The PMP Industry Insiders podcast helps pest control and lawn care professionals grow their businesses. Every week, hosts Donnie Shelton and Dan Gordon talk with the biggest players in the pest control and lawn care markets about what’s changing in the industry and take listeners to the front lines of what the future holds.
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Episode 212: A 7-Point Plan to Get Ready for the Season
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43:20Industry veteran Patrick Quigley is back on the podcast to discuss how to prepare for the busy pest control season now. He shares a 7-point plan to overcome common challenges and set your team up for success. Guest: Patrick Quigley, President, Sales Training by Design Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home…
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Insiders Rewind: Top Insights and Takeaways from January
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16:00Welcome to Insiders Rewind, the brand-new monthly recap series from the PMP Industry Insider Podcast! In this episode, Brett The Editor, takes you through the most impactful moments from January’s episodes. Episodes Featured: 207: 2025 Marketing Trend Shifts w/Alex Booth 208: Recapping 2024 & Forecasting 2025 w/Dan and Donnie 209: The Long Game: Ma…
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This week, Anti-Pesto's Howard Bright and Conner Bright join the show to discuss how they are transitioning the company to the next generation of leadership. They talk about the challenges and opportunities presented by the succession process with a focus on the importance of relationships, learning from others and transparency. Guests: Howard Brig…
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On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome the leaders of Getem Services, a 103-year-old, fourth-generation family pest control business. Charlie Church, owner and president, and his children Chaz Church, VP of operations, and Carley Church, marketing and HR manager, discuss how they're working toward a smooth transition to the next generation of owne…
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Episode 209: The Long Game: Mastering Exit Planning for Your Business
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38:16On this week's episode, Donnie and Dan discuss the importance of long-term exit planning for your company. They cover common exit strategies for pest and lawn care business owners and emphasize the need for clear financial goals and contingency plans in case of unexpected events. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, T…
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Episode 208: Recapping 2024 & Forecasting 2025
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46:43On this week's episode, Dan and Donnie review the industry's track record in 2024 and share their predictions for 2025. Tune in to hear them discuss economic news, pest- and lawn-specific trends, technology, M&A and more. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services…
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Coalmarch's Alex Booth joins the show this week to discuss changes in marketing trends for 2025, including competition, AI and more. They cover strategies for optimizing for AI search, how Alex would spend a $100,000 marketing budget and the importance of knowing your company's strengths. Guest: Alex Booth, Digital Marketing Consultant, Coalmarch b…
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Episode 206: How to Make Money with AI in Pest Control
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35:48This week, Dan and Donnie welcome Sellify AI Founder Thomas Lundberg to the show to discuss the benefits of selling pest control with AI via text message. They cover his background in the industry, growth potential and use cases for the product, including upselling, cross-selling, setting appointments and winbacks. Guest: Thomas Lundberg, Founder, …
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Episode 205: 60 Years of Growth: Lessons from Arrow’s Leaders
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47:06In this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome Emily Thomas Kendrick and Tim Pollard of Arrow Exterminators back to the show. They discuss their approach to keeping a small company feel even as they exceed $400 million in revenue, why and how they choose an annual theme and what's in their growth plans for 2025 and beyond. Guests: Emily Thomas Kendrick, C…
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Episode 204: A Sit-Down with NPMA President Faye Golden
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37:03This week Dan and Donnie welcome Faye Golden, new National Pest Management Association president, to the podcast. She shares her goals and initiatives, including a new individual certification program, how she plans to share the "hidden secret" of pest control careers and pressing regulatory issues. Guest: Faye Golden, Director of Government Affair…
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Episode 203: Search Everywhere Optimization: The Evolving SEO Landscape
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37:07Coalmarch's Derek Cummings joins the show to discuss the changing search landscape and its effect on pest and lawn marketing strategies. He covers the increasing integration of AI in search engines, a rise in search on social media directly and how not to get overwhelmed about being 'everywhere.' Guest: Derek Cummings, Team Lead, SEO, Coalmarch Hos…
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Episode 202: 2024 Election: What It Means for Pest & Lawn Businesses
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39:40This week, Dan and Donnie are breaking down the outcome of the 2024 election. They analyze how the results will affect the pest and lawn industries in key areas, including taxes, labor and inflation, and they emphasize the importance of focusing on business fundamentals. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle H…
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Episode 201: Avoiding a ‘Nuclear Verdict’
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43:34PestSure's COO Todd Burke & Board Chairman Mike Rottler, CEO of Rottler Pest Solutions in St. Louis, join the show to talk about a hot topic in the insurance market: auto insurance claims. They discuss how to think about insurance as a PMP, why auto settlements are increasing and practical things you can do to avoid a so-called 'nuclear verdict.' G…
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Episode 200: Top Insights from 200 Episodes
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41:30This week Dan and Donnie celebrate and reflect on more than four years and 200 episodes of the podcast! They cover how the podcast got started; their favorite guests, shows and topics; and the lessons they've learned from the show and implemented in their own businesses. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle H…
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Episode 199: The Critical Role of Due Diligence in Pest Control M&A
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45:57On this episode, Donnie and Dan discuss the intricacies of the due diligence process in pest and lawn mergers and acquisitions. They explore the perspectives of both buyers and sellers and review the three major work streams in due diligence: legal, operational and financial. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Trian…
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On this episode, Donnie and Dan walk through answers to recent questions they've received from podcast listeners. Topics include tracking your critical number, how to develop your leadership skills, the best business advice they've ever received, customer service training and more. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton,…
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With the busy season behind us, Dan and Donnie dive into the state of the market. From economic factors like inflation and interest rates to industry-specific trends, they break it all down and give you the insights you need to finish the year strong. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services…
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Episode 196: Turning Around a Pest Control Business
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39:06On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome Steve Durham, former owner of EnviroCon Pest in Tomball, Texas. He explains how he successfully transformed his company by moving to a recurring revenue model. Steve talks about the discipline required to get away from one-time work, move to auto billing, transition to triennial service — and ultimately exit.…
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On this episode, NPMA's CEO Dominique Stumpf joins Dan and Donnie to discuss what's new at the association and what PMPs can expect from PestWorld 2024. Highlights include a nearly sold out exhibit hall, an improved first-timers experience, a new initiative called NPMA Basecamp, featuring fireside chats and opportunities for attendees to learn and …
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Episode 194: How to Fuel Growth by Reducing Taxes
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30:36On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss smart strategies pest control operators can use to fund their growth by reducing taxes. They cover tax rate basics, accelerated depreciation, the importance of tax planning and other tactics for reinvesting tax savings into your business to scale and improve the value of your business long-term. Hosts: Dan Go…
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Episode 193: The Blueprint for a Dream Workplace
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41:37Trent and Amanda Ragar, owners of Natural State Pest & Lawn in Lowell, Ark., join Dan and Donnie to discuss their efforts to build a great workplace, including programs they use and activities they do to foster employee engagement. Natural State was recently named to PCT's 2024 Best Places to Work rankings in the medium employer category. Guest: Tr…
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Episode 192: From Lead to Lifetime Customer: Transforming Sales in Pest Control
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37:34On this episode, Sheri Spencer Bachman shares her journey from second-generation PMP to founding her consulting firm, Pest Control Business Coach. She discusses best practices for developing salespeople, including training, role playing, tracking and more. Guests: Sheri Spencer Bachman, Owner, Pest Control Business Coach Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Book…
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Episode 191: AI in Action: Enhancing Pest & Lawn Call Centers
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41:51Pest control industry veteran Raymond Kidwell, Director of Business Development at Voice for Pest, joins the podcast to discuss AI's potential to enhance customer service and call center operations in the pest and lawn industries. He explores the benefits of AI-powered phone systems, such as call monitoring and scoring, and he addresses the limitat…
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Episode 190: Journey of a Pest Control CEO
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44:06On this episode, Certus Pest CEO Dave Bradford joins Dan and Donnie. He shares insights on the importance of employee and customer retention, data visibility and long-term value creation. They also cover growth opportunities for Certus and the company's unique approach to evaluating branch performance. Guest: Dave Bradford, CEO, Certus Pest Hosts: …
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Episode 189: Meta Marketing: What Makes a Great Facebook & Instagram Ad?
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43:49James Szojka, co-founder of Yard Dawgs in Calgary, Alberta, joins Dan and Donnie to share his experiences and strategies for using social media ads to market his lawn care company, emphasizing the importance of tracking lead sources and continuously testing and optimizing ads. He covers the difference between ads on Facebook and Instagram compared …
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Episode 188: When Private Equity Comes Calling: Navigating the PE Acquisition Process
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39:28As a pest or lawn business owner, it can be exciting to get your first call from a private equity firm. But it also raises many questions. Why are they contacting you now? How should you handle the call? Should you even take it? On this episode, Dan and Donnie answer these questions and other things to consider about partnering with private equity.…
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Episode 187: Revolutionizing Search for Businesses: What You Need to Know About Search GPT
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39:18On this episode, Dan and Donnie explore the impact of AI-powered search engines on pest and lawn businesses. They discuss the shift from optimizing for search engines to focusing on user intent, emphasizing the importance of natural language processing and conversational AI integration. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie She…
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Episode 186: The Power of One: Harnessing the 'One Number' to Drive Business Growth
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28:47On this episode, Dan and Donnie dive into Donnie's efforts to boil down team members' effectiveness to a single metric. Inspired by his experience as a pilot, Donnie shares how he is evaluating critical results to communicate clearly and ensure quality and excellence at Triangle Home Services. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDon…
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Episode 185: 8 Critical Factors for Profitability in Pest & Businesses
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41:37Description: On this episode, Dan and Donnie share eight factors that can help you create a sustainable, thriving pest or lawn business and achieve a healthy bottom line. Dan details a list of useful operational ratios and gives an accountant's view on them, while Donnie gives an operator's perspective. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Spec…
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Episode 184: GPT-4o: Unleashing Its Power for Your Business
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29:55On this episode, Dan and Donnie review GPT-4o — OpenAI's latest artificial intelligence model. They cover how the algorithm is different from previous models, why that matters and how you can use it in your pest or lawn business. Donnie also demonstrates how to use it for data analysis, so be sure to check out the video version of this episode at y…
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Episode 183: Review Generation & Its Impact on Your Growth
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40:32Coalmarch's Christin Nein joins the podcast to share her expertise on the always important topic of generating customer reviews. She covers why reviews matter, how to generate more reviews, how to make sure you get the right reviews and what to do if you get a negative review. Guest: Christin Nein, Sr. Director, Product Development, Coalmarch by Wo…
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Episode 182: Fly On The Wall: What We're Hearing in Peer Group Meetings
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45:52David Billingsly, president and founder of The Billingsly Group, gives the inside scoop about what he's hearing as the facilitator of the PMP Industry Insiders Peer Groups, including insights on the economy, pricing, routing and AI. David also discusses how the groups are going so far and goals for the future. Guest: David Billingsly, President & F…
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Episode 181 - 6 Keys to Customer-Centric Innovation
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39:49On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome Dr. Cassie Krejci Ph.D., Head of Science & Innovation, North America, for Rentokil Initial — better known as the Bug Doc. She updates us on Rentokil's new North American Innovation Center, details her six points of customer innovation and shares four ways she leverages social media to raise the profile of the…
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Episode 180: Google AI Overview: The Next Frontier of Digital Marketing
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40:51On this episode, Dan and Donnie break down Google's new AI-powered tool, formerly known as Google SGE. They cover why the search giant is rolling it out, how it works and what you need to know about it to market your pest control or lawn care company more effectively. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home…
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Episode 179: 3 New Regulations Employers Need to Know
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55:29HR expert Jean Seawright is back to discuss the latest federal regulations that affect employers, including pest control and lawn care companies. Tune in to hear what you need to know about three new rules that pertain to independent contractors, overtime pay and noncompete agreements. Guest: Jean Seawright, President, Seawright & Associates Hosts:…
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Episode 178: Protecting the Future of Pest Management
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43:14JD Darr, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the National Pest Management Association, joins Dan and Donnie on this episode to share the legislative and regulatory issues on NPMA members’ minds. He also covers the importance of using your voice to influence public policy and what you can expect when you attend a Legislative Day event…
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Episode 177: What To Do About Distracted Driving
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41:10Distracted driving is on the rise, driving up auto insurance claims and increasing exposure for pest control companies. PestSure's Director of Safety Linda Midyett joins Dan and Donnie to discuss the problem and the most important things PMPs can do to fix it and control costs. Guests: Linda Midyett, Director of Safety, PestSure Hosts: Dan Gordon, …
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Episode 176: Optimizing Your Taxes as a PMP
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40:52On the heels of tax season, Dan Gordon & Donnie Shelton review common questions pest control company owners have about optimizing their taxes. They discuss filing extensions, avoiding penalties, tracking expenses and claiming tax credits, among other FAQs. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services…
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Episode 175: Rentokil's Leaders Talk Growth Strategy
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49:01Join Dan and Donnie as they welcome Rentokil's John Myers and Brad Paulsen to the podcast. John shares the leadership lessons he's learned during Rentokil's period of explosive growth, Brad discusses the firm's The Right Way 2 Growth Plan, plus they cover the Terminix integration, M&A prospects, and much more. Guests: John Myers, CEO of U.S. Pest C…
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On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome back Andrew Bray, senior vice president of government relations & membership for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, to discuss top-of-mind issues on the lawn care side of the business. They cover the Farm Bill's significance, state preemption of local pesticide laws, election year scenarios,…
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Episode 173: Optimize Your Organizational Health with Patrick Lencioni
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50:32Join Dan and Donnie for an energizing episode with best-selling author Patrick Lencioni, the mastermind behind "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team" and "The Advantage." They dive into the dysfunctions, three three essential traits of exceptional team players and how to get more out of meetings. Patrick also shares details about his latest book and concep…
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On this episode, Dan and Donnie review some of their recent predictions about the economy and whether or not they were correct. They also cover economic positives and negatives, trends to consider in the near term, and tips for pest and lawn companies. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services…
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Jim Fredericks, Ph.D. is back on the podcast to share the latest Professional Pest Management Alliance initiatives and what's coming down the pike. They cover large-scale projects, media coverage, the benefits of investing in PPMA and other ways the organization is growing and protecting the industry. Guest: Jim Fredericks, Ph.D., Senior VP of Publ…
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Episode 170: Say THIS, Not THAT: Mastering Customer Phone Calls
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35:46In this episode, Margaret Garcia, president of Grit PPO, joins Dan and Donnie to share her expertise in pest control customer service. She covers how to take control of a phone call, the importance of tone, words to avoid, what to say instead, why call scripts work and more. Guest: Margaret Garcia, President, Grit PPO Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkee…
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Hawx Pest Control Co-founder Matt Mehr walks Dan and Donnie through how he and his partners have built a nine-figure enterprise from scratch. He discusses how his door-to-door business has evolved using data and proprietary technology, what it's like to get a private equity infusion and key metrics they're focusing on to continue to scale up. Guest…
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Episode 168: Customer Reviews: Do's & Don'ts
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42:17In this episode, Dan and Donnie cover why online reviews are so critical in the pest control and lawn care industry and what you can do to up your review game. They go into the psychology of consumer reviews, Google's policies, how to get more reviews and tactics to avoid. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle…
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On this episode, Dan and Donnie ask whether there is still a place for allowing some staff to work from home in the service industry. They discuss the effect on productivity, culture, communication and client relationships, and they brainstorm ways to mitigate the downsides of WFH. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton,…
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Dan & Donnie quiz AI consultant Andrew Louder about implementing AI in your business. They cover writing effective prompts, AI tools to consider and potential opportunities for the pest management industry, including marketing, operations and beyond. Guest: Andrew Louder, Founder, Louder Co. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonni…
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Episode 165: How To Be Better Than Average In Pest & Lawn
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41:42In response to a social media post debating the importance of understanding industry averages, Dan and Donnie discuss the power of benchmarking. They delve into the concept of leadership capital, goal setting and using benchmarks as a starting point to become a better-than-average pest control or lawn care company. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeeper…
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Episode 164: The Single Biggest Marketing Mistake & How to Avoid It
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38:12On this episode, Dan and Donnie delve into the importance of nailing your marketing messaging. They cover how to improve your positioning in the marketplace and why you must differentiate your company from the competition. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A SpecialistsDonnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services…
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