In this episode of Titan Talks, Jonathan Stern interviews John Brouder, owner of Brouder & Sons Landscaping and Irrigation. John talks about starting his business during college and evolving it from lawn maintenance to specializing in hardscapes, irrigation, and low-voltage lighting due to the low profitability and high competition in lawn mowing. He mentions working through New England’s seasons, including performing snow plowing in winter. Despite having a small team, John emphasizes quality work and customer satisfaction, which have contributed to his success, noting the challenge of balancing expansion with maintaining personal happiness and service quality. He also discusses the potential for his sons to take over the business, highlighting his elder son David’s significant contribution during a period when John’s health was compromised.

In this podcast episode of Titan Talks, host Jonathan Stern interviews Rick Doria, owner of Centex Pressure Washing in San Marcos, Texas. Rick shares his professional journey, starting as a pressure washer vent hood tech while in college in 2003 then working his way up under the guidance of the previous owner. After 18 years working in another role, Rick returned to Centex when offered to buy the business which he significantly improved, expecting a 50% profit increase within the first year. He shares that the secret to his success is building a culture of respect and mutual accountability in his team, considering them co-workers not subordinates. Now, he aims to expand his business to become a one-stop-shop for kitchen needs, but is challenging himself not to grow the business too quickly. His advice to other entrepreneurs is to move step by step, taking on and improving one thing at a time.

This episode of Titan Talks features Steve Lockwood, the owner of Lockwood Finishes, a successful painting company located in Springfield, Illinois. The show discusses his start in the industry, how he came to realize that he was a professional, and how making 100 phone calls a day helped boost his business and client base in the early days. Steve shares insights on the importance of job costing, his pride in carrying the name Lockwood, and how having a website has transformed his business and brought him in front of people that didn’t know about his services.