Locally Owned – "How To Build A Seven Figure Business...and Life" with Eric Sprague

Podcast: Locally Owned
Host: The Street Smart Entrepreneur (Dave)
Guest: Eric Sprague, Co-founder of SuperTech University, Author of Road to Seven Figures
Date: April 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes Eric Sprague, a veteran of the home services industry and co-founder of SuperTech University, to dive deep into the real steps behind building, systematizing, and selling a seven-figure business. Eric shares his journey from pool boy and reluctant white-collar employee to heart attack survivor, culture-building founder, and now, coaching business owners on scaling, leadership, and personal growth. The conversation is packed with tactical advice, honest stories, and powerful mindsets essential for any local business owner aspiring to both wealth and freedom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Early Lessons

• Eric’s Background: Started in home services at age 15, held every role from electrician’s assistant to pool cleaner.
• Early Mentor: Boss at pool service company emphasized client experience and reputation, not just technical work.
  • Memorable Moment (05:20): "Yes, cleaning a swimming pool is important, but the show we put on and how we interact with the client is actually what allows us to charge more and have a better reputation." – Eric

2. Perceived Value & Customer Experience

• Highlight: The overall customer experience creates premium value—think of the difference between KFC and Chick-fil-A.
  • (05:20-06:36): "Nail the experience and your people will never go anywhere else." – Dave

3. Corporate Path to Entrepreneurship

• Fitting In: Eric left a white-collar job after 11 months, realizing he couldn't thrive without autonomy.

  • Quote (06:36): "I just had so much entrepreneurial spirit. I just couldn't work for other people. I just—I was not a good employee." – Eric

• Parental Doubt: Family struggled to accept his non-traditional career path, foreshadowing his need to blaze his own trail.

4. The Owner-Operator Trap and Managing Risk

• Owner-Operator Reality: Many owner-operators make good money but are one injury away from disaster.
  • (12:36): "You're one heart attack, one broken leg, one car accident away from being out of business… I always viewed that as a very risky proposition." – Eric
• Growth is Risky, But So Is Stagnation: Managing risk means balancing growth vs. stability vs. personal vulnerability.

5. Moving Off the Truck: Building a Team & Systems

• Progression: Started on the truck with his partner Larry, hired helpers, and created stepwise technician development.
  • (16:51-18:14): "As soon as we would take that person and put them on a truck… I would get the next helper. So I just kind of did that system a few times until now I have three or four technicians..." – Eric
• Leadership Shift: Building a reliable team isn’t fast; involves hiring, firing, and consistent team culture.

6. The Importance of Culture and Daily Rituals

• Morning Meetings: Instituted daily team huddles for engagement and communication, which later became the basis for SuperTech University.
  • (19:11): "If you invest in your people, they don’t leave you." – Eric
• Practical Tip: Regular team rituals create connection, surface problems early, and reinforce culture.

7. The Reality vs. Myth of Entrepreneurial Success

• Hollywood vs. Reality: Freedom comes after years of system-building, error-correcting, not from “just owning” a business.
  • (24:43): "They said, 'Everything's good...Please stay out of the way and don't mess anything up.' And that's when...I knew I was successful." – Eric

8. Personal Growth Precedes Business Growth

• Self-Mastery: The first third of Eric's book is focused on the owner—not just the business.
  • (27:28): "If you're a business owner, the business, you're the product in many ways until you're not anymore..."
• Mindset Shift: To scale, the owner must detach personal identity from the business, becoming a system-builder and leader, not the only technician.

9. Involving Your Team in Building Systems

• Collaborative System Design: Best systems are co-created with employees, not dictated from above.
  • (37:17): “We had a guy...he was the best demo guy, the fastest demo guy...and he shared a trick that would save us $60,000 a year. We all applauded him...That’s why we do this together.” – Eric

10. Transition to Coaching & Consulting

• Selling the Company: After selling his restoration company in 2018, Eric quickly realized he needed something new to build.
• SuperTech University Origin: Started as “Morning Tech Meeting”—short daily leadership and soft skills training videos for field techs.
  • (41:57-45:31): "I sent [test] videos to some plumbers and contractors...A few weeks later, I start getting text and phone calls, ‘Where’s the rest of them? We’re ready to buy!’"

11. Pivoting and Scaling the Second Business

• Adaptation: The pandemic made trade shows impossible, so Eric and his partner dove into daily podcasting, connecting with industry leaders and building the brand.

  • (47:30): “We started podcasting every single day because the whole world shut down...I started reaching out to big names in home service...I was getting guests I could never have gotten otherwise.”

• Scaling Challenge: Building a business for a national/international audience requires new marketing muscles—Eric’s team grew from 2 to 7 FTEs and now serves over 700 companies.

12. Expanded Service Offerings & Mission

• Tech Training: Practical, field-focused video modules for technician development.
• Manager/CSR/Leadership Training: Programs for every level of the service business.
• Owner Retreats: Regular in-person events for business owners.
• Mission: Focus on helping both owners and their teams build businesses they love to own.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (Timestamps)

• On perceived value and experience:
  "The show we put on and how we interact with the client is actually what allows us to charge more and have a better reputation." — Eric (05:20)

• On owner-operator risk:
  "You're one heart attack, one broken leg, one car accident away from being out of business." — Eric (12:36)

• On getting ‘off the truck’:
  "The power of the team is greater than the power of the owner almost always—as great as we love to think we are." — Eric (37:39)

• On the entrepreneur’s journey:
  "You have to stop making this business about you. It’s not about you if you want to grow it. It’s about us. It’s about the company as a whole." — Eric (30:30)

• On building systems with your team:
  "If I’m running a restoration company and I haven’t been in the field for five years, am I really the person who should be building the system on how we're going to do this...?" — Eric (35:54)

• On what truly matters:
  "Because we've had the business that you didn't want to own...if I could even get one person to have the business that they love to own, I feel like I was successful then." — Eric (53:19)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:35] – Eric’s start in home services, lessons from early mentors
• [06:36] – Leaving corporate America, realizing entrepreneurial calling
• [12:36] – Owner-operator risks; the need to grow beyond solo work
• [18:16] – Building a team, leadership challenges, daily meetings
• [24:43] – The “ultimate flex”: being told to stay out of the way by your own team
• [27:28] – The personal development required to scale
• [37:17] – Collaborative system-building; tapping employees for continuous improvement
• [41:55] – Post-exit identity crises and the birth of SuperTech University
• [45:31] – Creating MVPs (minimum viable products) and letting the market validate
• [47:30] – Pivoting business development during COVID, building an industry presence
• [53:19] – Mission-driven business growth—helping owners build companies they truly want

Resources & How to Connect

• Book: The Road to Seven Figures by Eric Sprague
  [Available on Amazon – digital & print]

• SuperTech University:
  supertechu.com

• Social:
  LinkedIn & Facebook – Eric Sprague

• Special Offer:
  Mention this podcast to access a free week of video training and closed membership.

Final Reflections

Eric’s story is a blueprint for building a local business that scales, thrives, and can run without the owner's daily involvement. Key ingredients: relentless focus on systems, genuine care for team development, a willingness to grow personally, and embracing risk as a two-way street. The path to a seven-figure business isn’t about luck or being a “genius”—it’s about learning, systematizing, leading, and creating room for others to step up.

"Your goals are my goals. Remember, you don't have to overhaul everything today. You just got to get started." – Dave (58:00)

Action for Listeners:
What is one small habit or system you can start this week that will set your business (and life) on the path to freedom?

This episode is essential listening for any small business owner who wants actionable strategies, honest truth, and inspiration drawn from real life—not theory.