Automation isn’t the future—it’s happening right now. The question is: will you dominate with it, or be dominated by those who do?

In this high-energy Can’t Stop the Growth showdown, Chad Peterman goes head-to-head with Tommy Mello to tackle one of the hottest topics in home services: automation. From call centers to lead follow-up, recruiting, and customer experience, you’ll hear exactly how the industry’s top leaders are leveraging AI and automation to scale faster, serve better, and protect their culture.

Here’s what you’ll take away from this conversation:

• Speed to Lead = Speed to Cash – Why contacting customers within 60 seconds changes everything

• Automation Protects Culture – Tools that reduce chaos while empowering your people

• Measure What Matters – Focusing on booked calls, conversions, and retention over vanity metrics

• Small Wins Stack Fast – How market leaders test, tweak, and iterate daily

👉 Want the full Automation Playbook from this event? It’s available exclusively inside The Arena. Join today and grab your copy: https://cantstopthegrowth.com

Connect with Chad:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-m-peterman/

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

Learn more about: Chad Peterman - https://chadmpeterman.com/

Peterman Brothers - https://www.petermancareers.com/

The People Forward Network - https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/

Key Takeaways:

• Automation Is About Efficiency, Not Replacement
  AI isn’t here to take jobs—it’s here to make your people more efficient, freeing them up to focus on problem-solving and customer care.

• Speed to Lead = Speed to Cash
  Contacting a lead within 60 seconds can 4x your chances of booking. After five minutes, conversion drops sharply.

• Customer Experience Can Be Automated Without Losing the Human Touch
  Chad’s “owner handshake” videos show how automation can scale personal connection and protect company culture.

• Recruiting Needs Automation Too
  Automated follow-ups with tech applicants increase engagement and keep the pipeline full, even when candidates respond after hours.

• AB Testing Is the Secret Weapon
  Tommy stressed that no automation is “set it and forget it.” Constant testing and tweaking can double results.

• Don’t Chase Every Shiny Tool
  Start small, focus on one business problem, and find the right partners to implement practical solutions.

• AI in Call Centers Is a Game-Changer
  At Peterman Brothers, 40% of calls are now handled by AI, freeing CSRs to focus on high-value conversations and boosting booking rates.

Want a fresh perspective on how trades transform lives and communities? Start here.

In this special edition of Around the Campfire, Katie Donovan sits down with Ann Hill, President of African Children Today, and Richard Mutaawe, ACT’s on-site Program Director in Uganda. Together, they share how education, entrepreneurship, and trades training are creating lasting impact in one of the world’s hardest-hit regions.

From schools where every child finishes primary education to carpentry shops, welding programs, and local businesses that sustain jobs, this conversation highlights the universal power of the trades to change futures.

For HVAC, plumbing, and electrical leaders, it’s a reminder that the same values that grow your business—commitment, skill-building, and perseverance—are the very things that can transform communities worldwide.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about African Children Today

Connect with Katie Donovan on LinkedIn

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Join The ARENA - a CSTG Community (powered by our media partner, PeopleForward Network)

Chad on LinkedIn

Chad Peterman | CEO | Author

Peterman Brothers Website

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• Trades = Transformation – Carpentry, welding, and vocational skills lift entire families out of poverty.
• Education That Delivers – Every ACT student completes primary school, compared to 1 in 10 nationally.
• Small Business, Big Impact – Local bakeries and shops create jobs and fund schools.
• 100% to the Mission – A zero-overhead model ensures that every U.S. donation goes directly to Uganda.
• Shared Values = Shared Growth – The same principles that fuel trade business success in the U.S. are transforming communities abroad.

Every HVAC, plumbing, and electrical business hits the same wall: material costs balloon, trucks run short, and cash flow becomes unpredictable. In this episode of Can’t Stop the Growth, Chad Peterman sits down with Dave Wigder, co-founder of Ply, to explore how contractors can take control of their inventory and purchasing to unlock massive growth.

Dave shares how Ply was built to give contractors visibility into their warehouses, trucks, and purchasing, while eliminating dead stock, wasted billable hours, and costly supply runs. He also explains how AI and supplier integrations are changing the future of materials management.

If you’re leading a service business and want to stop losing money due to inefficiency, this conversation will provide you with the playbook to scale smarter.

Additional Resources:

Dave on LinkedIn

Learn more about Ply

Join The ARENA - a CSTG Community (powered by our media partner, PeopleForward Network) Chad on LinkedIn
Chad Peterman | CEO | Author
Peterman Brothers Website
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Learn more about PeopleForward Network

• Materials Eat Profits – For many contractors, 20–35% of revenue goes to materials, yet most lack visibility or control over that spend.
• Data Beats Gut Decisions – Centralizing purchasing and inventory data allows contractors to be proactive, avoid last-minute supply runs, and unlock supplier discounts.
• Dead Stock Is a Hidden Tax – Unused parts in trucks and warehouses quietly erode cash flow. Ply’s system helps uncover and eliminate it.
• Billable Hours Are Gold – Every supply house run can cost six figures annually across multiple techs. Smarter inventory keeps techs in the field.
• AI Is the Future of the Trades – From voice-driven field requests to automated replenishment, AI is reshaping how contractors manage their operations.