Podcast Summary
The Home Service Expert Podcast
Episode Title: Breaking Barriers in Home Services with Vince Nardo
Host: Tommy Mello
Guest: Vince Nardo (CEO, Master Roofing Solutions & Medallion Roofing LLC/Timeproof USA)
Date: January 26, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Tommy Mello sits down with Vince Nardo—a veteran leader with nearly four decades in home services and former president of Reborn Cabinets—to unpack the playbooks, culture, and hard lessons that have driven industry leaders to scale successfully. They dig deep into greenfield strategies, private equity involvement, the importance of building sustainable business systems, high-velocity scaling, and what great leadership looks like on the front lines and at the executive level. Vince shares specifics about launching and scaling Timeproof USA, navigating the pitfalls of PE-backed expansions, and building a powerful people-first culture, all while revealing play-by-play tactics and hard-won wisdom for ambitious entrepreneurs.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Vince Nardo’s Origin Story & Career Trajectory
[02:48]
- Vince joined his family business, Reborn Cabinets, unexpectedly to help during a period of growth.
- He and his brother took over, scaling from a regional manufacturer to a top national presence.
- “It was the greatest choice I ever made in my life. It provided well for my family...it’s been a rocket ship ride.” — Vince Nardo
2. Transitioning to Roofing & Starting from Scratch
[03:55]
- After selling Reborn to Audax PE in 2022 and retiring, Vince was approached by industry peers to co-found a new national platform—Timeproof USA.
- Chose to build from the ground up—instead of an M&A roll-up—focusing on shared executive culture and operational alignment.
- “We just sat back and really built a very strong, aggressive model designed with the end in mind and reverse engineered everything.” — Vince Nardo
3. Private Equity in Home Services: Lessons & Mistakes
[06:41]
- Vince provides a crash course on PE models, especially leveraged buyouts: the intent to grow, service debt, and “flip” the company.
- Challenges arose with variable interest rates and increased marketing costs, leading to cash flow crises and lack of PE operational expertise.
- “...When you're fighting excessive debt payments, that extra hundred bucks isn’t available. That creates a very hard position to be in.” — Vince Nardo
- Clarifies BlackRock’s role as a senior debt lender as opposed to an equity buyer.
4. Opening New Markets: Greenfield Strategy
[09:39]
- Tommy shares his own bare-knuckle methods for Greenfield—heavy upfront branding/PR, long lead times, grassroots yards signs, door knocking, and willingness to lose money for 12–18 months.
- Vince agrees: expansion only makes sense after dominating your core market and mastering the playbook.
- “Before you even think about wanting to go out and greenfield, you have to have a very established good portion of your current market share...Then you can go and look at opening another branch.” — Vince Nardo [12:31]
5. Playbook for Rapid Scaling & Branch Launches
[14:43]
- Timeproof opened three states simultaneously in a week—possible thanks to a seasoned leadership team with deep-rooted culture.
- Blends marketing tactics: door-to-door, traditional, aggregators, and events depending on region.
- “When you're breaking into a new market, you have no brand, so you have to be prepared to go...back to grassroots, out there, knocking on doors, beating down people and generating leads.” — Vince Nardo [14:58]
- Importance of cultural consistency: Relocated trusted internal leaders ensure new branches follow core process.
6. Branch Economics & Structure
[17:52]
- Target EBITDA: 15%+ (15% of revenue per branch).
- Branch design considers sales radius (50-mile rule), home density, local opportunity—leading to $12M or $24M per branch targets.
- Streamlined “hub and spoke” model: lean local teams, heavy back office at HQ, majority of installations sub-contracted.
- “A $12-20 million branch could be 12 to 15 people, plus installers.” — Vince Nardo [21:18]
7. The Crucial Role of Marketing & Lead Generation
[22:49]
- Events and community appearances are essential (citing Renewal by Andersen’s 300–400 events per market).
- The real business is “generating leads and selling shit,” with margins made primarily through effective marketing.
- “You make your money in marketing in these businesses...You can move that marketing return up, up and down five, six, seven points a month.” — Vince Nardo [23:44]
- Effective lead follow-up, conversion, and rehash are non-negotiable for return on marketing spend.
8. Compensation, Financing, and Modern Sales
[25:52]
- Aggressive financing usage: 70%+ of revenue via financing (“promotions”).
- Dealer fees built into base cost, not taken out of rep commissions.
- “I want my sales team to go out and be free to do whatever’s best for the customer, and not always think about what’s best for them.” — Vince Nardo [27:13]
9. Discipline, Alignment, and Culture
[28:48]
- Tommy shares research-backed elements for outsized PE returns: strategic clarity, scalable talent, focus, discipline, energized culture.
- Vince: The playbook and “North Star” must be absolutely clear and repeatable; culture comes first.
- Company-wide monthly town halls and core value recognitions keep values visible and morale high.
- Recruiting treated as aggressively as sales/lead gen—constant pipeline for A-players.
10. Leadership, Talent, and Top Grading
[37:10]
- Rise-plateau-rise is the natural arc; executives or managers who cannot envision or execute at the next level need to be “top graded.”
- “We look at...did they reach their plateau? They just don’t understand how we get to the next target. If they remain static in performance, you top-grade—bring in talent that’s been where you’re going, not just where you’re at.” — Vince Nardo [39:36]
- It’s critical to bring in “fresh blood” from outside, especially as the business scales rapidly.
11. Avoiding Post-Exit Void & Life After a Sale
[53:06]
- Vince shares that selling a business can leave a personal void; important to be intentional about new passions, giving back, and consulting.
- “You rip that out, it's like ripping away from a spouse or a kid…so you have to be intentional on how you‘re going to fill it.” — Vince Nardo [53:21]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “This business is like playing the slots. You gotta be willing to walk up to that slot machine when times are rough, dump 100 bucks into marketing, pull that lever and hope you get a return.” — Vince Nardo [08:29]
- “The product we offer and the product we install really is secondary to what we really do. What we really do is generate leads and sell shit.” — Vince Nardo [22:49]
- “If you find yourself micromanaging your direct reports, then you realize you have the wrong direct reports.” — Tommy Mello quoting Chad Peterman [51:09]
- “You want the best person on your team, even if they make more than you.” — Vince Nardo [41:11]
- “Work hard, play hard…I believe that.” — Vince Nardo [49:41]
Timestamps of Key Segments
- [02:48] Vince’s home services background & family business journey
- [05:36] Founding and building Timeproof USA
- [06:41] PE leveraged buyouts – risks, debt, and operational learnings
- [09:39] Tommy’s and Vince’s playbooks for launching greenfield locations
- [14:43] Simultaneously opening three states; cultural transplant strategies
- [17:52] Branch design, hub & spoke model, branch size and economics
- [22:49] Community events, lead generation, value of effective marketing
- [25:52] Financing as a growth lever; commission and pricing philosophy
- [28:48] Five keys to outsized growth; importance of alignment and culture
- [37:10] When and how to top grade talent; signs of plateau and executive replacement
- [53:06] Avoiding emptiness post-business sale; fulfilling new purpose
- [54:23] Book recommendation: The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
Book & Resource Recommendation
- The E-Myth by Michael Gerber — “The basics and the fundamentals of building a repeatable business are in that little tiny book.” — Vince Nardo [54:29]
Closing Thoughts
- Vince and Tommy agree: Success in home services is about operational discipline, relentless marketing, scalable “people-first” teams, and a playbook that can be executed reliably in every new market.
- Both emphasize the industry’s uniquely collaborative culture and urge listeners to reach out, share knowledge, and continually raise the bar.
Connect with Vince Nardo:
Email: v.nardo12@outlook.com
For those seeking to break new ground, adapt to high-velocity scaling, or simply build a home services business that lasts—this episode is a goldmine of war stories, actionable tactics, and C-suite wisdom.