← The Home Service Expert Podcast
The Home Service Expert Podcast
What Every Contractor Brags About, That's Actually Proving Their Brand's Working Against Them
00:49:17
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- [00:00]
A
When you can arm somebody with something they're proud of, a brand they feel more confident in, suddenly they've got this brand supporting them with great materials to leave behind. They feel proud of the uniform, the truck they're pulling up in. They can perform at their best. And that positivity starts to spread like a spider web throughout the company. Think about all the amazing things that your brand does, everything like your company. What are you proud of now? Forget it. Let's look at your truck on the screen together. And now, does that tell you any of those things? If it doesn't, you need to address your brand. A great brand isn't a prize for doing well and staying in business and growing. It's the accelerant to get you there. Don't wait, don't wait. You deserve it now.
- [00:39]
B
Welcome back to the Home Service Expert. I got Terry Briggs here. She is the COO and president of kickcharge Creative, who I happen to get my brand done about five years ago.
- [00:49]
A
About five years ago? Yeah, almost six.
- [00:50]
B
Now we were 30 million and this year we'll do 400 million. And I think a lot of people are like, Tommy always talks about them, but you guys have done so many case studies to just show like, I think about, like Bueller.
- [01:07]
A
Yes.
- [01:08]
B
And just looking at like, it all started with Kent Goodrich. We're gonna dive into it. But you're an expert in branding, strategy, operations, culture. You've been at Kickcharge almost 13 years. Almost 13 years. And there's 55 plus people now on the team.
- [01:27]
A
Yeah, we're 72.
- [01:29]
B
72 people.
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A
Wild.
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B
And you guys are just kicking ass. I mean, it's crazy to see how many brands you guys. What are you guys? 3,000? Yeah, 3,000 brands. So this thesis of this episode is your brand is either helping you grow or quietly holding you back.
- [01:47]
A
Correct.
- [01:48]
B
And most contractors don't know which one is it? Which one it is. Terry Briggs, president of kickcharge Creative, breaks down why branding isn't a logo. It's the ignition switch that drives conversions, pricing, power, hiring and long term company value. She explains why waiting to invest in the most is the most expensive choice contractors make and what it actually looks like when a brand starts working for you instead of against you.
- [02:12]
A
Yes.
- [02:14]
B
So what made you leave the. You were in the food market?
- [02:20]
A
I was. I worked with brand managers in consumer packaged goods. So I did a lot with like the Ferrero Company, Nutella and Tic Tac on the agency side. And I left. It's a silly story, but it's very true. I think people think I made it up. My son, who is graduating high school this year, he was in kindergarten, and he was doing. It's like the kindergarten project, where you talk about who your community helper hero is. And he picked a policeman, and he asked me who I helped, and I was like, no one. I help people eat Nutella, you know, I help people get chubby. Like, I had no, no good answer for him. And I honestly was like, if I'm gonna spend a lot of time away from my family, I want it to be because I'm making change. So I started looking for a new opportunity, and I randomly saw a posting for a job at this little agency in Washington, New Jersey, and. And I was fortunate enough to get called in for an interview and met Dan Antonelli. And right away, we clicked. He talked a lot about wanting to help home service contractors grow. I come from a family of plumbers, and I was like, oh, my gosh, I could make measurable change here. And that was literally, that day was like, okay, we're gonna do this right? And I left kind of the corporate world behind and started working with Dan.
- [03:38]
B
What was it like in the beginning when you started there?
- [03:42]
A
It was wild. We were a tiny group of people. We were very scrappy. I think a lot of how we operate today, being so nimble and able to change quickly is because of our roots. Dan was exactly who he is today. Not very focused because he's just always been such a creative, such a visionary. And we started to assemble a very passionate team of people. A lot of us are still there, you know, the OGs, where we just really wanted to get our work in front of as many contractors as we could to get them to understand the power of what we were trying to build. So it was. But this little ragtag group of kids, really, you know, who are just sitting there like, oh, man, we can really build something amazing here. Yep.
- [04:21]
B
Yeah, there's a lot of work that goes into a brand. I think a lot of people just think, you guys just whip something up on AI and slap it.
- [04:28]
A
So frustrating.
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B
But it takes a long time. I mean, I was actually frustrated at how long it took because I think you guys were backed up. They did me a favor, got it done in a few months. But it takes, like, he sends me the pictures of the drawings, the originals, and it's so crazy.
- [04:41]
A
It is.
- [04:42]
B
And it's the questionnaires we had to go through and find out what's gonna make us different, because every H vac shop's red, white and blue. They say the same things. They got their vendors all over it. They got the Yelp and the BBB and the Angie. And you know, I'm like, man, of course you're gonna get the co op dollars to pay for this. Cause you're advertising their brand instead of yours.
- [05:02]
A
Instead of yours. Yes. And I think people, they don't or underestimate how intimate it should be. You know, it should not be a process where, you know, you call up and you're like, I would like a butterfly logo if somebody wants to do what you're asking for without challenging you to go, but why? Why a butterfly logo? How will that help you? How does that connect your brand promise to the customer you're trying to get your messaging in front of? It's. That's not the process you should be going through. Right. It should be very intimate. We should be spending time talking very deeply about your history. What got you into the business? Why did you choose this as a career path? What do you want for your team? Because throughout that process, we pull these, like, little nuggets of information that really breathe like a soul into a brand. So it does take a good deal of time. Lots of forms to fill out, lots of conversations. But that's really how you're able to build such a strong foundation.
- [05:54]
B
Yeah. Plus, I don't know, there's gotta be at least 25 companies I've sent. Cease and desists.
- [05:59]
A
Yes.
- [06:00]
B
Of me.
- [06:00]
A
Yeah.
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B
And it's actually like copied.
- [06:02]
A
Yes.
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B
I mean, you guys probably have the most copied brands in the.
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A
Hands down.
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B
Just nutty.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Like crazy.
- [06:09]
A
I feel very flattery. What do they say? It's like, you know.
- [06:12]
B
Yeah, yeah. Is this imitation?
- [06:14]
A
Yes. And we're like, oh, yeah, we got. Yeah. But it's. People don't understand. You got to have it be unique, you know, as much as you can.
- [06:22]
B
So I know what we did with mine is like. He's like, let's make it bright red where it stands. I mean, literally, I see my trucks. Obviously. I used to think then my old brand was so good because people always saw it and they were like, oh, I love your brand. I see it everywhere. And it was garbage. And I think that's. A lot of the listeners are like, I love my brand and it's unique and it's who we are and it's how we started. But it doesn't stand out in a crowded world.
- [06:46]
A
No.
- [06:46]
B
And there's so many case studies. Where are all the case studies? Are those online on kickcharts Creative.
- [06:51]
A
Yes. We have. There's a specific page on our site that outlines a lot of our case studies. We have some case studies where we dive in really deep, sort of into the. Hey, here was where the brand was when we started working with them. And it kind of tracks the journey of why we did the creative we did. Those are really in depth. And then we also just have tons of quick little success stories that just talk a lot about the revenue increase. So kind of short and long form.
- [07:14]
B
Kickcharge creative.com. it's just kickcharge.com kickcharge.com.
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A
yep.
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B
And then where do you go to
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A
see in the upper nav. You're just going to go right to success stories.
- [07:24]
B
Yep. So, you know, Dan showed me a bunch of these as you guys. You guys dive into the numbers and the. The marketing goes about five times further.
- [07:34]
A
Yes.
- [07:35]
B
From mailers to TV to radio to the Google spend to. You name it. And not only does it go further, but the booking rate can. The booking rate goes up, the cancellation rate goes down.
- [07:47]
A
Yes.
- [07:48]
B
The conversion rate goes up when you're face to face.
- [07:50]
A
Yes.
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B
And the average ticket flies.
- [07:52]
A
Oh, my gosh. It's so funny because a lot of times, one of the greatest resistance points we get from contractors, particularly male contractors, is they're like, oh, I don't want, you know, a silly little brand, or I don't want something that looks too feminine. And they often forget who their avatar is. Right. I mean, 80% of those decisions are being made by people like me. Right. Like, I am. Dan talks a lot about Mrs. Jones. I am Mrs. Jones. You know, I'm 49 years old. I own a home, I've got kids. I'm deciding who I'm gonna feel comfortable bringing into my house. And I. I was talking to a potential client, and they called out a brand that is in our portfolio called Hummingbird. And it's really bright colors, it's purples and pinks, and it's got this beautiful almost stained glass hummingbird on the side of the truck. And their tickets, it was the acceleration. I actually had written it down because it was like so incredible. The Hummingbird. Yeah. So their average ticket in 2023 was $2,000. In 2025, it was 7,650 quadruple. Yes. And they went from $950,000 in revenue to 8.3 million in revenue in two years with that pretty little feminine brand, you know, so it does. It makes just a wild difference across the board.
- [09:06]
B
I mean, people think I was crazy at 30 million. And it was interesting because Al Levy was the one that really pushed me. Ken Goodrich had told me. But then Al's like, I just don't see it. Like, it's not there. He's like. And his whole thing, take a picture. Black and white.
- [09:20]
A
Yep.
- [09:20]
B
Then he showed it to me. He's like, nothing pops on here.
- [09:22]
A
Yeah.
- [09:22]
B
He's like, I could barely even tell what you do. And now it's so funny. I look at billboards, like, from dentists and everything, and I'm like, why do they put everything. Of course you do. Cavities.
- [09:31]
A
Of course.
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B
Of course you do. You know, six months visits, and you do root canals and everything else, but they put every. Like, you're a dentist, you do that stuff.
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A
That's obvious.
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B
And so, like, I think that if people just took you guys and just trusted the process more. Like Tom Howard, he came out on that video recently and he's like, I hated it at first.
- [09:49]
A
Oh, my God, he did.
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B
Then he sold it for what, 75 million? I mean, very quickly.
- [09:54]
A
Yes.
- [09:55]
B
And, you know, people are so afraid they'll bet their entire lives this is their livelihood, this is their best asset. It's worth more than their house, it's their families, it's their kids, potentially even their grandkids. You're trying to build this asset, but they don't want to invest 30 or $40,000 in the one thing. And by the way, when I rebranded, I remember the people that came to apply 10x.
- [10:16]
A
Yes. That's so big. It's a lot of times people will ask, you know, what's the best part when someone rebrands for us? When we see the numbers. Like, I mean, you've shared amazing numbers that A1 has had. For me personally, I get, like. Where I get the most excited is when people talk about how it changed their culture, particularly for their technicians. When you can arm somebody with something they're proud of, a brand they feel more confident in. Suddenly people that worked for you, that maybe, you know, when they're in the kitchen with Mrs. Jones trying to upsell for something, they don't feel confident. They don't feel like they can talk maybe as clearly to her as they want to. Suddenly, when they've got this brand supporting them with great materials to leave behind, they feel proud of the uniform, the truck they're pulling up in, they can perform at their best. And that positivity starts to spread like a spider web throughout the company, you know, So, I mean, I think the culture improvements are insane. As well.
- [11:11]
B
Yeah. You know, obviously the brand's gonna ignite it, but you still gotta do the work. You still gotta book the phone calls. You still gotta spend the marketing dollars. I remember Dan called me at least 25 times. He's like, dude, he's like, who did that for you? Your billboard sucks. He's like, let me do everything when it comes to it, and let me use those same colors.
- [11:28]
A
Yes.
- [11:29]
B
And if somebody cheaper wrapped their trucks back in the day and it was like a color shade off, like, I didn't even notice. He's like, dude, this is the lettering. He goes. The way they did the lettering. He goes, they got to move it. Like, just the little details. And you guys are, like, just fanatic about making sure that little details are perfect.
- [11:48]
A
Well, and with the world I came from, you know, my past working with big brands, you know, there is a PMS color for tic tac or Nutella red, You know, Tic tac green. Home service contractors should be that, you know, obsessed with their colors. They have to be the same. That consistency.
- [12:02]
B
Yeah.
- [12:03]
A
Oh, my gosh. Your customers, every time they see your colors, the voice of your brand, the imagery, it all needs to be supporting itself. Otherwise it starts to get diluted again. You're talking about there's other brands that might look a little like yours, so make sure yours is consistent. That's the greatest way to continue to stand out. I think people don't think enough about their colors. You know, how you want them to pop. You know, people always, I want to pop. Well, you do that by owning the colors in your space. Right. Like, everybody knows Home Depot orange, you know, McDonald's, they think of, like, the yellow arches. So we want our customers to be able to have colors they can own in their market as well. So sometimes kick charge might come up with these crazy color palettes, but it's because we want people to notice it, you know, get different, be different. And it's the. You know, we talk a lot about don't be blanded, be branded. And that is so true. But it's also about how in this very kind of cluttered world, we're all getting fed information so fast, it's hard to focus on anything. So when you can see a unique color palette, it will pull your eye, you know, And I think also really focusing on making sure your brand doesn't have to say what you do, but how you do it. Right. It's that what you were talking about with dentists. You know, we don't need to know that you fill cavities or clean teeth. We want to know, how do you do those things? Oh, you do it with gentle care. You know, I can trust you because it's going to be a peaceful environment. Like, talk to me about the how. And I think that's really a big thing about branding, is ensuring that the brand itself speaks to what the customer experience is going to be like. Not so much about the services that you offer.
- [13:34]
B
Yeah, yeah. It's kind of a given that we do garage door springs and replacements. And then the little things like your signature on your email should be the same color palette, everything. Yard signs, your val pack coupons. The website. You guys did our website?
- [13:47]
A
Yeah. Everything should follow that same flow. And the verbiage, everything should sound the same. You know, it can't sound like Bob in accounting wrote part of the website and Pam and HR wrote part of the website because the website needed to be written by A1 Garage. That's an entity. It's a personality that needs to coincide and align with what the brand looks like. So that voice needs to be consistent across every touchpoint, too.
- [14:11]
B
I think that. I mean, we bring it into the tv, we bring it into the radio, we bring it into the yard sales, we bring it into everything. But the one thing that I think most of your clients didn't do is bring it into their building.
- [14:24]
A
Yes.
- [14:24]
B
Bring the brand alive. I think Amanda did a great job.
- [14:28]
A
Oh, my gosh.
- [14:29]
B
Grasshopper.
- [14:29]
A
Yes. She's done an incredible job.
- [14:31]
B
Bring the brand and everywhere. Like, we didn't get the shirts done because we get greasy. Yeah, well, we got the logo, but. But it was just too much grease
- [14:38]
A
with the dice up. Yeah.
- [14:40]
B
But I just think that most people. I think you guys should run a special for everybody that you branded and say, let us bring your brand alive. Let's bring the culture.
- [14:47]
A
We can do that.
- [14:48]
B
Let's bring the building.
- [14:49]
A
Well, I mean, we did it here. No, I just did a shop tour, and it's my second one. I have done it before, but somebody else from Kick Charge is here with me. And we were walking and I'm like, we did that. We did that. While we're at. We did that. But there's something about having your branding and your brand promise to your employees also being evident everywhere. It reminds them of the excellence they're striving for, what they should be focusing on when they're having those customer interactions, you know, really bringing it alive on the inside. So. But Amanda, oh, my gosh. I mean, she even has that indoor outdoor carpet so it really looks like grass. Like you're outside, like, yeah, she took it. Yeah, she went full throttle with it.
- [15:25]
B
No, Ishmael just showed up. Look at that. Travis Ringy.
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A
No reason at all to be border risk now.
- [15:32]
B
So, you know, there are certain brands that succeed without getting the brand, but they're few and far between. I mean, and what I find is some of these brands have been around for like 40 years. Like Paul Kelly with Parker and Sons.
- [15:44]
A
Yep.
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B
Not discounting what the brand is, but they just been around forever.
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A
Forever.
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B
And there's some people that can get away with it, but it's just. It's an uphill battle.
- [15:55]
A
Incredibly uphill battle. And I think there's also a lot to be said for people being, you know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And there's certain things for a brand we would never want to touch for someone who's been around for a very, very long time. But there's other things we can address. You know, people have to remember that there's always new people moving into a space. You know, you might be where your brand that's been around for a really long time might be really, really popular, but as new people come in, they're not going to remember it. And then they're gonna start to engage with brands that are, well, branded. So it even does behoove them to be like, all right, well, maybe we should take a look at at least parts of our brand is there. Could we add a mascot? Can we do something to try to create more emotion with the customers? Are there enhancements we can make to our tested, tried and true brand just to make it more relevant for today's customers? You know, that's another way to do it with people who've been around a really long time.
- [16:44]
B
I love it.
- [16:45]
A
Yeah.
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B
What are some of the most amazing brands that you guys that you personally just really enjoyed and made a big impact?
- [16:53]
A
I think for me, one of my favorite. It's like picking my favorite kid.
- [16:58]
B
Yeah.
- [16:59]
A
There's a brand I love we did called Utterly Gutters. And I would love to say we named that brand and we didn't. It was. It's a husband, wife, team, and she named the brand. And I was like, do you want to work for us? Like, that's like the best. I mean, and the fact it was available for trademark. But what that brand has done for them, the growth that they've had, has been tremendous. That's a really great one.
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B
I like what you said there, by the way.
- [17:25]
A
Yeah.
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B
One of the things you guys do that I don't know if anybody understands this, but getting that trademark.
- [17:31]
A
Yes.
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B
And most people don't. They don't think about the website. They don't think about every other piece of collateral. They don't think about inside their building. And the trademark and the copyright are so important.
- [17:41]
A
It's. You have. If. Well, there's certain times when, you know, it's almost a must do. Right. If we will talk a lot to customers and we're like, all right, are you thinking about wanting to franchise? Do you want to expand to a different market than where you are right now? And then it's like, all right, well, if you don't get a federal trademark, you might run into issues. You know, you don't. Or if you expand, you might have to have another brand. Right. So if we can address it now, let's do so.
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B
Yeah.
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A
But a lot of people also, they're not educated enough on how to go about getting a federal trademark or how to search. So, like, they'll go look and they'll say, oh, yeah, the name isn't available. I don't see it. It must be, you know, I can use it. And it's like, well, no, it's. It might not be able to be trademarked. So that's the reason you're not seeing it in the database. So it's definitely something people should chat with a trademark attorney about. But having that trademark saying, hey, I own this name, you know, all across the country, it just gives you a sense of, no one can steal this from me. You know, it gives you the greatest flexibility to expand or to sell. So we always encourage all of our clients when we name. When we name somebody, we ensure that the name that we are suggesting is available for trademark, and we actually include the legal fees Right. In our services so that we can get it trademarked for them. Yep.
- [18:52]
B
That's just. The other guys that I know of don't even talk about this.
- [18:57]
A
No. And it's dangerous. I mean, we've. We've had clients of ours that, you know, had come to us because they had bad experiences with people that didn't vet names. And it cost them having to strip trucks and start over. And it can be.
- [19:10]
B
Put all those marketing dollars. That's another question I had. So you always said the most expensive choice contractors make is waiting to invest in branding.
- [19:19]
A
Yes.
- [19:20]
B
You break that down, what does that delay actually cost a business?
- [19:22]
A
Well, I think it's the lost opportunity of the time you were waiting for your business to Be big enough to deserve a brand. Like, we'll talk to people sometimes and they're like, well, I just, I need to get the money together. And sometimes these are the same people that spend, you know, 12 grand on super bowl tickets. And I'm like, I don't get it. Like, get the logo, get the truck wrap. Do it now when you're small because as you get bigger, it's more expensive to implement. You're going to have more trucks, you have to wrap. You're going to have more people within your space. You have to reintroduce yourself to. And while we can help you do that effectively, it is a heavy lift. But also all that lost opportunity, like, don't you want to control the space you're in and dominate from day one? And you don't have to do everything all at once. You know, start with the logo in the truck, start to see the benefits of that. Have a business card, have a leave behind. And as you start to see the revenue, you know, coming in from having that new brand on the road, then you start to add bits and pieces, little building blocks. I just, I think once you've got a little money stashed away, I mean, obviously we would never encourage somebody who has zero dollars in the bank.
- [20:24]
B
Right.
- [20:25]
A
You know, to brand, but once you have enough to be able to invest in it, it's the greatest investment you could make.
- [20:31]
B
Yeah, I agree.
- [20:32]
A
Yeah.
- [20:32]
B
I've always said, like, first thing, you know, Guild did a really good job. Gil only went after companies that were branded through you guys.
- [20:39]
A
Yes. Or had us do it after.
- [20:41]
B
Yeah. And I mean, we just did Wellborn.
- [20:43]
A
Yep.
- [20:44]
B
Obviously Grocer Doctor had got done before we partnered with them. And then Don's was a fun one, but it's like a must.
- [20:52]
A
It's. It makes such sense to me that
- [20:54]
B
private equity hasn't figured this out yet.
- [20:55]
A
I know.
- [20:56]
B
It's like they look at it as an expense instead of an investment.
- [20:59]
A
It's such an investment. Yeah.
- [21:01]
B
And that's the problem that so many PE companies shit the bed is because they look at an Excel sheet instead of the culture of the business and they don't understand how much of a culture driver the right brand can be.
- [21:12]
A
And if you can implement that, imagine like when someone's just starting, you know, or they're smaller, maybe they're a couple million in revenue and they want to grow. Having that foundation in place is going to make everything so much easier for you down the road. I always say it's like a must do it actually kind of breaks my heart when people act like, well, I don't deserve a brand yet. I'm not big enough. I'm not big enough for a brand. And it's like, but you're not big
- [21:33]
B
enough to get on QuickBooks. I'm not big enough to get the right CRM. I'm like, you guys got to get on this stuff early because it's very hard to switch.
- [21:40]
A
The brand is your accelerant. You know, that's what's going to help you be able to grow faster. And that's why we have flex charge. So we actually have, like, our own. It's like our own financing plan that's through kickcharge.
- [21:52]
B
Yeah.
- [21:52]
A
Because we wanted it to be more affordable for people that maybe didn't have the cash flow right away.
- [21:57]
B
Yeah.
- [21:58]
A
You know, so we allow there to be phased payments and things like that. That's how. And you think about, like, we're doing the financing ourselves because you're coming out of pocket. Yeah, well. And we believe you'll make those payments because we're 100% certain you're going to be able to pay us back, because we know you're going to do well. You know, we've never had anybody call us and say, I wish I hadn't rebranded. It didn't work out so well for me. You know, I mean, can you imagine if you had not rebranded with.
- [22:20]
B
I. I literally, like, I'm so proud of, like, even our trucks out there right now.
- [22:25]
A
Yeah.
- [22:25]
B
I mean, and they're done up. The reds inside of the trucks.
- [22:28]
A
Yeah.
- [22:29]
B
And they just stand out. And they stand out a lot. And we made sure. I mean, we do a great job of wrapping them. Like, they're. They're perfect now. And I just. I love the brand. And A one. I just wish I would have known when I started that A1 wasn't a great name. It was the first in the phone book. One of the biggest objections to branding is how do I measure the ROI and how do people. Obviously, it comes through with conversion rate, average ticket, like, we talked about that. And I bet you the tenure of employees is longer. I bet you the onboarding process is better. I think it's hard to measure because it hits so many different things.
- [23:04]
A
It's like your health. It's like when somebody says, what's the one thing that made you, you know, prove to me, if you start, you know, this peptide, or you go on this diet, or you do this exercise plan. What was it? What was that one thing's effect on your overall health. And it's like, well there, it's hard to measure that. But what I always like to look at is all the places you're able to integrate the brand. Right. So when we were talking about the team, your technicians, when they have a better positive attitude and they're interacting better with customers, your customers are more likely to refer you to other people. They're going to come back to the office and inspire their teammates. Like the, the ripple effect of a brand and how it's integrated affects everything. So yes, it's really hard to. Outside of going, we have phone numbers on trucks to go. Okay. The day that hit the road, we're seeing an increase in calls. We have metrics like that or we have, you know, so much data on clients of ours that once their new trucks hit the road, like search volume for their branded terms, the name of the company skyrockets. That happened for a brand of ours. Perfect temp in florid. It was. They had a few new trucks hit the road and all of a sudden they had like more traffic in a very short period of time than they had had over the previous months combined. And it was because they had this narwhal on the side of their truck now and people were seeing it and they wanted to google them and they knew their name. So we have like little tidbits of information. But yeah, I think brand, it's woven into the fabric of everything. But I think that's actually the reason to say yes. That's why you should do it. I mean something that can affect everything you do so much to me is more of a must do.
- [24:38]
B
Yeah. I think it's crazy. Some of the people that are listening, they haven't picked up the phone and got this done. I just, I wonder like I want to consolidate businesses in the future. And the first thing is nail the brand.
- [24:53]
A
Yes.
- [24:54]
B
Like just you fix the, fix the culture and that's part of the brand.
- [24:57]
A
Yep.
- [24:58]
B
And then you recruit and train like crazy and you put a few talented people at the top and you train, you train, you train, you train. And the hard part is it's hard to take a million dollar company and make it 5 million. It's easy for me to make a 20 million dollar, 100 million.
- [25:11]
A
Yeah.
- [25:12]
B
It's just because it's great people.
- [25:13]
A
Yes.
- [25:14]
B
At the top that actually understand the just the simple things. Don't complicate it. Get the brand right. Pay attention to these five KPIs and continue to train and recruit like all stars. You got to recruit the right people with great personalities. And then you're making a lot of money. The brand's actually worth, you know, there's so many people that have sold 100 million, 200 million, 300 million. Even if you get 20 million, it's hard to believe I could talk about the trades like this, but it's crazy.
- [25:41]
A
Yes, yes.
- [25:42]
B
It's like more than doctors, more than dentists. It's the time. And it's like people just. Maybe they feel like they don't deserve it. Maybe.
- [25:51]
A
I think that's part of it.
- [25:52]
B
And then a lot of it is like, they don't love it, but they don't know their avatar loves it. Like putting a huge muscular guy on the side of the truck.
- [25:57]
A
Oh, my God. There was. This is funny. So we're in New Jersey and we were working with a client. It didn't go well. We ended up parting ways. We couldn't see eye to eye. And the reason was he was a mover out of Pennsylvania and he was hell bent on wanting a brand that was gunmetal and rivets. And he's a mover. And I was like, dude, I don't want you taking my grandma's china from point A to point B. If that's what your brand looks like, you're gonna break it. I wanna feel like you're gonna take my most treasured possessions and transport them, you know, like they're little eggs. Your brand is gonna make women not wanna hire you to move their belongings. And it was a residential mover and he was held by, no, I need a masculine brand. And we ultimately ended up parting ways because of it. Cause we said, you know what? We will not do a brand for somebody that we know won't move the needle for them that isn't in their best interest. I think we're kind of known for that. You know, we don't mind stating our opinion and saying when we think something won't work, but not understanding who your customer is and how that brand needs to make them feel to ease anxiety is a huge mistake. Huge mistake.
- [27:09]
B
You remember when Dan wrote this book?
- [27:11]
A
Yes.
- [27:12]
B
I've got his original couple books. But what are some of the key insights in Branded? Not blanded?
- [27:17]
A
Oh, gosh. I mean, I think one of the biggest is the power of your name. I think not enough people really think about that.
- [27:23]
B
Yeah.
- [27:23]
A
Especially when you naming a name a company after yourself. Right. Like, sometimes it works. We actually have was a good example. Bueller is a great example. I mean, remember that he's the only one that we've ever said switch to. I mean, he was air source. Air source America. And we said, no use Bueller. Come on. Why not? We also have a brand. We did recently. The guy's last name is Ferris. So the brand, there's a giant Ferris wheel on the, you know, on the truck. So when you can have a picture clue that's going to. Somebody sees the name, they see the image, it ties it together. That's gold. You know, that's like that auditory visual recognition. It's like when kids learn to read. That's gold. But outside of that, if you have a name that's really hard to spell or really hard to say, you're just going to blend in. Right? So I think that's a really important one. Colors. Dan talks a lot about color theory in the book. Again, I don't think contractors think enough about standing out. Not being red. Blue if you're H Vac.
- [28:18]
B
Yeah.
- [28:19]
A
Not water if you're a plumber. I think those are some of the biggest.
- [28:24]
B
Great book. I love it twice. Tell me about mascots. Why are they so powerful?
- [28:30]
A
And I think they are. And it depends on where and why you're using them. You know, mascots for certain types of contractors, they ease anxiety, right? So imagine again, we were talking about Mrs. Jones, right? So we'll call it. We'll call her Mrs. Briggs. And if Mrs. Briggs has a white truck or worse, honestly, even worse than a blanded white truck is the truck with the guy who's got the big wrench. And I'm gonna kill you. You know, coming up to the house, I'm immediately nervous. I have to let a stranger into my home, right. Maybe my little kids are there. And I'm gonna have you in my space, in my safe space. And that causes me anxiety. And then if you tell me that I need to fix something, I'm going to immediately think you're trying to take advantage of me because I don't know a lot about this. So I'm immediately, my walls are up. I'm not gonna wanna be friendly with you. I'm nervous. Whereas if I see a really sweet little mascot brand pulling up to my house, you know, I've seen it around town. I feel comfortable and cozy. That narwhal isn't gonna hurt me. I immediately am feeling more calm. I want that my kids to see the brand and interact with it. It just takes all of that bias that I have against contractors and it numbs it. So it makes it much easier for the Technician and I to now have a really good rapport.
- [29:46]
B
Yeah.
- [29:47]
A
So that's why they can work now. They don't always work. If you've got lots of mascots in your space, maybe we want to do something different. You know, do just an icon or, you know, just a badge with a really great name. There's other options, but that's why they do work when they're used correctly. But they shouldn't be cheesy and they shouldn't be scary. You know, they have to be done right.
- [30:06]
B
Yeah. Well, you guys got it. You guys nail it every time. I mean, I've heard from so many companies that have done so well, and you know what's funny is everybody that comes on the podcast, they recognize your brands now.
- [30:20]
A
Yes.
- [30:20]
B
Because they're distinct, and there's no one that really does it your way.
- [30:24]
A
Yeah.
- [30:25]
B
And I could totally tell, like, if I go to any town, I'm like, that had to be kickstarted.
- [30:29]
A
Yeah.
- [30:30]
B
They're well done. And I will say the rap guys don't like it because they're harder to rap. Because it's so meticulous.
- [30:37]
A
Yes.
- [30:38]
B
But if done, like, Dan hates it. Like, he calls me out, he's like, dude, it's got to go perfect, like here, like, if you get the wrong rap company.
- [30:45]
A
Yeah.
- [30:46]
B
And that's why I wanted to kind of pivot a little bit towards jumpspark.
- [30:49]
A
Yeah.
- [30:50]
B
Talk to me a little bit about. Because Renee is really good. She's actually here right now.
- [30:54]
A
Yeah, I saw her outside. I was all excited.
- [30:56]
B
Yeah.
- [30:57]
A
So we've acquired Jump Spark at Kick Charge, and the reason we wanted to do that was twofold. First, being to be able to help our clients with fleet management, leasing, so they have every opportunity to have efficiency in that area. The other was to have the ability for us to consolidate some great installers from around the country to facilitate install for all of our clients. And it's kind of because of what you just said. Like, I know you have such a great relationship with. Tim's great. Oh, he's. He does incredible work. Like, he. He doesn't mind our designs because he knows they're impactful, and he has such great respect for brand. But you're not kidding. Like, they will take bad installers, will open one of our art files, and they'll manipulate it to make it easier to install. And we're like, no, we need to see proofs. We want the colors to be right. We want to make sure that the integrity of the design is there. Every single centimeter. Of a wrap is designed with intention so they can't mess with it. So we wanted to compile a list of installers that will install nationwide, be true partners with us, and we can facilitate install for all of our customers. So we're really excited about this.
- [32:03]
B
Yeah, it's a great opportunity. You know, 498 out of the top 500s and P companies lease their vehicles, and there's so many tax advantages. Plus, I turn it back in when it's 100,000 miles or hits a certain age. And the brand is like, we drive new trucks. They don't break down the culture. When we bought Donald's garage doors, the number one thing they asked is, do you guys give us new trucks? Because when we break down, we don't work. And they're always in the shop. Yeah, we just have enterprise comes and does tires here at the shop. They'll do brakes. Like, we don't want the guys being off the road.
- [32:38]
A
Yep.
- [32:39]
B
And just when they get it in a new truck and they're brand new and they get it $6,500 worth of tools, the best tools, they get a new uniform that's brand new. I mean, that's why they stay.
- [32:49]
A
Yeah. And Renee does such a great job, I think, too, on that side with the upfitting for the trucks and, you know, making sure that it's gonna come to you wrapped. Right. Like, everything is turnkey with her. She does a fantastic job. So we're excited about the spark. Yeah.
- [33:04]
B
So if a contractor listening right now looks at their truck, their website, their business cards, what are the signs that their brand is quietly underperforming?
- [33:13]
A
Oh, gosh. I mean, there's this exercise that I tend to do, like, if I'm able to talk with a potential client of ours, and I always say to them, I'm like, all right, I want you to think about all the amazing things that your brand does. Everything like your company. What are you proud of? Think about the way you interact with your employees. Think about what you do in your community, all the things you'd want a potential customer of yours to know about your company. And I'm like, all right, you got it. It's in your brain. I'm like, all right, now forget it. Let's look at your truck on the screen together. And now, does that tell you any of those things?
- [33:50]
B
Yeah.
- [33:50]
A
If it doesn't, you need to address your brand. And I think that's the easiest way. They have to see it themselves. You know, it goes beyond esthetics. Of like, me looking at it and going, that's too busy. Or that mascot looks mean. Because objectively, if they already like it. Right. They're not going to see it through my eyes.
- [34:07]
B
Right.
- [34:07]
A
I. I need them to be open enough to go, does that brand say the things about my company I'm proud of? And usually the reality is it doesn't. It doesn't speak to the benefits you give to your customers. It doesn't speak to your culture, how hard you work, how much you care about your team. And we have to connect emotionally with the homeowners that you're trying to do business with.
- [34:28]
B
You know, a lot of people go online and I'm on all these Facebook groups, and they brag how they're booked out for the month and they don't have a brand. And the interesting thing about all these people, and I happen to know this, for the vast majority of them, they don't make profit. They pay themselves six figures, but their company is making low single digits. It's hard to make payroll. And they brag that they're the cheapest. They brag that they don't take advantage of grandma. It's all the same lines. We would never charge somebody that we don't take advantage of people. And I'm like, I don't sell things people need. I sell things people want.
- [35:00]
A
Right.
- [35:00]
B
I give them choices, not ultimatums.
- [35:02]
A
Yes.
- [35:02]
B
And we carry premium parts. We show up the same day. We come with a very trustworthy person that I invite into my own home. And there's something to be said about that. And some of these people, I just feel like they're against profit. They just brag and they're so excited and they're so content and they don't want change, and they don't know that they're going to get erased here soon.
- [35:21]
A
Well, and I think the other thing is, you might be booked right now, but are those repeat customers? Are those the first time you're going to see them or are they going to call you again?
- [35:30]
B
They're cheap customers because it's discount garage
- [35:31]
A
doors and it's terrible. We had a client of ours, Kitty, she's amazing, and she comes from a family of plumbers, and she took over for the business when her dad had died. And she's a lovely person. And she was talking once about how it took some time for her to realize that it is fully acceptable as a contractor and an owner of a business to say, damn it, my employees deserve to make a really good living. And it's okay. For me to charge the right amount so I can provide for them to have a life, there's no shame in that. That should be okay. So that's another culture builder, right. Is to say, no, we should be charging a premium price because we provide a premium service to our clients. They can trust us. We're taking good care of them. And now I can pay my people well and they can have a wonderful future for their family. That's. That's. I wouldn't be proud to be the cheapest and not pay my employees well,
- [36:25]
B
but they always do. They, you know, these guys. I was on the phone with a company and they're like, there's no way you could pay your guys. Our guys, if you were to partner with us, they're not going to get a raise. And my COO goes, well, you know, a good guy for us makes around 225. And he's like, what? And he goes, well, we could never pay that. He goes, our guys, you know, our top guy makes 85.
- [36:49]
A
But like the cavern.
- [36:50]
B
I talked to Leland the other day, and he pulls out a sheet of paper. He goes, tommy, I've got six guys at the company now that are making over a million dollars a year. I don't know if I could get to a million a year. I mean, but they're selling H vac units for 40 grand. 40 grand. This is what's crazy about H Vac. They pay $3,000 for the unit and they sell it for 40. But in the garage doors and a lot of other industries, H Vac. Got it. H Vac, Plumbing, electrical, they get it.
- [37:15]
A
Yep.
- [37:16]
B
That's why they're probably your perfect avatar.
- [37:17]
A
Oh, they are.
- [37:18]
B
But these other industries are like, we could never. But this is why we're doing Garage Door Freedom and vertical track. Because we knew we had to educate the industry. We're showing them our trucks, we're showing them. We'll go to Kickcharters. And people are like, well, look at Gil, they came out and ate your lunch. And I'm like, who cares, right? I'm like, the whole industry, there's enough for all of us.
- [37:34]
A
Yes.
- [37:35]
B
And that's what's crazy, is that rising
- [37:37]
A
tide lifts all boats.
- [37:38]
B
Yeah. So I'm like, guys, you don't need to charge what we charge, but you don't need to be half.
- [37:41]
A
No.
- [37:41]
B
And by the way, we show up, we warranty our work, we come back with the service agreements, we do a tune up that lasts an hour and a half. So many clients call us up and they go, we don't care what it costs, just come do it right. Because we've had the same company here three times in the last six months. Missed my daughter's recital, missed another day of work, and we're just sick of it.
- [38:01]
A
Yes. People don't mind paying for a great service and high quality things.
- [38:05]
B
And as I've learned that too. I bought a House in 2012 and I did buy the cheapest everything. And then it came back to bite me. I mean, I had to replace everything. I went with the cheapest. And that's why experienced homeowners are like, I want it done right.
- [38:17]
A
Yes.
- [38:18]
B
And I want you to stand by your word when something doesn't go right, because it might, you know, a roof sometimes will have an issue.
- [38:24]
A
You told a story. It was funny. It was not last year's Vertical Track, but the year before about the car that you were having rebuilt for Brie and how you were calling all around trying to get estimates for work and you couldn't believe no one would get back to you. And it was like, I'll pay whatever. Like, just get back on the phone with me, you know? And I think that that's the other thing too is a lot of times these cheaper run outfits, they don't invest in training, so it's hard to get
- [38:47]
B
ahold of them for a warranty call. I can't get there for two weeks and I'm booked out. I always say, if you can't leave your company for 30 days and it's not running just as good, if not better, then that's not a business, it's a job.
- [38:59]
A
It's a job. Yes.
- [39:00]
B
And it's tough because the same companies that I talk to are like, they're like, it's a growth year. It's a growth year. They got every reason why they're not making a profit. And I'm like, what don't you understand? You could grow dramatically. We've grown a lot the last four years and continue to level up the percentage of bottom line. Like, we scale and bottom line goes up, we scale again to the bottom line. And I used to think it was impossible. Like, growth years, you're putting more into growth. And. But now I'm like, if the team's right, you're getting economies of scale. I mean, I love this stuff. And I'm absolutely like, I just, I really think that people. You got an offer? The brandscan.
- [39:39]
A
Yes. Big fan of our brand Scan.
- [39:42]
B
Yeah, I know you guys put a lot of work into that Yeah, I
- [39:44]
A
mean, it's basically where we talk in detail about your existing brand. And it's actually really funny because somebody yesterday had reached out to us and they want. They were talking to one of our sales team members and they said, we really just want. We'll pay for it. We just want someone to evaluate our brand. And we're like, we do. We do that. We don't charge for. That's part of how we're going to be able to talk with you. Yeah, we just. It's called a brand scan. Like, we just want to talk to you about your brand. We love that. And it's being able to talk to somebody in detail about their brand and what's working, what's not. The visuals, the name. We walk them through all of those concepts and kind of try to get them to figure out on their own, you know, like, hey, maybe this isn't working so well, but then what's the strategy moving forward? So that's a brand scan. We've done them at vertical track, We've done them at home. Service, freedom. Yeah, they're a lot of fun. But people, at least, whether they work with us, you know, or a competitor, it's about knowledge is power. And when you understand what's not working with your brand, it gives you options of what you can be thinking you can improve. So we're happy to do a brand scan for anybody that's a listener that reaches out.
- [40:50]
B
And if somebody decides to move forward, what's the process?
- [40:53]
A
Yep. Okay. So the process to work with us is, you know, we're going to talk about what's going to make sense for it's not the same for everybody. So we do a lot of, like, custom packages of what's going to be the best initial mix of services. And once we get that dialed in and you sign your proposal, you start in our onboarding queue, and then we just have lots of information for you, forms to fill out, the creative brief to complete. But we start the work day one. You know, it's like day one, we're giving you lots of information to start thinking about. You know, what do your uniforms look like? Should we be thinking about yard signs? Lots of education. Lots of things that just bring value that have nothing to do with the services we offer. You know, we just want to make sure that we're educating our customers and they make all the best next right decisions.
- [41:38]
B
Yeah. I mean, look, you guys do the heavy lifting, but you need engagement.
- [41:43]
A
Yes.
- [41:43]
B
You need people to be there. This is their livelihood. This is Their life. This is their best asset.
- [41:47]
A
Yes.
- [41:48]
B
So what do you say to somebody that's just on the fence right now and they're just not sure? They've heard me talking about this since the day, I guess, five, six years ago. But I still think people are like, just. It's like, I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not ready. And they're never ready, though.
- [42:07]
A
No, they're just.
- [42:08]
B
It's like, I'm not ready to take that plunge. I'm not ready to hire the next person. I'm not. They live in this, like, bubble of indecision and procrastination.
- [42:16]
A
You can't afford not to do it. You know, I. I often say, just sometimes you need to believe in somebody enough and take a leap, you know, and it sounds crazy. I said it before, but it's true. No one has ever. You know how much people love to complain. Right. People are always like, they want to complain about anything. So if there were companies that we rebranded that said, that was the worst decision of my life. It would be everywhere. We'd be getting the phone call. It's never happened. It's about having enough bravery, really, to go, I need to take this next step and know that you're aligning with a really great team that's gonna help you every step of the way. You just can't afford not to. Waiting's more expensive.
- [42:56]
B
Yep. I agree. If someone wants to get ahold of you, Terri, and reach out, what's the best way to do that?
- [43:01]
A
They can call me at Kickcharge. Go to our website@kickcharge.com. there's a form there to get more information. You can email me@terryickcharge.com I'm happy to talk to anybody. That's the best part of my job.
- [43:14]
B
You just got a mascot?
- [43:15]
A
I think we do. His name is Sparky.
- [43:17]
B
Sparky, yeah.
- [43:18]
A
Yeah. He's adorable. He has a little tattoo like Dan's tattoo. Yeah, he's great. If you go on our website, he's actually going to be like an interactive character that can answer basic questions and things like that. Yeah. We're trying to find ways to integrate AI more into our systems, to kind of streamline things and become more efficient for our customers. And he's like one of our first little things we're doing.
- [43:40]
B
It's great. Yeah, you guys do so many things like the copyright and the trademark.
- [43:45]
A
Yeah, we do it.
- [43:46]
B
And getting different than your competitors and standing out and getting the rap stuff and working with the Leases. It's like, it's so comprehensive. And I just think. People think I'm just going to. I'm just going to do this myself.
- [43:58]
A
And I'm like, you can't.
- [44:00]
B
It never turns out good.
- [44:01]
A
No.
- [44:01]
B
I see the people that they, they like, I saved 10 grand. And I mean, I immediately. I've got a buddy down the street and he's fantastic, but I'm like, oh, my gosh, that does not look like the quality I want to pay for.
- [44:15]
A
Correct.
- [44:17]
B
It's just. You could tell it's just not right.
- [44:20]
A
No. And it won't stand the test of time either. A lot of times, the cheaper solutions, you know, when you think about how well is your brand aging, that's one of the things we're thinking about when we're starting working on a brand. Right. Is how do we make sure. Like, you would never have to rebrand A1. Right. It's not going to age out. It's something that's meant to last forever, and it should grow with your business, not against your business. So when our brand strategists are building the initial concepts for a brand, you know, it's, how will this live on a truck? How will this live on a website? How does this live on a billboard? Can it be embroidered on a shirt? You know, as culture changes and grows, is it going to be nimble enough? Is it flexible? Can it grow with you if you add other verticals? We're thinking through all of these things. And so sometimes when you see sort of like knockoff brands, you're like, that won't stand the test of time, you know, just because it's. It won't. You can just tell.
- [45:13]
B
Yeah, I must send Dan at least every other week because everybody, I don't know, like the podcast, I speak on stages.
- [45:20]
A
Yeah.
- [45:21]
B
I've been on a lot of podcasts. So now everybody sends me and it's from gutters to landscaping. I see my exact image.
- [45:28]
A
Oh, yeah.
- [45:29]
B
I don't know if I'm the most copied. I'm sure there's other companies.
- [45:32]
A
Oh, no, you. You and Teemos. We. There's a lot of Teemos. We see pop up people try to use the little. Teemo's character. There was at Vertical Track two years ago. There was a client that we rebranded that had the arms. And when I looked at it, I said, oh, that's like a Tommy pose.
- [45:48]
B
Yeah. It's funny because when I originally talked to Dan, I said, I want a brand that's like Maytag in the 60s. When my grandma's Maytag. It was probably 50 years old. And the old commercials, the Maytag man just sitting there waiting for work. Because it just keeps running, that old fashioned feeling. When I saw George Brazile, which is pretty plain, but I remember that's George back in the day with his. I'm like, I want to do a caricature. And I don't know if you guys had. You did Dettol as a kid, as a boy, with a flashlight. Other than that, I was like, that's timeless.
- [46:21]
A
It is. Well. And what's cool about your mascot, I love it, Is that. And I've talked to clients about that. It comes up all the time, right? People are like, oh, well, what about how. Because when we talk about people, the way a mascot's standing, when they're aggressive, and it's like, that's one of the reasons his arms are folded. The way they're folded, it's because the wrench is tucked in, because it's not being yielded as a weapon. But a lot of why you're drawn that way is if a woman that's, say, in her 60s, you look like her son. If you're a guy, you look like someone you want to have a beer with. Right? Every age group, every demographic is going to see something in that image of you that appeals to them. But that takes a lot of talent and thought and strategy to get there. But yeah, every little nuance is very intentional.
- [47:13]
B
What's crazy is I get technicians every day. They're like, everyone thinks it's me. And I'm like, you're bald.
- [47:18]
A
But it's. But I think that's part of it, right? Is like, you're every man. But it's true. It should appeal to everybody.
- [47:24]
B
No, it's great. Well, listen, Terry, I really think people should look at their brand. I mean, I think there's so many brands. I mean, I don't know, there's about 12,000 garage door companies. And just to think, garage doors is one small trade of probably hundreds, if not thousands of trades. I don't think home improvement has done a great job. No, I think home improvement needs to
- [47:47]
A
get a lot better, which is ironic considering they're going to. They are trying to showcase what they can do inside your home aesthetically. But yet they look terrible. To me, that's like. It's like if I was going to a really great salon and the girl who's going to cut my hair has the worst haircut in the world, like, I'm probably not going to want her to then cut mine. But yet, painters and home contractors, you know, that are going to transform my kitchen, and they have these horrible brands.
- [48:13]
B
Horrible.
- [48:13]
A
And I'm like, no, this is such an opportunity to showcase how beautiful you can make something. Yeah. Restoration's another one.
- [48:19]
B
Yeah. There's a lot of industries. There's a couple that have done a decent job, but for the most part, I mean, Anderson Renewal stands out to me a little bit. Just. But they advertise like crazy.
- [48:29]
A
Like crazy. Yep.
- [48:31]
B
Well, go ahead and close this out. Terry, any final thoughts?
- [48:34]
A
Well, one. Just. Thank you for having me on.
- [48:36]
B
Yeah, thank you.
- [48:37]
A
My first podcast.
- [48:40]
B
You did great.
- [48:40]
A
Thank you. Thank you. I think for me, if I could have people remember one thing, it's that a great brand isn't a prize for doing well and staying in business and growing. It's the accelerant to get you there. Don't wait. Don't wait. You deserve it now. And give us a call. We can help you out.
- [49:00]
B
I love it. Well, thank you for doing this. I appreciate it.
- [49:02]
A
It was a lot of fun.
- [49:03]
B
Hopefully you guys took some notes, and I'll cake church. Thank you.