Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast
Episode: #228 How this NEW Service Owner is doing $80k/month
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Host: John Wilson
Guest: Ethan from New York

Introduction

In Episode #228 of "Owned and Operated," host John Wilson welcomes Ethan from New York to discuss his impressive journey as a new service owner achieving $80k per month in revenue. The episode delves into Ethan's transition from a finance background to franchising, his strategic lead generation methods, the integration of a local newsletter into his business model, and his insights for budding entrepreneurs.

Ethan’s Background and Business Journey

Transition from Finance to Home Services

Ethan begins by sharing his professional history, highlighting his five to six years in finance, specifically in raising private equity and venture funds. Despite a successful career, he longed to own his own business. "I want to own my thing," Ethan [00:49] emphasizes, explaining his shift focus to the home services sector due to his familiarity with it from his previous role.

Decision to Franchise

Having never owned or managed a business before, Ethan felt unprepared to start from scratch. This uncertainty led him to explore franchising as a viable pathway. "Franchising is a shortcut," Ethan [03:32] asserts, noting that it provided the necessary support and preset operational levers to help him focus on growing his business without the complexities of building a brand independently.

Choosing a Franchise: Rolling Suds

Selecting the Right Brand

Ethan chose to franchise with Rolling Suds in March, recognizing the appeal of an emerging brand with growth potential. "Rolling Suds was emerging when many established brands like Mr. Rooters were sold out," Ethan [04:00] explains. This decision allowed him to access a support network and avoid the high capital requirements associated with established franchises.

Initial Investment and Setup

The initial investment for a Rolling Suds territory was approximately $50,000, covering access to a quarter-million people and around 100,000 households [10:38]. Additionally, Ethan invested in specialized box trucks equipped with advanced power washing machinery, enhancing his service’s branding and operational efficiency [11:59].

Lead Generation Strategies

Commercial Side: Cold Calling and Emailing

Ethan attributes a significant portion of his commercial leads to personal cold calling and emailing. He believes that direct outreach has provided the highest ROI, leveraging his background in B2B sales. "Calling people, emailing people. You got to do it and it works," Ethan [00:01] emphasizes.

Residential Side: Utilizing Agencies

For residential leads, Ethan relies on offshore agencies that perform cold calling. "A lot of the Rolling Suds franchisees use an offshore agency that does cold calling," he notes [15:57]. These agencies help fill the calendar with residential appointments, albeit sometimes with a small percentage of leads misunderstanding the service offered [17:49].

Balancing Efforts and ROI

Ethan discusses the importance of capital allocation, prioritizing high-ROI activities like direct outreach over more expensive channels like Google Ads, which he finds intimidating and less controllable [31:09]. "You don't want to burn like two grand a month that I could, like, I could get a cold caller," he states [32:02].

Launching a Local Newsletter: Westchester Weekly

Concept and Implementation

Ethan launched a local newsletter, Westchester Weekly, a month after starting his franchise. Inspired by successful local newsletters and the decline of traditional print media, he saw an opportunity to merge local media with his service business. "Local newsletters are like a thing right now on X," Ethan [36:02] mentions, highlighting their relevance in the digital age.

Monetization and Growth Strategies

Westchester Weekly serves dual purposes: as a lead generation channel and an independent revenue stream. Ethan explores various monetization strategies, including ads, partnerships, and event hosting. "We're reinvesting in it to accelerate the growth," he explains [36:23].

Integration with Main Business

The newsletter offers free advertising for Rolling Suds, leveraging owned media to enhance brand visibility. Ethan believes that owning both the service business and the media brand creates synergistic growth opportunities. "If you own the media brand and you own the local service business, it's free advertising," he states [36:54].

Monetization and Growth of Media Brand

Advertisement and Recommendations

Ethan experimented with Sparkloop, a tool that recommends other newsletters to new subscribers, aiding in quick customer acquisition. "We're recouping like 50 to 75% of the cost of acquiring the customer immediately," he shares [40:58]. This efficient reinvestment strategy fuels the rapid growth of Westchester Weekly.

Local Partnerships and Events

To further monetize the newsletter, Ethan considers partnerships with local businesses and events, such as collaborating with a minor league sports team to host events and giveaways. "We can run a giveaway with free tickets and collect emails," Ethan discusses [42:10].

Advice to Entrepreneurs

Embrace Challenges and Learn from Mistakes

When asked about advice for new entrepreneurs facing initial hardships, Ethan emphasizes resilience and a growth mindset. "You're going to get punched in the face over and over and over again," he advises [58:31]. He encourages treating every setback as a learning experience and stresses the importance of taking actionable steps over continuous learning without implementation.

Focus on High-ROI Activities

Ethan recommends prioritizing activities that yield the highest return on investment, particularly in the early stages of business growth. "Just knock some doors and get away higher ROI in three hours," he suggests [30:54], reinforcing the effectiveness of direct outreach methods.

Future Plans and Growth

Scaling the Service Business

Ethan is focused on expanding Rolling Suds by adding a second truck and potentially entering new territories. "I'm laser focused on just growing my rolling suds business," he states [53:55]. His goal is to transition from handling multiple estimates personally to managing commercial sales with the support of a growing team.

Long-Term Vision for the Newsletter

While prioritizing his service business, Ethan plans to continue developing the local newsletter, exploring additional revenue streams and partnerships to ensure its sustainability and growth alongside his primary business.

Conclusion

Ethan's journey from finance to franchising with Rolling Suds exemplifies strategic business growth through effective lead generation and innovative integration of a local media brand. His success underscores the importance of resilience, direct outreach, and leveraging owned media to create synergistic growth opportunities. For entrepreneurs, Ethan’s story offers valuable lessons in capital allocation, embracing challenges, and the potential of combining traditional services with modern media strategies.

Notable Quotes:

• Ethan [00:01]: "Calling people, emailing people. You got to do it and it works."
• Ethan [03:32]: "Franchising is a shortcut."
• John [07:15] & Ethan [07:15]: "Has been an amazing way to speedrun the learning process..."
• John [30:44]: "Is it a lot of emerging ones?"
• Ethan [58:31]: "You're going to get punched in the face over and over and over again."

Connect with Ethan:
Ethan can be found on X (formerly Twitter) with the handle @relander. He encourages entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts to reach out and engage in conversations about business growth and strategies.

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Episode #228, highlighting Ethan's business strategies, insights, and future plans, enriched with notable quotes and structured for clarity and engagement.