PMP Industry Insiders

On this episode, Certus Pest CEO Dave Bradford joins Dan and Donnie. He shares insights on the importance of employee and customer retention, data visibility and long-term value creation. They also cover growth opportunities for Certus and the company's unique approach to evaluating branch performance. Guest: Dave Bradford, CEO, Certus Pest Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

James Szojka, co-founder of Yard Dawgs in Calgary, Alberta, joins Dan and Donnie to share his experiences and strategies for using social media ads to market his lawn care company, emphasizing the importance of tracking lead sources and continuously testing and optimizing ads. He covers the difference between ads on Facebook and Instagram compared with Google, how to approach lawn care vs. pest control and much more. Guest: James Szojka, co-founder of Yard Dawgs in Calgary, Alberta Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

As a pest or lawn business owner, it can be exciting to get your first call from a private equity firm. But it also raises many questions. Why are they contacting you now? How should you handle the call? Should you even take it? On this episode, Dan and Donnie answer these questions and other things to consider about partnering with private equity. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie explore the impact of AI-powered search engines on pest and lawn businesses. They discuss the shift from optimizing for search engines to focusing on user intent, emphasizing the importance of natural language processing and conversational AI integration. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie dive into Donnie's efforts to boil down team members' effectiveness to a single metric. Inspired by his experience as a pilot, Donnie shares how he is evaluating critical results to communicate clearly and ensure quality and excellence at Triangle Home Services. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Description: On this episode, Dan and Donnie share eight factors that can help you create a sustainable, thriving pest or lawn business and achieve a healthy bottom line. Dan details a list of useful operational ratios and gives an accountant's view on them, while Donnie gives an operator's perspective. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie review GPT-4o — OpenAI's latest artificial intelligence model. They cover how the algorithm is different from previous models, why that matters and how you can use it in your pest or lawn business. Donnie also demonstrates how to use it for data analysis, so be sure to check out the video version of this episode at youtube.com/@pmpindustryinsiders. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Coalmarch's Christin Nein joins the podcast to share her expertise on the always important topic of generating customer reviews. She covers why reviews matter, how to generate more reviews, how to make sure you get the right reviews and what to do if you get a negative review. Guest: Christin Nein, Sr. Director, Product Development, Coalmarch by Workwave Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

David Billingsly, president and founder of The Billingsly Group, gives the inside scoop about what he's hearing as the facilitator of the PMP Industry Insiders Peer Groups, including insights on the economy, pricing, routing and AI. David also discusses how the groups are going so far and goals for the future. Guest: David Billingsly, President & Founder, The Billingsly Group Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome Dr. Cassie Krejci Ph.D., Head of Science & Innovation, North America, for Rentokil Initial — better known as the Bug Doc. She updates us on Rentokil's new North American Innovation Center, details her six points of customer innovation and shares four ways she leverages social media to raise the profile of the pest control industry. Guest: Dr. Cassie Krejci, Ph.D., BCE, Head of Science & Innovation, North America, Rentokil Initial Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie break down Google's new AI-powered tool, formerly known as Google SGE. They cover why the search giant is rolling it out, how it works and what you need to know about it to market your pest control or lawn care company more effectively. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

HR expert Jean Seawright is back to discuss the latest federal regulations that affect employers, including pest control and lawn care companies. Tune in to hear what you need to know about three new rules that pertain to independent contractors, overtime pay and noncompete agreements. Guest: Jean Seawright, President, Seawright & Associates Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

JD Darr, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the National Pest Management Association, joins Dan and Donnie on this episode to share the legislative and regulatory issues on NPMA members’ minds. He also covers the importance of using your voice to influence public policy and what you can expect when you attend a Legislative Day event. Guests: JD Darr, Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, National Pest Management Association Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Distracted driving is on the rise, driving up auto insurance claims and increasing exposure for pest control companies. PestSure's Director of Safety Linda Midyett joins Dan and Donnie to discuss the problem and the most important things PMPs can do to fix it and control costs. Guests: Linda Midyett, Director of Safety, PestSure Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On the heels of tax season, Dan Gordon & Donnie Shelton review common questions pest control company owners have about optimizing their taxes. They discuss filing extensions, avoiding penalties, tracking expenses and claiming tax credits, among other FAQs. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Join Dan and Donnie as they welcome Rentokil's John Myers and Brad Paulsen to the podcast. John shares the leadership lessons he's learned during Rentokil's period of explosive growth, Brad discusses the firm's The Right Way 2 Growth Plan, plus they cover the Terminix integration, M&A prospects, and much more. Guests: John Myers, CEO of U.S. Pest Control, & Brad Paulsen, CEO of North America, Rentokil Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie welcome back Andrew Bray, senior vice president of government relations & membership for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, to discuss top-of-mind issues on the lawn care side of the business. They cover the Farm Bill's significance, state preemption of local pesticide laws, election year scenarios, overtime pay and other regulatory concerns. Guest: Andrew Bray, Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Membership, National Association of Landscape Professionals Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Join Dan and Donnie for an energizing episode with best-selling author Patrick Lencioni, the mastermind behind "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team" and "The Advantage." They dive into the dysfunctions, three three essential traits of exceptional team players and how to get more out of meetings. Patrick also shares details about his latest book and concept, "The 6 Types of Working Genius." Guest: Patrick Lencioni, best-selling author & founder of The Table Group Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie review some of their recent predictions about the economy and whether or not they were correct. They also cover economic positives and negatives, trends to consider in the near term, and tips for pest and lawn companies. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Jim Fredericks, Ph.D. is back on the podcast to share the latest Professional Pest Management Alliance initiatives and what's coming down the pike. They cover large-scale projects, media coverage, the benefits of investing in PPMA and other ways the organization is growing and protecting the industry. Guest: Jim Fredericks, Ph.D., Senior VP of Public Affairs of NPMA and Executive Director of PPMA Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

In this episode, Margaret Garcia, president of Grit PPO, joins Dan and Donnie to share her expertise in pest control customer service. She covers how to take control of a phone call, the importance of tone, words to avoid, what to say instead, why call scripts work and more. Guest: Margaret Garcia, President, Grit PPO Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Hawx Pest Control Co-founder Matt Mehr walks Dan and Donnie through how he and his partners have built a nine-figure enterprise from scratch. He discusses how his door-to-door business has evolved using data and proprietary technology, what it's like to get a private equity infusion and key metrics they're focusing on to continue to scale up. Guest: Matt Mehr, Co-founder, Hawx Pest Control Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

In this episode, Dan and Donnie cover why online reviews are so critical in the pest control and lawn care industry and what you can do to up your review game. They go into the psychology of consumer reviews, Google's policies, how to get more reviews and tactics to avoid. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie ask whether there is still a place for allowing some staff to work from home in the service industry. They discuss the effect on productivity, culture, communication and client relationships, and they brainstorm ways to mitigate the downsides of WFH. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Dan & Donnie quiz AI consultant Andrew Louder about implementing AI in your business. They cover writing effective prompts, AI tools to consider and potential opportunities for the pest management industry, including marketing, operations and beyond. Guest: Andrew Louder, Founder, Louder Co. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

In response to a social media post debating the importance of understanding industry averages, Dan and Donnie discuss the power of benchmarking. They delve into the concept of leadership capital, goal setting and using benchmarks as a starting point to become a better-than-average pest control or lawn care company. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie delve into the importance of nailing your marketing messaging. They cover how to improve your positioning in the marketplace and why you must differentiate your company from the competition. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Sharon Roebuck-McBride, VP of Culture and Customer Experience for Triangle Home Services, is back on the podcast to discuss the people component of EOS and what pest control and lawn care professionals can learn from it. Guests: Sharon Roebuck-McBride, VP of Culture and Customer Experience, Triangle Home Services Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Veteran sales consultant Patrick Quigley joins Dan and Donnie to discuss how to develop selling technicians. He covers different types of techs and salespeople, the concept of "drop-dead pests" and steps to take to cultivate technicians who sell in your company. Guests: Patrick Quigley, president of Sales Training by Design Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

What is company culture? How do you know if yours is effective or ineffective? On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss how they think about culture in pest control and lawn care companies and how to approach a culture change if you need one. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Description: On this episode, Dan and Donnie reflect on 2023 from an economic and trend standpoint. They cover the Pest Index, the Rollins Q3 earnings call, marketing, M&A, and they look ahead to 2024 and beyond. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss the status of private equity firms rolling up companies in the pest control, lawn care and home services industries. They cover why it's happening, how it's different from other roll ups in the past and the end game for these firms. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

PestSure's Todd Burke gives us an inside look at various areas of the pest control insurance market. We cover what PMPs should know, price increases, questions to ask before your next renewal, and ways to limit your exposure. Guest: Todd Burke, COO PestSure Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Many pest and lawn businesses are great at training technicians but neglect to develop their leaders. On this episode, pest control industry veteran and consultant David Billingsly discusses the building blocks of leadership and how to set your company's leaders up for success. Guest: David Billingsly, The Billingsly Group Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan reviews an exclusive labor inflation study he conducted and wrote about for Pest Management Professional magazine's December 2023 cover story. Then, he and Donnie discuss tactics you can implement to reduce turnover and create a positive, productive work environment for your team members. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie revisit the rapidly changing topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in business. They dive into how AI works and applications for the pest control and lawn care industry. They also speculate about what's going on in the AI world. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

At Triangle Pest Control, Donnie is a big fan of hosting "state of the company" meetings. On this episode, he and Dan discuss why these meetings are a great tool and how to go about planning and executing them in a pest control or lawn care company. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Fox Pest Control Co-Founders Mike Romney and Bryant White join the podcast to discuss the keys to scaling their company from $0 to $120 million before selling to Rollins earlier this year. They also cover their exit-planning advice for other owners. Guests: Mike Romney & Bryant White, Co-Founders, Fox Pest Control Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

It's easy to be overwhelmed by the quantity of data available to you in your pest or lawn business. On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss how to ensure you're working with good data, why to focus on key industry KPIs and how to use these insights to improve your business. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Being a successful door-to-door (D2D) company in the pest control and lawn care industries begins with your ability to hire sales reps. Stephen Rhyne, CEO of ConveYour, joins the podcast to share tips for recruiting, onboarding, training and retaining salespeople. Guest: Stephen Rhyne, CEO, ConveYour Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Lawn care industry icon Joe Kucik joins the podcast to share the wisdom he's gathered from decades of experience as an operator and as founder of Real Green Systems. He shares what he's up to now, where the industry is headed and what advice he'd give his younger self. Guest: Joe Kucik, co-chairman of ExperiGreen & founder of Real Green Systems Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

On this episode, Dan and Donnie revisit one of their favorite topics — artificial intelligence — and how it relates to operating a home services business. Today's discussion covers how to think about using this emerging technology from a strategic standpoint and why Dan and Donnie believe it's not just a fad. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialist Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

David Giannetto, CEO of WorkWave, sits down with Dan and Donnie to discuss his background, the software company's current initiatives and what the future holds for the business. He also gives his take on the health of the pest industry based on his observations and WorkWave's data. Guest: David Giannetto, CEO, WorkWave Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialist Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Coalmarch by WorkWave's Rachel Betterbid is back on the podcast for part 2 of a discussion about how demand for home services is slowing down. In this episode, she shares several things business owners can do in the short- and long-term to overcome a drop in demand for pest control and lawn care services. Guest: Rachel Betterbid, VP of Digital Marketing, Coalmarch by WorkWave Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services Like what you heard? Rate and review us on Apple. Tell a friend in the industry.

Coalmarch by WorkWave's Rachel Betterbid joins the podcast to discuss why many home services companies are seeing a drop in demand. She shares her observations, market data and marketing trends in the pest control and lawn care industries. Guest: Rachel Betterbid, VP of Digital Marketing, Coalmarch by WorkWave Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services

Guest: Dr. Mike Bentley, Vice President of Training & Technical Services, NPMA Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services Dr. Mike Bentley, vice president of training and technical services for the National Pest Management Association, joins Dan and Donnie to discuss what PMPs can expect from PestWorld 2023, which is taking place in Honolulu, Hawaii, Oct. 17-20. He also covers key projects he's working on and gives a tribute to the late Bob Rosenburg. You can learn more about PMP Industry Insiders by visiting our WEBSITE Keep up with content on our social media channels. Click below! YOUTUBE FACEBOOK TIKTOK

On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements. They cover what they are, how they're used in the pest and lawn industries, their importance when it comes to selling your business, and what questions to ask your lawyer before implementing them in your company. Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services You can learn more about PMP Industry Insiders by visiting our WEBSITE Keep up with content on our social media channels. Click below! YOUTUBE FACEBOOK TIKTOK

Carlos Mendez is a former Navy SEAL and investment banker who helps companies implement the principles of "Extreme Ownership" as a consultant and instructor with Echelon Front. He joins Dan and Donnie to discuss the universal challenges associated with being a leader and how to overcome them to get the best results. Guest: Carlos Mendez, Consultant & Instructor, Echelon Front Hosts: Dan Gordon, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Donnie Shelton, Triangle Home Services You can learn more about PMP Industry Insiders by visiting our WEBSITE Keep up with content on our social media channels. Click below! YOUTUBE FACEBOOK TIKTOK

Erin Werde joins the podcast to discuss Kolbe Wisdom and how to tap into your instincts to use your time and resources more efficiently and do more fulfilling work. She covers why Kolbe is different from other assessments and how to use this tool to effectively hire, manage and retain team members. Guest: Erin Werde, President of The Instinctive Advantage You can learn more about PMP Industry Insiders by visiting our WEBSITE Keep up with content on our social media channels. Click below! YOUTUBE FACEBOOK TIKTOK

Door-to-door sales veteran Lenny Gray joins the podcast to discuss this targeting approach to growing a pest control or lawn care business. He covers the overall strategy and goes into detail about recruiting, technique and more. Guest: Lenny Gray, author of “Door-to-Door Millionaire” You can learn more about PMP Industry Insiders by visiting our WEBSITE Keep up with content on our social media channels. Click below! YOUTUBE FACEBOOK TIKTOK