Mission Control

Podcast

In this episode of the Mission Control Podcast, Mike sits down with Aaron Christy to discuss the growth of Indy Roof & Restoration and the specific marketing strategies used to dominate the Indianapolis market. A major focus is placed on leveraging real estate agents as power partners to generate high-quality leads with a $0 cost per acquisition. Aaron also breaks down his Google review hacks and modern sales approaches, emphasizing character-driven hiring to avoid sleazy tactics and ensuring long-term brand trust.

In this episode of the Mission Control Podcast, Mike sits down with Chris Zimmerman, co-founder of Master Your Craft, where they teach contractors how to fish to proactively protect homeowners and advance the roofing industry. Chris shares his long-sighted philosophy on building a sustainable business, detailing how he pivoted his company from 90% storm restoration to 70% retail by prioritizing systems, core values, and strategic partnerships over short-term gratification. The conversation offers a masterclass in protecting your reputation and achieving long-term success in the roofing space through mastering sales psychology and strategic partnerships.

Mike sits down with Matt Grassmyer, Director of Outside Sales at HailTrace, to discuss mastering customer acquisition in roofing before, during, and after storms. Matt explains why roofing companies shouldn’t wait for weather to hit before seeking opportunities and emphasizes building brand awareness year-round. He shares strategies for using technology to monitor past customers’ neighborhoods, post-storm follow-up tactics, and creating purposeful content calendars.

In this episode of Mission Control, Mike Stearns sits down with Reggie Brock, Co-Founder of Propel, to discuss how his cultural operating system predicts performance by measuring how employees think and feel. Brock argues that traditional KPIs are merely history lessons, whereas his approach focuses on early detection of emotional lags that drive 90% of workplace performance. Using his Seed and Soil analogy, he explains that businesses must cultivate a healthy environment for talent to thrive, outlining six essential conditions for a sticky culture: clarity, communication, chemistry, collision, collaboration, and contribution.

Mike interviews Sheldon Murphy from TSM Roofing and Raymond Wendell Little from Perimeter Roofing about recruiting top sales talent and scaling roofing businesses. They discuss different approaches to hiring salespeople, transitioning from boss to leader in the 1099 model, and building high-performance cultures. The conversation covers why salespeople fail, motivating reps, and navigating industry challenges like insurance compliance.

Mike sits down with Jay Bradley, founder of Roof Nuts, to discuss building high-performing roofing sales teams. Jay shares strategies for hiring the right sales reps, training them to close deals quickly, and avoiding common costly mistakes that most roofing contractors make. The conversation covers cold calling, door-to-door lead generation, and proven sales training methods.

With over 40 years in sales, Ken Bianchi, Executive Vice President at Safetec, shares real sales leadership insights with Mike. They discuss what makes a great sales rep, how to build high-performing teams, managing personalities alongside pipelines, compensation strategies, accountability, and how technology is reshaping sales. Packed with wisdom for anyone scaling a sales team or looking to sharpen their sales edge.

Mike interviews legendary sales trainer Chuck Thokey, co-founder of TOP REP, for a masterclass in sales leadership. Chuck shares strategies for building high-performing sales teams, structuring effective meetings, and coaching reps through mindset blocks. He reveals how to build winning culture and drive higher close rates without micromanaging.

This special episode of The Mission Control Podcast compiles the best leadership insights from successful business owners who have built thriving companies. Learn how to manage and motivate sales teams, understand the key differences between managers and leaders, develop essential self-reflection skills, and measure effective leadership beyond just numbers.

In this episode, Mike interviews David Carroll, founder of DOPE Marketing, about effective direct mail campaigns for contracting companies. They discuss how to track direct mail success, avoid marketing agency pitfalls, understand customer metrics, and manage owner expectations. The conversation covers red flags to watch for when working with agencies and actionable strategies for business growth.

Mike sits down with Kasey Luft, founder of Clientric CRM Consulting, to explore how customized software solutions can help reduce business chaos. They discuss finding the perfect CRM for your business, identifying the ideal implementation time, and navigating the overwhelming number of market options. Kasey shares insights on how AI advancements are transforming CRM capabilities and breaks down expected costs for building tailored CRM solutions.

In this episode of the Mission Control podcast, Mike sits down with Jay Bradley of Roof Nuts to discuss cold calling services, door-to-door lead generation, and training for roofing companies. Jay shares expert advice on generating and closing leads, explains approaches for different personality types, and covers common mistakes in lead closing. They also discuss what roofing companies should consider before hiring a marketing company and how to work with them effectively.

In this episode, Mike invites Tim Brown, owner and CEO of Hook Agency, to discuss lead generation. Tim shares insightful tips on what you should be cautious about when buying seller leads. They also dive into the importance of referrals and why they should remain a significant focus even when business is booming.

Expert content coach Jonathan Cater interviews Mike Stearns about his journey in the contracting industry and the development of Ascend Digital Agency. They discuss cold-calling strategies, sales psychology, SEO tools, handling negative reviews, and the standards contractors should expect when working with digital agencies. Mike shares insights on building converting ads, creating content, establishing trust in the roofing industry, and growing businesses with and without marketing companies.

Mike interviews Kasey Luft of Clientric CRM Consulting about optimizing CRM systems to streamline and automate sales processes. They discuss choosing the right CRM platform, leveraging CRM data to understand your business better, and getting your team on board with CRM implementation. Kasey shares the top 3 things to look for when selecting a CRM platform and strategies for increasing closing percentages.

Mike interviews Mat Smith from the I Drink from Skulls podcast about effective marketing strategies for roofers. Mat shares his expertise in Facebook ads, lead optimization, and creating irresistible marketing offers. They discuss testing strategies, expectations between Facebook and Google ads, sales optimization, and common marketing mistakes contractors make.

In this role-reversal episode, Nick Capobianco from Roofr interviews Mike about marketing strategies for roofing contractors. Nick, whose family owns a roofing business, asks the questions every contractor wants to know about effective marketing. They discuss industry insights, roofing leaders, and actionable marketing tactics for roofing businesses.

Leading a team of sales reps doesn’t have to be complicated. In this solo episode, Mike dives into how your sales reps need a leader and the importance of implementing the right systems and processes. Without leadership, things get unorganized and your business misses out on opportunities.

Mike interviews Corey Combes of SouthShore Roofing about the current state of the roofing industry and strategies for standing out in a competitive market. They discuss sales processes, marketing versus production, managing sales teams, and how to win customers even when you’re the more expensive option.

Mike interviews Chuck Allen, a roof sales expert who recently joined Business 411 to help roofing and home service businesses scale. They discuss building roofing companies from the ground up, sales strategies, and Chuck’s expertise in all aspects of roofing sales.