Can't Stop the Growth
Can't Stop the Growth is driven by Chad's personal mission to provide a platform for others to grow and thrive. CSTG offers inspiration, leadership lessons on growth, grit, and chasing potential.
The Sales Framework That Raises Your Ticket Without Being Pushy
If your techs are walking into homes, quoting one price, and hoping for a yes, that's not bad technical work. It's a customer service gap. And it's capping your average ticket every single time.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. We've trained technicians across HVAC, plumbing, and electrical to raise their average ticket and their customer satisfaction scores at the same time. Those two things aren't in conflict when the framework is built right. We track options per call as a KPI, and the techs who offer the most options are consistently the ones generating the...
You Don't Have a Lead Problem. You Have a Retention Problem.
If you're spending money every month on new leads while customers you already paid to acquire are quietly slipping away, this one's for you.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. We've grown this company from roughly $5 million to over $100 million across 15 years, and the single most important thing I've learned in that stretch is this: the cheapest customer you'll ever acquire is the one you already have. The most expensive mistake is not knowing how many of them you're quietly losing.
New sales can hide a serious retention problem for years. A business that...
How We Get 800+ Five-Star Reviews Every Month (The Exact System)
If your service is great and your review count is thin, stale, or both, this one's for you. You're losing jobs to competitors who aren't better than you. They just look better in the places homeowners go to make decisions.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. We generate over 800 reviews a month, not because every job goes perfectly, but because we built a system that consistently gets happy customers to actually leave one. It's not luck and it's not chasing. It's a process, and once it's running, it runs on its own.
Your review...
Why I Still Take Angry Customer Calls (At 500+ Employees)
If you can't remember the last time you personally talked to an unhappy customer, this one's for you.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. We run over 500 calls a day with more than 500 employees across multiple markets, and I still get on the phone with disgruntled customers myself. Not because I have to. Because of what those calls tell me that no report ever will.
The day you're too big to hear an angry customer is the day you stop knowing what's really happening in your business. Your dashboard shows you what you built...
Why Your Trucks Are Worth More Than Your Ads
You're sitting on one of the most underused marketing assets in your business, and it's already paid for. It's parked in your lot right now.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled our home services business from $5 million to over $115 million a year, and a real part of that was building one of the most recognizable brands in our market, starting with what's on our trucks. People point at them, kids ask our techs for autographs, and homeowners call saying they've seen us in the neighborhood for years before they ever...
Why You're the Ceiling on Your Own Business (And How to Fix It)
You built the thing. You know it better than anyone. For a long time, that was your edge. At a certain size, it becomes your ceiling.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled our home services business from $5 million to $115 million a year, and I didn't do that by being good at finance, HR, or marketing. I did it by hiring people who are far better at those things than I'll ever be. The gap between when I was winging those functions myself and when I handed them to real specialists...
The Exact Sales Process to Close in the Home (Not the Inbox)
Show up, present some options, and hope the phone rings. That's the sales process at most home services businesses. And hope is not a closing strategy.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled our home services business from $5 million to $115 million a year across HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, and I've watched thousands of in-home appointments. I can usually tell you how a call ends from the first five minutes.
The estimate you email at 4 PM is sitting next to two competitors' quotes by 6, and the homeowner's confidence in you...
How This Family Business Grows 30% a Year Selling Water Nobody Thinks They Need
Chad Peterman sits down with Lydia and JB Brewster, the sibling team running Aqua Clear Water Systems in East Tennessee. Their dad started the company in 2005 door-knocking out of a garage, selling water coolers. Today it's grown 30% a year for five to six years straight, in a market where most people don't even know they have a problem.
This one is a masterclass in two things Chad's audience always asks about: how a family business actually works across generations, and how to build people systems and tech systems that most companies your size would never attempt.
<...College or the Trades? An Honest Answer From a 9-Figure CEO
If you're trying to figure out what to do after high school, or you're a parent steering a kid who doesn't know yet, this one's for you. No speech about how the trades are underrated or how college is a scam. Both of those takes are lazy. The real answer is more specific.I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. I went to college, then helped build our home services business into a 9-figure company inside the trades. I've lived both sides, and the honest answer depends almost entirely on the person asking.The honest answer to "college or...
The Next $1 Million Won't Save Your Business (Here's Why)
Every owner believes the next million in revenue will fix what's broken. It won't. And chasing it can actually leave you worse off.
I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled from $5 million to over $115 million a year in home services, and I've hit every stage where revenue climbed and the profit didn't follow. Where you add people, trucks, and overhead, then look up wondering where the money went.
Revenue is a lagging indicator. It tells you what already happened. The numbers underneath it tell you what's about to happen...
Why Cheap Leads Are Actually Your Most Expensive Leads
If you're spending money on marketing and not totally sure it's working, or running on referrals and hoping the phone keeps ringing, this one's for you.I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled from $5 million to over $115 million a year in home services, and at that scale, marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it line item. We spend between $8 and $10 million every year generating leads, and we have to know where every dollar goes.What are you going to start tracking more closely? Drop it in the comments.Want to connect with me and my...
Ghosted After Every Estimate? Here's What's Actually Happening
You did the visit. You built the estimate. Then nothing. No call, no text, complete radio silence. It feels like a price problem. It almost never is.I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled from $5 million to over $115 million a year in home services, and we've watched thousands of estimates close and not close. The pattern is consistent enough that I can usually tell before the tech leaves the driveway whether that job is coming back.Ghosting isn't a pricing problem. It's a trust problem disguised as one. The estimate you sent didn't...
The Financial Literacy Masterclass Every Contractor Needs | Ellen Rohr
Most contractors don't have a fraud problem. They have a messy books problem. And it's quietly costing them sleep, options, and profit. In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with Ellen Rohr, the trades industry's go-to voice on financial literacy. Ellen married a plumber named Hot Rod, nearly went broke running their shop, learned to read a P&L off a fax machine from mentor Frank Blau, and went on to help build Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and co-found Zoom Drain. Her whole message: the numbers aren't the scary part of the business. They're the...
Why You Can't Find Good Technicians (It's Not the Labor Market)
"I just can't find good people." If you've ever said it, or blamed a slow quarter on the labor market, this one's for you.I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled from $5 million to over $115 million a year with 500+ people, in the exact same markets where owners tell me there are no technicians. The market isn't dry. Your offer just isn't strong enough to pull someone away from where they already are.Finding A-players and keeping them are two different problems, and most owners lose them on the second one. The pipeline for...
Why the Best Technician Makes the Worst Business Owner
You started your own shop, and you're still the best technician on the team. That's exactly the problem.I'm Chad Peterman, CEO of Peterman Brothers. Over the last 15 years we've scaled from $5 million to over $115 million a year in home services, and everything in this episode I got wrong myself first, most of it back around 20 employees when I still thought being the hardest worker in the building was the job.This is the exact shift from doing the work to leading the people who do it. Four skills, and once you see them, you'll spot the one thing...
The Call Center Strategy Behind a $15M Home Service Company | Blake Wiltshire
How do you grow a home services division from $3 million to $15 million, with a goal of $20M this year? In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with Blake Wiltshire, Director of Residential Services at Althoff Home Services in the Chicagoland area, to break down exactly what changed and what it took. Blake started at Althoff in 2004 sweeping floors and making warehouse deliveries. Today he runs the entire residential division. The growth didn't come from throwing money at ads. It came from the blocking and tackling: rebuilding the call center, retraining technicians, and getting relentless...
What Homeowners Actually Want From Contractors (New Survey Data) | Zac Dearing
What do homeowners actually want when they're buying an HVAC system, a water heater, or any major home service? In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with Zac Dearing, CEO of Mantel, to break down brand-new survey data from verified home service buyers, and the results contradict almost everything the industry believes. The headline: 69% of homeowners said price was NOT the most important factor in their decision. So what is? Zac and Chad dig into the data on reputation, responsiveness, choice, and the "shopping experience" that separates the contractors homeowners choose from the ones...
How to Scale a Home Service Business to $260M Without Big Goals | Paul Kelly
What does it take to build a $260 million home service company in one market? In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with Paul Kelly, founder of Parker & Sons, to break down the exact philosophy behind one of the largest single-brand HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies in America. Paul grew Parker & Sons from $7 million in 2004 to over $260 million today, almost entirely in the Phoenix market. But the surprising part? He's not a big-goals guy. He doesn't believe in chasing massive numbers. He calls his approach "success by a thousand little things," getting one percent better...
You Don't Need More Leads, You Need Better Systems
Are you spending more money on marketing but still not seeing the growth you expected? In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with George Eliadis, Co-Founder & CEO of ProBook, to discuss why most home service companies don't actually have a lead problem, they have a systems problem. From dispatching and customer experience to AI, automation, and operational efficiency, George breaks down how contractors can generate more revenue from the leads they already have before spending another dollar on marketing. Free Coaching for Home Service Pros: https://cantstopthegrowth.com/ Connect with Chad: LinkedIn: https://www...
To the Point: Blue Collar Success with a Masterclass in Operational Excellence
Blue collar grit meets boardroom-level execution in this powerful conversation on what it really takes to build a home services business that lasts. Chris and Chad sit down with Chris Crew, President of Blue Collar Success Group, to unpack his journey from dropping out of school and becoming an electrician at 16 to helping grow an electrical service company from $3 million to a $30 million run rate.
Chris shares the operational truths contractors cannot afford to ignore: pricing correctly, building a real sales system, protecting gross margin, training year-round, and resisting the temptation to chase shiny tools before mastering...
Replay: Five Foundations of Influence
Influence is not a title, a tactic, or a talent reserved for a select few. It is the daily choice to lead yourself well, care deeply, and create the kind of trust people actually want to follow.
Chad breaks down the five foundations of influence every leader can start practicing today: integrity, empowerment, ownership, listening, and a positive attitude. With his signature directness and practical wisdom, Chad reminds us that leadership is a long game, and the real work starts with what we can control.
From writing thank-you notes to preventing fires instead of fighting...
Replay: Five Ways to Love the Process
The grind gets real long before the goal gets close.
Chad gets honest about what it actually takes to love the process when the process feels frustrating, uncomfortable, and anything but fun.
He shares five practical ways leaders can stay grounded in the work: protecting their attitude, pairing commitment with urgency, taking focused action, learning from every result, and paying attention to the details. Through personal stories, leadership lessons, and a real-time reminder to practice what he teaches, Chad challenges people-first leaders to stop waiting for conditions to change and start bringing the energy their...
CSTG 259: The Highest ROI Lead Source You're Ignoring | Zac Garside
Your email list is full of past customers ready to book again — you're just not showing up for them. Zac Garside from Send It breaks down why email is the lowest cost, highest ROI lead source in home services, how to stay out of spam, what makes people actually open and read your emails, and the simple three-line campaign that fills your calendar every single time.
Connect with Zac:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacgarside/
Learn more about Send It: https://www.sendit.com
20 Free Email Templates: https://www.sendit.co...
CSTG 258: Johnstone Supply VP: The One Thing Every Successful Contractor Does
HVAC equipment costs have skyrocketed — systems that used to cost $7k now cost double. AJ Eder (Regional VP at Johnstone Supply) breaks down why financing isn't optional anymore, what separates successful contractors from struggling ones, and how distributor partnerships should actually work.
#HVAC #HVACBusiness #ContractorGrowth #HVACFinancing #HomeServices #ServiceBusiness #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship
Additional Resources:
Connect with AJ on LinkedIn
Learn more about Johnstone Supply
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Chad Peterman | CEO | Author
Learn more about the Peterman Brothers
...
To the Point: How to Outwork, Outbrand, & Out-Culture the Competition
Some operators try to outspend the competition. Steve Holland built his business by outworking them, out-branding them, and most of all, out-caring them.
Chris and Chad sit down with Steve Holland, founder of Mr. Holland's Heating, Air & Electric, to unpack his journey from a chaotic upbringing to building and exiting a successful home services company. Steve shares hard-earned lessons on scaling, acquisitions, branding, radio marketing, and why you cannot sell your way out of operational problems.
But the real heart of this conversation is leadership. Steve makes a powerful case that your employees are your...
CSTG 257: The Playbook for a $1 Billion Skilled Labor Business | Michael Aft
Michael Aft is building a $1 billion commercial garage door empire — and his playbook for scaling skilled labor businesses is unlike anything you've heard.
Whether you're in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or any skilled trade, this episode reveals how to unlock the growth you've wanted for 15+ years.
#BusinessGrowth #HomeServices #Entrepreneurship #SkillLabor #Leadership
Additional Resources:
Connect with Michael Aft Learn more about Galaxy Service Partners
Subscribe to CSTG on YouTube!
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Chad Peterman | CEO | Author
Learn more about the Peterman Brothers
...
CSTG 256: You Can Make More Money Running Fewer HVAC Calls
One simple tweak took an HVAC company from a 37% close rate to 68%. And it wasn't about working harder — it was about slowing down.
In this episode, Danny Zatarain (Head of Training at Can't Stop the Growth) breaks down the exact process he used to transform Ireland HVAC's sales performance in just 6 months.
Additional Resources:
Subscribe to CSTG on YouTube!
Connect with Chad on LinkedIn
Chad Peterman | CEO | Author
Learn more about the Peterman Brothers
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn
Learn more about PeopleForward Ne...
CSTG 255: Culture Isn't What's On The Wall, It's What You Tolerate with Steve Sorenson
The ABC Decision Framework changed how we empower our team.
Steve Sorenson, Senior Director of Learning & Culture at Johnsonville, breaks down how to build a culture where your team makes decisions without waiting for permission.
Company culture training expert Steve Sorenson shares the ABC Decision Framework for employee empowerment and leadership development. Learn how to stop micromanaging, build organizational culture, and create decision-making frameworks that work in home services, HVAC, plumbing, and trades businesses. The behaviors you tolerate become your culture, here's how to change that.
THE ABC FRAMEWORK:
→ A Decisions = Ju...
CSTG 254: Call Centers Are Your Hidden Revenue Machine with Tyson Chen
Most home service companies still treat the call center like an expense.
That is a mistake.
In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with Avoca's Tyson Chen to break down why the call center should be treated like a true revenue driver. From booking rate clarity to missed daytime opportunities, after-hours overflow, membership conversion, and smarter coaching, this conversation is packed with practical insight for HVAC, plumbing, and trade leaders who want to stop losing revenue they never even knew they had.
This episode is especially valuable for...
Replay: Five Keys to Thinking Like a Winner
What separates people who stay stuck from people who keep growing?
Chad breaks down what it really means to think like a winner and why leadership starts with the habits, attitude, and daily choices most people overlook.
From building an environment that supports success to avoiding dream stealers and chasing goals big enough to sound a little crazy, Chad shares a practical and energizing message for leaders who want to raise their influence and help others rise too. There is no fluff here, just a clear reminder that winning starts within, and that the best...
To the Point: Hunting, Hustling, & High Performance: How to Build an ELITE Sales Team
High-performance sales teams are not built by accident. They are engineered through competitive culture, relentless action, and leaders willing to develop people at a deeper level. Chris and Chad sit down with serial entrepreneur and sales powerhouse Josey Parks to unpack what it really takes to scale an elite team.
Josey shares the gritty lessons behind growing a sales force from a few dozen reps to hundreds, revealing why mindset, data, and personal accountability matter more than flashy tactics. From door-knocking strategies and question-based selling to matching the right rep with the right opportunity, the discussion dives...
Replay: The Power of Setting 10X Goals
What if the reason your goals keep falling flat isn't that they're too big, but that they're not big enough? 🚀
Chad challenges leaders to stop playing small and start thinking 10X. He unpacks why bold goals are not really about bigger results, but about becoming a better version of yourself through daily behavioral change. From letting go of control to measuring progress the right way, Chad shares a grounded but powerful mindset shift that can change how you lead, grow, and stay motivated.
Drawing on insights from "The Gap and The Gain," Chad explores the dif...
To the Point: The Turning Point: The Moments that Changed My Business Forever
Success doesn't happen in one big moment. It's built in the small decisions, the hard lessons, and the chapters you almost quit.
Chris and Chad are joined by Aaron Gainor to unpack the real turning points that shaped their businesses. From writing down bold revenue goals before they knew how to reach them, to surviving bad hires, sales struggles, and the weight of leadership, this episode dives into what actually changes a company's trajectory. It's not theory. It's lived experience from leaders who built, scaled, stumbled, and kept going.
If you're a home service leader...
Owning Your Brand & Going Hyperlocal with Michelle Fadeley
In this Around the CAMPFire episode, CAMP Digital CEO Katie Donovan sits down with VP of Marketing, US Dock & Door Michelle Fadeley to talk about something every HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and garage door business needs to nail: brand, trust, and hyperlocal marketing that actually drives calls.
The conversation digs into the "same day challenge" every home service leader feels: balancing low-interest, high-intent emergencies with long-term brand building. Michelle and Katie walk through practical ways small and midsize shops can lean into being local, family-owned, and community-rooted, without trying to be everywhere at once or wasting money on...
CSTG 253: Love at Work & Living Legacy Leadership with Mark Mears
Most HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies obsess over bookings, average ticket, and close rate. Very few obsess over how people feel at work.
In this episode of Can't Stop the Growth, host Chad Peterman interviews Mark Mears, founder and Chief Growth Officer of LEAF Growth Ventures and author of Love at Work and The Purposeful Growth Revolution. Mark explains why "love" is not soft, why disengagement is costing companies trillions globally, and how leaders in the trades can turn culture from a buzzword into a competitive advantage.
Additional Resources:
Connect with Mark Mears...
CSTG 252: AI, Accountability, and the Year Growth Hit Back with Stephanie Allen
Growth looks glamorous from the outside. Until the summer never comes.
Chad sits down with Stephanie Allen, co-founder of Airworks, to unpack what really happens when bold goals, big budgets, and leadership transitions collide with economic reality.
Stephanie shares the raw truth behind scaling from gut instinct to structured systems, why their first revenue backslide in 15 years forced personal reinvestment, and how nearly losing momentum strengthened both their business and marriage. From navigating husband and wife leadership dynamics to redefining accountability, Stephanie reveals how raising the floor, not just the ceiling, is the secret to...
CSTG 251: Avoidance Is Not Leadership with Andrew Hasty
Avoiding hard conversations does not protect the team. It quietly erodes culture until problems turn into full-blown crises.
In this Future Leaders session, Andrew Hasty uses vivid lessons from World War I to challenge passive leadership and comfort-zone management inside HVAC and home service businesses.
If the business sometimes feels like trench warfare, this conversation will help reset how to lead, coach, and "hold the line" for the team.
Want a place to work on this in real time with other home service leaders? Join The ARENA - a CSTG Community (powered by...
To the Point: Paul Kelly is Personally Raising Home Services GOATS!
What if one of the biggest legends in home services wasn't done yet?
In this episode of To The Point - Home Services Podcast, Chris sits down with Paul Kelly, the man who scaled Parker & Sons from $7M to $250M, to dig into why he's back in the game. From exotic dancing jokes to deep industry insights, this episode brings both laughs and leadership gold.
Paul unveils Raising GOATS, his exclusive new initiative to mentor the next generation of high-performing home service business owners. It's not a class. It's not just coaching. It's a full-on...
CSTG 250: Sacrifice, Habits & Unseen Work of Leadership with Chad Peterman
Trades grow when leaders grow.
In this solo episode, Chad breaks down the real work of leadership in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical: sacrifice, habits, unseen effort, and passion. He shows how a leader's day-to-day routine quietly shapes technicians' income, families, and even Christmas mornings.
Hear how to trade busy work for high-impact work, build simple daily habits that move revenue and culture, and embrace the "unrequited work" no one sees, but everyone feels. Chad also shares why working hard is only the starting line, and how passion and belief separate an average shop from a...
CSTG 249: Premium Is Not a Price Point, It's Your Standard
Andrew Hasty, COO at Peterman Brothers, challenges HVAC, plumbing, and electrical leaders to stop using the word "premium" as a label and start treating it as a daily standard. If pricing, marketing, and wrapped trucks all scream premium, but leadership behavior, culture, and follow-through do not match, that is not just a soft issue. It is a full-blown business identity crisis.
Andrew reframes what "premium" actually means in a home service company: how your leaders talk, how they handle conflict, whether they walk past sloppy trucks, tolerate gossip, or avoid hard conversations. Listeners hear why inconsistency is...
