The $2.2 Million Lesson Every Home Service Owner Should Hear - Chris Lee Profit & Grit With Tyler podcast

The $2.2 Million Lesson Every Home Service Owner Should Hear - Chris Lee

9d ago 47:10

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Most owners think growth is the prize. Chris Lee says growth without discipline is what bankrupts you.

Chris went from six locations in his first year to bankruptcy and $2.2 million in debt. Ten years later, he built Solgen, a solar and roofing company, and sold it for $233 million in just five years. In this episode, he shares how ego nearly cost him everything, why designing a five-year roadmap before hiring is critical, and how charging premium prices actually created loyalty instead of pushback.

We get into the hard lessons from running on bank balance accounting, the turning point when he learned to live debt-free, and how his PEAS framework—physical health, economic strength, associations, and spirituality—transformed culture and kept his team engaged. Chris also explains why owners in the trades must stop copying the shop down the street, how to hit real margins instead of scraping by at 35 percent, and why future-proofing your business means leading with numbers, not appearances.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Why scaling too fast without discipline can bury you in debt
• How ego destroys businesses faster than bad math
• The five-year roadmap strategy that sets up sustainable growth
• Why premium pricing creates stronger margins and more loyal customers
• The hidden danger of running a business by bank balance instead of real numbers
• How living debt-free shaped Solgen’s path to a nine-figure exit
• The PEAS framework and why investing in people beyond paychecks builds loyalty
• Why most trades shops run too thin at 35–40 percent margins and how to aim for 55–60
• The shift from working in the business to designing one that runs without you
• Chris’s lesson: design first, then scale, or the grind will break you

More From Profit & Grit

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Follow the show for weekly interviews with HVAC, plumbing, and home service owners and experts who share what it really takes to grow, scale, and profit in the trades.

If you listen to any of the following shows, we’re sure you’ll love ours too!
To The Point Home Services Podcast, Toolbox for the Trades, Masters of Home Service, Home Service Business Coach With David Moerman, BlueCollar.CEO, The Home Service Expert Podcast, Next Level Pros, Blue Collar Business Podcast, Home Service Millionaire with Mike Andes, The Contractor Fight with Tom Reber and Blue Collar Success Group

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Chapters

1. From Bankruptcy to Nine-Figure Exit (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Unit Economics and Margins (00:05:42)

3. Ego's Role in Business Failure (00:09:13)

4. Learning Through Working for Others (00:12:39)

5. Designing Business with the End-Goal (00:20:30)

6. The PEAS Framework for Company Culture (00:25:56)

7. High-Margin Strategy for Home Services (00:35:13)

8. Future-Proofing with AI Integration (00:40:04)

31 episodes