The Home Service Expert Podcast

Episode Title: Building Trust and Loyalty in Business
Date: September 15, 2025
Host: Tommy Mello ($200M Founder, Home Service Expert)
Guest: Alisa Imperial (VP of Business Development, Garage Door Freedom)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the core of what builds winning home service businesses: trust, loyalty, letting go of fear, and fostering team-driven growth. Tommy Mello welcomes back Alisa Imperial, a powerhouse in strategic planning and business development, to unpack actionable insights on leadership, pricing, training, and the power of community in the home service industry. The conversation is honest, high-energy, and peppered with memorable stories, practical frameworks, and invitations to open your mind to what’s possible for your company and your life.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. The Human Side of Branding

Timestamp: 00:00–02:54

• A beautiful truck and logo mean nothing unless they’re supported by people who believe in and talk about the brand.
• Quote: “You don’t breathe life into [your brand] until there are people that believe in it and talk about it.” — Alisa [00:00]
• Alisa’s roots in small family business and casinos gave her a relentless service mindset before home services became her world.

2. Tommy Mello: Love or Hate and Industry Perception

Timestamp: 04:41–07:21

• Tommy reflects on polarizing reactions to his public persona—either loved or hated.
• Alisa explains that much of this is rooted in misunderstanding, as conviction and confidence are sometimes mistaken for ego.
• Quote: “Your conviction sometimes, I think, gets misunderstood. And I think they see it as ego or you think you're a know-it-all. And that comes from—you gotta believe in yourself, or who does?” — Alisa [06:09]

3. The Biggest Blind Spots for Home Service Owners

Timestamp: 08:12–10:18

• Two core blind spots:
  1. Owners not believing more is possible (limiting their own growth by mindset).
  2. Fear of letting go—struggling to trust and delegate.
• Having been burned doesn’t mean you should stop trusting; systematized delegation is a requirement for growth.
• Tommy: “I think a lot of people have been burned, man... But, what if I had this person on my team? What could we do together?” [09:05]

4. Culture of Training & Continuous Improvement

Timestamp: 12:03–16:13

• Training isn’t a box to check; it’s a company lifestyle.
• Make training fun and experiential. Gamification and creating a “sticky” learning experience leads to real change.
• Quote: “A big portion of training is creating this lifestyle within your company, this culture of fun. Fun is really learning.” — Alisa [15:01]
• Example: “Mr. Miyagi moments”—muscle and mental memory learned through practice, not just instruction.

5. Pricing, Value, and Brand Loyalty

Timestamp: 16:13–23:12

• Home service companies gravitate toward undercharging, fearing higher prices will lose customers.
• True value comes from trust, safety, reliability, and peace of mind—NOT just price.
• Study cited: Price ranks #9 on a list of consumer priorities; trust outranks it by far.
• Memorable Conversation:
  • Alisa: “People are brand loyal to brands they trust. You create value that can no longer even be just monetized...” [17:48]
  • Tommy: “You screw your internal employee to give your client a great price.” [21:32]

6. Freedom, Leadership, and Building Winning Teams

Timestamp: 23:12–27:03

• “Freedom” in business means good systems, good people, livable wages, and a culture people aspire to join.
• When companies invest in their people (vehicles, tools, training), the market notices the difference.
• Elevating the industry standard isn’t a zero-sum game—successful collaboration raises the bar across the board.
• Alisa: “We’re changing the garage door business with us. I remember when we did that first Vertical Track—you just opened the door.” [25:07]

7. Data, Structure, and the Turning Point

Timestamp: 26:18–30:41

• Tracking key metrics is non-negotiable: booking rate, cancellation rate, conversion rate, average ticket, etc.
• Owners need to move beyond “just doing what works” to truly understanding their score and how to improve it.
• Tommy: “How do I win the game if I don’t know the score? I don’t even know what inning or quarter or half we’re in.” [26:18]

8. Creating Lightbulb Moments for Teams

Timestamp: 30:41–32:53

• Training that emphasizes gratitude and service leads to exponential results (“thank you for letting me earn your business”)—small shifts, big outcomes.
• Alisa: “We did tech training... we feel so good when we start the conversation with our customers on how grateful we are...” [31:29]

9. The Practical Side of Profitability

Timestamp: 33:34–38:41

• Owners gravely underestimate true costs: rising PPC, material costs, overhead, payroll taxes, vehicle upkeep.
• Spreadsheet walkthrough: To make a real living (salary + 15% profit), owner-operators would need to charge ~$256/hr, not including supplies.
• Tommy: “You got in business for freedom, and you find yourself strapped to a phone 24/7.” [58:50]

10. Emotional Intelligence and Self-Leadership

Timestamp: 37:39–39:35

• Self-reflection is key: leaders must check themselves first if there’s a problem.
• Tommy and Alisa discuss the critical importance of “putting the mask on yourself first” in business and in life.

11. Mentorship and “Vertical Track” Community

Timestamp: 40:36–55:32

• Alisa’s father and Mike Ducey were transformative mentors: one taught her “how you make people feel is everything,” the other, the importance of knowing the numbers.
• “Vertical Track” is described as the “Woodstock” of the industry—a lightning rod for possibility and radical new thinking.
• Community and collaboration accelerate both personal and business growth.
• “There’s enough water in the ocean for everybody... Zig Ziglar: You can have anything you want if you help enough people get what they want.” — Tommy [41:48]

Memorable Quotes

• Tommy: “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing the wrong business.” [04:06]
• Alisa: “When people decide to let go of a little bit of control and let other people help lead the charge for growth, then they really do start to see change.” [08:12]
• Tommy: “You’re not gonna remember how much they charged you, or if they were late—you’re gonna remember the way they made you feel. 100%.” [16:13]
• Alisa: “People will leave you for a nickel. But if they believe in what you’re doing, they’re being trained, and they know they’re cared for in these ways... they’re going to stay.” [23:12]
• Tommy: “I want people to come to this because I want to show them what’s possible, and it’s not up to me." [50:49]
• Alisa: “We want everybody to go. We want everybody to have more. We want people to be successful. We just want us all to do more." [53:58]

Vertical Track & Garage Door Freedom: Why It Matters

Timestamps: Featured throughout; especially 45:12–56:13

• Vertical Track is an annual, industry-leading event for home service businesses, emphasizing transparency, knowledge-sharing, and raising the industry standard.
• Attendees get tactical, real-world playbooks for pricing, branding, metrics, recruiting, and operational freedom.
• Special events: October 6-10, Scottsdale’s Talking Stick Resort. Open shop tours, workshops, and bonus pre-event budgeting session.
• Notable expert speakers: Chris Voss, Brian Gottlieb, Tom Howard.

Takeaways & Next Steps

• Real trust and wealth in this industry are built through people, not just systems.
• True freedom starts when owners stop micromanaging and develop giants in their organizations.
• Open your mind, ask questions, and seek out community; let go of the pride, scarcity, or fear of being “sold to.”
• Register for “Vertical Track” (verticaltrack.com) or connect with Alisa at GarageDoorFreedom.com and on social media.
• Challenge: “Is this business everything you dreamed of? If not, come get it at Vertical Track.” — Alisa [60:43]

Suggested Listening Segments

• [08:12] How leaders must let go and trust for companies to grow
• [15:01] Gamification of training and the “fun effect”
• [21:32–24:09] Pricing transparency and the mismatch between real costs and industry pricing norms
• [41:53] Why helping others matters (“You could have anything you want, if you help enough people get what they want”)
• [51:38] Vertical Track & the ROI of industry peer learning

Final Recommendations

• If you want to build trust, foster loyalty, and achieve genuine freedom as a service business owner, you need to master training, embrace data, invest in people, and connect with others who play to win.
• Don’t wait another year—this industry is moving, and the companies at the “top of the vertical track” are setting the pace for everyone else.