What does it actually take to launch a service business from scratch — with no experience, no safety net, and a $300K loan hanging over your head?

In this episode, Aaron sits down with Greg, the first-ever franchisee of Bumble Roofing, who pulled off a $1.3M first year while navigating newborn life, quitting his job, and going all in on building something from nothing.

If you’re thinking about buying a franchise, escaping the corporate grind, or building in the home services space — this is the real talk you won’t get from a sales deck.

👉 Subscribe for more stories from real operators scaling service businesses the hard way.

⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters:
0:00 – Welcome & how they connected
1:00 – Greg’s background (sales, baseball, baby)
2:30 – Why roofing? Why franchising?
6:00 – Choosing Bumble & being franchisee #1
9:00 – Starting from zero: no systems, no safety net
12:00 – What surprised him most about franchising
14:00 – “No one cares about you at first”
17:00 – Revenue numbers & real startup pressure
20:00 – What lead sources actually worked
22:30 – The broken franchise buying experience
26:00 – $300K SBA loan and the real risk
28:00 – The myth of passive ownership
32:30 – Early wins, winter collapse, and surviving
35:00 – Benefits of the franchise system
38:00 – Sharing wins across franchisees
43:00 – Roofing vs. power washing
45:30 – Newborn + new business = pressure cooker
48:00 – Mental health and founder loneliness
51:00 – How Aaron built Rolling Suds differently
55:00 – Greg’s long-term vision: $25M+
59:30 – Going deep instead of wide
1:02:00 – Final thoughts + where to follow Greg

📲 Follow Greg:
Instagram – @gregmgeezy

After scaling an HVAC company from ≈$3 M to ≈$6 M in two years—and deciding to hand day‑to‑day control to a CEO so he could get back on the road in his RV—Austin Linney sits down with host Aaron Harper to unpack:

why doubling revenue isn’t worth it if you’re doubling misery

the moment he realized the business now needed “boring consistency,” not more fireworks

building a Navy SEAL consulting team that only works with founders who value life as highly as EBITDA

sober entrepreneurship, panic attacks, and leaving “good” behind for “great”

how rejecting the wrong commercial contracts can save a company

practical frameworks for resource allocation, founder energy audits and carving out a role you actually love

Timestamps
Time Topic
00:00 Aaron’s intro & why this episode matters for fast‑growth founders
02:14 Meeting internet friends IRL and Austin’s “relentless curiosity” about money‑making models
07:45 Focus + energy: why most owners fail (Aaron’s resource‑allocation rant)
12:30 Austin on stepping out of sales, installing a CEO & choosing “boring consistency”
18:55 Commercial vs. residential work — the hidden risk of whale hunting
25:40 Cash‑flow velocity, client selection & walking away from red flags
33:05 Austin’s back‑story: hospitality, Airbnb, meth addiction, six years sober
41:10 Building the Navy SEAL consulting trio (people, process, ops)
48:30 Founder loneliness, masterminds & creating your own tribe
55:00 The 5 Types of Wealth & designing a life that scores on more than money
1:04:45 Aaron’s travel dilemma, kids, and the “10 good years” rule
1:15:20 Rapid‑fire wrap‑up + where to find Austin

Paul Tran has built restaurants from scratch, scaled multi-unit franchises, and helped national brands go global. In this episode, he joins Aaron Harper to talk about what it really takes to grow a franchise system responsibly—without losing your soul. From launching The Halal Guys in Southern California to his newest venture with Pepper Lunch, Paul unpacks the wins, the losses, and the frameworks behind smart, sustainable growth.

00:00 – Intro
Paul joins the show after some behind-the-scenes issues (and laughs it off like a pro).

00:51 – How Paul and Aaron Met Online
Their “Twitter friendship” and mutual journey in franchising.

03:00 – Crawfish, College, and First-Time Founder Moves
Paul’s first restaurant—and the ignorance that helped him win.

05:00 – Entering Franchising at France Mart
Working under Dan Rowe, early franchise deals, and learning the ropes.

08:30 – Discovering Pepper Lunch
Why the concept blew Paul away—and how he became a franchisee and consultant.

10:00 – Unit Economics Breakdown
Labor-light operations, higher build-out costs, and long-term profitability.

15:00 – Franchise Sales is Not Like Other Sales
Paul and Aaron reflect on their early struggles closing deals and qualifying candidates.

21:00 – The Private Equity Debate
How PE changes incentives—and why responsible growth matters more than ever.

32:00 – Building in Public
Aaron and Paul talk about the power of transparency, trust, and organic marketing.

43:00 – Scaling with Strategy
How content reduced CAC, funded an executive team, and attracted better franchisees.

47:00 – What’s Next for Paul
Plans for expanding Pepper Lunch and staying connected to responsible franchising.

50:00 – Real Numbers: Costs & Revenue
Paul shares candid details about store costs, staff size, and what makes Pepper Lunch work.

56:00 – Final Thoughts + Where to Find Paul
Why good franchising needs better storytelling—and how to connect with Paul online.