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We Saved $80K/Month After Fixing One Process (Our Biggest Mistakes)

📅 February 26, 2026 ⏱️ 31:45 🎤 John Wilson, Jack Carr

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    Biggest Business Failures
    John and Jack introduce the episode's topic: discussing their biggest business failures and surprising lessons learned.
  • 0:36
    John's Business Growth
    John Wilson shares his journey of growing his HVAC, plumbing, and electric business to a multi-state operation, fulfilling an early ambition.
  • 1:30
    Cash Flow and Process Issues
    John identifies most of his failures as stemming from cash flow problems due to a lack of dialed-in processes and financial visibility, especially before hiring a controller.
  • 2:00
    $13K Ad Spend Weekend
    Jack recounts a major failure: spending $13,000 on LSA ads during a snow event, only to generate $7,000 in revenue due to capacity mismanagement.
  • 2:30
    Uncontrolled Purchasing
    Both hosts discuss the significant losses incurred from uncontrolled technician purchasing on credit cards, highlighting the need for approval processes.
  • 2:54
    Vendor Negotiation Mistakes
    Jack shares how his initial lack of understanding about material price negotiation with vendors cost his business hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • 4:10
    Construction Business Challenges
    John and Jack reflect on the difficulties of integrating construction projects into a service-based business due to differing cash flow cycles and operational demands.
  • 5:05
    Recruiting Challenges
    Jack briefly mentions the failure to prioritize recruiting early on, emphasizing the need for a continuous recruiting function in a growing business.

Speakers

J
John Wilson
Host — CEO of the Wilson Companies
J
Jack Carr
CEO of Rapid Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Newly Added Electric

Key Takeaways

✦

Implement strict controls for ad spending, especially during peak demand or extreme weather, to avoid overspending beyond your capacity to service leads.

✦

Establish clear purchasing processes and approval systems for technicians to prevent uncontrolled spending and significantly reduce material costs.

✦

Regularly re-evaluate and negotiate pricing with all vendors. Don't let personal relationships overshadow the need for competitive pricing and effective cost of goods sold (COGS) management.

✦

Prioritize hiring a skilled financial controller early in your business growth to gain clear visibility into your numbers and avoid costly decisions made in a 'vacuum.'

✦

Thoroughly understand the cash flow implications of any new ventures, such as construction projects, before integrating them, as they can differ significantly from service work.

✦

Invest in data visibility tools and processes (like Service Titan) to gain actionable insights into capacity, marketing effectiveness, and overall financial health.

✦

Maintain a continuous recruiting function, even at smaller scales, to mitigate the significant impact of losing key personnel overnight.

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