By Jesse Sanchez.

Business owners are finding that stronger systems, shared knowledge and the right support can turn the pressures of growth into opportunities to scale with confidence.

Growing a home service business can create exciting opportunities, but increased demand can also expose gaps in processes, leadership capacity and day-to-day operations. Home Service Freedom brings business owners together to address those challenges, helping them explore how stronger systems, shared knowledge and leadership alignment can support growth. For owners who are already balancing employees, customers and financial decisions, figuring out how to scale without creating more problems can become one of the most important challenges they face.

For Kevin Lipps, CEO of Lipps Electric, recognizing those limitations became a turning point. Reflecting on the need to prepare the company for sustainable growth, Kevin acknowledged, “I needed to find someone that can help me because I didn't have the bandwidth. I knew if I grew fast, I was going to have a mess.” That realization prompted a greater focus on refining processes, developing manuals and creating a stronger operational foundation.

Bringing leadership onto the same page also helped change what growth looked like for the business. Describing the impact of attending Home Service Freedom, Kevin recalled, “It put us on the same page. We can scale it. Yes, we can do this. This is something that we can do.” Instead of growth being something to manage alone, the experience helped create a shared vision for what the team could accomplish together.

Other testimonials reveal how common those pressures can be. Business owners spoke about tight finances, rebuilding teams and questioning whether their existing approaches could support the companies they wanted to create. For another Home Service Freedom attendee, seeing that resources were available provided both perspective and reassurance. Highlighting the confidence that can come from that support, the attendee shared, “It builds your confidence because you know that you can do it. You know there are the resources out there.”

Together, their experiences show how systems, leadership alignment and connections with other business owners can help transform the challenges of scaling into a clearer path forward.

Learn more about how business owners are strengthening their operations, building confidence and preparing their companies for sustainable growth!

By Jesse Sanchez.

Home service professionals share how the Home Service Freedom event inspired new approaches to growth, leadership, networking and business development.

For home service professionals, growth often starts with exposure to new ideas, experienced leaders and peers facing similar challenges. Attendees at the Home Service Freedom event described an environment centered on learning, building connections and finding practical ways to strengthen their businesses.

Nick Stainsby of Wipe Clean Window Cleaning in Calgary, Alberta, attended Vertical Track earlier in the year before coming to Home Service Freedom. Reflecting on his experience with industry events, Nick emphasized just how strongly this one stood out. He shared, “I've been to a lot of conventions and this by far blows everything else out of the water.” He also pointed to the value of meeting other professionals, adding, “I'm rubbing shoulders with some great people.”

For Sonia Patel of Blues Brothers Roofing in South Florida, attending was an opportunity to discover new approaches despite already having years of experience in the industry. Describing the mindset that brought her team to the event, Sonia explained, “We've been in business for 18 years, but we know there's always new and improved ways of doing business.” She was also interested in hearing what speaker Tommy Mello had learned through growing his own business.

Other attendees focused on turning what they learned into action. Robin Murphy of Chirp Chirp Home Cleaning left the event considering what she could implement in her business, noting, “I came out of the conference with so many awesome ideas.”

Growth was also top of mind for Vinnie Duggan of Infinite Home Solutions. Outlining what he hoped to gain from the experience, Vinnie shared, “We are here to learn how to grow a healthy company and enjoy the time freedom that comes with owning a home services company.” His goals also included learning from leading home service businesses and understanding what it takes to build a larger operation.

Tim of Door Pro Garage Doors similarly viewed the event as another opportunity to continue developing as a business owner. Reflecting on the value of continued learning, Tim observed, “I think every single time you can always learn something new.”

Across their experiences, attendees consistently returned to the value of learning from others, creating industry connections and finding new approaches to business growth. Their perspectives show how bringing home service professionals together can create space for both immediate ideas and longer-term development.

In addition to the event's educational sessions and networking opportunities, Home Service Freedom is offering a hands-on AI workshop designed to help contractors understand how artificial intelligence is changing the way homeowners find service providers. Led by Home Service Freedom CEO Jim Leslie, The AI Search Playbook for Home Services will take place Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 1-5 p.m. at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. During the workshop, attendees will evaluate how their businesses appear in AI-powered searches, identify opportunities to improve online visibility and develop actionable strategies to help their companies stand out in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. Through live demonstrations and company-specific exercises, contractors will work toward creating a personalized AI visibility plan they can implement after the event. The workshop is included with new Freedom 2026 ticket purchases, with limited seating available.

Learn more about the Home Service Freedom event and the opportunities it creates for home service professionals to learn, connect and grow!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Contractors can strengthen operations, improve profitability and prepare for a rapidly changing home service market through continuing education and stronger business systems. 

Contractors heading into 2027 are facing rapid changes in marketing, technology, competition and consumer behavior. On this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth spoke with Jim Leslie, CEO of Home Service Freedom, about how continuing education can help contractors adapt and build stronger businesses. 

Before joining Home Service Freedom, Jim helped grow A1 Garage to approximately $350 million and served as chief marketing officer as the company expanded across multiple markets. That experience now shapes his work helping home service contractors improve through training, best practices and peer collaboration. Reflecting on why exposure to other successful businesses matters, Jim explained, “I think the biggest thing is just getting around a group of companies that are scaling rapidly and seeing what's possible opens a whole new dimension.” 

That perspective is especially important as marketing continues to evolve. Search behavior has shifted with artificial intelligence summaries, ChatGPT, Siri, voice search and other options changing how consumers find businesses. Jim described the convergence of those changes with growing consumer skepticism, noting, “I call it the trust recession.” 

For contractors, responding to that environment requires more than generating leads. Understanding profitability, creating repeatable systems and identifying the operational drivers behind performance are also essential. Home Service Freedom addresses areas including marketing, recruiting, sales training, inside sales, operations and organizational development. 

Those topics also shape Freedom 2026, scheduled for October 25-28. The event brings together business leaders, technology executives and experienced home service operators, while providing opportunities for contractors to learn directly from one another. Jim emphasized the value of looking beyond one’s own trade, explaining, “When you expand your horizons and start looking at other industries and seeing what you can take, you just open your mind to all these other possibilities.” 

Beyond the annual event, Home Service Freedom offers workshops, virtual education and year-round training designed to help contractors strengthen their teams and build more scalable operations. 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about how continuing education, stronger systems and peer collaboration can help contractors prepare their businesses for growth in 2027! 

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Home service professionals can come together to explore the forces reshaping their businesses, from artificial intelligence and marketing disruption to private equity and growth. 

Home Service Freedom is bringing the home service industry together at Freedom 2026 for conversations about the challenges and opportunities shaping the next stage of business growth. Artificial intelligence (AI), private equity, changing approaches to marketing and the realities of scaling a company are among the issues in focus. 

The event is designed for professionals across home services. Attendees of the previous Home Service Freedom event represented roofing, irrigation, plumbing, septic, restoration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and other service businesses, bringing different perspectives to conversations about building stronger companies. 

For Rudy Cervantes of Cisneros Brothers Home Services, technology stood out as an important consideration for businesses looking ahead. Reflecting on the software showcased at the event, Rudy emphasized, “AI is very powerful, so if you’re not moving in the AI direction, you’re probably going to get left behind.” 

Growth was another recurring theme, particularly for attendees looking for practical ways to move their companies forward. Mike Bremer, an owner of Lone Star Irrigation, explained, “We have a few things that we suspect are keeping us from growing to the next level.” He left the event with new considerations for improving operations, including optimizing the front office, increasing conversion and contact rates and decreasing cancellations. 

The opportunity to look beyond one’s own company and trade also resonated with Teddy Key of Summit Roofing and Restoration Inc. Describing the value he found in connecting with other professionals, Teddy shared, “I truly believe networking is key to life and being able to see things on a bigger scale outside of Summit Roofing and outside of the roofing industry is important.” 

Those perspectives represent the broader conversations surrounding Freedom 2026 as home service professionals consider how technology, marketing, ownership trends and operational improvements affect growth. By bringing professionals from different trades into the same conversation, the event creates opportunities to examine business challenges beyond the boundaries of a single company or industry segment. 

Learn more about how Freedom 2026 is bringing home service professionals together to navigate industry change and pursue business growth!

Home Service Freedom brings contractors together for business education, training and networking through its Freedom 2026 event. 

The Coffee Shops®, the award-winning online communities where the industries meet for technologies, safety, information and education for the construction trades of roofing, metal, coatings and outdoor living are pleased to welcome Home Service Freedom into their community. 

Freedom 2026, scheduled for October 26-28, 2026, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, is designed for home service contractors looking to strengthen and grow their businesses. Building on the sold-out success of Freedom 2025 (an event that drew contractors from across the country and filled beyond capacity), Freedom 2026 is even bigger, bringing expanded programming and networking opportunities. The event features a well-rounded roster of keynote speakers including Donald Trump Jr. Marth McSally, Robert Herjavec, and Eric Trump as well as industry staples like Tommy Mello, Jim Leslie, and Ellen Rohr. The event will contain conference sessions, networking opportunities, and training focused on current challenges and opportunities across the home service market. 

From this company, you can expect: 

• Artificial intelligence and technology insights: Freedom 2026 programming explores how contractors can use artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to improve systems, sales, training, and business operations. 
• Marketing strategies: Sessions address lead generation, changing marketing channels and approaches contractors can use to keep their phones ringing. 
• Business growth education: Attendees can learn from contractors and business leaders about scaling companies, breaking through revenue plateaus and building stronger systems. 
• Leadership and team development: Programming covers leadership, hiring, team performance, and developing technicians into trusted leaders. 
• Sales and financial education: Sessions include strategies related to sales, pricing, cash flow, profitability, and protecting margins. 
• Contractor networking: The event provides opportunities for attendees to connect with other contractors, speakers and vendors throughout the conference. 
• Specialized training: Freedom 2026 offers technician training and frontline training in addition to its keynote presentations and conference sessions. 

Unlike many growth conferences led by professional speakers with limited home service experience, Freedom 2026 delivers raw, practical insights from leaders who have built and scaled their own companies from as little as two trucks all the way to nine figures. Attendees will hear what actually worked, what failed, and what these business owners and operators learned while managing real teams, payrolls and growth challenges. 

The Coffee Shops are proud to welcome Home Service Freedom!