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A lot of people think running a plumbing company is all wrenches and water lines, but the real test starts when the job is done and the paperwork begins. We’re joined by Jason Judah, owner of Creative Mechanical Solutions Plumbing (CMS Plumbing) in Aztec, New Mexico, to talk about building a trusted trade business in the Four Corners and what it takes to compete when bigger names have bigger budgets.

Jason shares how he got his start in plumbing in Phoenix, why he came back home, and what surprised him most once he became the owner. We dig into the unglamorous reality of estimates, commercial bids, scheduling crews, and setting up systems so the office side doesn’t drown the field work. He also breaks down how a plumber has to think mechanically and plan ahead, from stocking the right materials to handling code-heavy commercial projects.

Because this is a rural market, we also talk septic system installation, leach fields, high water tables, environmental permits, and when above-ground berm systems come into play. Jason explains what marketing works in a small town, why word of mouth is everything, and how a smaller local contractor can beat big chain plumbing companies by being faster, more flexible, and more personal. We close with hard-earned lessons on pacing growth, branding, hiring and training, and why the skilled trades still offer one of the clearest paths to a strong living without a college degree.

If you like honest small business stories and practical advice for contractors, subscribe, share this with a friend in the trades, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Be sure to follow or subscribe! And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

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What happens when a disaster-response leader gets pulled back home by a family tragedy and suddenly has to run a deeply regulated health care company that shows up in people’s living rooms instead of a clinic? That’s the heart of our conversation with Vince Moffitt of Basin Health Companies, the locally owned provider serving Farmington and communities across Northwest New Mexico with home health care, hospice, and caregiving.

We get real about what “keeping seniors at home” actually requires: clinical standards, caregiver training, patient goals, and a documentation burden so strict that a small mistake in a chart can have massive consequences during a CMS audit. Vince also explains how breaking out of organizational silos and leaning on state and national associations helped drive a full cultural shift and earn five-star home health outcomes.

Then we dig into the money and policy forces shaping care, including Medicare reimbursement cuts and the growing influence of Medicare Advantage plans. Vince shares why denials and minimal approvals can leave patients without meaningful therapy, and why advocacy in Santa Fe and Washington, DC is not optional if communities want sustainable home-based care. We also touch palliative care expansion, rural health care logistics, and the unique cultural realities of serving Navajo Nation families with respect and clarity.

If you care about aging in place, hospice support, rural health care, or how local businesses survive in a world of national chains, listen now, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Be sure to follow or subscribe! And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

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Farmington’s streets are a living portfolio of local work, and Ram Studios has quietly shaped that look for 36 years. We sat down with Mike and Monica Mordecki to hear how a family-owned sign company goes from one early job and pure word of mouth to producing everything from vinyl decals and vehicle wraps to monument signs, pole signs, and major rebrands across the Four Corners.

We get specific about what “making signs” actually means: scheduling installers across a 250 to 300 mile radius, lining up digs and concrete, managing travel, keeping crews productive, and navigating permits and municipal regulations that can change from town to town. They also share why administration often becomes the real engine of a successful custom signage business, and how they’ve had to evolve their systems and project management software as their workload and complexity grew.

The conversation moves into the modern sign industry, where CNC routing, robotic letter systems, LED message centers, and subscription-based software have replaced the older hand-painted world. One of the most useful takeaways for any business owner is their marketing lens: a sign is advertising, and advertising goes invisible when it never changes. We also talk about the hardest part of leadership, the challenge of employees, and the long-game lesson of building a life that includes time away from work.

If you care about small business, local branding, and what it takes to grow in Farmington NM and the Four Corners region, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a local owner who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Be sure to follow or subscribe! And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

Support the show