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The difference between a thriving home service business and one where the owner works endless hours isn't marketing or sales tactics—it's solid operational systems. Terry Nicholson, industry veteran and visionary behind Praxis S10, joins Crystal to reveal the hidden power of processes in creating sustainable growth.
Terry pulls back the curtain on what he calls "the hero trap"—that addictive feeling of being needed for every decision that eventually becomes a prison, preventing both business growth and personal freedom. "You're no longer building a company," Terry explains, "You're building a job that you can't replace yourself from." This resonates deeply with contractors caught in the daily grind of firefighting instead of strategic growth.
What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Terry's practical approach to implementation. Rather than overwhelming business owners with complex system overhauls, he advocates starting small: "Pick one thing that's going to have a major impact on your business and focus on that." He shares a powerful case study of a company that went from four consecutive months of losses to earning $183,000 in profit through implementing just two targeted processes.
The discussion takes a fascinating turn when exploring how processes intersect with hiring practices. Terry outlines his three-step framework for leadership success—hire the right people, educate them properly, and hold them accountable—while emphasizing the importance of finding team members whose values align with the company. As he puts it, "If you try to hire a duck and attempt to turn that duck into an eagle, what do you think the probability of success is going to be?"
For contractors looking to escape the daily grind while building more profitable businesses, this episode delivers actionable wisdom from someone who's helped countless home service companies make the transition from chaos to freedom through systems. The real question becomes: are you ready to work ON your business rather than IN it?

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