How AI, Tracking, and Relentless Follow-Up Helped Richie Colletti Build a High-Conversion Roofing Machine

Most contractors think their biggest problem is lead quality.

Richie Colletti thinks otherwise — and he’s not shy about saying it.

In this episode, Mauricio sits down with Richie Colletti, the owner of Leak Busters Roofing, for an honest and eye-opening conversation about marketing, AI, conversion, and the systems contractors desperately need if they want to grow without burning cash.

Richie has been in roofing for over 32 years and was experimenting with AI long before the rest of the industry caught on. After getting burned by marketing companies and wasting money on ads, he decided to rebuild everything from the inside out — learning AI, studying marketing, and creating his own tracking and sales systems.

The result? A business that converts at a level most contractors never experience.

In this episode, Richie breaks down:

- How he cut his cost per acquisition in half by fixing tracking and follow-up

- The AI avatar ads that generated 205+ leads in a single month

- Why contractors say “the leads suck” when the real problem is their conversion process

- His rehash system that turns “dead leads” into real revenue

- Why tracking CPL, CAC, show rate, and close rate is more important than any ad platform

- How AI now helps his company estimate jobs, train sales reps, and handle admin tasks

- Why he posts 3–5 pieces of content daily — and why being a “local celebrity” matters more than ever

- The mindset shift he believes every contractor can make in just 90 days to transform their business

- This isn’t a theory episode — it’s a brutally practical one.

If you’re tired of wasting money on ads, if your leads aren’t converting, or if you’ve been curious how AI can actually help your business (not just in hype videos), this conversation will give you the clarity and direction you’ve been looking for.

Links & Resources:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-colletti-3b248634/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richie.colletti/

Website: https://myleakbusters.com/

Most people dream of building a successful business.

Raymond Little built one, sold it for $38 million, and completely changed what roofing leadership looks like.

In this episode, Raymond — the former owner of Perimeter Roofing and now a partner at Storm Ventures Group (SVG) — shares his incredible story of redemption, resilience, and business mastery.

From starting over after prison to leading a team that generated over $200 million in sales, Raymond reveals the mindset and systems that allowed him to scale, create loyalty, and eventually exit on his terms.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

- How to build loyalty and culture in a transient industry where reps often leave to start their own company.

- Why the key to scaling from $1M to $50M+ isn’t marketing — it’s leadership development.

- What private equity really looks for when buying a roofing company — and how to prepare for a profitable exit.

- The psychological side of selling your “baby” and finding purpose after financial freedom.

- Why roofing owners should invest in training and systems, not higher commissions.

- How Raymond used social media storytelling to dominate his market and turn every build into marketing content.

- His take on AI, automation, and private equity’s role in shaping the future of the roofing industry.

- The mission behind his next chapter with SVG — rebuilding the industry through education, training, and technology.

Whether you’re just starting your roofing company or you’re aiming for your first eight-figure exit, this conversation will give you a blueprint for scaling faster, leading better, and thinking bigger.

📝 Episode Notes / Key Takeaways

- Your biggest growth constraint isn’t marketing — it’s leadership bandwidth.

- Train leaders, not followers: duplication is how you scale.

- Building loyalty comes from leading by example — first one up, last one home.

- Culture and boundaries create respect, not rules.

- Private equity rewards structure, reporting, and leadership succession, not hustle.

- Social media is the new neighborhood — every rep should be posting stories from the field.

- AI won’t replace people — it will replace inefficiency.

- Selling your company gives freedom, but not purpose. Find your next mission early.

Most home service business owners focus on revenue, daily operations, and putting out fires — but very few think about the bigger picture: What is your company really worth, and what would it take to sell it one day?

In this episode, Mauricio sits down with Brian Franco, Managing Partner at Meritage Partners and author of The Inevitable Exit. Brian has been involved in more than $2 billion worth of M&A transactions across roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other home service industries.

This isn’t a seminar or a valuation pitch — it’s a conversation about what actually drives the value of a contracting business and how owners can start putting the right pieces in place long before they think about selling.

In the conversation, Brian breaks down:

- Why every business owner will exit — either by design or by default — and why planning early matters

- The difference between selling a trade and selling a real business, and why most contractors confuse the two

- How two companies with identical profits can have completely different valuations

- What private equity and strategic buyers are looking for right now in roofing and home service companies

- Why predictable revenue, recurring customers, and strong marketing systems raise your multiple

- How clean financials, accountability, and reporting give buyers confidence (and why missing data kills deals)

- The role of CAC, LTV, and marketing metrics in proving your business is scalable — not chaotic

- How AI is already changing due diligence, forecasting, and the M&A landscape

- What the next 5–15 years of consolidation will look like in the trades — and how owners should prepare

This episode is for contractors who may want to sell one day, pass their company down to their kids, or simply build a business that runs smoother and becomes more valuable over time — even if they never plan on exiting.

If you want to understand what really drives value in a home service business and how to make smart decisions today that pay off years from now, this conversation with Brian Franco will give you clarity, direction, and a whole new way to think about the future of your company.

Here is a David Hooper–style email newsletter draft for your episode with Brian Franco, written to hook contractors quickly, highlight the value of the conversation, and drive clicks to listen.

Here's the deal:

📌 If your service is urgent (roof leaks, burst pipes, no AC)… Google and LSA will feed your crew.

📌 If your service is visual, emotional, or aspirational (remodeling, painting, windows, flooring)… Meta and YouTube are your goldmine.

📌 And if you don’t know which category you fall into?

You’re probably burning money right now without even knowing it.

🎯 Want a marketing system built specifically for your trade that actually gets results?

👉 Book a Free Demo Call: contractormarketingpros.net/calendar

We help contractors get found online, generate quality leads, and dominate their local markets.

Let’s build your machine.

🔔 Subscribe for more no-fluff contractor marketing content every week.

📞 Questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out directly.

Thanks for watching. Now let’s go get some leads. 💥

#ContractorBusiness #HomeServiceBusiness #BusinessValuation #PrivateEquity #ContractorMarketing

contractor business valuation, how to sell a contracting business, how to sell a roofing company, home service business valuation, private equity contractors, contractor M&A, contractor exit strategy, how much is my contracting business worth, home service business buyers, selling a home service company, contractor...

Most contractors think their toughest competition is the company down the street. Matt Frugé says they’re wrong.

After 15 years in roofing and a $20 million startup that didn’t work out, Matt discovered the real reason contractors lose money isn’t lack of leads or slow-paying insurance companies — it’s the internal chaos buried inside their operations.

Now, as founder of CapOut AI, he’s building technology that gives contractors back their most valuable asset: time.

In this episode, Matt and Mauricio unpack:

• The story behind Matt’s first startup, SquareDash, and the painful lessons that shaped his new company.
• Why inefficiency — not competitors — kills profit in most roofing companies.
• How CapOut AI uses automation to instantly convert insurance scopes into job orders, material lists, and profit insights in seconds.
• Real examples: how AI processed 762 line items in six minutes — a task that used to take two days.
• Why most CRMs are “fancy data buckets,” and what the next generation of contractor software will actually look like.
• How to get your team to adopt AI (and stop fearing it).
• The future of roofing: automation, agents, and how AI will quietly reshape production, job costing, and profitability.

Whether you’re a $2 million contractor wearing too many hats or running a $20 million company ready to scale, this episode shows you how to reclaim hours, tighten your processes, and turn technology into your competitive advantage.

📝 Key Takeaways / Show Notes

• Your biggest threat isn’t competition — it’s inefficiency.
• Time is the most valuable asset a contractor owns.
• Automation ≠ replacement — it’s a force multiplier for your best people.
• The future CRM will talk back: AI + voice will replace endless data entry.
• Map your customer journey before you buy another tool.
• Small, fast AI wins build trust and drive adoption with your team.
• The contractors who embrace automation today will dominate the next decade.

Links & Resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewfruge/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fruge/

Website: https://www.capout.ai/

You can’t outspend a bad brand.

That’s the hard truth from Dan Antonelli, founder of KickCharge Creative, the agency behind over 3,000 home service brands and the bestselling book Branded, Not Blanded.

In this episode, Dan joins Mauricio to reveal why most contractors are fighting an uphill battle — paying more for ads, struggling with low booking rates, and wondering why their marketing “isn’t working.” The problem isn’t your marketing agency… it’s your branding.

Dan breaks down how to fix it — with practical examples, real data, and unforgettable stories like the rebrand that turned “PMA Mechanical” into Grasshopper Heating & Cooling, growing from $4M to $26M in just a few years.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why weak brands destroy ROI — and how to build one that lowers your cost per lead.
• The “Five-Mile Famous” strategy that makes your company unforgettable in your local market.
• The truth about mascot branding (and why most contractors do it wrong)
• How AI is flooding the internet with noise — and why branding matters more now than ever.
• How a great brand lets you charge premium prices, attract A-players, and double your marketing results.
• Why companies like A1 Garage Door and Grasshopper Heating & Cooling trust KickCharge to lead their visual and cultural transformation.

Whether you’re doing $2M or $50M, this episode will change how you think about marketing. Because as Dan puts it:

“If your brand sucks, your marketing team is fighting an uphill battle.”

• Branding is the foundation of all marketing — not a finishing touch.
• Bad branding = higher cost per lead, lower booking rates, and smaller tickets.
• Strong brands tell a story and evoke emotion — not just list services.
• Truck wraps are the lowest-cost-per-impression marketing channel in home services.
• Being Five-Mile Famous beats chasing clicks from 30 miles away.
• AI is cheapening content — but strengthening the need for authentic, human-driven brands.

The best brands attract top talent and raise prices without pushback.

📌 If your service is urgent (roof leaks, burst pipes, no AC)… Google and LSA will feed your crew.

📌 If your service is visual, emotional, or aspirational (remodeling, painting, windows, flooring)… Meta and YouTube are your goldmine.

📌 And if you don’t know which category you fall into?

You’re probably burning money right now without even knowing it.

🎯 Want a marketing system built specifically for your trade that actually gets results?

👉 Book a Free Demo Call: https://contractormarketingpros.net/calendar

We help contractors get found online, generate quality leads, and dominate their local markets.

Let’s build your machine.

🔔 Subscribe for more no-fluff contractor marketing content every week.

📞 Questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out directly.

Thanks for watching. Now let’s go get some leads. 💥

Links & Resources:

Instagram:

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dan.antonelli

Website: https://www.kickcharge.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danantonelli/

You can have the best marketing, the sharpest website, and the biggest ad budget — but if your team can’t handle the call when a homeowner picks up the phone, you’re throwing money away.

That’s the hard truth from Brigham Dickinson, founder of Power Selling Pros, a company that’s trained thousands of CSRs and dispatchers across HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies to turn phone calls into booked jobs.

In this episode, Brigham and Mauricio dig into how most contractors lose half their marketing ROI before the customer ever meets a technician — and why AI won’t save you if your team lacks empathy, emotional intelligence, and training.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

- The Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald’s analogy — how contractors must choose between volume and loyalty.

- Why AI is powerful but not personal — how to blend automation with human connection to win customers for life.

- The 3 emotional needs of every customer: they want to feel understood, cared about, and reassured.

- Why training your CSRs delivers a higher ROI than buying more leads.

- How to build accountability and culture in an age of call recordings, AI monitoring, and private equity.

- The secret to doubling your booked calls without spending another dollar on marketing.

Whether you’re running a $2M business or a $50M operation, this conversation will show you that every call is a sales opportunity — and that in a noisy, AI-driven world, empathy is your ultimate competitive edge.

📝 Episode Notes / Key Takeaways

- Every contractor eventually realizes: the customer experience starts on the first ring.

- AI should enhance, not replace, your people.

- Train CSRs like athletes — give them scripts, feedback, and repetition.

- Empathy + accountability = predictable booking rates.

- The contractors who win aren’t the cheapest — they’re the ones who make homeowners feel understood.

- Great service doesn’t cost more; it pays more.

Links & Resources:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigham-dickinson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/power.sellingpros/

Website: https://powersellingpros.com/

Contractors love to chase new leads. But according to Joshua Crouch, CEO of Relentless Digital, the real growth is hiding in the opportunities you’re already generating — and AI is the key to unlocking it.

In this episode, Josh explains why most contractors don’t have a lead problem, they have a conversion problem. From missed calls to poor booking rates to weak follow-up, the real leaks in your business are operational — and they can all be fixed with the right mix of AI and automation.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

- The cost of missed calls: why 15–17% of leads never even get answered, and how AI-powered callbacks can capture them instantly.

- Speed-to-lead + AI: why responding in under 30 seconds — with automated text, email, and voicemail — changes the game.

- Follow-up that actually works: how AI-driven campaigns nurture prospects for 7–14 days without annoying them.

- Reactivation campaigns: Josh’s case study of booking 283 jobs and nearly $300K in revenue by reactivating old customers — all without a single new lead.

- Google Business Profile + reviews: how AI tools help optimize listings, repurpose reviews into content, and boost local SEO rankings.

- Automation vs. AI: why automation saves you hundreds of hours, and AI makes the messaging sharper, faster, and more effective.

- The future of contracting: how AI + automation will connect every piece of your tech stack — lowering overhead, improving accountability, and helping contractors scale.

Whether you’re at $2M or $20M, this episode will show you how to stop wasting leads, harness AI and automation, and finally build a business that grows smarter — not just bigger.

📝 Key Takeaways / Show Notes:

- Most contractors don’t need more leads — they need to book more of the ones they already have.

- AI can help catch missed calls and inquiries instantly.

- Persistent, automated follow-up for 7–14 days drives huge gains in booked jobs.

- Database reactivation is one of the cheapest, fastest levers to pull for growth.

- Google Business Profile is a goldmine — and AI can help optimize, post, and manage reviews consistently.

- Automation saves time; AI sharpens the message. Together, they turn operations into a growth engine.

- Align your agency + CRM + operations to track true booking rates and conversion metrics.

- Future contractors will be tech-enabled companies where AI handles the busywork so people can focus on high-value tasks.

📌 If your service is urgent (roof leaks, burst pipes, no AC)… Google and LSA will feed your crew.

📌 If your service is visual, emotional, or aspirational (remodeling, painting, windows, flooring)… Meta and YouTube are your goldmine.

📌 And if you don’t know which category you fall into?

You’re probably burning money right now without even knowing it.

🎯 Want a marketing system built specifically for your trade that actually gets results?

👉 Book a Free Demo Call: https://contractormarketingpros.net/calendar

We help contractors get found online, generate quality leads, and dominate their local markets.

Let’s build your machine.

🔔 Subscribe for more no-fluff contractor marketing content every week.

📞 Questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out directly.

Thanks for watching. Now let’s go get some leads. 💥

Links & Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentless_digital/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-crouch/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.e.crouch/

Website: https://www.relentless-digital.com/

Most contractors struggle with sales — not because homeowners don’t want to buy, but because their reps have been trained the wrong way.

That’s where Chuck Thokey, founder of Top Rep Training, comes in. Chuck is one of the few sales coaches in the home improvement industry with access to millions of sales recordings and AI-driven data, which he uses to separate sales myths from sales truths. His bold belief: sales is easy… if you stop doing it the wrong way.

In this episode, Chuck and Mauricio break down:

- Why most sales training is broken — and how outdated tactics like “mirroring” and “yes trains” actually lower your close rate.

- The difference between selling wants vs. needs — and why aspirational sales (windows, baths, kitchens) are often easier than emergency services.

- How Top Rep uses AI role-play simulators and call analysis tools like Rilla and Ciro to train reps on tonality, body language, and the real conversations happening in homes.

- Why lead aggregators like HomeAdvisor aren’t the enemy — and the exact system Chuck used at Able Roofing to convert those leads into profitable sales.

- The “COVID companies” problem: why so many contractors who grew during the pandemic are now failing, and what separates the companies that survive from those that don’t.

- Why success starts with leadership, not just top reps — and why making your best closer the sales manager is often a big mistake.

- How to use marketing rebates as a powerful sales tool to lower price resistance and generate reviews, photos, and referrals.

- Chuck’s case study of Expert Roofing in Portland — how they went from struggling after 30+ years in business to opening three new locations in just over a year with the right process.

Whether you’re a $2M contractor trying to break through the ceiling, or a $50M operator looking to make your sales team more consistent, Chuck’s insights on sales leadership, training, and AI will give you a clear playbook to improve closing rates and scale smarter.

👉 This is a must-listen if you’ve ever wondered why your sales team underperforms — and what it actually takes to fix it.