 11:23 Building the Team* 13:36 Win the Week* 16:15 The 90-Day Rule* 19:33 What Drives Jordan This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.After getting stiffed on a big commission, Scott Crosby decided he’d never work for someone else again. Within a year, he bought American Services, a 30-year-old commercial HVAC and refrigeration company in St. Louis. In this episode, Scott talks about building trust with his team, the nonstop nature of B2B service work, and why he believes culture is the ultimate competitive edge.Some takeaways:* Trust comes from follow-through. In his first 90 days, Scott made a point of never overpromising and always delivering. Uniforms, pay raises, and a new CRM all rolled out exactly when he said they would, showing his techs he meant what he said.* Culture first, revenue second. Letting techs take family vacations in the summer, renovating the office, and paying above-market wages set the tone. Scott’s bet is that putting people first creates a stronger, more sustainable company.* Commercial HVAC = constant backlog. Unlike residential, there’s no slow season. Senior living centers, restaurants, and daycare chains always need service. The real constraint isn’t sales, but how many technicians you have.* Avoid rookie mistakes. Scott’s biggest regret was trying to switch carriers week one, losing precious time and even his main phone number in the process. His advice: inherit the basics and only rip out systems once you’re stable.* Think like an asset manager. Instead of just fixing broken equipment, Scott’s vision is to guide clients on lifecycle management — when to budget for replacements, how much they’re spending on maintenance, and how to plan ahead.* Cash flow is king. Even with steady demand, B2B service means long payment terms. One surprise six-figure job in his first week taught Scott the importance of forecasting and preparing working capital.Where to find Scott and American Services St. Louis:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-crosby* Website: https://americanservicesstlouis.comIn this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Intro & Path to Buying a Business * 3:36 Overview of American Services (Commercial HVAC)* 5:36 Maintenance Programs & Asset Management Approach * 8:05 Supplier Relationships & Reason why acquire HVAC? * 11:28 Team Structure & Balancing Installs vs. Service * 13:04 Hiring Standards & Building Culture * 16:31 Building Trust in the First 90 Days * 18:22 Lessons from Transition Mistakes * 23:04 Working with a Partner & Scaling the Model * 25:00 Biggest Surprises: Vendor Portals & Cash Flow * 27:19 Constant Demand in B2B HVAC * 30:53 Investing in People & Building Culture * 32:11 Do’s and Don’ts for Buying in HVAC This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.From getting fired as a bartender to running a multi-crew painting company, Matt Carlson has seen it all. In this episode of SMB15, Matt shares the raw story of building M. Carlson Painting over 25+ years: the mistakes, the systems, the culture, and why reputation is the only real warranty in business.Some takeaways:* Paying your guys more lets you demand more of them. Matt pays his crews above-market rates, but in return sets higher expectations for quality, professionalism, and communication. This creates loyalty and raises the performance bar, ultimately making crews better painting companies in their own right. * Beware of expanding into unfamiliar markets. Matt entered Utah with confidence after success in Minnesota, only to find that homeowners there weren’t nearly as “house proud” as Minnesotans. They were often trying to find the cheapest contractor and cared less about high quality paint jobs for their multimillion-dollar homes. He now sees adjacent markets as a smarter first move and has found Indianapolis to better mirror the market dynamics of Minneapolis.* No one disrespects you. As part of M Carlson’s culture, the crews know that Matt has their back. This further drives loyalty and retention of the painters. In fact, they recently bailed out of a $45K job when a client consistently treated his crews like garbage. * Exterior painting is a seasonal business in Minnesota. Minnesota winters shut down exteriors, so Matt sought out apartment turns, insurance work, and contractor jobs to smooth cash flow. Relying on one type of work would have left the business vulnerable and ratcheted up the pressure on summer months to maximize cashflow. * Make mistakes fast, then learn. Matt’s advice to new entrepreneurs: document your lessons, avoid emotional decisions, and accept that mistakes are inevitable. The goal isn’t perfection, but rapid learning and consistent effort.* Find your “why” to endure hard times. Running a small business is all consuming and stressful. Matt shared numerous times when he wanted to throw in the towel and go back to just doing small jobs with his friends. Matt trudged on because of his “why” - never want to work for someone else after his experience working that bar in college.Where to find Matt and M. Carlson Painting:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcarlsonorono/* Website: https://www.mcarlsonpainting.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Final Tipping Point* 1:38 Going All-in on Painting * 2:56 Building Trust with Clients * 5:33 Why Communication Sets You Apart in the Trades * 7:51 Intro to Matt Carlson * 9:30 First Year of a Minnesota Winter * 13:50 Specializing Crews by Project Type * 16:21 Splitting Into Residential, Contractor, and Commercial Divisions* 19:20 Pay More than Anyone Else * 22:58 No One Disrespects You * 25:56 A Warranty Is Your Reputation * 28:55 Expanding Beyond Minnesota: Utah & Indianapolis * 34:44 Advice for New Small Business Owners This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.When COVID hit, Ryan Baskins was selling HVAC systems to hotels — not a great place to be. Over beers with a friend, he had a realization: 3D printing had finally gotten good enough to launch physical products without a factory. That spark led to Chatelet Manufacturing, a fast-growing additive manufacturing business with 80 printers and a thriving B2B and consumer arm.In this episode, Ryan breaks down how they built the business from scratch, what makes additive viable for short-run production, and how they support inventors and manufacturers with rapid prototyping and bridge manufacturing. We talk materials, pricing, automation, the rise of print farms, and how American manufacturers can compete on speed, quality, and customization.Some takeaways:* Additive manufacturing eliminates expensive tooling costs. Traditional manufacturing often requires costly molds and machinists before you can make a single part. 3D printing lets you go from CAD file to finished product the same day, making it ideal for short-lead time needs or prototyping for inventors or physical product creators.* Consumer ideas can be live on Amazon the same day. Ryan’s team initially started by using 3D printing to make their own product ideas, prior to expanding into B2B contract manufacturing. The process is so fast that they have gone from morning concept to live Amazon listing — and even first sale — within hours.* Pricing starts with dollars per hour, not just materials. Ryan prices work by assigning an hourly value to each printer, then factoring in material cost, build volume, and batch size. If a job takes 12 hours to make and can only sell for $15, it’s off the table. This allows them to factor in the capital expenditure needs along with more variable energy and design service costs.* Pick the right equipment — or risk expensive obsolescence. In their first two years, Ryan’s shop invested in what was then top-tier gear, only to have new technology render it outdated. Staying competitive means being ready to rotate equipment quickly when the industry leaps forward and having the capital to do so.* Traditional machine shops serve as great channel partners. Many machine shops don’t have additive capabilities but encounter jobs that are better suited for printing. By acting as their recommended 3D print partner, Ryan wins recurring work while helping them serve customers more efficiently.* There’s no single “best” manufacturing method. Ryan’s philosophy is to ultimately expand to support all methods — additive, injection molding, CNC — and steer each project to the best one. The goal is not to replace traditional manufacturing, but to integrate it.Where to find Ryan and Chatelet Manufacturing:* X: @BaskinsRyan* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-baskins/* Website: https://chateletusa.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 What Is Additive Manufacturing? * 2:29 Intro to Ryan Baskins * 4:19 Starting the Business Over Beers During COVID * 6:49 Building Out a Print Farm * 9:09 Design Services * 11:01 Acquiring Injection Molding Capabilities * 12:12 Custom Manufacturing Jobs * 14:08 Billing by the Hour * 15:34 FDM vs SLA vs SLS Printing* 19:15 Misconceptions About 3D Printing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Julia Callahan quit a stable career in medical sales to knock on doors with a handwritten notebook. Less than a year later, she’s grown Jubilee Cleaning Services to 17 employees and $70K/month in revenue. What started as a low-overhead side hustle has become a full-time mission — delivering dignity through cleaning while building an operation that can scale.In this episode, we cover how Julia priced her first jobs, hired and trained her early team, and grew via Facebook ads and phone-based quoting. We also get into her commission-based pay model, how she structures deep cleans vs. recurring jobs, and what it’s taken to grow a culture rooted in care, standards, and accountability.Some takeaways:* Starting small eliminated the fear of failure. Although starting a business carries higher failure rates, the actual capital risked is a lot less than in a business acquisition. After looking into acquiring a local laundromat, Julia and her husband decided to go the “build” approach instead. Residential cleaning allowed Julia to start the business on the side, working nights and weekends, with minimal personal capital at risk.* GoHighLevel and Facebook ads now drive 100% of leads. While Jubilee began with weekend door knocking, today their growth engine is paid ads funneled through the GoHighLevel platform. The localized FB ads allow them to target folks in and around Beaver, PA. But rather than drive leads to an automated quote, Julia has maintained personalized quote calls as key to the sales motion. This allows them to adjust to customer needs and price expectations on the fly while building a human relationship.* Recurring residential clients are the backbone of the business. Jubilee's revenue concentration leans heavily on residential cleaning, providing a safety net of small, recurring contracts. Julia notes that losing a $300/month client is far less damaging than losing a $50K/yr commercial contract, allowing her to better project headcount needs and capacity.* Enforcing high standards was her biggest leadership unlock. Julia admitted early on she was too lenient on lateness and standards. Once she started holding the line, accountability became self-reinforcing. “The standard did its job and I’m finally holding it,” she said.* “We enter people’s lives at their highest highs and lowest lows.” From helping a woman spend more time with her husband battling Parkinson’s to cleaning homes post-divorce or pre-graduation party, Julia sees Jubilee’s mission as deeply personal and life-enhancing.Where to find Julia and Jubilee Cleaning Services:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callahanjulia/* Website: http://jubileecleaningservices.com* Instagram: @jubileecleaning.coIn this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Getting Her First Clients * 1:41 Intro to Julia Callan * 2:16 Buy vs. Build * 4:24 From Door Knocking to Paid Ads * 5:30 Pricing at Jubilee Cleaning * 7:42 Hiring the First Cleaner & Growing the Team * 9:53 Training & Compensation * 11:17 Operations of a Cleaning Business * 13:16 Building a Mission-driven Company* 14:43 Maintaining Culture & Standards * 16:20 Reinvesting Profits vs. Paying Herself * 17:13 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Staying Motivated * 19:35 Advice for Starting or Buying a Cleaning Business This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Ryan Robinson didn’t grow up dreaming of shingles. But after working in transportation and getting laid off during a downturn, he fell into roofing — and never looked back. Today he’s the co-owner of Upright Roofing and Construction, one of the fastest-growing roofing businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Along the way, he’s also built a paintless dent repair shop and a Christmas lights business that serves 250+ homes each winter.In this episode, Ryan shares what it really takes to run a roofing company: how crews are hired, how insurance claims are processed, and why class 4 shingles aren’t always worth the hype. We talk commercial vs. residential work, the legal shift from 1099 to W2 sales teams, and what separates a fly-by-night roofer from a reputable operator.Some takeaways:* Re-roofing beats new construction. Ryan once installed 60 new construction roofs in 60 days, only to net $10,000 total. Since then, Upright has focused on re-roofing, where margins are higher and storm-driven demand is more predictable.* Storm chasers vs. storm catchers. Ryan breaks the storm repair market down into folks who are storm chasers or storm catchers. The chasers travel state to state chasing the latest hail storms - and typically get a poor reputation. Storm catchers, however, are locally owned & operated roofing contractors who are embedded in the community and wait for the latest storm to drive referrals and business. For homeowners, storm catchers are far preferable because the roofing contractors are around in the years to come when roofs need repair work under warranty. * Field sales can change your trajectory. One of Ryan’s sales reps knocked on a door and met a general contractor. That contractor was working on some large commercial projects in DFW and was in need of a roofer. That single conversation turned into three six-figure commercial jobs, jumpstarting Upright’s expansion into commercial work.* Ryan trains his crew to truly understand the science and help fix roofs, not just close a sale. Upright doesn’t hire high school kids looking for a summer job knocking on doors. They invest in training reps who understand the roof overhead and know everything from the pros and cons of various materials to how to deal with insurance claims.* Insurance-funded roofs are a double-edged sword. Margins are higher on insurance work because prices are set by carriers. But contractors often fronting tens of thousands in WIP before receiving final checks, making cash management and scope accuracy essentialWhere to find Ryan and Upright Roofing + Construction:* X: @Ry__Rob * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-robinson-a86a22b0* Website: https://uprightroofinggc.com/* Instagram: @uprightroofingandconstructionIn this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Intro to Ryan Robinson* 1:20 Why You Can’t Install Shingles Below 40°F* 2:43 Learning Roofing from the Sales Side * 4:00 New Construction vs. Re-Roofing vs. Repairs * 5:42 What is TPO Roofing? * 7:10 Sales Team Training Philosophy * 8:22 Inside the Storm Chaser World * 10:41 How to Vet a Roofer as a Homeowner * 12:34 The Insurance Process Explained * 15:36 Subcontracting vs. In-House Crews * 17:49 How They Vet New Crews & Trades * 19:46 Roofing Materials 101 * 24:02 Starting a Christmas Light Business * 25:40 From Sales to Business Ownership * 29:51 Expansion Plans * 31:05 What Drives Ryan Robinson? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.After 14 years as a railroad engineer, Scott Gunter bet the house — and $116K — on a single container of packaging from a Chinese supplier he’d never spoken to. That gamble paid off. Today, he runs JarCo, a growing print and packaging business in Arkansas with clients in food & beverage, schools, and beyond.In this episode, we get into what it takes to run a hybrid printing and packaging company, from custom merch and labels to flexible packaging and import logistics. Scott shares how he evaluates customers, the differences in margin and effort between print and packaging, and what he looks for when buying small businesses.Some takeaways:* Competing with offshore labor requires speed and trust. JAR Co’s value isn’t in being the cheapest. It’s in responsiveness and flexibility. For customers in the $10M–$50M range, Scott’s pitch is simple: he’ll handle the complexity, move faster than your team can, and still save you money.* The 10–50 million revenue customer is the sweet spot. These customers are big enough to place meaningful orders, but not big enough to bring sourcing in-house. They rely on trusted vendors and value simplicity and a one-stop shop over squeezing every penny.* Sales becomes the bottleneck. As Scott’s scaled up the team and brought some production in-house with his acquisition, the struggle has been in balancing fulfilling customer orders with continuing to do outbound sales for new print and packaging customers.* Once a customer buys packaging, they often buy print. Scott found that once he landed a packaging client, they’d eventually ask about branded apparel, promotional products, and signage. Cross-selling became a natural upsell — because buyers want one vendor they can count on. Print customers, however, may not have a need for packaging.* He advises business buyers to assume a 20% customer loss post-close. No matter how strong the transition, Scott’s seen customers leave due to loyalty to the seller. His rule of thumb: build a buffer, do your diligence, and expect churn when a business changes hands.Where to find Scott and Arkansas Marketing & Promotionals:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-gunter-492668333/* Website: https://www.arkansasmarketing.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Leaving Union Pacific for Entrepreneurship * 1:31 Starting in Packaging * 3:50 First Container Arrives* 5:04 Freight Forwarding * 8:42 Why Customers Choose JAR Co * 10:52 Building Out the Team * 12:23 Acquiring Arkansas Marketing & Promotionals * 13:15 Flexible Packaging * 15:19 Print vs. Packaging * 16:58 Scott's Big Focus* 18:52 Advice for Buying a Business * 20:42 Key Metrics to Watch* 21:32 Advising Aspiring Owners This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.California has 6,000 metal fabrication shops and very few successors to run them. Jules Brenner is on a mission to fix that. Through Industrial Succession, he’s buying and operating metal fabrication shops that serve time-sensitive and highly engineered use cases — from data centers to critical infrastructure. In this episode, Jules shares what makes the succession problem particularly challenging in California, how they staff and operate metal fabricators, the latest trends in automation and the kinds of sellers he looks to partner with.Some takeaways:* Most fabs are small owner-operated businesses. Over 6,000 of the 30,000 metal fabricators in the U.S. are based in California. But the vast majority are small shops with the owner still actively operating machinery. Only around 200 of the 6K earn $20M of revenue or more.* RE market impacts succession planning. Over the past few decades, many owners bought the real estate their fab was using. As the e-commerce and media business boomed, their real estate shot up in value. This often means they’re holding an 8-fig piece of land but only a low 7-fig business. In practice, many don’t care to struggle through the succession process and instead elect to close up shop and monetize the real estate.* Want to compete against China? Do the hard thing. Brenner’s shops focus on certified welding, patented products, short lead times, and complex quality requirements. These are areas where U.S. operators can outcompete — even with California labor costs.* Production leads are the hardest roles to hire. The sweet spot is a person who can weld or machine parts while also tracking throughput in spreadsheets and email. Most candidates lean heavily technical or administrative. Few can do both.* Standardized quality certifications make M&A easier. Brenner targets fabs who already comply with AS9100 or ISO standards. These standards create not only cleaner operations, but also make post-close integration smoother. If you buy a fab without them, you risk seeing a lot of headcount churn during the qualification process. Many employees lack the desire or skill to comply with more intense QA requirements.* Customer concentration is the biggest trap for new buyers. Many metal fab businesses serve just a few large customers. Buyers have to perform serious diligence to understand the exact work product being delivered to customers, the lifetime of the customer, and the risk that they go elsewhere for their welding, cutting or fabrication needs.Where to find Jules and Industrial Succession:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jules-brenner* Website: https://industrialsuccession.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Why California and Why Metal Fabs* 3:18 Market Segments in Metal Fabrication* 3:33 Revenue Breakdown* 4:59 Common End Users* 5:58 Onboarding a New Customer* 9:30 Impact of Offshoring* 13:18 Typical Org Chart* 17:10 Hardest Role to Hire For* 18:17 Labor Shortage * 19:32 Tips for Buyers and Investors * 22:39 Industrial Succession* 24:45 Ideal Sellers* 26:04 Upcoming Milestones This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.After stints in investment banking and private equity, Chris acquired System Six in July 2021, a remote accounting firm serving SMBs. He doubled the team, expanding into payroll and tax, and built a fully remote operation spanning 25+ states and 3 countries. Along the way, he's been active in the Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) community, frequently speaking at and sponsoring conferences.In this interview, we dive into how Chris prices each client relationship, the team structure behind his high-margin model, and the role technology plays in scaling advisory services. We also cover his thoughts on AI, margin compression, retention, and the recent surge in consolidation hitting the accounting industry.Some takeaways:* You rarely need a CPA. Despite having a background in finance, Chris doesn’t hold a CPA license. He shared that it’s a common misconception that you need to hold a CPA to acquire and own an accounting firm. The two main instances that do require a CPA majority owner are if the firm uses “CPA” in its name or if the firm provides audit and attest work.* Paid discovery filters out tire kickers. System Six charges a few hundred dollars for a financial assessment as part of the sales process. The fee covers time spent analyzing a client’s books but more importantly ensures they weed out folks prioritizing cost over quality. Chris wants to focus on clients who value responsiveness, team redundancy and deep expertise in service businesses.* Expanding within your customer base. The number of new customers each month hasn’t changed much since the acquisition 4 years ago. What has changed is the number of services that a given client is using. By bundling bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing, and bill pay together, System Six improves margins and increases stickiness.* Recognizing what a remote-first culture means. Rather than trying to replicate an in-person experience with a remote team, Chris leans into the benefits of remote. This is what attracts great talent to their team. They still have team huddles and 1:1’s, but they’re not trying to host remote happy hours or require frequent meetups. * Every client gets a 3-person team. Unlike solo bookkeepers, System Six assigns each client a junior, mid-level, and senior staff member. The result is resilience, better handoffs, and a smoother client experience—especially during transitions or turnover.* AI won’t replace advisory relationships. While automation tools can accelerate onboarding and bookkeeping workflows, Chris believes small business owners will always need a real person to explain financials and advise on decisions. The difference will be the speed and breadth of what they can help on.* Red flags for an accounting firm. For those thinking of buying an accounting firm, Chris recommends doing diligence on the customer base. Are they all on Quickbooks Desktop? Do they enjoy stopping by the office to drop off documents? Questions like these help you diligence whether the business can evolve and you can actually achieve margin expansion with technology and modern systems.Where to find Chris and System Six:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-williams-68057029/* Website: https://systemsix.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Where System Six Sits in the $150B Accounting Market* 1:06 Intro to Chris Williams* 1:56 Running a People Business* 3:33 Revenue Breakdown* 5:09 Pricing and Margins in Accounting* 8:30 Competing with Offshore Providers* 10:37 Client Growth * 12:18 Handling Scope Creep * 14:27 Building a Strong Remote Culture * 16:10 State-specific Regulations * 19:12 Scaling an Accounting Firm * 21:21 AI's Impact on Financial Services* 24:24 Consolidation & the PE Roll-up Trend * 27:09 Advice for those Buying an Accounting Firm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Many assume print is dying, but Connor Pera would disagree. After acquiring The Print Authority, he found a surprisingly durable and fragmented market filled with sticky B2B relationships and reoccurring demand. With a speciality in web-to-print services, Connor is on track to clear $3M in revenue in his third year of ownership.In this interview, we dive into the mechanics of web-to-print services, how Connor serves multi-location franchise systems, the economics of digital vs. offset printing, and why buying existing customer relationships is often better than building from scratch.Some takeaways:* The print industry is a $40B market hiding in plain sight. Despite the “print is dead” narrative, it remains a massive, fragmented industry. Most buyers overlook it, which is exactly why Connor leaned in. The industry breaks down into a variety of specialities such as wide format, web-to-print, promotional formats, and commercial prints.* Specialization unlocks sticky, high-margin work. Half of Connor’s business comes from “web-to-print” portals — custom storefronts embedded in corporate intranets where employees order branded materials. These create reoccurring, habit-based ordering behavior that’s hard to displace and easy to scale with clients.* Quality of revenue matters more than the quantity. Connor avoids one-time, price-sensitive work like wedding invites in favor of recurring B2B relationships. His ideal customers are multi-location franchises needing kits, fulfillment, and ongoing reorders. Rather than running a long enterprise sales motion, he prefers to get involved with newer franchise concepts, allowing him to scale along with the franchisor.* Customers choose local shops for speed of delivery and customization. Despite there being a number of national or online-only print solutions, these firms often offer very little customization and delivery times can number in days or weeks. Connor offers a more tailored experience to clients, including design services for those needing help with a layout and delivery for folks located within about a 20 mile radius of their HQ.* Digital printing enables speed — but comes at a cost. Offset printing is efficient at scale but requires costly, complex equipment. Digital printing is more expensive per unit but allows quick turnaround for smaller runs, which has been the overall trend as businesses are more nimble and reactive (e.g., preferring 500 fliers for the conference next week vs. 20K mailers).Where to find Connor and The Print Authority:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-pera* Website: https://theprintauthority.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 The $40B Print Industry * 0:55 Intro to Connor Pera* 2:00 Specialized vs Non-Specialized Printing* 4:40 Why Clients Stick with Mom-and-Pops* 6:30 What Print Shops Outsource* 8:47 CapEx for a Print Shop* 12:28 Buy vs Build in Print* 15:04 “Golden Ball” Leads* 16:47 Building a Sales Team* 18:03 Partnering with Emerging Franchises* 19:56 Horizontal vs Vertical Integration* 22:32 Delivery Logistics for Local Clients* 23:21 Industry Fragmentation & Market Share* 25:00 Why Small Local Print Shops Survive* 26:07 Advice for Buying a Print Business This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Paul never saw himself installing fences. After serving in the Marines straight out of high school, he joined the upper echeleons of finance at Blackrock, but something was missing. Once thing led to another and he left his career in finance behind to start a fencing company with his friend. Three years later, Hawk Fences is installing 15 fences a week for a mix of residential and commercial customers.In this episode, we get into how Paul grossed $400K in their first year of operations, why 75% of his customers are pet owners, and his moves to grow their fence business.Some takeaways:* Parallel pathing subcontractors and direct outreach. Although a majority of their early revenue came from subcontracting, Paul still spent multiple days each week knocking on doors and canvassing with door hangers. He advises folks to do both early on. Building a brand takes time, and it was weeks before they got their own lead from his outreach efforts. Meanwhile, their subcontracting work allowed them to pull in early revenue and learn on someone else’s brand. * Look for talent in adjacent industries. Sourcing great installers is tough. Instead of trying to poach from other fence installers, Paul’s strategy is to source folks who do framing for construction. It’s a similar motion to fencing with a lot of the same tools, meaning the train up time is minimal. Plus, fencing is a whole lot safer.* Refining your ideal customer profile. When Paul first started, he assumed that his target market would be neighborhoods with the highest home prices. Over time, he realized that a sense of community is what matters most. Neighborhoods where folks know each other drive the highest referral volume. Nowadays he looks for signs like kids playing in the street, neighbors chatting with one another, etc.* Pet owners drive demand. Initially, I assumed that most fence work comes as a result of a home purchase. In reality, it’s existing homeowners getting pets. Nearly 75% of Hawk Fences’ installs are for customers who recently got a dog.* Project managers can make or break your business. Paul’s second hire was a project manager to handle customers and installer crews. He credits their project manager with a lot of their success. Not only does he manage projects and handle customer support, but he also brought a deep network of installers to Hawk Fences, meaning that they’re able to deliver on projects in a matter of weeks, not months.Where to find Paul and Hawk Fences:* X: https://x.com/Paul0Montenegro* Website: hawkfences.com* Instagram: @hawkfencesIn this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Current Volume* 0:49 Intro to Paul Montenegro* 1:51 Serving in the Marines * 3:23 Growing up around his Mom's Bakery * 4:06 Leaving BlackRock for Fences * 5:31 Starting Out with Subcontracting * 8:07 Creating a Brand * 9:52 75% of Clients Are Pet Owners * 10:30 How They Pick Neighborhoods * 11:47 Price per Job * 12:38 Building the Team * 16:55 Streamlining Estimates * 19:49 Permits & Dig Alerts * 21:49 Building a Warehouse * 23:24 Vertical vs Horizontal Expansion * 25:10 What Separates Great Fence Companies This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Kyle has built the WeBuyUglyHouses of the floral industry. He won't pay top dollar, but he'll give retiring owners cash at close and let them drop the keys and walk into the sunset. What happens next is the product of dozens of acquisitions and treating flower shops like assembly lines. In this interview, we dive into his journey to developing a dialed playbook for operating best-in-class flower shops. We walk through how he’s cut out all the middlemen, the KPIs he monitors on a bi-weekly basis, and the lessons he’s learned from dozens of acquisitions.Some takeaways:* Overstuffing is the silent killer of floral margins. Designers often add extra stems to make arrangements “look right,” even when they exceed the target price point. Kyle combats this by benchmarking each store’s cost of goods and focusing on the 1-2 stores that are over target.* He underwrites revenue, not EBITDA. With dozens of transactions under his belt, he has a strong sense of what the bottom line will be using his playbook. Rather than dispute owner adjustments, he focuses on the top-line sales, specifically those coming from local customers and not online aggregators.* Absentee ownership only works above $600K in revenue. According to Kyle, it’s nearly impossible to make money running a flower shop from a distance if it’s doing under $600K annually. That’s the threshold where you can afford local staff and still have margin left over.* The average flower has been touched five times before it reaches a customer. From the farm in Colombia or Ecuador to the florist’s cooler, flowers pass through a maze of cargo handlers, customs, wholesalers, and delivery trucks. That journey is why costs — and spoilage risk — stack up fast.* Cutting out middlemen unlocks fresher product and better margins. Kyle bypasses both importers and wholesalers, sourcing directly from farms. The result: flowers that are 3–4 days fresher and often 40–50% cheaper than traditional supply chains.* Perishable COGS and payroll are the two numbers that matter. If you’re overstuffing flowers or have overhired designers, you’re destined to lose money. Kyle monitors these two KPIs on a weekly basis to ensure his shops are on track.Where to find Kyle and Lone Star Bloom:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevbrown* Website: https://lsbco.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 The #1 Way Shops Lose Money * 1:50 Intro to Kyle Brown * 3:12 How Kyle Approaches Acqusitions * 4:52 Big Cities vs Small Towns * 5:33 Touched 5 Times * 7:10 Going Direct to Farm * 8:44 Revenue Breakdown * 9:33 Online Aggregators * 13:35 Benefits of Scale * 16:09 Retaining the Brand Value * 16:50 Store Managers * 18:41 Designers * 20:21 Important KPIs * 22:06 2 Wholesale Locations * 23:12 Shops on Bases * 25:02 Outlook on the Industry This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.What does it take to build a vacation rental management company from scratch? Franklin Dusserre walks us through his journey building French Cowboys Management. What began as helping a few friends manage their Airbnb listings turned into a leading vacation rental management company in Austin, TX. In this interview, we dive into the Golden Age of Airbnb, the changing regulatory landscape, and the tactics and learnings that have helped Franklin navigate scaling an operationally intensive business.Some takeaways:* Golden Age is over. There was a period during 2021-2022 that Franklin refers to as the “Golden Age” of Airbnb. Rates were relatively low, travel was at all-time highs, and there was a shortage of inventory across the U.S. This attracted many “passive investors” and operators into the space. However, the past few years have shown many that there’s no such thing as easy money. Rates have increased, more hotel taxes and regulations are being introduced, and travel has come down.* Operating on a revenue share model. Similar to property management, the space operates on a revenue share model. The market is around 25%, but can range from as low as 20% and as high as 30%. That is on room’s revenue, net of housekeeping fees (which are passed to the guest) and taxes. Any one-off or ongoing maintenance is billed directly to the landlord, such as landscaping, HVAC work, etc.* It costs a homeowner $1500-$2500 to go live. Franklin suggests budgeting $1.5K - $2.5K before going live. The lions share of this is for high quality photography. The rest covers investments like smart locks and professional linens. For investors who recently acquired a unit, French Cowboys will front that initial investment and deduct it from future revenue. That’s how important photography is to a successful listing.* The online travel agencies (OTAs) like Vrbo and Airbnb require pricing parity. While you’re not allowed to offer discounts for direct bookings, you can offer perks like early check-in, upgrades, etc. Franklin does this so that they can save on the 20% platform fees, streamline operations, and build a relationship direct to the customer (the OTAs make it hard to access underlying customer PII).* Housekeeping can make or break your business (and your customer’s). Originally, Franklin ran housekeeping at a loss. Over time, those losses became significant. Now they target a 20% margin on housekeeping and are transparent about this with their clients. Why? It allows them to cover software costs, back office labor to manage the housekeepers, and some margin for when things go awry. Franklin flagged that housekeeping is how some vacation rental management companies can take advantage of rental owners. The management company keeps 100% of the margin from housekeeping. If they want to be shady, they can hike the cleaning fees (which are passed off to the customer). This can lead to lower bookings rates, as the effective nightly rate for customers is higher. Franklin prefers to bake in a 20% margin and be upfront about it.* The market will stay fragmented, despite efforts to roll-up mom-and-pop operators. Big players like Vacasa tried national rollups but failed due to poor local execution. Franklin sees more promise in franchising models like CasaGo and believes local trust will keep mom-and-pop operators competitive. Where to find Franklin and French Cowboys:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklin-dusserre-90026656/* Website: https://www.fcmrentals.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fcm.homes/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Managing Across Airbnb, VRBO, & Others * 1:22 Intro to Franklin Dusserre * 1:54 Pricing Parity is Required * 2:51 Benefits of Direct Booking * 4:02 Starting French Cowboys in 2021 * 5:47 Golden Age of Airbnb * 7:09 Not a Passive Income Play* 8:25 The Pitch * 11:23 Onboarding a New Property * 13:33 Required Investment * 16:24 Revenue Share Model * 19:08 Housekeeping Margin * 21:13 Dropping a High-Maintenance Client * 23:03 Short-Term Rental Regulations in Austin * 26:33 Competitive Landscape & Vacasa Collapse * 28:56 Getting to Default Alive * 30:19 Getting from 10 to 25 Units * 33:25 Metrics They Track Weekly* 35:06 Story Behind “French Cowboys” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.John started in debt collections right out of college. Staked by his former boss in his late 20s to buy his first agency, he's spent the last two decades quietly scaling in a misunderstood industry. Today, he runs a national network of 16 collection agencies serving hospitals, banks, and utilities across the country.In this interview, we go deep on what most people don't understand about the collections business: the economics, the sales cycle, how compliance and customer service intersect, and how his firm consistently collects 2x the industry average.Some takeaways:* Collections keeps costs low. In 2018, the industry returned $90.1B to American businesses, saving the average household $706 due to lower costs and services. Without the collections industry, the cost of goods and services would skyrocket. Businesses would have to charge more in order to offset the percentage of customers who do not pay. * Competing on service, not price. John stands out from competition by his approach to servicing files. “We approach it as they're going to be a customer of our client again,” he said. And in all likelihood, they will. Unless they move, they’ll go back to the same hospital, use the same utility company. This approach, combined with technology, allows John to deliver 2x the industry collection rate.* Workflow automation drives margins. After a file is received, John processes it to determine everything from “who’s died since they received an invoice” to “who’s likely to be litigious”. After the file has been processed, the next step is to determine the outreach channels that are most likely to drive a payment.* Clients provide general guidance, but the agency has a voice. Clients will often provide their financial assistance policies and settlement options to an agency, but the agency can escalate specific accounts to negotiate a settlement that works for both parties.* Larger clients may have agencies compete. Some will split the alphabet and send different batches of files to different collections agencies based on name. Others will test sequencing, with certain agencies focused on the first pass and others focused on a second pass.* Consolidation in hospitals drove a lot of the early acquisitions. A few decades ago, there was an independent hospital and mom-and-pop collection agency in many small towns. As hospital systems slowly started consolidating, many of these agencies lost their main customer. John would buy the agency to service out remaining accounts, similar to a stripper well in the oil & gas business.* John treats every acquisition as an opportunity to learn. Despite having a mature playbook, John says he learns something valuable from each new acquisition. Staying humble, curious, and open to process improvements has been key to growing Credit Service Intl and being a partner that sellers want to work with.Where to find John and Credit Service Intl:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/followjohnerickson* Website: https://achievecontact.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Intro to John* 00:37 The Role of Collection Agencies in the Economy * 2:12 The Sales Process * 3:12 How Sales Work in Collections * 4:21 A Softer Form of Collections* 5:39 From Invoice to Collection* 8:54 Collection Fees & Industry Rates* 10:29 16 Agencies & Counting* 15:17 Standing Out from Private Equity This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Shawn Allard is the owner of Novel Ice Cream, a multi-location ice cream shop in Phoenix known for its inventive flavors and standout branding. After starting his career in dental consultancy, Shawn knew he wanted to find a more entrepreneurial path. He discovered the entrepreneurship through acquisition (EtA) world on Twitter. Within a year, he acquired Novel Ice Cream, then a two-unit operation in Phoenix. In this episode, we dive into how Shawn transitioned to small business ownership, the due diligence behind his first acquisition, and the operational lessons he's learned while expanding to three storefronts and a mobile unit. Some takeaways:* Decide if you’re an owner or investor - it changes the size you should acquire. Shawn distinguishes between buying a “mom-and-pop” shop you’ll run vs. a larger, manager-run business. The former is more realistic for most buyers, but it requires daily involvement and at least a few years of hands-on work.* Product quality & customer experience. Shawn highlights these two aspects as must-have in the food & beverage space. Your product needs to be better than the competition and you need to wow your customers. For Novel Ice Cream, this is everything from the experience walking up to the shop to the lighting inside to the way the team speaks to customers.* Consumer psychology matters. What we think looks amazing tends to be amazing, even if that’s not factually true in a blind test. Shawn applies this consumer psych insight to Novel Ice Cream by being relentless on nailing presentation. How the ice cream is served affects how consumers feel about it (and their likelihood to post/share about it).* Promote managers from within. In late 2024, Shawn let go of his formal management team to promote experienced in-store staff. It was both a cost control move and a bet on people who had already proved themselves.* Compensation challenges for store managers. As a store manager, there’s not much you can control in terms of revenue or expenses. The labor, rent and food costs are baked in. As an owner, you don’t want to incentivize a store manager to be relentless about pushing upsells or more ice cream on customers. What matters most is leadership, management and quality control of the store’s staff, but that’s hard to compensate on.* 6-7 units allow you to hire a true regional manager. Given the average revenue and margins of an ice cream shop, below 6-7 units and the owner is typically pulling double duty as “CEO” and regional manager. For Novel Ice Cream, they need about 2 more locations before Shawn can hire a manager responsible for all of the locations.Where to find Shawn & Novel Ice Cream:* LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/shawnwallard* X: https://x.com/shawnwallard* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novelicecream* Website: https://www.novelicecream.com/In this interview, we discuss:* 0:00 Intro to Shawn Allard * 1:16 Discovering ETA through Twitter * 2:16 Why He Bought Novel Ice Cream * 3:12 First-Time Diligence Mistakes * 4:16 Preparing for Ownership Post-Close * 5:12 Expanding from 2 to 4 Locations * 7:19 Production Setup: Donuts & Ice Cream * 8:34 Product Quality & Customer Experience * 10:27 How They Test and Launch New Flavors * 11:46 Advice for Buying Ice Cream Shops * 13:07 Should You Buy Big or Small? * 14:07 What is ParkSMB? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Kyle Miller is part of a third-generation family business that started in the 1950s supplying parts to ships in the Port of Detroit. Fast forward 70 years, the company is now headquartered out of Charlotte, NC and primarily focuses on distributing fasteners across a wide range of applications. In this episode, we get into the history of Bamal Fasteners, life working with your brother and father, how they scaled Bamal 5x through acquisitions, and how Kyle is now using that experience to invest in other small business acquisitions.Some takeaways:* Growth through acquisition: Kyle leads Bamal’s inorganic growth efforts, snapping up small distributors across the country. The industry lends itself towards M&A. It’s capital intensive to build up inventory from scratch. Many customers are looking for local sources of supplies. Most clients have quality departments that need to vet each part. Buying an existing distributor allows you to inherit a client base that’s already approved the parts being distributed.* Target add-ons that can fail safely: Bamal looks for targets doing $5–15M in revenue and 15–20% margins. That way, even if a deal underperforms, it won’t sink the business. As Kyle says, “maybe a shot to the leg, not a shotgun to the chest.”* Tariffs become a force majeure item. Distribution is a mature industry, with relatively low margins and decent inventory requirements. Pulling forward inventory ahead of a tariff going into effect requires a lot of working capital. It’s generally not feasible, plus you’re left banking on demand remaining constant to turn the inventory over. The better approach is to just ride it out.* Offshoring drained a lot of talent from the Midwest. The move to Charlotte was partly motivated by chasing qualified talent. The average education level in their previous county in Ohio was 11.5 grades, a half year shy of a high school diploma. Between jobs going to Mexico via NAFTA and getting offshored to China, the talent pool in the Midwest has worsened over the years.* Decoupling from China will take years. For most customers looking to decouple supply chains from China, they’re looking at a 4-5 year process to get a new plant up and running, plus millions of dollars in capex. It may happen, but it won’t be during Trump’s term.* Diversifying from distribution. The family business exposed him to real-world M&A and gave him the confidence to start investing in SMBs on the side. Now, he holds minority stakes in a number of SMBs, including a marketing agency.* Advice to prospective SMB investors. Kyle wishes he began investing in SMBs 10-15 years ago. His advice to folks considering the asset class is to “just get in the game”. You’ll learn more writing a small check into one deal than you can learn from years of reading about it.Where to find Kyle & Bamal Fasteners:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemillerclt/* Website: https://bamal.com/In this interview, we dive into:* 0:00 Intro to Kyle Miller * 0:35 Growing Up in a Family Business * 1:53 History of Bamal * 3:20 Family Dynamics * 5:07 Leaving Detroit * 6:46 From $100M to $10M—and Back Up Again * 8:02 Impact of Tariffs on a Global Supply Chain * 10:06 Growth through Acquisition * 12:27 Kyle’s Small Business Portfolio * 14:37 Coming Up to Speed on New Industries * 15:10 Building a Minority Investment Portfolio * 16:17 Advice for New SMB Investors This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.After working on the family business with his father, Matt Railla joined Transworld business brokerage in Los Angeles. But he didn’t stay there for long. In 2024, he bought one of his own listings: Top Termite Co. He’s now the owner-operator of a trusted termite inspection business in California, doing over 1,500 inspections a year. In this interview, we discuss how Matt Railla transitioned from brokering to operating, the ins and outs of a termite inspection business, and what makes a great inspector.Some takeaways:* 90% of business comes from real estate transactions. The primary channel is the buyer’s agent, not the homeowner — making agent relationships the #1 sales driver. Many prospective buyers viewed this as a risk vs. a benefit.* Majority of revenue is from subcontracted services. A standard inspection costs ~$200. But detecting termite damage can lead to big downstream jobs — from a $2,500 fumigation to six-figure structural wood repair.* Fumigation can't be sold directly — inspectors are the gatekeepers. In California, fumigation companies can’t sell direct-to-consumer. Homeowners must go through a licensed inspector first, which creates a built-in sales channel for businesses like Matt’s.* Getting licensed doesn’t require four years — but being independent does. Matt quickly earned a field rep license to perform inspections while under contract to acquire the business. But operating a pest control business independently requires an operator’s license — a four-year path — so he structured his acquisition with the seller staying on as the license holder.* Success comes down to relationship management. From sending holiday gifts to buyer’s agents to managing the subcontractors, Matt stays busy nurturing their relationships with channel partners and vendors.* Great inspectors crawl through attics and spiderwebs — lazy ones don’t.Matt has a “try before you buy” approach to hiring inspectors. He’ll have them come out to job sites and watch them perform a few inspections before deciding whether or not to bring them onto the team.Where to find Matt & Top Termite Co:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrailla/* Website: https://www.toptermiteco.com/In this interview, we dive into:* 0:00 Intro to Matt Rayla* 0:28 From Business Broker to Business Owner * 2:00 State of the Business at Acquisition * 2:42 First 90 Days on the Job* 3:10 Licensing Requirements in California* 5:25 Sales Channels for Inspections* 7:07 Termite Inspection Process* 8:00 Fumigation* 9:20 Pricing* 10:50 Revenue Breakdown* 12:46 Biggest Surprise* 13:18 Inspector Talent* 16:30 Plans for 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Bob Frisch grew up in the family business, helping his dad demolish pools across Southern California. Today, he’s at the helm of Frisch & Sons, the leading pool demo company in Orange County. With small lots and the rising popularity of ADUs, Frisch & Sons stays busy helping homeowners reclaim valuable backyard space. Some takeaways:* Explosion of ADUs is driving demolition needs. Nearly 1 in 10 homes has a pool in California. With small lots and rising housing prices, people are choosing to demolish pools to create space for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) or larger yards. * Full removal is quite rare. Only about 5-8% of clients go the full removal route. Most will elect for a partial removal, meaning the bottom half of the pool will stay in the ground.* Access impacts pricing. If they can’t fit a skid steer or mini excavator into the backyard easily, costs climb fast. Specializing in tight-access projects, Bob’s team uses equipment like the Bobcat S70 and Kubota U17 to get the jobs done.* Disposal costs eat into margins. Prior to investing in a concrete crusher, Frisch & Sons were spending $250K/year on disposal costs. By bringing crushing in-house, they’ve been able to lower costs and recycle crushed concrete into backfill material.* Cutting out general contractors unlocked better margins and control. Rather than subcontract through general contractors, Bob shifted the business to deal directly with homeowners. This move, paired with investment in SEO and Google Business Profile, helped them take control of their pipeline and pricing.* California’s permitting and regulations are no joke. While using DigAlert is common sense, contractors in CA have to go above and beyond with soil compaction tests after the job. Soil density needs to be at 90% or higher in order for the job to be completed.Where to find Bob and Frisch & Sons:* X: @pooldemo * Website: https://www.frischandsons.com/ * Instgram: @frischandsons In this interview, we dive into:* 0:00 Intro to Bob Frisch * 0:08 Origin Story of Frisch & Sons * 0:41 Why People Remove Pools in Southern California * 2:22 Growing Up Around the Family Business * 3:24 Buying Out His Dad (and Brother) * 4:42 Bob’s Mom: The Backbone of the Office * 5:30 How Customers Find Frisch & Sons * 6:07 Types of Jobs (Backfill vs. Partial vs. Full Removal) * 9:07 Tight Access Machines * 10:27 Crushing Concrete In-House * 12:39 Dig Alerts and Geotech Reports * 15:01 What's Next for Frisch & Sons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.Royal Flush is the fastest growing portable sanitation company in the Vegas market. That wasn't always the case. When Scott acquired it, the trailing twelve months of revenue was only $150K. Now the business grosses over $3M. In this episode, we get a crash course in operating and growing a portable sanitation business.Some takeaways:* Most sanitation businesses are just “buying a job.” The majority of local operators own fewer than 250 units. Scott’s bet was to bring a professionalized, B2B sales-driven model to a sleepy, fragmented industry.* The first 90 days were about scrappiness and speed. Scott drove from Vegas to Kansas to buy 10 toilets himself, took the “sold out” sign off the website, answered every phone call, and raised prices by ~30%. He lost one customer.* Route density = profitability. At acquisition, Royal Flush had 130 units across 125 sites. Scott knew that clustering service routes, not just adding customers, was the key to scaling margin.* CapEx is heavy — but scale unlocks commercial contracts. To grow, Scott reinvested aggressively: from 130 toilets to 2,000, and from 1 truck to 14. A single route truck costs $125K–$150K. But with route density, ROI compounds fast.* The construction market accounts for a majority of revenue. 80% of Royal Flush’s revenue comes from residential construction. Once they became the default for major homebuilders, recurring volume followed. Events now make up the remaining 20% — and help hedge in a downturn.* “Units in Field” is the KPI that matters most. Scott tracks the number of toilets, sinks, and tanks deployed — but more importantly, how often each is serviced. High-frequency cleanings drive revenue, and dense routes drive margin.* Just get started. A lot of buyers and investors focus on $1M+ EBITDA businesses. These are very competitive, trade at high multiples and the acquisition journey takes a while. A repeat business buyer, Scott went for something he could quickly wrangle and grow, despite the fact that TTM revenue was only $150K.Where to find Scott & Royal Flush:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-kandel/* Website: https://royalflushco.com/In this interview, we dive into:* 0:00 Intro to Scott Kandel * 0:51 Buying & Selling a Moving Company* 2:03 Journey to Royal Flush* 3:57 First 90 Days* 6:19 Business Model for Porta Potties* 7:54 How Pricing Works * 9:06 Customer Segmentation* 10:14 CapEx for Sanitation* 11:21 Types of Trucks* 12:47 Market Fragmentation* 13:30 Selling 75% of Royal Flush* 15:29 What Separates the Best This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.After a career in the Marine Corps, Dominick exited the service and joined Corporate America. A few years in, he came across Buy Then Build and set out to acquire a business. Fast forward a few years, and he's acquired two HVAC businesses in Southern California and has launched an AI consultancy focused on helping Main Street service businesses leverage Artificial Intelligence.In this interview, we cover:* Acquiring a business while holding down a W-2* HVAC talent challenges, from general managers to generational differences* The parallels between military service and SMB ownerships* How SMB owners can leverage AI to improve their businesses* The future of Main Street service businessesWhere to find Dominick & his companies:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominickblue/* Nostra Group: https://www.nostragroup.com/* Reekon AI: https://www.reekon.ai/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Listen now on Spotify or YouTube.In 2019, Joe acquired Sonny+Ash, a 3D rendering firm based in Chicago. After weathering a pandemic and hiring a GM, he set his sights on a second acquisition. This time he looked for larger businesses with plans to raise equity to fund the deal. He closed on Point B Communications in 2024, buying 96% of the company using a combination of SBA debt, his own savings and investor capital. In this interview, we dive into:* Joe's experience finding and closing on two agency acquisitions* His thesis for focusing on branding agencies* Cost-plus vs. fixed-quote pricing* The pros and cons of industry concentration* Transitioning from project-based to recurring contractsWhere to find Joe & Point B Communications:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephsoelberg* Website: https://pointbcommunications.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

In 2022, Jeremy quit his career in corporate law to throw himself into the world of business ownership. He moved with his wife and kids to western Pennsylvania and set out to find a business to buy. The infrastructure bill had recently passed and so he shortly narrowed his focus to businesses in the underground infrastructure space. This led him to acquire Sewickley Construction Products, now known as Prime Contractor Supply. In this interview, we cover:* Quitting his career as a corporate M&A attorney for small business ownership* The Infrastructure Bill and how the funds make their way to local governments* The need for underground infrastructure and how it fits within the broader space* The pros and cons of public vs. private projects* How Prime approaches inventory management and deliveryWhere to find Jeremy & Prime Contractor Supply* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-tomes-08b04584/* Website: https://primecontractorsupply.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

In 2017, Steve and Brad saw an opening. Despite having tons of transplants from up north, the Raleigh-Durham area had a shortage of good sandwich spots. After scouring locations, they ultimately acquired an existing business, turning it into Eastcut's first location. Since then, they've weathered a pandemic, expanded to a second location, and are working on launching a third. In this interview, we cover:* His transition from consulting to restaurant ownership* Using a business acquisition to kickstart their launch* Designing a menu that balances uniqueness and efficiency* Prime costs and streamlining suppliers* Scaling to from your one to two unitsWhere to find Steve & Eastcut Sandwich Bar:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-wuench-5a56b919/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastcutsandwich/* Website: https://eastcutsandwich.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Aaron Sternberg was working at Bird when the pandemic hit and he got laid off. This led him to launch Pop's Pool Service with his former boss at Bird. They're already at 200 pools and on the road to 800+ in 2025. In this interview, we cover:* How Pop’s delivers “old school hospitality with modern qualities of service”* What led Aaron to get into pool routes* Combating debris, heat, and unbalanced water* Pros and cons of equipment maintenance* Buying, selling and trading pool routesWhere to find Aaron & Pop’s Pool Service:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-sternberg/* X: https://x.com/sternburger_* Website: https://popspoolservice.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

James Shockley-Temple left the Air Force in 2007 to get his MBA at Darden. Despite graduating in the aftermath of the Great Recession, he bought his first math tutoring franchise in 2009. Since then, he's bought and built his way to 24 locations and counting. In this episode, we cover:* James’ journey from the Air Force to getting an MBA to SMB ownership* Turning a struggling acquisition into one of the top-performing Mathnasium locations* The ideal customer, purchase journey, and unit economics of math tutoring* Tactics for hiring for tutors and unit managers* How math tutoring impacts more than just gradesWhere to find James & Mathnasium:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jatemple/* Website: https://www.mathnasium.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Dr. Adam Broussard is a board certified anesthesiologist, SMB investor and recent SMB owner. In 2024, he started That 1 Painter New Orleans, a commercial and residential painting contractor. In this episode, we dig into the mechanics of running a painting contractor, from estimates to crews and more.In this interview, we cover:* Decoupling his income from hours spent in the OR* Anatomy of a painting job* How weather and contractor delays can impact working capital* Standing out through service and crew management* Opening a second location in Baton RougeWhere to find Adam & That 1 Painter:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-broussardmd/* Twitter: @adambroussardmd* Website: https://that1painter.com/new-orleans/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Tyler Mumford quit his SaaS sales job last year to launch GrindTime Stump Grinding. He made $9K in revenue the first month and is on track to gross $200K in 2025. In this interview, we cover:* Finding a business with a B2B sales motion* How to assemble your equipment on a budget* Walk-through of a typical job* Building a brand in the stump grinding spaceWhere you can find Tyler and GrindTime:* X: @StumpGuyTy * Website: https://utahstumppros.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com

Alex Caruso is the owner-operator behind POM Industries, the maker of POM pepper spray. After starting the business 8 years ago with $30K, he's since scaled to $5M in revenue through sheer grit, guerilla marketing and the support of industry veterans. In this interview, we dig into:* The process of launching a manufactured product* Challenges of marketing pepper spray* Role of industry advisors and conferences* Streamlining the manufacturing processWhere you can find Alex and POM:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-caruso-a0569899* Instagram: @pompepperspray* Website: pompepperspray.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smb15.substack.com