To The Point: Ken Goodrich’s 2026 Market Outlook & The New 1,000 Day Plan

Episode Date: October 28, 2025
Podcast: To The Point – Home Services Podcast
Host: Chris, RYNO Strategic Solutions
Guest: Ken Goodrich

Overview

This episode features industry legend Ken Goodrich sharing his candid outlook for the 2026 home services market (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, generator) and unveiling his new 1,000 Day Plan for “Generator Partners,” his ambitious generator business rollup. The conversation dives deep into market headwinds, marketing discipline, private equity trends, and the practical street knowledge that drives outsized success. Audience members get actionable advice on growth—no matter the economic cycle.

Key Topics & Insights

Ken’s Market Outlook for 2026

• Expectation: Choppy Waters, Essential Services

  • Ken sees 2026 as a “neutral” year—neither boom nor recession, but with plenty of headwinds.
  • Despite economic uncertainty and consumer caution, essential services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) remain necessity-driven.
  • “Things break and we all need them. They're essential services, so that doesn't go away with the economy.” – Ken [09:03]

• Advertising Discipline & Growth Philosophy

  • History lesson: Ken thrived during 9/11, the Great Recession, and COVID by pushing harder on branding/advertising while peers retreated.
  • “I just pushed the throttle forward on the advertising and I went out and took the business to be had. We grew at 35% CAGR from ‘08, '09, and '10—doubled our business or better inside that period of time.” – Ken [05:04]
  • Warns against “counting your pennies” or slowing marketing; says to double down and seek new relationship-building strategies.

• Shifting Tactics: Relational Branding Over PPC Battles

  • Competitive landscape has shifted. “A lot more sophisticated competition with deeper pockets, driving up the lead costs and labor costs.”
  • Avoid getting caught in pay-per-click arms races:
    “Go to some more relational branding, guerrilla-type marketing where nobody else is at and go take your business.” – Ken [08:54]

The Generator Business: Opportunity on the J-Curve

• Why Generators?

  • A deeply personal connection anchored by family stories; inspired by work with his father as a child (“You’re the generator!”) [21:47].
  • Generator market viewed as “underserved,” high growth (8% vs. 4% for HVAC), with less challenging competition and attractive ticket size.
  • “I believe standby generators are going to become a main staple in every house… we're just kind of on the bottom of the J curve right now.” – Ken [23:20]

• The Generator Rollup: Strategy & Processes

  • Ken formed Generator Partners to build a rollup in the fragmented generator space.
  • Initiated with thorough research and developed a full 1,000 Day Plan—just as he did growing Gettle.
  • “We bought $14.5M in revenue year one; will close mid-$40Ms this year in revenue—in what's called a down market.” [30:10]

• Operational Systems: Integration & Scaling

  • Veteran team, led by integrator Angela Miller, implements processes, structure, and tech at each acquired company.
  • “I got my team together… all divide up the pieces and parts, create a plan, start implementing.” [28:48]
  • Emphasizes the power of process documentation, training, technology adoption, and strong internal teams.

Marketing & Sales: The “Personal Power Plant” Brand

• Brand Storytelling as Ultimate Differentiator

  • Leverages authentic personal stories and emotional messaging.
  • “We're dealing with homeowners on their most valued asset… you have to communicate with them on a personal level and touch a heart.” [06:45]

• Product Differentiation

  • Offers dual-fuel generator options, battery storage, redundancy—addressing gaps/risks unique to the generator world.
  • “What are all the other things we can add to our system to differentiate ourselves?” – Ken [37:06]

• Demand Generation: Creating the Market

  • Leaning into global unrest, grid instability, and AI-driven power demand stories to create urgency and new buyer needs.
  • “Nobody wants a generator until they need a generator.” – Ken [26:18]
  • “We're out there promoting our brand and creating our own demand.” [16:48]

Private Equity, Competition, and Industry Trends

• Evolving Landscape

  • Private equity is increasingly chasing the generator space, though the industry remains “cottage” and underdeveloped versus modern HVAC/plumbing.
  • “There was a couple of buildups when I got in, but now there's more and more. They're chasing us around.” – Ken [51:06]
  • Ken’s proprietary approach: his own branded hardware (Kenrator), not dependent on big manufacturers.

• Building a Lasting Family Office

  • Vision: Create a true “business building” family office that keeps scaling, selling, and moving into new verticals, involving his children and giving his veteran team equity.
  • “My goal is… my team goes on to the next project, we've developed our own business… not be a one trick pony.” [67:09]

The Human Side: Motivation, Passion, & Legacy

• On Passion and Wealth

  • Ken reflects on how the drive changes once financial security is reached: “As my net worth grows, I'm just not as passionate about it. There's something valuable about having to get up and make a house payment and take care of your family.” – Ken [61:04]
  • Focus now is on empowering his team and building a legacy business for his family.

• Street Knowledge Over Theories

  • Real-world “street knowledge” trumps textbook management, especially in home services.
  • “There’s a lot of…street knowledge that comes from years and years of living this game that goes away when management changes.” [15:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Advertising Through Tough Markets:
  “Everybody else was retracting. Not a lot of guys made it actually. I think you gotta go out and get it, like always. This is not a time to be retracting and counting your pennies.” – Ken [06:00]

• Branding & Customer Connection:
  “I've always been a big believer in brand and relational brand stories… The mission [is to] touch a heart—you've got to communicate at that level.” – Ken [06:45]

• Generator Market Mindset:
  “Nobody wants a generator until they need a generator.” – Ken [26:18]

• Process & Team Building:
  “I've got a great business development team… they go in and develop all the processes, recruiting, training systems, implementing the tech; it's invaluable. You just got the team, like ‘we gotta get this fixed, go attack it.’” – Ken [30:33]

• On Competition:
  “Competition seems not very challenging, high ticket… good place to be and start.” – Ken [23:20]

• On Passion & Capital:
  “The more capital I acquire, the more my net worth grows, I'm just not as passionate… It's not the same as when you built Rhino or maybe I built Ghetto.” – Ken [61:04]

• Long-Term Vision:
  “When we have a successful exit with Generator, and my team goes on to the next project, and my kids are involved… We've developed our own business.” – Ken [67:09]

• Last Words of Advice:
  “This is not a time to retract… You've got to get out there and promote your business. Go find a new way. Guerrilla marketing techniques, mass media with heartfelt branding stories… you're not going to wait this one out.” – Ken [72:15]

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• Ken’s 2026 Market Forecast – [05:04] – [10:00]
• Doubling Down During Recession – [05:04]
• Relational Branding vs. PPC Fights – [08:54]
• Launching & Scaling Generator Partners – [18:59], [28:48]
• Family Story Behind the Brand – [21:47]
• AI, Tech, and Process in Home Services – [39:46], [40:41]
• Challenges vs. Expectations in New Ventures – [32:12]
• Private Equity’s Entry & The New Family Office Model – [51:06], [66:02]
• Reflections on Motivation, Wealth, and Building Legacy – [61:04], [67:09]
• Final Advice: No Retraction, Just Creation – [72:15]

Tone & Style

The conversation is both no-nonsense and witty, blending Ken’s battle-tested directness with Chris’s energetic, curious style. Both offer rich stories, strategic frameworks, and concrete advice for leaders who want to thrive regardless of market cycles.

Takeaways for Home Services Leaders

• Don’t pull back in challenging years—lean in, advertise, and outmaneuver with brand.
• Avoid head-to-head fights with deep-pocketed competitors in PPC; cultivate authentic, local, emotional branding and guerrilla tactics.
• Build legacy through process, ownership, and team; your people and systems scale value.
• Private equity is knocking, but real success is rooted in street knowledge, discipline, and long-term vision.

Final Thought

“You don’t have to do everything, but you gotta do something. No zero days.” – Chris [78:12]