Think Like an Owner

15 episodes scanned. 100% of ad slots promote the show's own products.

Recent Episodes

1. What $1M+ Garage Door Owners are Doing Right Now | TLAO x TGDLP

   Oct 15, 2026

   Alex Bridgeman, co-founder of Durable Trades, joins host Andy Felice to discuss what garage door business owners earning over $1 million in revenue are experiencing in the current economy and how they are responding. The conversation covers Durable Trades' long-term ownership model as an alternative to traditional private equity, along with old-school marketing tactics such as farmers markets and canvassing. They also discuss small incremental improvements, sales coaching, customer psychology, and mailer campaigns.

2. Carrie Kelsch on Transformative Cultures at A Plus Garage Doors - EP.296

   Oct 13, 2026

   Carrie Kelsch, owner of A Plus Garage Doors, describes how she moved from mortgage brokering into the garage door business during the 2008 housing crisis and grew it into a $55 million multi-location operation. The conversation covers her delegation and systems decisions, including the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program and the move from Google Calendar to ServiceTitan. It also covers culture practices such as revenue-milestone bonus bells, walk-up songs, and name tags, along with expansion into new markets and the use of AI for call handling and market research.

3. Josh Melton on Growing into Service at Easy Lift Door Company - EP.295

   Oct 1, 2026

   Josh Melton, president of Easy Lift Door Company, discusses the evolution of his family's garage door business from paper-based operations to modern field service software across three locations in California and Nevada. The conversation covers the company's transition from new construction focus to building out a residential service arm, operational challenges including failed experiments like the "pit crew" warehouse model, and lessons learned from other industries like In-N-Out on efficiency and training. Melton also addresses succession planning for the third-generation family business and the unique demands of customer service in residential garage door work versus new construction.

4. Jason Reid on Compounding Advantages by Focusing Local - EP.294

   Sep 29, 2026

   Jason Reid discusses his transition from a 24-year career as general manager of a residential remodeling company to building a multi-company construction portfolio across Oregon through aggressive acquisitions. Starting with a commercial fencing company purchased in 2019, Reid scaled to 280 employees across 12 acquired companies within five years, driven by his philosophy of focusing on long-term goals and identifying untapped talent within acquired businesses. The conversation covers his learning curves negotiating large contractor agreements, managing unexpected cash flow challenges, and his broader vision for using wealth to support charitable causes including art foundations and education reform.

5. Patrick Lange on Selling Your Service Business - EP.293

   Sep 24, 2026

   Patrick Lange, a business broker specializing in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical service companies, discusses why most trade business owners struggle to sell and what drives value in these businesses. He emphasizes four critical factors: getting out of the van and delegating work, maintaining clean books and records, building recurring revenue through service agreements, and avoiding new construction contracts. Lange shares insights from over 172 transactions and explains how sellers often have unrealistic expectations about their business valuation.

6. David Williams on Long-Term Ownership in HVAC - EP.292

   Sep 22, 2026

   David Williams, CEO and founder of Advantage Services Group (ASG), discusses building a multi-state HVAC consolidation platform from a single acquisition in Central Oregon in 2020 to a $120M revenue business with 9 locations across 4 states and 400 employees. Williams shares his transition from consulting in New York to acquiring his first HVAC business at age 27 with no industry experience, and details how going multi-location early forced the development of scalable systems, radical financial transparency, and integrated management infrastructure required to pursue a $1 billion revenue target by 2035.

7. Ty Greneaux on Acadiana Garage Door's Family Legacy - EP.291

   Sep 17, 2026

   Ty Greneaux, owner of Acadiana Garage Doors, discusses the profound influence of his late father-in-law Frank on both his business philosophy and personal leadership approach. Beginning with an awkward garage door opener installation in 2003, Ty traces how Frank's people-first values, servant's heart, and quiet consistency transformed him from a burned-out corporate executive into a leader focused on serving others and building a legacy based on impact rather than achievement. The conversation covers Ty's journey implementing systems and processes to scale the business while preserving Frank's culture, managing the transition to professional operations, and his recent acquisition integration with Windsor America.

8. Hans Wright on Transforming Windsor Door - EP.290

   Sep 15, 2026

   Hans Wright discusses his family's acquisition and transformation of Windsor Door from a declining $250 million manufacturer to a vertically integrated platform spanning manufacturing, installation, and service. The conversation covers how transparency during the steel price crisis became a core operating principle, the deployment of a high-speed production line, strategic acquisitions of regional installation companies (Lodei and Jacobs Overhead Door), and the launch of Secure Door Shield—a product registration and service platform that converts new construction installations into long-term homeowner relationships.

9. Brian Johnson on Refocusing Pioneer Overhead Door - EP.289

   Sep 10, 2026

   Brian Johnson, owner of Pioneer Overhead Door since 2023, discusses his transition from 20 years in commercial lending to acquiring and operating a garage door service business with minimal prior industry experience. The conversation covers operational challenges including building a training facility, restructuring the revenue mix from 85% commercial to 60%, transforming the sales process into an educational experience with a 29-point inspection, and testing AI phone systems versus human customer service.

10. Matt Weber on Developing Authentic Values at Alpha Overhead - EP.288

    Sep 8, 2026

    Matt Weber, owner of Alpha Garage Doors, discusses his journey from a second-generation garage door technician to regional business leader across Montana. The episode explores how rapid expansion without proper systems exposed foundational gaps, the importance of authentic delegation, and the development of core values (Care, Own, Real, Elevate) that function as both family and business principles. Weber reflects on lessons in communication, leadership humility, and the critical role his wife plays in providing outside perspective to the business.