Episodes

In this episode Neel and chats with Jenny Ness-Hunkin, a former franchisee of Tutor Doctor and now the Franchise Success Manager at MaidThis. A ten-year franchisee herself before a successful exit, Jenny believes in franchising in part because she's had such positive experiences with it. Now she helps MaidThis franchisees scale and exit their businesses, just like she did with hers. Neel and Jenny discuss: - why she decided to start a business in the first place even though she...

It's a simple but perhaps not-often-repeated truth: not all business models are created equal. In this episode, Neel talks about local services businesses he would avoid buying/starting as well as what was the one factor he looked at recently when considering a cleaning service acquisition. You'll get the scoop on: - Why high ticket, low recurring businesses are just as desirable as low ticket, high recurring businesses - How you could make low ticket, low recurring businesses work (if ...

In this episode Neel talks with one of his very own MaidThis franchisees, Chris Rodriguez. Chris has been running MaidThis Miami for just about four months now and gives us the lowdown on how he got here. Neel and Chris discuss: - why a franchise fee was at first a stumbling block, then a recognition of value for Chris - what his main motivation was in starting a business when he already had a solid-paying 9-5 (and how his spouse reacted) - how often Chris posts in the MaidThis sl...

In this episode Neel speaks with Ujwal Velagapudi, who has had a fascinating and unusual journey building businesses in many different industries. One of the more interesting ideas Ujwal shares in the pod is his lack of concern with "maximizing profit." He's okay leaving some money on the table once he has spent time optimizing the business when he first acquires it. Neel and Ujwal also discuss: - Ujwal's attempted retirement in South East Asia - What drives him (hint: i...

In this episode Neel and sits down with freelance sales coach Jeff Lundeen of Strong Jaw Sales. ⁠Jeff had a good career in a well-paying (though stressful) field: air traffic control. Reading books like Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Work Week awakened a desire to escape the 9-5. Neel and Jeff discuss: - the effect of a one-way ticket to Colombia on kickstarting the entrepreneurial journey - why coming back to the job after that travel only made Jeff more resolved to break out of the 9-5 - w...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Omar Santana, President of Launch27, a SaaS for cleaning companies. Neel and Omar talk about: - the concerns that any customer has for a SaaS when a private equity group comes in (as happened to Launch27 in 2019) - how many of the solutions in the cleaning company space are similar and why that makes switching even more difficult than normal (no feature to encourage you to jump) - what new features Omar and the team are working on rolling out ...

As Neel looks back on previous years, he knows he's spent too much time focusing on the "scaling" aspect of marketing. In this episode, he goes the other way, talking about marketing that doesn't scale, but delivers big results, including: - Apartment Complex Infiltration: just as stealth as it sounds, but is all about quietly building relationships - Neighborhood Blitz - Networking groups, i.e. becoming the "go-to" among a group of fellow business owners Neel notes that this kind...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Chris Bergethon, known as the "Car Wash Guy" on Twitter. Interestingly, while Chris is known for car washes, it's actually a side hustle for him. He's full time in the supplements and natural medicine space. Neel and Chris discuss: - how trying to get in on the self-storage craze led to buying his first car wash - the major tax benefits that a car wash can offer, including Chris' first refund in more than a decade - why banks love car washes...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Stephen Heiner, who moved to France ten years ago after selling a business. Stephen worked hard to build a dream life, and recently gave all of it up to move to become a volunteer at a religious house. Neel and Stephen discuss: - his path to France and what he did when he arrived - the importance of asking yourself what it is you want at the end of the rainbow - always being ready to re-evaluate where you are, never accepting that you have "arr...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Andy Agrawal of Weekend Maids, who is also part of the CCDRA (California Coalition of Domestic Referral Agencies). Andy has been running the company for the last 15 years, but it's a family business that has been around for 36 years. Neel and Patrick discuss the importance of compliance, particularly in regards to cleaning companies and properly classifying themselves as referral agencies rather than employers. Among other things, they talk about: - ...

In this episode Neel sits down with Sean O'Dowd of The O'Dowd Group. Sean was just looking to pay off the loan he took out to buy an engagement ring for his then-fiancee when he decided to consult on the side. His very first gig was through Upwork and involved proofreading an email for $30. Neel and Sean discuss: - how having a Wharton degree may have helped him land some clients, but how easily his mom, who was a simple librarian without that elite college pedigree, was able to land a ...

Neel recently had to interview a number of SEO vendors in preparation for making a change, and felt like he became a bit of an expert in thinking through what agencies can and should provide for you. Neel talks about what you can expect to pay for decent SEO service ($750-$1500 depending on quality) as well as: - Map Pack ranking and the importance of reviews that mention your key words - The importance (and limits) of blogs - The difference between on-page and technical SEO and why ...

As part of his ongoing coaching call series, Neel chats with Dan Kats of Shorely Clean who is building his cleaning business as a side hustle and is looking to grow it quickly but sustainably. Neel offers helpful answers to Dan's questions, including: - The importance of hiring that first employee to help you as soon as possible - The inbound sales conversion rates he expects from his team - The importance of "extending your season" to combat seasonality - Different ways of dealin...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Dan Blaker, a MaidThis franchisee in the Myrtle Beach market. ⁠ It's been just under two years that Dan has been a franchisee in the MaidThis system and he looks back on his journey to share: - how MaidThis provided a path for him to quit a 6-day-a-week, 12-hour-a-day job - just how much "remote" he's put into his remote local business. - what a pleasant surprise it has been to get to know fellow business owners You'll also hear Dan talk about ...

You've heard Neel talk about pros and cons of different marketing tactics over the last six months. This episode brings all of those reflections together in one valuable episode so be ready to take notes on: - What's working and what isn't in the Google LSA space - What to look for when researching PPC advertising to see if it will be worthwhile for your company - The power of community marketing, including the hyper-local neighborhood blitz strategy Neel also talks about Thumbtack, a p...

In this episode Neel chats with Shaina Denny, Co-Founder and CEO of Dogdrop. It's a rare discussion with a fellow franchisor, and Neel and Shaina discuss: - how Dogdrop works and its capitalization on America's obsession with pets and their well-being - why Shaina decided to use an FSO (franchise sales organization) instead of using an internal resource - why Neel stopped using Google ads to advertise for franchise leads (he found that social media leads were more qualified) If yo...

It got here even faster than we might have thought, but here is episode #100. For this special episode, Neel shares a talk that he gave about his travel journey. You'll learn: - that hunter/gatherer tribes in Africa will tell the same fart jokes you do at home - the power of a smile and how strangers can shop you see who you really are - how you can opt-out of the American Dream Neel also shares how he started his journey with fear but ended it with courage powered by serendipity.

In this episode Neel and chats with Simone, Founder of House Mum Home Services, based out of Brisbane, Australia. Simone has a successful business and is so full up with clients she has a waiting list. But she doesn't even have a website! She's a master at community marketing and was kind enough to share some of her tactics and ideas with us. Neel and Simone talk about: - how posting on Facebook to find employees led her to gain customers - what kind of Facebook groups she joins a...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Anna Scherbyna, owner of Remotivate, a company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners hire for executive and management roles. Neel and Anna discuss: - what it was for Anna to work in (and build a company in) the remote space in 2017, before it was cool - why growing companies won't only need one type of ops person, they'll need three, each with different price points - the crazy discrepancy at the moment between employers on LI offering ...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky for a quarterly roundup of what they are seeing in the Remote Local space. Topics covered include: - the effectiveness of Google LSA, both now and in the long term, along with some strategies that can help lift your performance if you're lagging - the "Grand Opening Method" which is about continuing to build a solid lead funnel over time using community marketing - Neel and Sergio's thoughts on keeping your hirin...

In another of his coaching series, in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Austin, owner of Denver's Dalmaidtion Cleaning, a residential cleaning service with a focus on pet owners. Neel and Austin discuss: - Ways to surprise and delight and offer a "6 star service" - The importance of top-notch cleaners — it is they, more than thank-you notes and gifts, that will retain customers long-term - Leaning into your niche, in Austin's case, making sure new c...

In this episode Neel and sits down with Patrick Findaro, author of How to Buy a Franchise: Employee to Entrepreneur in 12 Weeks and owner at VettedBiz.com Patrick hosts a podcast, Franchise Findings, in which he talks about all things related to franchises, including conversations with new and experienced business owners as well as overall reports on industry trends. Neel and Patrick discuss: - a little known visa classification that Patrick didn't find out about for some time that offers ...

In this first of a new series in which he offers free coaching on a specific problem, Neel chats with Gordon, a new cleaning services business owner, about why he decided to start franchising. Gordon was also interested in expanding to a new city, and Neel drilled down to ask: - What was the endgame for expansion? - Why did Gordon think expanding was a good strategy? He then went on to give some tips on KPIs that all cleaning services should be checking every week, like - Total nu...

As the simple days of "turn on LSA and watch the leads roll in" seems to recede into the distance, those willing to put in the work on community marketing are going to win. Neel shares some tactics he's employed to success, allowing you to get brand visibility and cash in on people in the neighborhood who need your services, including: - EDDM, a USPS postcard service allowing you to blanket a community - Yard signs, an easy way to get visibility over a weekend - Doorhangers, one more...