Summary

In this episode of the Freedom Blueprint Podcast, Justin Deese sits down with returning guest Jimmy Speyer, Founder & CEO of Glasshouse, to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing home service businesses in 2026 — rising customer acquisition costs.

Jimmy explains why relying solely on Google and paid ads is becoming more expensive every year (what he calls the “digital Yellow Pages problem”) and how contractors can shift from reactive marketing to proactive neighborhood-level outreach.

But this episode goes deeper than marketing.

Jimmy also shares powerful leadership lessons from growing Glasshouse from 1 employee to 18 in just two years, including:

How to hire for alignment, not just skill
Why most companies hire wrong
The importance of core values and mission clarity
How to manage rapid growth without breaking culture
Why transparency and weekly team communication matter

If you’re a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or home service business owner looking to grow smarter in 2026, this episode is packed with practical strategy and leadership insights.

Takeaways

Customer acquisition through Google Ads continues to get more expensive every year.
Waiting for homeowners to search is reactive marketing.
Proactive outbound neighborhood outreach creates demand instead of waiting for it.
Speed to lead isn’t enough — speed to creating the lead matters.
Hiring mistakes are expensive financially and culturally.
Involve your team in defining core values.
Growth requires constant communication and transparency.
Meet with your team weekly to maintain alignment during change.
Define your culture clearly — and hire only people who match it.
Leadership is repetition. Say the mission until you're tired of hearing it.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome Back Jimmy Speyer

03:00 – The “Google Tax” and Rising Ad Costs

06:00 – Proactive vs Reactive Customer Acquisition

10:00 – Why Homeowners Aren’t Thinking About Your Business

12:30 – Growing Glasshouse from 1 to 18 Employees

15:00 – Hiring for Alignment (The Right Way)

18:00 – Interview Questions That Reveal Character

23:00 – Why Consensus Hiring Doesn’t Work

27:00 – Managing Rapid Growth & Team Communication

31:00 – Building Mission, Vision & Core Values

35:00 – Leadership Lessons from Scaling Fast

38:30 – Final Thoughts & How to Connect with Glasshouse

Keywords

#FreedomBlueprintPodcast #HomeServiceBusiness #HVACBusiness #PlumbingBusiness #ElectricalContractor #ContractorMarketing #CustomerAcquisition #OutboundMarketing #LeadershipDevelopment #CompanyCulture #HiringRight #CoreValues #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurLeadership #GlasshouseSoftware #JustinDeese #JimmySpeyer

Mentioned in this episode:

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