Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza
Episode: From Man in a Van to $100M Empire: Ben Jordan’s Blueprint for Massive Growth
Date: October 7, 2025
Guest: Ben Jordan, Founder of Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical

Episode Overview

This episode explores Ben Jordan's inspiring journey from working out of a van to building a $100M home services empire. Host Paul Alex dives deep into Ben’s upbringing, the mindset shifts and habits that propelled him forward, strategies for scaling service businesses, and how personal growth and health intersect with high-level entrepreneurship. The conversation offers actionable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone determined to level up their business and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humble Beginnings and Defining Moments

Ben’s Childhood & Early Lessons

• Grew up as one of 14 kids, learning the value of hard work from his father’s appliance repair business.
• After his mother passed away when he was 13, Ben began working full time to help the family.
• Early exposure to business operations, customer interaction, and hands-on service.

“So from 13 I started working full time... I really learned how to work. I learned how to work with my hands, I learned how to deal with people.” — Ben Jordan (03:00)

Mission Service in Spain

• Chose to serve a church mission in southern Spain at 19, which became foundational for his personal growth.

“For me, honestly, that was probably the most defining moment of my entire life.” — Ben Jordan (04:33)

2. The Entrepreneurial Leap

Getting Into Plumbing & Buying the Business

• Worked with his uncle in HVAC, then pivoted to plumbing after hustling to make his own opportunity.
• At 23, with minimal savings, Ben and his brother offered to buy the plumbing business they worked for via owner financing.

“We went to the owner and were like, ‘Hey, we want to buy your business. Obviously we don’t have any money.’ We threw out a number, 250 grand. We created these terms and it worked out for him. It worked out for us.” — Ben Jordan (00:43)/(10:14)

Grit & Determination

• Worked 100+ hour weeks, taking every side job possible, and relied heavily on the support and accountability of his wife.

“Some nights I’d come home… I have my boot strings in my hand still and I’m dirty… my wife would be like, ‘You gotta get showered, you gotta go back to work. They're expecting you.’” — Ben Jordan (11:38)

3. The Power of Relationships and Accountability

• Ben credits much of his drive and ability to push through tough times to his wife’s unwavering expectation that he follow through on his big goals.
• Stresses that a supportive partner is a “needle mover” in entrepreneurship and can be a “cheat code” for success.

“You told me what your goals were. I asked you if you were serious and you said yeah. So I’m not going to hold you back.” — Ben Jordan, paraphrasing his wife (12:26)

4. Systems, People, and Scaling to $100M

Three Key Steps for New Service Businesses (13:37)

1. Systems and Processes: Start with codified systems before hiring.
2. Find/Mold the Right People: Hire individuals that fit the vision and are coachable.
3. Ability to Pivot: Stay flexible and learn to pivot quickly as new challenges emerge.

Culture as a Multiplier

• Joining Andy Elliott’s business community led Ben to prioritize and transform his company’s culture, which led to a $1M monthly revenue jump.

“We shifted so much… in our culture… literally one month to the next, we were doing a million a month more in revenue just because we shifted our company culture.” — Ben Jordan (14:59)

Recruiting for Talent

• Looks outside the industry (auto shops, etc.) for hungry talent, believing it’s easier to teach technical skills to those with sales or people skills than vice versa.
• Promotes from within, rapidly accelerating high-performers into leadership/ownership roles.

New Growth Strategy

• Expanding by developing managers into owners of new locations (e.g., Arizona) and giving them equity stake to drive engagement and growth.

5. Separation of Sales & Fulfillment

• Shifted away from all-in-one technicians to a model where salespeople sell and a separate install team handles fulfillment, allowing for higher performance and faster scaling.
• Focuses on long-term customer value, not just transactions.

“It’s easier to teach a salesman to plumb than it is a plumber to sell.” — Ben Jordan (18:50)

6. Personal Transformation: Health, Mindset, and Business

• Ben lost over 145 pounds in 16 months, which he credits as a turning point for his business clarity, energy, and capacity to lead.
• Advocates for getting your health in check before expecting to build a thriving business.

“I didn’t start growing in business until I started taking care of my body.” — Ben Jordan (26:14)

7. Overcoming Bottlenecks and Delegation

• Recognized himself as the bottleneck; by delegating and trusting team members with key responsibilities, business scaled rapidly.
• If you don’t get help, you’ll burn out and see no progression. If you delegate to the wrong person, you can fix it, but the upside of the right hire is exponential growth.

“You have two alternatives… Continue going down the path you’re going and you’re gonna end up burnt out… Or you install somebody in there… and if they’re the right person, it just grows exponentially.” — Ben Jordan (39:48)

8. Advice for Entering the Trades & Changing Industry Landscape

• Don’t think you need to be highly trained or licensed first—get into a good company, learn on the job, and focus on culture fit.
• The trades are facing immense demand due to a wave of retirements and low new entrants – huge opportunity for the next generation.

“Right now is the biggest change in wealth that trades have ever seen… by 2030, they say it’s going to be 10 million jobs shy.” — Ben Jordan (43:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you’re unhealthy, you’re going to be unhappy.” (47:12) — Ben Jordan, on the intersection of health and happiness.
• “Success loves speed… How fast can you learn something and then implement it?” (46:16) — Ben Jordan
• “Your perception is your reality. If you believe in you, you can do anything in this world.” (47:17) — Ben Jordan
• “You are who you want to be by what you do today.” (47:37) — Ben Jordan
• “A lot of people want to be Jeff Bezos or they want to be these billionaires, but they don’t understand what it takes to get there.” (45:03) — Ben Jordan
• “Either you’re going up or you’re going down. There’s no such thing as plateauing in life.” (45:58) — Ben Jordan

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:42 — Ben shares the story of buying into the plumbing business with zero capital.
• 03:00-05:44 — Early work ethic and family background.
• 06:29 — Why Ben chose to serve a mission in Spain.
• 10:06-11:38 — Making the leap: Buying the business at age 23.
• 13:37 — Three steps to growing a service business beyond “Man in a Van.”
• 14:59-16:20 — How shifting company culture led to a million-dollar jump in revenue.
• 18:50 — Recruiting from outside the industry and leadership development.
• 21:50 — Splitting sales and fulfillment for maximum efficiency.
• 22:45-26:14 — Ben’s 145-lb weight loss and its impact on business.
• 27:53-29:56 — Business expansion strategy: turning managers into equity partners.
• 30:12-33:43 — Building scalable systems and high customer value in trades.
• 34:04-36:30 — Marketing in the new era: print, yard signs, and unconventional tactics.
• 37:05 — The “card declined” grocery store story: hitting rock bottom and pivoting to specialization.
• 39:48 — On overcoming bottlenecks and trusting your team.
• 42:02-43:15 — Advice for anyone entering the trades.
• 44:27-46:49 — Three daily habits for success & why “success loves speed.”
• 47:02 — Parting wisdom for listeners: get healthy and believe you can win.

Ben’s Top Success Principles

• Get your health in check. (47:12)
• Work out daily—physical improvement raises every other area. (44:27)
• Feed your mind with positive input/podcasts. (44:32)
• Stay grounded and move fast—don’t overthink, take action. (44:33, 45:16)
• Build systems and culture—processes allow you to scale, culture keeps your people. (13:37, 14:59)
• Don’t be afraid to delegate—remove yourself as bottleneck to grow. (39:48)
• Leverage accountability—your partner and your team matter. (12:26)

This episode is a must-listen for anyone leading a service business or seeking real, practical insights on scaling, systems, culture, health, and mindset. Ben’s journey proves that with grit, clear vision, and relentless action, anyone can level up—no matter where they start.