In PS3 We Trust: Paul Sansone Jr. on Sub-Prime Innovation, TikTok Car Sales & the 100-Year Dealer Legacy

Coleman Spaulding cut his teeth knocking doors for Safeguard in 2005, parlayed that experience into Proactive Pest Management in suburban Chicago, and—after a decade of steady growth—launched Spidexx Pest Control in 2016 with a bigger vision: blend door-to-door horsepower, bolt-on buys, and EOS culture to build a multistate platform. Fresh off selling Proactive this spring, Coleman joins the Blue-Collar Twins to unpack the playbook behind nine tuck-ins, 65-person teams, and why he’s doubling down on Spidexx with a new HQ and more acquisitions on deck. You’ll hear: Door-Knock Roots – Virginia Beach summers that turned 20 straight “no’s” into $10 k days.Proactive Era – bootstrapping 2 000 recurring customers without sales reps.Partnership & Family – why co-founder Ryan upped Coleman’s stake to 40 %, and how brother Taylor makes the trio click.Launch of Spidexx – starting in Des Moines with 380 accounts and grinding through the chaotic first year (yes, those two X’s are intentional).Nine Small Acquisitions – buying 700–1 100-account firms, wiring funds fast, and knowing when to walk away.Door vs. Deal – retention math, capital intensity, and reading the “gut flags” before you sign.Selling Proactive – 60-day process with Potomac M&A, no earn-out, and lessons from the other side of the table.Future Vision – new headquarters, keeping culture tight across nine markets, and invitations to join the ride. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: the power of someone believing in you 00:35 – Jason & Jeremy introduce Coleman and his recent Proactive exit 02:00 – First company: Proactive Pest Management launched 2013 in Chicago suburbs 05:55 – Door-knock backstory: Safeguard summers, Brent & Alan Draper connections 11:00 – Partner Ryan bumps Coleman from 10 % to 40 %—“gratitude moment” 13:30 – Proactive’s first year: 700 accounts, one summer team, slow-and-steady growth 16:00 – Why Spidexx was born in 2016 (Des Moines start, two X’s in the name) 19:10 – Chaos tolerance & economics of today’s door-to-door sales teams 24:00 – First tuck-in: buying 1 100 accounts, paying cash, rebranding vs. retaining 30:00 – Potomac relationship, quality-of-earnings, and Proactive sale closing in 60 days 33:30 – Door-to-door customers vs. acquired books—18-month retention rule of thumb 40:00 – Advice to the one-truck operator: “embrace small, learn, keep going” 47:00 – Working with brother Taylor and why family equity is a superpower 53:00 – New Spidexx headquarters coming 2026; podcast invitation for live show there 57:00 – Potomac 100 mastermind rumor & golf talk; wrapping with culture chat 1:00:00 – Outro and Private-Equity Masterclass CTA

Louisiana native Jared LaJaunie went from quitting school at 17 to leading 65-plus employees, 72 trucks, and four branches of LaJaunie’s Pest Control—now tracking $12 million in annual revenue. In this candid sit-down with the Blue-Collar Twins, Jared breaks down the sales grit he learned at Orkin, the mindset shift that doubled his vision, and the family-run EOS machine that keeps it all humming.Buzz EP 207 Jared L MAS… You’ll hear: Door-Knock Roots – joining Orkin’s late-’90s “Splat” crew and turning 20 straight “no’s” into $10 k days.18-Year Overnight Success – nine years to hit $1 M, then a rocket to $12 M by combining EOS with acquisitions like Skeeter Force.Finance Hacks That Sell – why Wise Tack 0 % financing closes termite & wildlife jobs that competitors lose.Culture as a Moat – six-value framework, extreme ownership, and weekly L10s that hold 65 teammates accountable.Family Integration – wife Skye as certified EOS Integrator, sons learning P&Ls before swapping sprayers for spreadsheets.Mastermind Leverage – how groups with Luke Lewis & Maria Sorrentino expanded his vision—and spawned the new Eagles Nest peer network.Future Playbook – doubling again via Gulf-Coast acquisitions, 40 % Poop-Scoop margins on his radar, and grooming the next-gen CEO. Stick around to catch Jared’s take on “profit over vanity” and an impromptu debate on the emerging pet-waste gold-rush. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: Jared on culture and integrity 00:35 – Intro & Louisiana roots 01:15 – High-school dropout, early hustle, marriage at 18 02:50 – Joining Orkin as a $10/hr termite tech 05:55 – Door-knock “Splat” team lessons & mindset shift 08:05 – Branch-manager years, then running a $3 M independent firm 11:00 – Launching LaJaunie’s on Jan 1 2008 13:30 – Solo-op to first admin hire; seven trucks by Year 3 18:15 – Self-financing termite jobs; switching to Wise Tack 0 % plans 24:20 – Nine years to $1 M; doubling vision with mastermind help 28:30 – BHAG: Gulf-Coast expansion & doubling again by 2025 29:50 – Acquiring Skeeter Force; lessons in mosquito markets 32:45 – Family salvage-yard backstory & entrepreneurial DNA 33:25 – Today: 65 staff, 72 trucks, $12 M top-line 36:40 – Running EOS—Jared as Visionary, Skye as Integrator 38:00 – Conferences, Ascension Leadership, and constant up-skilling 42:00 – Side ventures (Stereopure, CAT 4) and why poop-scooping tempts him 45:55 – Differentiator: living the core values every day 48:00 – Eagles Nest mastermind launch with Skye & Maria Serraino 50:05 – Main Street Mogul podcast and giving back 52:45 – Rough Stuff reveal: twins’ own pet-waste startup 54:00 – Wrap-up & Puerto Rico invite 59:00 – Outro & Masterclass CTA

Third-generation dealer Paul “PS3” Sansone III joins the Blue-Collar Twins to share how Sansone Jr’s Auto Group balances 67 years of family tradition with social-media hustle, deep-subprime financing, and a brand-new Keyport Kia store. From rent-to-own experiments that became New Jersey Auto Lending to “Motivational Mondays” that fire up 25 salespeople, Paul explains the systems—and the mindset—that keep customers, staff, and community in his corner. Buzz EP 206 Paul Sanson… You’ll hear: Subprime Mastery – why PS3 built an in-house “lease-here, pay-here” bank that boosts FICO scores by 140 pts on average.EZ Referral & TikTok Lives – turning marathon streams and a debit-card referral app into steady showroom traffic.Rent-to-Own Origins – the 2008 light-bulb moment that reshaped the family’s finance model.Keyport Kia Dream – taking an 11-year college project from paper to grand-opening on June 9th.Motivational Mondays – money-green pants, weekly goal-setting, and the “trust the process” mantra.Giving Back – 400-meal Basket Brigade, Hope-for-a-Ride car giveaways, and why single moms stay top of mind.Next-Gen Vision – ten rooftops, nationwide DMS software, and keeping the Sansone name alive for 100 years. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: beach-club memories and the “hot lifeguard” origin story 00:50 – Lifelong car passion & selling hot dogs at the dealership as a kid 03:35 – Sansone family tree: 67 years, three generations, five rooftops 05:55 – Breaking the “snaky car-sales” stereotype with relationship selling 07:00 – Daily training: every up is a coaching moment 08:35 – Presidents-Award Kia store & handing the desk to a new GM 11:00 – Rent-to-Own concept after the 2008 crash 12:45 – Birth of New Jersey Auto Lending: turning renters into owners 14:40 – Hope-for-a-Ride car giveaways to single moms 16:55 – Inside the lease-here, pay-here model and 75 % repeat business 19:10 – Building the Keyport Kia project first dreamed up in college 22:30 – Dealer-Controlled Solutions: exporting their DMS & finance playbook 25:20 – COVID’s inventory roller-coaster—down to four cars on the lot 29:20 – Basket Brigade: 400 Thanksgiving meals in Neptune 30:35 – Motivational Monday videos & money-green-pants culture 33:00 – Social media plans with a full-time content team 35:25 – AI’s future role in lead follow-up and CRM speed 38:00 – Family dynamics: clear lanes for dad, brother Michael, and cousin Steven 41:00 – Driving the 2025 Kia Telluride vs. a Range Rover—value breakdown 43:40 – Keyport Kia soft opening June 9 and summer car-giveaway promo 47:00 – Final advice: love your employees, community, and customers—success follows 50:00 – Outro and Masterclass CTA

Former Rutgers heavyweight Sean DeDeyn turned a hard-charging wrestling mindset into The Axel Group, a niche staffing firm that now supplies talent across every stage of major construction projects. Sean joins the Blue-Collar Twins to unpack the six-year sprint from a two-desk office to a 30-person team, a tech-driven recruiting engine, and side ventures ranging from tiki party boats to college-wrestling commentary. You’ll hear: Fired on Monday, Founder by August – how a commission dispute became the push to launch Axel in 2017.Why “One Rep, One Book” Beats 10 000-Person Firms – the boutique model Sean uses to out-serve national agencies.Cold-Call Wrestling – translating mat grit into 100-dial days (and why the phone still wins).Culture & Careers – dinners with every employee, internal promotions, and watching teammates buy their first homes.Multiple Streams – co-building Belmar Tiki Party Boats, announcing Rutgers matches, and keeping a 5 a.m. workout streak.Vision Check – growing a place where his kids’ friends want to work “because they make a ton of money.” Stick around for a quick CTA to Paul Giannamore’s Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—and see how far your own work ethic can take you. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: Sean on high-school “job names” and chasing income 00:35 – Show intro; Axel Group overview (construction-lifecycle staffing) 01:40 – Rutgers wrestling story: walk-on grind, partial scholarship, mindset lessons 03:30 – Linking mat toughness to sales success 05:55 – First staffing job, early wins, and Monday-night firing that changed everything 07:50 – Launching Axel Group (Aug 2017) and naming it after his son 09:40 – Father-in-law’s driveway challenge: “So—what do you actually do?” 11:30 – Scrappy first year: 500-sq-ft office, four months of runway, living with an employee 13:50 – Building culture: tattooed logo, dinners with every team member, internal promotions 15:30 – Sean’s current role: still running a book, mentoring recruiters, protecting culture 17:20 – Boutique edge vs. mega-firms; the “cheeseburger” service analogy 18:50 – Cold-call philosophy and reviving lost prospects 21:00 – Daily routine: 5 a.m. lifts, weekly run + sauna + cold plunge 22:45 – Side hustle: Rutgers wrestling commentary and network dividends 24:50 – Belmar Tiki Party Boats—building (not buying) 45-passenger floating lounges 27:00 – Common headaches: sales slumps, coaching wrestlers-turned-reps, keeping tech a tool not a crutch 28:45 – Wrestlers on staff and why grit hires win 29:15 – Long-term vision: a company graduates dream of joining—and constant self-improvement 30:10 – The “I made it… then got fired” lesson on staying humble 31:20 – Outro, Masterclass CTA, and closing credits

Serial entrepreneur Dom Williams sits down with the Blue-Collar Twins to reveal how a kid running county-wide candy routes now leads a 200-employee cleaning company, owns drive-thru “drink barns,” flips HUD rentals, and is launching a lounge—while coaching other service-business owners past the six- and seven-figure ceiling. You’ll hear: Early Hustle → Corporate Wake-Up – the Wall Street layoff that pushed Dom full time and helped CNC Cleaning hit $1 M in six months.Play Business for Life – treating strategy like a game and using daily “pulse meetings” to keep the scorecard honest.Systems over Self – Sears-inspired SOPs that let a 200-person team run without him on site.Numbers that Matter – cash-flow detective work, margin targets (25 % residential; 15 % commercial), and the bank-balance myth.Diversifying the Right Way – acquiring Lexi’s Drink Barn, scaling HUD duplexes, and threading Indiana’s liquor-law maze to open Demure Lounge.Coaching Corner – the common blind spots for $500 k–$1 M service firms and Dom’s framework for moving owners from operator to architect. Stick around for a quick CTA to Paul Giannamore’s Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—and start “playing business” on a bigger board. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: Dom on systems that let owners step away 00:35 – Jason & Jeremy introduce Dom, the serial entrepreneur 01:40 – Fast rundown of CNC Cleaning, Lexi’s Drink Barn, real estate & Demure Lounge 02:30 – Candy-bar syndicate at 12: first taste of leverage 03:50 – High-school expansion: five schools selling for him 05:00 – Dropping a clothing line; choosing cleaning for low entry & recurring revenue 06:50 – Year-one grind: two day jobs + night QC on homes 08:50 – Cash-flow crises and selling his way out 11:00 – Corporate layoff → full-time leap; $1 M revenue in six months 14:00 – Chrysler-300 moment: “I’ll never work for anyone again” 15:30 – SOPs inspired by Sears, Avis & Verizon 17:30 – Power of industry conferences and peer networks 18:50 – Manifestation & mindset: believing before scaling 19:50 – Coaching clients: testing belief, fixing data first 20:25 – Reading P&Ls correctly; COGS-to-revenue benchmarks 21:30 – Buying a duplex (the “dupy”) and house-hacking advice 24:00 – HUD rentals, vetting tenants, and guaranteed checks 25:30 – Cleaning margins: 25 % residential vs 15 % commercial 26:50 – Acquiring Lexi’s Drink Barn; lifting average ticket size 28:10 – Launching Demure Lounge under Indiana’s beer-and-wine rules 29:50 – Economic headwinds: residential leads dip, commercial steady 30:30 – Monday pulse meetings: KPIs, accountability, real-time fixes 31:20 – Future vision: build, exit, repeat—never stop “playing business” 32:00 – New coaching program: from in-the-business to on-the-business 32:50 – Contact Dom at domwilliams.com; socials 33:20 – Outro & Masterclass CTA

The Blue-Collar Twins sit down with Scott Nelson, founder of Central-Jersey’s iconic Oceanside Service—the turquoise-truck HVAC firm he bootstrapped for 36 years before handing the keys to private equity earlier this spring. Scott unpacks the branding bets, “golden-handcuff” culture, and 20 %-margin playbook that turned a $600 van into a top-1 % contractor (and a life-changing buyout).Buzz EP 203 Scot N Mix … You’ll hear: Branding on Wheels – why he painted every truck Caribbean blue (and wrapped the last two).25-Minute Rule – slashing windshield time to keep service profit-positive.Earn While You Learn – duct-cleaning crews as a talent farm for techs and installers.Golden Handcuffs – split-dollar life insurance that locked managers in for 15 years.Pricing for 20 % Net – escaping the HVAC industry’s 1.5 % average.PE Negotiations – walking from the table until the acquirer funded his staff’s benefits.Life After the Sale – why he turned down a six-figure consulting gig to just be “Grandpa Scott.” Stick around for Dylan’s quick CTA to Paul Giannamore’s Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—then audit your own “billable hour” before the next heat wave hits. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: “I never worried a second about competition—just do me.” 00:35 – Jason & Jeremy welcome 36-year HVAC veteran Scott Nelson of Oceanside Service 01:40 – One-man startup to 24 trucks & 32 staff: the scale story 03:00 – Turquoise trucks, spotless wheels: branding that sells before you speak 04:50 – The 25-minute territory rule and killing windshield waste 06:20 – Community roots: firefighter networks & word-of-mouth growth 08:15 – Mindset: “The world’s easy—people make it hard.” 10:30 – Relationship > transaction: serving three homeowner generations 12:00 – Air-duct crews as a paid training academy (“Earn while you learn”) 14:20 – Recruiting from vo-techs; achieving near-zero turnover 16:25 – Golden Handcuffs: $500 k split-dollar life policies for key managers 19:10 – Overpaying staff & investing in real estate instead of raises for himself 21:30 – Grooming his son to take over; stepping back from fire-service leadership 24:00 – Private-equity courtship, the NDA era, and negotiating staff benefits 27:40 – Charging for value: hitting 20 % net vs. industry’s 1.5 % 30:50 – Crushing costs: $500 k in insurance & healthcare, total transparency with crew 33:00 – Advice to a $500 k contractor: know your P&L and ditch new-construction work 35:15 – Tech stack: why ServiceTitan (at $7 k/mo) was worth every penny 37:00 – Recession-resistant revenue: maintenance plans & premium system sales 40:30 – Post-exit life: “Most of my hair, half my sanity—and all my family time.” 42:00 – Parting shot: watch your kids grow up and work on (not in) the business

Lifeguard buddies turned blue-collar founders Jason & Jeremy Julio reconnect with longtime friend John Majeski—once a Manhattan finance analyst, now the force behind four thriving SERVPRO franchises across New Jersey. John breaks down the gritty first three-year slog, the culture playbook that powers his team, and the BHAG that keeps everyone rowing: “Be the #1 SERVPRO in the Northeast by 2034. You’ll hear: Career 180° – ditching Wall Street for sewage back-flows and never once looking back.Buying, Not Building – why acquiring an eight-month-old franchise beat starting from scratch.The ‘World’s Strongest Man’ Analogy – John’s trick for pushing past those brutal year-one cash-flow dips.Decentralized Command – Jocko Willink–inspired leadership that lets techs solve problems in real time.KPIs That Matter – estimate-conversion, labor spend, and the charity challenges that magnetize talent.Road to #1 – four territories in Monmouth, Bergen & Hudson Counties—and the expansion filter he uses before every new deal. Stick around for Dylan’s quick CTA to Paul Giannamore’s Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—before you sprint, paddle, or pedal to your own big, hairy, audacious goal. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: John on culture (“You’ve got a culture whether you admit it or not.”) 00:35 – The Blue-Collar Twins’ welcome their “lifeguard brother” to the Buzz 01:40 – 28-year friendship recap: beach stands to boardrooms 02:30 – Finance burnout & the call to entrepreneurship 04:00 – Picking SERVPRO over Rainbow & PuroClean: brand power wins 06:00 – Mentor Larry Levy’s push: “Quit, build something of your own” 08:00 – Year-one reality check: 7-day weeks, $1.5 k left in the bank 11:00 – Acquiring an eight-month-old franchise (father bails sons out) 12:00 – Fire, water, mold 101—explaining restoration to homeowners 14:00 – Delegation pains and the first full-time hires 15:30 – Sandy & other storms: moments that forced scale-ups 16:10 – Learning on the fly: history major → KPI geek 18:30 – Athletics → entrepreneurship: training, planning, grit 21:00 – Community marketing: beach clean-ups, charity paddles, Eli Manning match 22:45 – Extreme-challenge rundown: 17-mile paddle, 216-mile bike, next 100-mile ultra 27:00 – Four-franchise footprint; city-versus-suburb logistics 29:30 – Building culture: decentralized command & trust lattices 33:40 – BHAG revealed: #1 SERVPRO Northeast by 2034 38:00 – Exit philosophy: build it right and every option stays open 39:00 – Most fulfilling metric: techs who go from basement to first home 40:30 – Core KPIs: estimate conversion & labor as % of sales 41:40 – Wrap-up, Paul's Masterclass CTA & closing credits

Meet Jason & Jeremy Julio—the Blue-Collar Twins—as they trade gym whistles for board-room banter and join producer-turned-host Dylan Seals behind the mic. In their debut as co-hosts they unpack: Side-Hustle Genesis – the late-night kitchen-table brainstorm that birthed Last Bite Mosquito & Tick.Scaling While Clocked-In – juggling lesson plans, beach-club shifts, and 55 techs by reinvesting every dollar.The Potomac Playbook – how CIMs, buyer psychology, and a discipline 90 % of sellers flunk drove an eight-figure deal with Viking Pest / Anticimex.Seller Blind Spots – retention metrics, seasonality traps, and the DIY mistakes that leave millions on the table.Round 2: Ruff Stuff – their new dog-waste start-up, why it’s today’s mosquito moment, and the five-year path to another flip.Level-Up Rituals – ultra-marathons, charity paddles, and mindset hacks that keep their teams resilient and hungry.Coming Up – teaser for next week’s Servpro deep-dive with restoration king John Majeski. Stick around for Dylan’s quick CTA to Paul Giannamore’s Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—then fire up that 100-mile mindset of yours. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com http://www.ruffstuffnj.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps 00:00 - Cold-open – Jason Julio on fear & resilience 00:35 - Dylan Seals grabs the mic & introduces the Blue-Collar Twins 01:40 - First meeting in San Juan, karaoke-loving “Mexican,” and Potomac memories 03:10 - Humble beginnings: Long Branch childhood, teaching careers, twin dynamics 04:15 - Multiple side-hustles & the light-bulb moment: “What about mosquito control?” 05:00 - Rejecting the franchise route; deciding to build Last Bite from scratch 06:50 - One truck to statewide: early scaling playbook & brand evolution 07:25 - TCNJ football days & how college camaraderie shaped their operator roles 14:40 - Level-up charity challenges: 217-mile bike ride, Eli Manning match, next 100-mile ultra 24:20 - What happens after you call an M&A advisor—Potomac’s diligence process demystified 26:40 - Yin-and-yang leadership: Jason’s strategy vs. Jeremy’s operations 28:50 - “90 % of owners aren’t ready”: systems, books, and timing the peak before you list 31:15 - SIMs, buyer meetings, and Potomac’s gatekeeping of your calendar 33:00 - Strategics vs. Private Equity 101 & the lure of the “second bite” 35:20 - Exit revealed: Viking Pest (Anticimex) acquires Last Bite; why seasonality mattered 36:55 - Navigating the 12-month earn-out and protecting customer retention 41:25 - Rough Stuff launch: why dog-waste is today’s mosquito moment & barriers are low 42:35 - Is America too lazy to scoop poop? Market adoption math & service pricing 44:30 - Five-year plan: grow Rough Stuff to $4–5 M and flip again 50:55 - Boardroom Buzz community shout-out & podcast mission going forward 52:45 - “Episode 201—big shoes to fill” – official hand-off & next-week teaser 53:20 - Dylan’s outro, CTAs to Potomac & the Private-Equity Masterclass playlist 54:00 - Closing credits & final reminders to connect with Potomac M&A

Meet Jason & Jeremy Julio—the Blue-Collar Twins turned eight-figure sellers— as they step in as your new co-hosts of The Boardroom Buzz. In their maiden voyage they flip the script, putting mentor Paul Giannamore in the hot seat to uncover the back-alley hustle that took him from inner-city Chicago to building Potomac M&A into a middle-market powerhouse. You’ll hear: How the twins scaled a New Jersey pest-control roll-up while teaching full-timePaul’s early days flipping farm gear, tech-banking in the dot-com frenzy, and spotting gold in fragmented service marketsWhy CEOs should obsess over root-cause thinking (and Paul’s daily “thinking walks”)The inside story of hiring Franco “The Mexican” and building a 25-deal pipelineWhat makes fire-suppression, lawn, and niche res-service verticals today’s M&A greenfield Stick around for Paul’s blunt take on leverage, buyer psychology, and the mindset shift owners need three years before an exit. From Gym Teachers to Service Leaders: The Julio Twins' Story | Last Bite Mosquito, Viking Pest https://youtu.be/DAYxtzhswxs From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd 00:00:00 Cold-open – Paul on “no pep-talks, only strategy.” 00:00:56 Jason & Jeremy Julio frame the episode’s purpose. 00:02:56 Teacher-to-$15 M exit – twins recap scaling while holding day jobs. 00:04:53 Paul’s childhood: Chicago schools → Italy & Spain. 00:09:10 Cornell years, full scholarship & skipping community college. 00:11:55 First deal – buying a combine attachment at a farm auction. 00:18:20 Dot-com boom: Lehman → Credit Suisse tech-M&A under Frank Quattrone. 00:24:40 Private-equity at American Capital → founding POTOMAC (2003). 00:27:05 Discovering pest-control M&A; the Orkin/Terminix duopoly era. 00:31:05 Philosophy: “Put the seller first—profit follows.” 00:34:50 Shift from deal-maker to “psychodynamic” CEO coach. 00:38:00 Legacy talk – “Play the hand you’re dealt better than anyone.” 00:40:55 Enter “the Mexican” — Franco’s gladiator-style interview story. 00:46:25 Daily routine & thinking leverage (25 k steps, no morning calls). 00:54:00 Smashing limiting beliefs: four-minute-mile analogy for owners. 00:59:40 What’s hot in M&A: lawn-care roll-ups; fire-protection next. 01:06:05 Advice to 18-year-old Paul: guard health, seek balance. 01:08:10 Top travel picks – Istanbul, Switzerland, Japan keep calling. 01:12:50 Dylan Seals outro – CTA to POTOMAC M&A Masterclass playlist.

Brian Gottlieb, author of Beyond the Hammer, joins Patrick Baldwin in The Boardroom to share his inspiring story. From launching his home improvement business with just $3,000 and a folding table, Brian built a thriving organization with 600 employees. He attributes much of his success to a people-first leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of developing employees and fostering a strong company culture. How can leaders ensure their people are set up to achieve their highest potential? Brian dives deep into the idea that businesses grow only as much as their people do. He explains the value of becoming a training organization, creating an environment where every team member feels invested in the mission. With tools like his Sphere-Center-Sphere feedback framework, he highlights how effective communication and belief can motivate employees to improve and contribute at their best. What would happen if leaders focused on inspiring belief in their teams every day? Finally, Brian discusses how business discipline—simplifying processes, forecasting growth, and setting clear goals—can help companies avoid complexity and achieve sustainable results. He stresses that building a great business requires more than good ideas; it takes focus, consistency, and trust in the team. What steps can you take to simplify your business and create a culture of growth and accountability? Tune in to discover actionable strategies to transform your leadership and your organization.