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The Biggest Mistake That Stops Home Service Companies From Growing

📅 July 23, 2026 ⏱️ 1:09:19 🎤 John Wilson, Jim Los

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    The Leadership Challenge
    John introduces the episode's focus on the biggest challenge in growing home service companies: placing leaders, especially with increased acquisitions.
  • 0:33
    Jim's Background & Milvet
    Jim Los shares his military background in the Marine Corps and his journey into veteran executive search with Milvet, highlighting their mission to place veterans in leadership roles.
  • 1:37
    Finding A-Players
    Jim discusses why finding A-player leaders is difficult in the private sector and the critical role of a structured scorecard in the hiring process.
  • 3:24
    Why Veterans Excel
    The hosts delve into why military veterans are uniquely suited for leadership roles in home service businesses, citing their consistent training, blue-collar affinity, and 'get it done' attitude.
  • 5:08
    Interviewing Strategies
    Jim provides practical advice on interviewing, including probing performance metrics, understanding reasons for leaving, and using structured questions to gather valuable information.
  • 6:36
    Common Hiring Mistakes
    The discussion shifts to common hiring mistakes, such as relying solely on gut feelings, overlooking short job stints, and promoting top performers without adequate leadership training.
  • 8:01
    Coaching vs. Replacing
    Jim distinguishes between coachable issues and uncoachable traits like 'will,' offering insights on when to invest in coaching and when to consider replacement for underperforming leaders.
  • 9:26
    Compensation & Equity
    The conversation explores appropriate compensation structures for General Managers, including base, variable, and the increasing importance of equity or phantom units to foster an 'owner attitude.'
  • 10:46
    Key Leadership Hires
    Jim advises on essential leadership hires for a growing home service business, emphasizing the critical role of a COO or a strong right-hand person to facilitate expansion.
  • 11:21
    Avoiding Hiring Pitfalls
    Jim concludes by urging contractors to avoid hiring based on gut feelings and instead adopt a structured hiring process, complete with scorecards, solid pipelines, and thorough reference checks.

Speakers

J
John Wilson
Host — owner of a plumbing, HVAC, and electric company
J
Jim Los
The Military Veteran

Key Takeaways

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Implement a structured hiring process, including a scorecard, to objectively evaluate candidates and avoid relying on gut feelings, which only yield a 50/50 success rate.

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When interviewing, press candidates on their past performance metrics and reasons for leaving previous roles to uncover their true capabilities and motivations.

✦

Be wary of candidates with multiple short job stints, and actively investigate the reasons behind them, as a pattern of frequent changes can be a red flag.

✦

Prioritize 'will' and 'grit' over just 'skill' in leadership candidates, as these are often uncoachable traits crucial for navigating challenges in a fast-paced environment.

✦

Consider offering equity or phantom units as part of the compensation package for senior leaders to foster an 'owner attitude' and align long-term incentives.

✦

For businesses scaling past $50 million, prioritize hiring a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to free up the owner for higher-level strategic activities and ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly.

✦

Leverage veteran talent pools for leadership roles, as individuals with military backgrounds often possess unparalleled training in leadership, accountability, and the ability to inspire a blue-collar workforce.

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