Podcast Summary: "Why Contractors Who Don't Own Their Customer List Will Lose"

Podcast: Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service
Hosts: Tersh Blissett & Josh Crouch
Guest: Peter Murphy Lewis ("Strategic Pete")
Date: January 28, 2026
Episode Theme: Leveraging AI and automation for growth and client loyalty in the trades, and why contractors must own and utilize their customer lists to stay competitive.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the vital importance for trade business owners—HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and related fields—to "own" their customer list in an era of rapidly advancing AI and digital transformation. The conversation explores how AI can drive growth, facilitate meaningful storytelling for brands, and enhance client loyalty. Peter Murphy Lewis shares his expertise as a fractional chief marketing officer (CMO), offering actionable strategies for leveraging AI, improving marketing systems, and goldmining the value of client databases.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The AI Revolution: Opportunity and Threats

• AI Advancements: The hosts and Peter discuss the blistering pace of AI development, citing recent advancements from Google and OpenAI. They note how AI-generated content and avatars are increasingly indistinguishable from real humans.
  • Quote: “AI is blowing everybody's minds… it's exciting, but also very scary.” – Josh Crouch [03:21]
• Adoption and Skepticism: New AI products flood the market, but many are little more than wrappers around existing models like ChatGPT. The hosts urge discernment and careful adoption.
  • Quote: “Most of the times it’s not AI... I want to know how much of the platform is AI-driven.” – Tersh Blissett [05:35]

2. Owning Your Customer List is Non-Negotiable

• Digital Platforms and Customer Data: The shift to AI and algorithm-driven discovery (over traditional search) makes it critical for businesses to possess and actively engage their customer lists.
  • Quote: "Owning that audience and getting loyalty and buying from them is going to be more important than it ever has been.” – Josh Crouch [01:56]
• Client Loyalty is Underutilized in Trades: Trades businesses are adept at immediate customer service but fail to nurture ongoing relationships, missing out on repeat business and referrals.
  • Quote: "We never ever come back to this massive...well for those customers." – Josh Crouch [25:08]

3. The Power of Storytelling and Differentiation

• Evergreen Content for Reputation Management: Peter shares how filmmaking and documentaries have helped clients—particularly in industries with poor reputations—shape positive perceptions through long-form, evergreen storytelling.
  • Quote: “Of those 100 [healthcare marketers], there’s not a single one creating video content that’s evergreen...so now I have an edge.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [11:11]
• Trades Can Benefit Too: The same documentary approach is being adopted in trades like plumbing or solid waste, where real stories can shift negative stereotypes.

4. Fractional Executives in Marketing and Operations

• What is a Fractional CMO?: Bringing top-tier strategic marketing oversight at a fraction of a full-time salary, either overseeing existing teams or plugging gaps until the business is ready to hire internally.
  • Best Fit: Businesses typically $2M+ in revenue or with growth ambitions, not necessarily just based on size, but on operational maturity and complexity.
  • Quote: “If you need strategy…you’re probably doing over a million to $2 million in revenue per year minimum.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [17:22]
• Flexible Engagement Models: Peter’s approach is month-to-month with performance incentives, ensuring alignment and buy-in.

5. Repurposing & Systemizing Customer Feedback

• Moving Beyond One-Off Testimonials: Businesses must learn to not just collect reviews, but repurpose them across all channels—Google, social media, nurture emails, websites, and pre-sell communications.
  • Quote: “I think what a lot of home services are bad at is they’re good at the execution, they’re bad at asking for that feedback and setting up systems for repurposing it.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [26:18]
• Enabling AI for Amplified Empathy: AI tools can help deliver personal, empathetic messaging and automate content repurposing—turning single reviews into multi-channel touchpoints.

6. Tactical Content Strategies for Trades

• AI-Enhanced Video and Social Content: Even if business owners are camera-shy, they can narrate reviews or hire someone to create content, using AI tools to amplify impact.
  • Quote: “You don't have to be the face... hire any contractor from Fiverr to do [review narration].” – Peter Murphy Lewis [31:38]
• Email Nurturing with Social Proof: Use review screenshots and links in proposals and follow-up emails. Clicking through helps both conversions and SEO.
• Leveraging LinkedIn for B2B and Partnerships:
  • Tools exist to identify anonymous website visitors via their LinkedIn accounts, enabling strategic, personalized outreach and boosting visibility in LinkedIn’s algorithm.
  • Quote: “If I could identify 75% of people who are coming from your ads and now on your website... all I have to do is connect with you on LinkedIn and LinkedIn will do all the retargeting.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [41:37]

7. Implementing AI Without Overwhelm

• Start with a Context Library: Build a Google Doc capturing your brand’s voice, values, and positioning. Use this as a prompt with ChatGPT or Gemini to generate authentic, on-brand content rapidly.
• Quote: “Just start with the basics...create who you are and you don’t really need to know much more about AI because that’s more than the majority of your competitors are doing.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [44:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI and Industry Change:
  “Everything we know and grew up with is going to be completely different. It’s already starting to change drastically.” – Josh Crouch [01:56]
• On Authentic Storytelling:
  “The best way to change the reputation is through storytelling of people who go against the grain.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [12:25]
• On Systemizing Loyalty Efforts:
  “If you’re not good at it, find some peer in another city who’s doing it, hire their marketer for 10 hours, and set up a system.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [28:20]
• On LinkedIn as an Underused Channel:
  “That means your competitors aren’t using it either...that’s an advantage for you.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [34:03]
• On Getting Past Overwhelm:
  “Hire a contractor to create a prompt for you with your voice and your brand… throw it into ChatGPT.” – Peter Murphy Lewis [44:06]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:21 – AI’s realism and risks: hosts discuss shocking advancements and the “AI freight train.”
• 09:05 – Peter Murphy Lewis introduction and background in marketing and creative industries.
• 11:11 – Using long-form storytelling and documentaries to outshine AI-generated, short video content.
• 14:44 – What is a fractional CMO? Explanation and use cases.
• 17:22 – When should a company hire a fractional executive? (By size/complexity)
• 26:18 – Repurposing reviews and nurturing existing client lists.
• 31:38 – Easy ways to get video content from reviews, even without being on camera.
• 34:03 – Using LinkedIn for partnerships, leveraging underused platforms.
• 41:37 – Identifying website visitors via LinkedIn for cheaper retargeting.
• 44:06 – Closing advice: Building a context library for AI-driven content creation.

Actionable Takeaways

• Always own your customer list: Don’t let platforms or algorithms stand between you and your clients.
• Prioritize loyalty and retention systems: Set up structured repurposing of reviews and feedback.
• Leverage AI—strategically: Use it to systemize content, not just for speed but to amplify authentic empathy and storytelling.
• Consider fractional executives: As your business grows, bringing in fractional senior talent can accelerate your strategy before you can afford full-time executives.
• Explore underutilized platforms: LinkedIn offers overlooked B2B potential for partnership and client engagement.
• Build your “context library”: Make it easy for AI tools to speak in your brand’s authentic voice.

Episode Tone

• Engaging, candid, and practical.
• Jargon-light, full of real-world examples and commonsense advice.
• Encouraging experimentation, open-mindedness, and action.

For more details or to connect with Peter Murphy Lewis, check the show notes of Service Business Mastery Podcast or visit their website.