The Home Service Expert Podcast Episode: Hustle vs. Leadership: The Right Moves that Change Everything for Your Business
Host: Tommy Mello
Guest: DJ Carroll, CEO of Carol Media
Release Date: February 14, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Home Service Expert Podcast, Tommy Mello sits down with DJ Carroll, a seasoned entrepreneur and CEO of Carol Media. DJ brings a wealth of experience from the home service industry, having built and sold multiple businesses, including Easy Pro, and now focusing on innovative marketing and leadership strategies. The episode delves deep into the balance between hustle and leadership, exploring the pivotal moves that can transform a business from the ground up.

Guest Background

DJ Carroll's Journey
DJ Carroll shares his humble beginnings as a blue-collar worker who launched his first business mowing lawns during his senior year of high school. Despite turning down eight football scholarships to avoid the financial strain of college, DJ's entrepreneurial spirit led him to grow his lawn care business to $3 million in revenue before selling it. He continues to own and manage Easy Pro, along with a successful power washing and window cleaning service, emphasizing the importance of scalable and profitable ventures.

DJ Carroll [03:14]:
"I started my first business my senior high school... sold it. Don't like, think that's awesome because lawn care companies don't make a ton of money."

Market Predictions and Business Operations

Economic Outlook for 2025
Tommy and DJ discuss Goldman Sachs' optimistic forecast for the coming year, predicting lower interest rates, a booming S&P 500, and increased home sales. They anticipate a surge in home investments, including garage door installations, driven by improved economic conditions.

DJ Carroll [04:15]:
"Interest rate's gonna come down. It's going to be really, really good in the market."

Running a Structured Business
DJ emphasizes that economic conditions are irrelevant without proper business management. He criticizes the common contractor mindset, where businesses operate like jobs rather than scalable enterprises. DJ advocates for treating home service businesses as true businesses with strategic operations, leading to stability and growth.

DJ Carroll [05:11]:
"They don't run their small business like a small business. They run it like a contractor."

Leadership and Personal Development

The Importance of Personal Growth
Both hosts highlight the necessity of personal development in leadership. DJ references the concept of "the lid," indicating that personal limitations can cap business growth. He stresses working on oneself more than on the business to break through these barriers.

DJ Carroll [06:45]:
"You can only go as far as your lid goes. So I've had to really pour into me."

Balancing Hustle with Leadership
The conversation evolves to the balance between hustle and strategic leadership. They discuss the demanding nature of scaling a business, handling stress, and making tough decisions like firing underperforming employees to maintain growth and operational efficiency.

DJ Carroll [55:15]:
"The hustler had to die for the leader to be born."

Marketing Strategies and Technology Integration

Leveraging Team Content for Marketing
DJ proposes a groundbreaking approach to marketing by empowering technicians to create and share content using their smartphones. He argues that businesses don't need dedicated media teams; instead, leveraging the authentic voices of team members can enhance brand presence organically.

AJ Carroll [29:03]:
"Let your texts that are in their 20s and their 30s get added to your business profile and let them make content."

AI and Social Media Innovations
DJ introduces Ally, an AI platform designed to automate social media engagement. Ally can interact with local businesses by commenting on their posts, fostering community relationships, and driving organic growth through strategic online presence.

DJ Carroll [12:47]:
"Ally would switch into your profile and leave a comment underneath that post. It's the hand to hand combat side."

Pricing Strategies and Business Value

Strategic Price Increases
The discussion shifts to pricing strategies, where DJ shares his experience of collaboratively raising prices with a major competitor. This move not only stabilized their market position but also emphasized the importance of value-based pricing and enhanced customer service.

DJ Carroll [20:51]:
"Raise your prices unless you raise the way you treat everyone."

Maintaining Profit Margins and Reinvesting
They highlight the critical balance between increasing prices and reinvesting profits back into the business. DJ warns against excessive owner draws that can strain the company's finances and lead to unexpected tax burdens.

DJ Carroll [21:40]:
"Don't raise your price unless you raise the way you treat everyone."

Building and Managing Teams

Recruitment and Team Engagement
DJ underscores the importance of investing in top-tier talent and fostering a positive workplace culture. He shares initiatives like tommycares.org, aimed at assisting team members in need, demonstrating the value of empathy and support within the organization.

DJ Carroll [24:11]:
"I've got a lot of little things... helping people out."

Leadership Challenges and Decision Making
The hosts delve into the complexities of leadership, including making difficult decisions to fire or reposition team members to align with the company's growth objectives. DJ discusses the emotional and strategic aspects of these decisions, emphasizing the need for a clear vision and robust organizational structure.

DJ Carroll [50:36]:
"...you have to make those hard decisions. You got to fire people."

Investment and Growth Strategies

Private Equity Cautions
Tommy and DJ explore the pros and cons of partnering with private equity firms. While capital infusion can accelerate growth, they caution about the potential loss of control and the high expectations for rapid returns, advising entrepreneurs to carefully select partners aligned with their long-term vision.

DJ Carroll [37:54]:
"You got to be very careful, man."

Real Estate Investments
DJ shares his successful ventures in real estate, highlighting the stability and appreciation potential compared to other investment forms like boats or planes. He underscores real estate as a reliable asset class that complements business investments.

DJ Carroll [41:29]:
"Unless you just really don't know what you're doing and, like, just buy something at the top of the market, it's almost impossible to not make money with real estate."

Notable Quotes

• DJ Carroll [06:58]:
  "You can only go as far as your lid goes."

• DJ Carroll [27:02]:
  "More money, more problems."

• DJ Carroll [54:33]:
  "Hustle, it's worth it."

• DJ Carroll [55:15]:
  "The hustler had to die for the leader to be born."

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Tommy and DJ wrap up the episode by emphasizing the importance of balancing hustle with strategic leadership. They encourage home service entrepreneurs to:

1. Empower Their Teams: Utilize technicians' smartphones for authentic content creation to enhance marketing efforts.
2. Invest in Personal Development: Leaders must continually work on themselves to break growth barriers.
3. Strategic Pricing and Reinvestment: Increase prices thoughtfully while reinvesting profits back into the business.
4. Selective Partnerships: Carefully choose private equity partners who align with your business vision and values.
5. Robust Team Management: Make tough decisions to ensure team members are aligned with the company's growth objectives.
6. Diversify Investments: Consider stable investments like real estate to complement business growth.

Tommy Mello:
"Private equity is not for everybody. Business is not for everybody. Build something you can sell."

The episode concludes with a motivational push to embrace both the hustle and the strategic leadership necessary to build and sustain a thriving home service business.

Additional Resources Mentioned

• DJ Carroll's Book: Phenomenal Phone Calls – A free resource on closing big money deals over the phone.
• Tommy Mello's Book: Elevate – Insights on building and developing a high-performing team.
• Coaching and Mentorship: Emphasized the importance of investing in coaches and continuous learning for business success.

Thank you for tuning into this insightful episode of The Home Service Expert Podcast. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your business, the strategies and experiences shared by Tommy Mello and DJ Carroll offer valuable lessons on balancing hustle with effective leadership to drive unprecedented growth.