Stop asking "how" to solve a problem and start asking "who" is the right person to solve it. Shifting your mindset to hiring A+ players who can take ownership of outcomes is the key to unlocking the next level of growth and freeing up your own time.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, identify top operators in non-competing industries who excel at a specific function (e.g., Yelp marketing). Offer value upfront, like buying their team lunch, in exchange for an hour of their time to learn their exact playbook.
Tommy Mello's father taught him a core lesson by making him negotiate for a CB radio as a child: you must not be afraid of rejection. The act of asking, even when it seems unreasonable, opens doors and creates possibilities you wouldn't otherwise have.
Simple vocabulary changes can dramatically alter customer perception. Replace "cost" with "investment," "most expensive" with "top of the line," and "cheapest" with "builder grade." This frames the purchase around value and quality, not just price, which is a key principle taught at A1 Garage Door.
Even while generating $30M in revenue, Tommy Mello invested $35K in a professional rebrand. The new, trustworthy brand identity immediately attracted a line of qualified job applicants and created a stronger market presence, proving brand is a critical investment even for established businesses.
Technicians offer to bring customers a coffee or donut on their way to a service call. This small, unexpected act of kindness triggers the rule of reciprocity, making customers more receptive and dramatically increasing the likelihood and size of a sale. It's a simple, scalable way to build instant rapport.
Unlike the typical "shadow our best guy for two weeks" model, elite service companies build a culture of continuous training. Constant practice in sales, efficiency, and customer interaction—similar to how athletes train for a game—is what separates them from the competition and ensures consistency.
When you're wearing multiple hats as a founder, the first step to effective delegation is identifying and offloading the tasks you dread doing, such as payroll. This not only frees up your time for high-leverage activities but also dramatically increases your day-to-day job satisfaction and energy.
Instead of just asking for discounts, ask your major vendors about their internal goals, bonus structures, and objectives. By understanding their needs (e.g., product mix targets), you can help them achieve their goals in exchange for better pricing, rebates, and terms, creating a true win-win.
Tommy Mello realized his scrappy, "do-it-all" hustler mentality, which built the business, was preventing it from scaling. He had to consciously shift to a systems-oriented leader, focusing on processes and delegation to enable massive growth, stating "the hustler had to die for the leader to be born."
Growth required a mentor, Al Levy, who demanded absolute focus. He forced Tommy Mello to stop reading new books, turn off his phone, and dedicate himself solely to building systems and manuals. This disciplined, singular focus was necessary to escape operational chaos and scale the business.
Tommy Mello's "Home Service Freedom" event and media brand isn't just a side hustle. It serves as a powerful M&A pipeline, allowing him to build relationships with and identify top operators in adjacent industries. It's a strategic way to "date them before we get married" through acquisition.