In this episode, Harvey walks through what 37 years in residential design actually teaches you: why firms die during booms more than busts, how he watched the best firm in Colorado go from 35 people to three, and why he made a deliberate decision early on to stop growing when it felt right and stay there.

We get into his fully collaborative model, where contractors and interior designers are in the room from day one and share in the design, not just the budget. Harvey also gives a clear-eyed take on AI in architecture, where it's already saving real time and where it won't touch the creative work anytime soon. And he makes a case most residential builders won't want to hear: that smaller homes produce better families, better clients, and better buildings, and that the industry's obsession with square footage has been a losing game for livability.

Guest: Harvey Hine — Founding Principal, HMH Architecture and Interiors

Host: Owen Gagne

Sponsor: Plutus Agents — Custom workflows. Built for your team.

We get into how they validated the idea through a small business bootcamp, built out an affiliate network of indoor environmental professionals, and are now piloting with a remediator referral network so that an alert in Kansas City doesn't dead-end because they're based in South Carolina. Ben walks through the three types of homeowners they encounter, why the industry trained techs to never say the word mold and how that creates a real sales headwind, and how to explain the product to a homeowner without triggering alarm or skepticism. The smoke detector analogy is the right one, and he explains why.

We also touch on their 12-month goals, the dream of embedding the sensor inside an OEM heat pump at the factory, and a new vertical they're quietly testing through a USDA lab.

Guest: Ben Lagrange — Co-Founder, AirGuard

Host: Owen Gagne

Sponsor: Plutus Agents — Custom workflows. Built for your team.

In this episode, Aimee breaks down what a real builder-brokerage partnership looks like, why pricing new construction is a psychology problem before it's a math problem, and the single most common mistake smaller builders make when they go to market: listing everything at once. If you're a builder trying to understand why your homes are sitting while comparable projects sell, this one is worth the full listen.

Guest: Aimee Zhang — Real Residential

Host: Owen Gagne

Sponsor: Plutus Agents — Custom workflows. Built for your team.

Chad works with operators coming out of demanding W2 careers, walks them through a 30-day ramp, and then steps back once they're stable. We talk about what the first 90 days of ownership actually looks like, the three habits that separate the operators who scale from the ones who stall, and why Chad thinks fear, not skill, is the single biggest drag on growth.

We also get into what "follow the system" actually means as a discipline, why the owner-as-operator model breaks down fast past 100 customers, and how an AI agent handles booking, pricing, and credit card capture at 11pm so the owner doesn't have to. If you run a service business and you're still the one answering the phone, this episode is for you.

Guest: Chad Harrison — Franchise Development, DoodyCalls (Authority Brands)

Host: Owen Gagne

Sponsor: Plutus Agents — Custom workflows. Built for your team.

We get into how Synergy3 started, the mindset shift that unlocked growth, and the practical operating moves he’s making now: CTO-first thinking, getting out of scattered tools, building systems that fit the business, and using AI to remove time-wasting admin (including an AI agent that automates New Jersey permit applications).

We close with Alek’s view on what the next era of HVAC winners will do differently — and why he thinks the best operators will be the best trainers.

Guest: Alek Ivanov — Synergy3

Host: Owen Gagne

Sponsor: Plutus Agents — Custom workflows. Built for your team.

We cover the sustainability niche she planted a flag in 30 years ago, how that compounded into a media career (TV, books, speaking), and the exact playbook a builder can use to stand out today. Then we get into AI: why construction is a tech laggard, what the 18–24 month window looks like for operators who move now, and her 90% rule for managing luxury clients without blowing up projects.

Guest: Lori Dennis — Interior Designer, Builder & Founder, Lori Dennis Inc.

Host: Owen Gagne

Sponsor: Plutus Agents — Custom workflows. Built for your team.

Find Lori: loridennis.com

Find Owen: LinkedIn

We cover his path from the Army into field work, sales, and leadership. Then we get into the 80/20 sales lesson that changed how he thinks, why so many contractors stay stuck in owner-operator mode, and the early warning signs that a company is growing faster than its systems can handle. Brian also explains why follow-up is still one of the biggest advantages in the trades, why knowing your market value matters more than chasing every deal, and why adaptability will separate the next generation of winners from the ones that get left behind.

We get into how K&H has overhauled its operations: digitizing forms, tightening scheduling, holding suppliers accountable, and building a training-first culture that drives consistency across the team. Robert also shares how he thinks about AI in construction, where systems help, where the human element still wins, and what controlled, healthy growth actually looks like when you're pushing into a more competitive market.