- The Path Less Traveled
- Topics
- Growth
#26 Peak Season Doesn't Reward Hustle. It Rewards a Plan.
Peak season doesn't wait for you to be fully staffed, so this issue is about running your engine hard when demand spikes: reschedule low-priority maintenance calls, stretch hours with a clear win-win, and stand up flex crews to hit the surge with the team you already have. And underneath all of it sits a bigger point: chasing revenue and booking rates isn't in tension with people-first values, it's what funds them. Profit is the engine that makes everything else possible, so run your KPIs and your peak season plan with conviction, not apology.
#25 Five Things I Stopped Doing That Made Me a Better CEO
This edition covers the discipline of subtraction -- what I stopped doing that made me a better CEO, and why the gap between a marketing tactic and a business model decision is worth understanding before it costs you a decade. We go honest on AI: what it actually means to say "people first" when the technology requires fewer people, and what fourteen months of real implementation looks like when the pitch deck version runs out. And for roofing operators, the insurance market is shifting faster than most sales processes have adjusted -- this one has the data and the argument for why financing is no longer optional.
#24 Why We Stopped Buying Our Trucks (And What the Numbers Taught Us)
This issue of The Path Less Traveled covers two decisions that look simple on the surface but carry real strategic weight as you scale: how you manage your data infrastructure and how you finance your fleet. In both cases, the lesson is the same — what felt right when you were smaller may no longer serve where you are going, and the discipline is in being willing to question the assumptions your operation was built on before they become the thing holding you back.
#23 Growth Is Great. Profitability Is the Point.
2026 is shaping up to be the year the work compounds. We're up 13% on the top line through April, EBITDA has improved by $2.65 million year over year, and the decisions we made quietly over the past two years, on technology, operations, people, and discipline, are showing up in the numbers. This issue covers what's driving the results, what summer financing readiness means for your close rate, why the mountain doesn't care how busy you were, and what it actually means to build a company where only the best can thrive.
#22 Build vs. Buy: A Framework for Thinking About AI
This issue covers the build vs. buy decision in AI — a framework from venture investor Mike Volpi that cuts through the noise: only build if it creates a real competitive advantage, buy everything else, and never confuse a prototype with a production-ready tool. We also go deep on the service wrapper — the six-step system around the technical work that our customers actually write reviews about.
#21 Your company's budget is lying to itself
This issue covers the discipline of honest budgeting, why overhead commitments deserve more scrutiny than most operators give them, and how smart technology configuration is turning lost calls into booked jobs. We also look at what PE-backed competitors figured out about financing long before most independents did, and why Pantheon 2026 belongs on your calendar. The through-line across all of it: the gap between good operators and great ones is usually found in the details they choose not to ignore.
#20 I Spent $4.2 Million on Google Last Year. Here's What I Actually Know About Whether It Worked.
Most home service operators can tell you what they spent on Google. Very few can tell you what they actually got for it. The companies that win long-term aren't just the ones who spend the most on marketing — they're the ones who convert that spend into lasting relationships, and then build a membership base that makes the next call free.
#19 The Most Important System in Your Business That Nobody Sees.
This week’s TPLT dives into a simple idea: the best operators win by mastering the fundamentals. From using “old-school” marketing like equipment stickering and cross-trade awareness, to building a reliable financial foundation, to leveraging tools like Netic and GreenSky to drive efficiency and close more deals—we explore practical ways to grow smarter, not just bigger. The common thread? Systems that remove friction, increase visibility, and help great teams execute at a higher level.
#18 The $10M Growth Trap Most Contractors Fall Into
In this week’s issue of The Path Less Traveled, we explore two patterns I’ve seen repeatedly in the trades. First, why the best service companies aren’t flashy—they simply execute the fundamentals better than everyone else. Second, why many contractors stall at $5–10M in revenue, and what separates the businesses that break through from the ones that plateau.
#17 Our $500K Mistake. A 10% Conversion Lift. One Big Lesson.
This week’s issue is all about turning operational discipline into competitive advantage — from uncovering a hidden $500,000 filter expense to leveraging AI call scoring, smarter financing with GreenSky, and more rigorous ServiceTitan reviews. If you’re serious about scaling profitably, mastering your data, tightening execution, and pulling the right growth levers, this one’s for you. Plus: a teaser on mastering YOUR data and a few favorite tweets from the week.
#15 Old Playbooks Don’t Win New Games
In this edition of The Path Less Traveled, I’m sharing two lessons that have reshaped how we lead and grow: first, the power of curiosity as a lifelong advantage—and why losing it could cost you your business. Second, a behind-the-scenes look at our $15.9M facility redesign, and how removing bottlenecks before they break you is the key to scaling with intention.
#8 What Smart Operators Are Tracking in 2025 (That Most Aren't)
From AI risks to financing blind spots, here’s what you need to know to protect your margins and grow smarter. Tactical insights for contractors, operators, and acquirers who want to win in 2025—without taking their eye off the ball.