How to Stand Out and Scale Up in a Local Service Business: Lessons from the Mastermind

Why Masterminds (and Accountability) Change Everything

Hey everyone, Bryan here! After a couple of mind-bending episodes on AI, today I wanted to get back to practical, real-world strategy-and who better to do that with than my peer group buddy, Alan Swack.

If you’re running a service business, especially around home services like Alan, you know it’s not about being the ONLY provider. It’s about being the preferred provider. And let me tell you, the right mastermind group (or even just some entrepreneurial friends) can supercharge how you approach growth and accountability. When you’re around other people in different industries, stuff you’d never come up with pops into your brain. You see problems and solutions from fresh perspectives. That’s exactly how Alan and I cross-pollinated our businesses-and it’s made all the difference.

From Hard Labor to Business Owner: Alan’s Unlikely Path

Alan didn’t grow up wanting to be a home inspector. He was in construction, framing houses and realizing fast that his back wasn’t going to survive the next few decades. The leap to home inspection was less about a grand business vision and more about survival and opportunity. He took a weekend class, hung up his shingle, and fifteen years later, here we are.

If you’re wondering, “Do I need a license? Do I need to work for someone first?”-sometimes you’ve just got to jump. Alan admits working for someone first might have made some things easier, but being an entrepreneur often means building the plane as you’re flying it.

Why You Should (and Must) Pay for Coaching

Here’s something a lot of local service providers skip: business coaching. Alan worked solo for six years before seeking help. Once he started with Mike Crow’s home inspector program, everything changed. The investment literally paid for itself by helping him book just a couple more inspections per month.

Let’s be blunt: the best business owners have coaches and are part of peer groups. Stop worrying about getting “ready to get ready.” If you want to fast-track results and avoid years of costly trial and error, surround yourself with people who’ve already solved what you’re struggling with. Be accountable, and do more than just take in more info-ACT on it.

Teaching-Not Selling-As a Lead Generation Strategy

Here’s why I had Alan on the show: he’s not a natural salesperson, but he’s a swan-dive into authority-based marketing. Instead of endlessly pursuing realtors at their offices, Alan now teaches continuing education (CE) classes for real estate agents in his market. That’s right, he’s giving away required credits AND making himself the local expert. And when those realtors are looking for an inspector? He’s top of mind.

The key here? Don’t just be another cold caller. Find a regulatory or educational need in your client base and become the person who fills it in a helpful, approachable way. Alan’s got a rotating monthly class, a direct pipeline to new referral partners, and an 80-90% conversion rate-meaning nearly everyone who attends his class hires him, at least once.

Relationships and Value Over Everything

What really stuck with me in our chat was Alan’s humility and consistency. He’s not trying to close a mega-deal on the first handshake. He’s building relationships, helping agents become more successful, and keeping his business top of mind through genuine value. Whether it’s through educational events, top-of-mind follow-ups, or just being a decent human, he’s living proof that people buy from those they know, like, and trust.

Start Doing These Now!

• Find (or start) a peer mastermind or accountability group-even if it’s just a monthly lunch with other business owners.

• Don’t wait for “perfect.” Jump in and learn as you go.

• Invest in coaching and surround yourself with other growth-minded people.

• Deliver crazy high value-teach, don’t just sell.

• Build systems for follow-up and relationship maintenance. Consistent, small actions beat one-off “big” marketing every time.

Thanks again to Alan for sharing his wisdom. If you’re looking for growth hacks that work in the real world, you can’t go wrong following in his footsteps.

Stay tuned for more-see you next episode!

Make sure to listen to the full podcast episode here!