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Pricing, Self-Worth & the Trades: Why Most Service Businesses Stay Broke with Ellen Rohr #220
Manage episode 515222039 series 3525885
In this episode of Unemployable with Jeff Dudan, Jeff sits down with Ellen Rohr — industry icon, financial educator, and co-founder of Zoom Drain, former president of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, and current executive with ServiceTitan. Ellen shares her 40-year journey from cleaning up her husband’s plumbing business to leading multi-million-dollar brands that transformed the trades. 💡 She explains why most service companies fail not from inefficiency — but from being underpriced — and how confidence, clarity, and self-esteem drive true profitability. 💬 What You’ll Learn: Why “there’s no operational fix to being underpriced.” How self-esteem and pricing are deeply connected in business. The Great Game of Business and how open-book management empowers teams. The rise of private equity and consolidation in home services. Why AI will assist but not replace tradespeople. How to build a company worth selling — and when to let go. Why every entrepreneur should “default to love.” Ellen and Jeff also discuss confidence in sales, focusing on high-value work, and the future of AI, franchising, and the trades. This conversation is packed with actionable insight for every business owner ready to charge what they’re worth and build wealth with integrity. FREE COPY of Jeff's Book DISCERNMENT
Find out more About Jeff Dudan www.jeffdudan.com
Where to find Ellen Rohr:
ServiceTitan (Ellen’s role as advisor/executive)
🕒 Chapter Titles & Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Ellen Rohr’s incredible career in the trades 02:10 – The biggest problem in home-service businesses: underpricing 04:25 – Why lack of self-esteem keeps contractors broke 06:00 – Pride in the trades and the power of purpose 08:00 – Which trade is the most arrogant? (and why HVAC wins) 10:00 – How raising prices transformed entire industries 12:30 – The beauty of drain cleaning and micro-niches 14:40 – Finding purpose and self-awareness in business 16:10 – Comparison vs. curiosity — Jeff’s lesson on envy and learning 18:40 – Think bigger: Jeff’s bold advice for new entrepreneurs 23:00 – Teaching, mentorship, and compound growth 25:00 – Ellen’s philosophy on self-awareness and letting go of control 30:00 – Time-blocking, delegation, and freedom through structure 34:00 – Being replaceable is freeing: lessons from leadership 37:00 – The Great Game of Business and open-book management 42:00 – Pricing with confidence and believing in your value 49:00 – The copper elbow story — how underpricing hurts everyone 54:00 – Why consolidation and franchising are exploding in home services 1:00:00 – Exit strategies, ESOPs, and creating legacy businesses 1:05:00 – Private equity’s love affair with the trades 1:09:00 – Who is the “natural owner” of your business? 1:11:00 – Referrals, relationships, and community building 1:14:00 – Entrepreneurship and the discipline of focused work 1:15:00 – AI in the trades: less admin, more activation 1:17:20 – How to connect with Ellen Rohr & ServiceTitan 1:18:50 – Curveball question: Ellen’s next business idea 1:22:00 – Fastball finale: One sentence to change a life — “Default to love.”
#UnemployablePodcast #JeffDudan #EllenRohr #HomeServiceBusiness #ServiceTitan #ZoomDrain #Entrepreneurship #Trades #PlumbingBusiness #HVACBusiness #Franchising #SmallBusinessGrowth #PricingStrategy #FinancialLiteracy #Leadership #ThinkBigger #HomefrontBrands #FranchiseEducation #BusinessMindset
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