Podcast Summary: Owned and Operated – Feed Drop: Entry & Exit — How Operators Plan for Real Growth

Date: January 21, 2026
Host: John Wilson (Feed Drop: Episode hosted by Stephen Ullman & Colin Trimble of Entry and Exit)
Guests: Stephen Ullman & Colin Trimble, co-founders of Alarm Masters, Houston, TX

Overview

In this episode, the team from the Entry and Exit podcast—Stephen Ullman and Colin Trimble—discuss strategic yearly planning for operators in security, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing businesses. Their focus is on actionable business growth, with an emphasis on effective goal setting, budgeting, talent management, using technology, and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs). The core theme is building a framework to unlock growth for service-based businesses, emphasizing discipline, accountability, and adaptation in a rapidly evolving industry.

Key Discussion Points

1. Yearly Business Planning and Goal Setting

• Annual Planning Ritual: Both hosts advocate for taking time away at the start of the year to reflect, set goals, and define KPIs—turning off distractions and giving focused attention to strategy.
  [01:06]

  “One thing I like to do at the beginning of every year is get away, usually for a night or two… reflect on how last year went, and then focus on the new year’s goals and key themes.” – Colin Trimble [01:06]

• Cascading KPIs: Set organizational goals, then break them down into departmental and individual metrics.
  [03:36]

  “We may have a departmental goal that then has additional goals and KPIs set below that... If you’re going to improve your business, you’ve got to have a scorecard.” – Colin [03:36]

• Budgeting & Accountability: Move beyond just tracking bottom-line numbers; set and track budgets monthly to ensure disciplined investment, not just end-of-year cash sweeps.
  [05:44], [09:59]

  “If your goal is $600k and you’re on track to do $750k, then you’ve got some money to work with to reinvest.” – Colin [09:59]

  “If you don’t have a plan, you’re going to do weird stuff. You’re going to, like, sponsor a local bowling team.” – Stephen [12:03]

2. Growth Plateaus & Breaking Through Revenue Barriers

• The $3M Trap: Many small security (and service) businesses plateau around $3 million revenue, failing to reach $5M or $10M because owners stop reinvesting for growth.

  “A lot of these operators have owned these businesses for a lot of years...they get comfortable making X and are not allocating money to growth initiatives.” – Colin [07:13]

• Allocating for Growth: Owners must decide what personal income is needed, and then reverse-engineer target net income and reinvestment requirements from the bottom up.

• Monthly Review Discipline: Avoid annual “lump sum” reinvestment habits; hire throughout the year for compounding results.

3. Talent Wins: People Over Processes

• The Myth of Perfect Processes: While SOPs and tech are vital, every strong SMB has a few “gap filler” A-players who make the system work.

  “Every successful business I’ve seen that’s been sub $100 million has one, two, or three gap filler key people—ride-or-die employees.” – Colin [18:35]

• Don’t Underhire: Attempting to save on payroll in key roles is a common and costly mistake. A-players drive reputation, morale, and growth.

  “You have to count the cost. Is it worth it to cut corners and save $20k here or there on someone’s comp in a key role? That’s a huge mistake.” – Stephen [15:15]

• Letting Go with Maturity: Don't keep underperformers for comfort or out of friendship. Hard decisions protect culture and fuel growth.

  “Your employees are not your friends...if you just keep people around because they’ve been there, that's bad. That’s immature thinking.” – Stephen [17:36]

4. Technology, AI, and International Talent

• Foundation First Before AI: Don’t chase AI before having a solid tech stack and support structure. Start by leveraging international talent for back-office work, and use AI for operational efficiency—not to replace frontline customer touchpoints.

  “If you are trying to throw more of yourself at your business to try to grow, that strategy isn’t going to work. You have to duplicate yourself through technology and people.” – Colin [29:05]

• AI for Enablement, Not Replacement: Use AI and automation to handle repetitive tasks, freeing team members to focus on customer service and core competencies.

• Adapt or Fade: Warning against outdated tech—companies failing to adapt to trends (like cloud, AI) may halve their value over a decade.

5. Building Narrow Expertise Over Generalization

• Specialization Over Generalists: Focus on being the best at a narrow set of offerings, rather than trying to serve every possible customer or system.

  “Gone are the days where your value is how many different systems you can install. More value is in being the very best at one or two per scope of work.” – Colin [32:32]

6. KPIs: What to Track in Each Department

Sales

• Revenue per rep
• Close rate
• Activities per week (target: 12-15 prospect meetings)
• Average deal size
• Lead source and loss reason analysis

Marketing

• Cost to acquire customers (CAC)
• Organic website traffic growth
• Website conversions (calls, forms)
• For residential: social engagement metrics

Finance

• Gross profit margin (by revenue type)
• Net RMR (Recurring Monthly Revenue) change
• Receivables: especially over-60-day collections

Operations

• Technician utilization rate (billable/paid hours)
• Revenue per technician (or per team)

M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions)

• Outbound: number of owners contacted, meetings set and held, LOIs submitted
• Post-close: revenue realized by acquired customers/companies relative to projections

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Accountability:

  “Find an accountability partner…hey, hold me accountable to what I’m trying to do. These are my goals, this is my decision-making framework.” – Colin [13:32]

• On Letting Underperformers Go:

  “We had an employee that frankly wasn’t great for culture…Steven, you know, one thing that we have around here is talent wins.” – Colin [13:43]

• On Specialization:

  “If you are trying to be everything to everybody, you’re going to be nothing to a few people. We need to be everything to a few people.” – Colin [32:54]

• On Technology & AI:

  “If you don’t have your foundation built, you can’t build on add-ons. Don’t go build a quote agent when you don’t even have the foundation.” – Colin [26:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:06 – Yearly off-site planning ritual and goal-setting structure
• 03:36 – Cascading KPIs and departmental goal breakdown
• 07:13 – Why businesses stall at $3M/$5M and the importance of budgeting for growth
• 13:32 – Having a playbook for surplus/deficit situations and importance of accountability
• 15:15–18:35 – Talent wins: why people matter more than SOPs, and dangers of underhiring
• 23:48 – Trends to stay abreast of: AI, tech stack, specialization, and riding industry waves
• 29:05 – Foundation before AI: process, international talent, and smart tech use
• 32:32 – Specialization over generalization
• 34:09 – Rapid-fire: department-specific KPIs (sales, marketing, finance, ops, M&A)
• 43:59 – M&A KPIs: tracking revenue post-acquisition
• 44:30 – Homework: actionable takeaways for listeners

Homework (Action Steps for Listeners)

• Colin:

  “Go figure out these numbers: average deal size, your close rate, and then build KPIs as a result.” [44:30]

• Stephen:

  “If you don’t have a lot of this data readily available…invest in technology as part of your 2026 budget so you can know your numbers.” [45:22]

Tone and Style

The tone is candid, practical, and supportive—built on real-world operator experience and delivered with a mix of humility, humor, and honesty. Stephen and Colin are self-effacing, grounded, and open about their own growth, mistakes, and lessons learned, aiming to foster a community of operators growing together.

Conclusion

The episode blends strategic planning with boots-on-the-ground insight for operators serious about business growth in the service and security industry. The core message is that lasting growth comes from aligning realistic budgeting, clear metrics, ongoing accountability, and continual investment in both top talent and enabling technologies. Specialization, adaptability, and discipline are crucial for breaking plateaus and unlocking company potential in a competitive, ever-changing market.