The First KPI Every Home Service Owner Should Track (Not Revenue) |

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote Influence, the book behind almost every sales training a home service tech has ever sat through. In his second visit with Tommy he goes past the seven principles into the smallest changes that move the biggest numbers: the two words a restaurant added to its booking call that cut no-shows 62%, the one question that took Boy Scout popcorn sales from 15% to 52%, why "967 reviewers" beats "967 reviews," the number one rule of sales every trainer teaches backwards, and the $75,000 envelope Charlie Munger mailed him for a single chapter. Then Tommy puts him on the spot with two live persuasion role-plays. Learn more from Dr. Cialdini and the Cialdini Institute: https://cialdini.com Influence Unleashed, December 5 and 6 in Tempe, 75 seats, $500 off with code A1GARAGE -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:53 - 75 seats in December 03:16 - Who Robert Cialdini is 04:29 - You already paid for this research 05:44 - What ethical influence actually is 07:17 - The seventh principle: unity 08:01 - The couples study and the word "we" 12:54 - Two words that cut no-shows 62% 14:20 - Chris Voss and getting to "no" 15:00 - The Boy Scout popcorn question 16:35 - Social proof and the McFlurry 18:54 - Say reviewers, not reviews 19:38 - Authority: who vouches for you 21:00 - The number one rule of sales 22:22 - A welcome line that lifts conversions 23:42 - Scarcity done honestly 24:52 - Advice to young Robert 26:40 - Put them in the boat with you 28:19 - Ask for advice, not opinions 29:43 - The $75,000 envelope from Charlie Munger 32:44 - Two mints and a 23% tip 34:16 - Give first, before they decide 37:41 - Why 89% beats 90% 40:06 - Warren Buffett's letters and honesty first 42:37 - "You're worth it" 45:12 - Pre-Suasion: the moment before the message 48:39 - Live role-play: talk me out of your book 50:17 - Building a following the ethical way 51:59 - Rapid fire 54:14 - Charlie Munger on why wealth matters 57:39 - Tommy makes it right with a customer 59:46 - What changed his mind, and what's next 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Zac Garside spent eight years training CSRs before he noticed the most profitable channel in home service was the one nobody used: the customer list. Now his agency Send It runs email for some of the biggest contractors in the country, including A1. In this episode Zac and Tommy break down why contractors rebuy customers they already paid for, the one-email-a-week plan any company can run tomorrow, the Will/Won't research framework that tells you what homeowners are really afraid of, and why two CSRs with identical scripts book at completely different rates. Get Zac's free swipe file of 20 top-performing campaigns: https://withsendit.com/expert -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:46 - From training CSRs to running email 01:58 - Booking jobs the week you need them 02:54 - How to stay out of the spam folder 04:45 - The subject line has one job 06:35 - The 6x in 60 days guarantee 07:40 - Open estimates first, then members 10:36 - Homeowners read email. Owners don't 13:03 - Email, SMS and direct mail 14:09 - It has to come from a friend 15:54 - Tommy's neighbor letter and $225,000 20:44 - What a good open rate looks like 24:49 - The next wave: personalization 29:31 - The two-year spring campaign 34:31 - Broadcasts, campaigns and automations 37:27 - "You're never talking to them again?" 44:20 - Starting from scratch 45:23 - One email a week, four segments 49:26 - The Will/Won't research framework 52:53 - Same script, 90% vs 50% 55:58 - Making customers feel something 1:00:41 - The easiest ROI in home service 1:03:40 - One piece of advice: trust 1:06:00 - Free swipe file and where to find Zac 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Revenue is everywhere in home service right now. Profit is not. Tommy sits down with his mentor Al Levi, author of The 7-Power Contractor, and Jim Leslie, president of Home Service Freedom, to break down why: the hiring excuse every contractor uses ("nobody wants to work") and the answer Jim gives back, what a lost tech really costs, the five things of staffing, why you should triple your pricing, why the owner who is the best CSR, dispatcher and tech is the ceiling on his own company, the zero-or-two cranes rule for your org chart, and the listening tour every owner should take this week. Al is retiring at the end of the year. His last small-room session is at Freedom 2026: Monday, October 26, 6 PM, Mandalay Bay. Use code ALFREEDOM at freedomevent.com to unlock a seat in the room with Al and Jim. Home Service Freedom: https://homeservicefreedom.com | The 7-Power Contractor: https://7powercontractor.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:50 - Al, Jim and Freedom 2026 02:03 - Revenue for vanity, profit for sanity 03:49 - Put your pricing online 05:50 - Three kinds of testimonials 06:38 - Lead times and the boom-bust cycle 11:19 - The five things of staffing 11:32 - What a lost tech really costs 12:35 - Al's last room at Freedom 15:00 - The empty truck in your yard 15:44 - Stand on the bridge 16:39 - Triple your pricing 17:51 - Fighting commoditization 22:15 - Would you send me to your mom's house 25:29 - They just don't want to work for you 27:22 - The best CSR, dispatcher and tech 28:15 - Zero cranes or two 30:09 - The five-year org chart trap 32:26 - Burning tokens on technology 35:33 - There is no silver bullet 40:40 - What your accountant should say 42:24 - $2.6 million to the bottom line 46:54 - The listening tour 50:04 - Al's three-month notice 55:57 - One thing to do this week 59:45 - The room at Freedom 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Most home service owners hear virtual assistant and think someone to answer emails. Alyssa Shivers and Mia Juan of Ready Roles think bigger: five callers on $5.75 an hour brought one moving company almost $500,000 in paid estimates in a single month. In this episode they break down what owners get wrong about VAs, why a $3 an hour VA gives you a $3 outcome, the 10-day onboarding that makes a remote hire work, the flat fee model where every dollar after that goes straight to your VA, how many calls a data activator makes a day, and the real reason most VAs fail (it is not the VA). If you are still reading your own email, this one is for you. Ready Roles: https://readyroles.com | Mia Juan on YouTube: search "Mia Juan" VA readiness checklist from Ready Roles: [LINK OR ATTACHMENT FROM READY ROLES] -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:55 - What a VA actually does 02:13 - Data activators explained 05:56 - The first-hire mistake 08:01 - The owner is the problem 10:00 - Night shift in the Philippines 13:47 - $3 an hour buys a $3 outcome 15:11 - VAs and AI tools 20:16 - My Home Story Pro 21:19 - $500K from five callers 23:18 - The pitch and the script 26:35 - The Dream 100 list 29:10 - The time study 30:00 - How to start with a VA 33:04 - Ten minutes a day 34:46 - What to pay a great VA 40:25 - The octopus executive assistant 41:38 - Eight steps of delegation 42:34 - The owner who blamed his VA 48:30 - The Big League Movers story 52:58 - What it costs 54:56 - 200 calls a day 58:08 - Go after the big players 1:01:58 - Closing advice 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Derek Cornish got laid off, answered a job ad, and became the top salesman at a window company. Then he and his partner Lakota Tidd built Top Home Improvements from a garage to $20 million a year across three Michigan locations on door knocking and 300 events a year. In this episode Derek breaks down the sales system behind it: why close percentage is the first KPI to track, why his Detroit manager did more revenue with fewer reps, the month they raised prices 30% and had their biggest month ever, sweat questions, same day next day, first in last in, the scariest room in the company, and how to fix commission breath before it costs you the sale. If you run a home service or home improvement sales team, this is the playbook. Follow Derek Cornish and Top Home Improvements: https://tophomeimprove.com | [email protected] -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Laid off, then top salesman 07:35 - Selling to people not looking 09:25 - Why 3 out of 10 wins 10:43 - Bottom line beats top line 14:37 - Never scared of price 16:41 - From texts to a KPI system 18:37 - Fewer reps, more revenue 26:30 - Commitments and accountability 29:45 - The scariest room 33:01 - The first KPI to track 34:26 - Same day, next day 37:27 - Beating the big brand 39:58 - When they ask for a discount 45:46 - Selling out of your own pocket 54:31 - Go for the no 55:37 - Commission breath 59:39 - A million behind, a million ahead 1:03:04 - Pancakes and the Top Home cult 1:09:01 - Raised prices 30%, biggest month 1:11:54 - Fractional CFO and accrual 1:13:14 - Role play, role play, role play 1:21:26 - Predictable Success 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy Mello does $410 million a year and admits he is still chasing the next thing. Tal Ben-Shahar taught the most popular course in Harvard's history, built the world's first master's and PhD in happiness studies, and won Israel's national squash title at 16 only to feel nothing three hours later. Together they break down the arrival fallacy that runs every entrepreneur, why happier companies post better margins, the SPIRE model, minimum viable interventions you can do in 60 seconds, why New Year's resolutions die by January 17, the phone-in-a-box rule, the accountability buddy that raises follow-through by 200 percent, the good enough life, and what it means to give yourself permission to be human. Connect with Tal ⟶ https://talben-shahar.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:27 - The unhappiness that started 30 years of research 03:23 - National champion at 16, satisfied for three hours 05:40 - What is the arrival fallacy? 06:30 - Unhappy versus depressed and quiet desperation 08:11 - Enough is never enough and the $3 billion regret 09:38 - Two schools of thought and turning goal theory on its head 13:43 - SPIRE: the five elements of wellbeing 17:20 - Minimum viable interventions 18:34 - Five things you can do in the next 60 seconds 22:31 - Vision boards and the environment that primes you 25:04 - The six-week challenge and why resolutions die on January 17 26:51 - Keystone habits and islands of sanity 28:16 - Would you sleep next to a bottle of whiskey? 30:45 - Habits belong on the calendar 31:39 - The age of distraction and being bored with dignity 35:43 - Zero startup cost and the 200 percent accountability buddy 37:54 - Commitment bracelets and the letter N 42:53 - Stress is fine, recovery is what's missing 43:51 - Does happiness lead to success or the other way around? 45:01 - Six Fs, balance and fitting 48 hours into 24 48:59 - Wearables, step counts and building happiness into a blue collar culture 52:49 - Speed round: the biggest misconception high achievers have 53:46 - Live every day as if it's your first 57:27 - Rate it 1 to 10: cold plunge, sauna, sleep and reading 1:00:39 - Permission to be human 1:02:02 - Learn to fail or fail to learn 1:03:47 - Advice for your 20s and the 90-minute sprint 1:05:34 - $10 million and the Happiness Studies Academy 1:06:35 - Five books, one for each SPIRE element 1:08:19 - How to reach Tal and his closing message 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Jason Feifer has run Entrepreneur Magazine for 10 years, and his message to owners is the opposite of what you'd expect: the title you hold is rented, press won't save you, and the only safe ground is something you own. He and Tommy get into being singular instead of interchangeable, the billionaire mentor he walked away from, why he tells businesses to stop chasing coverage, and the arbitrary yes that keeps life interesting. Connect with Jason ⟶ https://www.jasonfeifer.com Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/heyfeifer/ -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 02:05 - Singular or interchangeable 05:33 - Accessible vs available 06:51 - The title you rent 10:37 - Who should actually be an entrepreneur 16:20 - Why he ditched his own framework 18:50 - Ryan Reynolds: willing to be bad 21:05 - The Mailchimp all-hands story 25:43 - The Gary Vee focus debate 28:05 - The billionaire's list 30:46 - An interesting life 31:40 - The Dan Martell exchange 35:28 - How the speaking career started 37:50 - Don't bother with press 39:40 - Google zero 41:57 - What matters most: brand trust 43:01 - Awards, rankings, and recruiting proof 46:00 - The rapid-fire round 47:34 - No meetings before 11 52:40 - The Dave Eggers sellout screed 59:01 - Where to find Jason 1:01:00 - The arbitrary yes 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy sits down with Mark C. Winters, co-author of Rocket Fuel and author of the new book Visionary, to name the seat most founders never see: the integrator. They get into why four visionaries exist for every one integrator, why founders who sell rarely last a year, the 2017 hire that set Tommy free, and the one question every owner should answer before they ever think about selling. Get Mark's book Visionary ⟶ https://visionarybook.com Follow Mark C. Winters ⟶ https://markcwinters.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 00:43 - Mark's Origin Story 04:11 - Predictable Visionary Patterns 06:55 - Small Shops To $400M 08:20 - Is "Founder" A Risk? 09:40 - Why Founders Leave After The Sale 12:18 - Who Becomes The Integrator 16:10 - What Getting Stuck Looks Like 20:11 - Five Abilities To Break Ceilings 23:50 - Can Your Spouse Be The Integrator? 27:58 - The Seat Founders Can't See 31:15 - The Thankless Number Two 34:09 - The Three-Piece Puzzle 39:33 - The First Sign It's Failing 42:38 - Four Visionaries, One Integrator 43:34 - The Bottleneck At The Top 46:57 - The Ski Resort CEO 49:00 - How To Find Your Integrator 51:09 - The Hard Truth 55:01 - The One System To Install Now 1:02:40 - Would You Give It All Back? 1:08:48 - Where To Find Mark 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Tommy Mello sits down with two returning guests: Aaron Gaynor, founder of Eco Plumbers, Electricians, and HVAC Technicians, fresh off crossing $100 million and pacing $113M this year, and Zac Dearing, co-founder of Mantel, the AI-powered sales platform behind some of the sharpest shopping data in home services. No rehashed stories, just what is working right now: why recruiting beats leads, the new hire who sold $1M of HVAC in his first month, the labor burden number every tech should know, why 60 to 70% of deals are still alive after you leave the home, the 15% market share rule that tells you when to grow, and the marketing math that separates maintaining from grow-grow. Follow Aaron Gaynor and Eco: https://geteco.com Follow Zac Dearing and Mantel: https://usemantel.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 01:03 - Aaron's $100M Milestone And The New Headquarters 06:23 - Where Homeowners Spend Their Decision Time 08:46 - Two Years On Mantel: Eco's Close Rate Now 10:37 - 69% Shop For Pricing Online And Most Find Nothing 12:23 - The Options Formula And The Sunday Effect 14:55 - Recruiting Beats Leads: Who Not How 17:09 - The New Hire Who Sold $1M In One Month 18:46 - Loyalty, Labor Burden, And The 24% Line 24:33 - The One Truck Exercise And What A Call Really Costs 29:01 - Private Equity, Labor, And Who Really Benefits 34:04 - What Contractors Actually Adopt In AI 35:43 - Charging More Than The Average Bear 42:27 - Sales Is Not A Dirty Word 44:53 - Shopping Beats Selling 49:33 - When Homeowners Actually Read Your Proposal 51:31 - Buy Or Build: The Greenfield Answer 56:30 - Marketing Math: Maintain, Grow, Or Grow Grow 01:00:21 - The 15% Rule: When To Enter A New Market 01:06:30 - Closer Hats, Next Missions, And Final Advice 01:12:40 - Stop Assuming The Deal Is Dead 01:16:09 - The Apollo 11 Close 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/

🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Danny Morel built a Southern California real estate machine he describes as $1B a year in sales with 400 agents, then answered no to happy, in love, and loving his work in the same breath. One night the questions he'd been avoiding caught up with him, and he walked away to teach entrepreneurs how to heal instead. He and Tommy Mello get into why the drive you brag about might be the thing to fix, the energy ladder from shame to enlightenment, the 4:30 AM lie all over your feed, and the mentor's rule that ran a billion-dollar company on 20 hours a week: split your day in thirds, delegate everything else, and never trade your peace for the next milestone. Get Danny's book Awaken Your Highest Self ⟶ https://www.amazon.com/Awaken-Your-Highest-Self-Stuck/dp/140199864X More from Danny ⟶ https://dannymorel.com -- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 03:10 - The Billion-Dollar Empire 03:40 - Three Questions He Feared 04:58 - Tommy Asks Them Back 06:14 - Loving Yourself First 08:37 - Tommy Opens Up 10:14 - Why Enough Is Never Enough 13:33 - From Judgment To Healing 15:48 - "You Learned To Be Driven" 17:41 - Fear And Victim Consciousness 20:20 - The Energy Ladder 23:13 - Bob Marley And Vibration 25:26 - Purpose Isn't Doing 30:17 - The 4:30 AM Lie 32:25 - The 20-Hour Rule 33:00 - A Day In Thirds 36:24 - Game-Changing Advice 41:08 - Life Happens For You 42:31 - The Book 🚀 FREEDOM 2026 Get your Tickets Today! https://freedomevent.com Check Out My Social Media: Tiktok ⟶ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram ⟶ https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook ⟶ https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/