Mission Control

Podcast

Mike interviews Danny Shannon from Australia, who shares his journey from heroin addiction starting at age 15 to achieving 16 years of sobriety. Danny discusses early recovery challenges, daily accountability practices, and his therapeutic app Encapsulator, which allows users to record video messages to their future selves for personal growth tracking.

At the 2026 IRE, AJ Briley, CEO of ProLine, and Mike discuss the ‘high floor’ strategy for business growth focusing on unscalable, local work that builds strong foundations. They explore ProLine’s evolution into a conversational platform, warn against AI red flags in the current gold rush, and reveal the key filter needed before implementing new technology with customers.

Mike Stearns interviews Pete McKendrick, Product Strategy Lead at Roofr, about the roofing industry’s challenges heading into 2026. They discuss strategies for surviving slow periods without storm-driven sales, the importance of business diversification into siding and gutters, and how AI-powered search engines are changing customer acquisition costs and homeowner behavior.

In this episode of the Mission Control podcast, host Mike sits down with Michael Gogan, Vice President of Sales at Alivo, to explore how AI agents are transforming the roofing and home services industry. Gogan explains how Alivo’s AI agents, Lily and Evan, solve the critical problem of unanswered calls by handling voice calls, appointment booking, and automated text follow-ups. The discussion includes strategic advice for 2026, emphasizing efficient lead intake and building trust through localized video testimonials.

In this episode of the Mission Control Podcast, Mike sits down with Nick Peret, founder of Better Boss, to discuss how AI and automation are reshaping the roofing industry. Nick shares his journey from running a lead generation company to building Better Boss and developing tools like Roof GPT that help contractors save time, increase close rates, and eliminate the stress of endless follow-ups. They explore the biggest pain points roofers face and why contractors who embrace AI tools will have a serious advantage in the years ahead.

Mike interviews Aaron Weiche, CEO of Leadferno, about how SMS and omni-channel messaging help service businesses and contractors convert more website traffic into closed deals. They discuss why modern consumers prefer texting over email and phone calls, the importance of fast response times, and how slow communication is killing leads. The episode also includes a website walkthrough showing design strategies to build trust and create multiple conversion paths for roofing leads.

Mike sits down with Mike Blumenthal, a leading expert in Local SEO and Google Business Profiles, to explore the evolving digital landscape. They discuss Google’s changing local search algorithms, ranking factors for Google Business Profiles, and how new players like Apple and ChatGPT are disrupting the industry. The conversation covers why local SEO is changing, the impact of fake reviews, and the growing importance of brand signals and user behavior in search visibility.

In this episode of The Mission Control Podcast, Mike sits down with Jon Cater from The Creators Den to dive deep into the world of TikTok. With the platform making headlines recently after a short-lived government ban, Mike and Jon explore the controversy surrounding TikTok’s future. They break down the role of government intervention, debate whether such actions were justified, discuss TikTok’s unique business model, and share insights into how creators are leveraging the platform to make money.

Mike chats with Ashley Seebald, Content Editor and Proofreader at Ascend, about crafting engaging, SEO-driven content that gets results. They explore content creation best practices, common pitfalls to avoid, and the evolving role of AI in content creation. The conversation covers AI’s benefits and challenges, plus what the future of content might look like for creators.

In this episode of the Mission Control Podcast, Mike sits down with Tim Brown, Founder and CEO of Hook Agency, to discuss their top five predictions for contractor marketing in 2025. They explore the growing influence of artificial intelligence, the evolving role of SEO in the digital landscape, and forward-thinking strategies to help contractors stay ahead of the curve.

Mike sits down with Nick Peret, CEO of Better Boss, a company revolutionizing the construction industry with Fractional CTO services. They dive deep into the evolution of the roofing industry, tackling why some resist change and how to overcome common challenges. From optimizing CRMs and managing time effectively as a business owner to spotting red flags when hiring agencies, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Mike interviews Nick Capobianco from Roofr about how their platform transforms roofing businesses through automation and instant estimation tools. They discuss the benefits of Roofr’s technology for roofing companies and explore marketing strategies to increase traffic. The conversation covers automation importance, content creation, and practical steps companies can take to improve their business operations.

Mike is joined by entrepreneur Matthew Danskin, who has played roles in companies like The Building Experts Institute, Boom Institute, and Restoration Referral System. Matt teaches restoration contractors how to develop productive referral relationships and shares insights into producing high-quality online instructional content. The conversation explores AI, the future of technology, and the challenges of raising children in the digital age.

Mike is joined by guest Jonathan Cater to review a list of the top 10 best jobs in 2024 and share their thoughts on each position. The list is heavily focused on the tech sector, covering roles from data scientists to content creators.

Mike interviews Stephen Spence, Managing Director at Project Map It, about leveraging software to increase contractor sales. They discuss how many contractors underutilize their CRM and software capabilities, only scratching the surface of what’s possible. The conversation emphasizes the importance of proper training and maximizing software benefits as businesses grow to avoid future operational headaches.

Mike Stearns answers 18 audience-submitted questions covering digital marketing topics, AI in marketing, Google Ads vs Local Services ROI, website building strategies, and client branding challenges. The episode features a mix of serious marketing insights and lighthearted personal questions about his hair and lifestyle.

Mike explores key strategies to outrank competitors on Google search results. He covers thorough keyword research, content optimization, building high-quality backlinks, and enhancing user experience. The episode includes actionable steps to improve website visibility and authority, plus the importance of tracking performance metrics and making data-driven adjustments.

Host Mike is joined by Eric Richardson of Roofing Specialists for an enlightening conversation on website optimization, SEO strategies, and leveraging blog posts for business growth. They dive deep into digital marketing and branding, discussing the importance of outsourcing work, effective rebranding tricks, and the power of AB testing to maximize results. The episode also covers unique challenges of sales in the roofing industry and offers valuable insights into achieving work-life balance.

Mike interviews Travis Harvego from Roofle about the future of roofing estimates. Travis shares his 10+ years of contracting industry experience and discusses how Roofle’s software generates roofing estimates directly on contractor websites. The conversation covers finding the right customers, business budgeting, training processes, and roofing industry events.

Mike interviews Ryan Fontaine of RoofHawk about his innovative AI technology that’s revolutionizing roof inspections. RoofHawk uses AI-powered drones to fly over roofs, instantly identify damage, and communicate findings back to roofers for seamless, risk-free inspections. The technology makes roof inspections more accessible, safer, and efficient for the roofing industry.