We’re excited to share that HVAC Quote founder Marko Sipila recently joined Lance Bachmann on the Exit Rich Podcast to talk about the realities of building and scaling home service businesses.
At just 23 years old, Marko is the founder of CoatingLaunch and HVAC Quote, two companies changing the way contractors grow. In this episode, he and Lance dig into what it really takes to scale, from owning your results to spending aggressively on marketing and mastering lead follow-up.
👉 Watch the full episode here: Exit Rich Podcast with Marko Sipila
Key Takeaways from the Episode
💡 Stop Making Excuses, Start Owning It
Growth starts with accountability. If you’re pointing fingers, you’re staying stuck. Take responsibility, make the hard decisions, and watch your business break through ceilings.
💡 Spend the Money to Win
Contractors who are winning big aren’t holding back. They’re investing heavily in Google Ads and Facebook Ads—often in the millions annually. Smart ad spend is the fuel for hitting $10M+ revenue milestones.
💡 Speed to Lead is Everything
At LB Capital, Lance’s team touches new leads 17 times in the first week—10 times on Day 1. Compare that to most contractors who barely follow up, and you see why the winners dominate. If you don’t have a relentless follow-up system, you’re leaving piles of cash on
the table.
Extended Highlights & Lessons
Take Responsibility & Own Your Outcomes
Lance and Marko don’t sugar‑coat it: if your business is flatlining, the problem probably starts in the mirror. Throughout the episode they hammer home that excuses are cheap and accountability is priceless. Stop blaming the economy, your team or the competition. Own your numbers, make the hard calls and you’ll blow past the glass ceilings that keep most contractors at $2 million in revenue forever.
Invest Aggressively in Marketing
Want to hit eight figures? You need to spend like a company that’s aiming for eight figures. Marko talks about managing a million‑dollar‑a‑month ad budget across his clients and Lance candidly shares that the contractors who are crushing it are plowing serious cash into Google and Facebook. Ads are an investment, not a cost. Penny‑pinching on marketing is the quickest way to guarantee you’ll stay small.
Master Speed‑to‑Lead & Relentless Follow‑Up
The difference between winners and everyone else often comes down to follow‑up. Lance reveals that his team touches a new lead 10 times on the first day and 17 times in the first week. Most contractors might send a single text and call it a day. Guess who gets the job? If you’re not willing to be “annoyingly helpful” by calling, texting, emailing and re‑targeting until you get an answer, you might as well donate your ad budget to your competitors.
Use Tools & Systems to Beat Rising Costs
Both Lance and Marko admit that Facebook, Google and LSAs are getting more expensive and more complicated. The solution isn’t to whine — it’s to out‑system everyone else. Use aggregators, direct mail and brand‑building to hedge against rising CPMs. And implement technology like the HVAC Quote instant‑quote tool so visitors can self‑qualify and book without talking to anyone. More conversions from the same traffic equals lower cost per lead.
Scale Beyond the Agency Model
Marko confesses that running an agency was just a stepping‑stone. He used client budgets to master digital marketing, then built products (like HVACQuote.ai) that scale beyond selling hours. The takeaway for contractors? Don’t be afraid to evolve your business model. Use the cash flow from services to fund assets and software that create leverage.
Ready to Implement?
If this episode lit a fire under you, channel that energy into action. Embed the HVAC Quote tool on your site, audit your follow‑up process and commit to spending what it takes to win. When you’re serious about scaling, schedule a strategy call with our team and we’ll show you how to put these principles to work in your own business.