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What separates a business owner from someone who has built a business that can run without them? It comes down to leadership, communication, systems, and knowing where to focus your time and money. Chris Garrison, founder of Absolute Restoration and co-founder of Blue Collar Millionaire, joins the Home Service Roundtable to break down what it takes to scale a home service business, build a strong team, and create a company that can operate without the owner doing everything. With a community of more than 300,000 blue-collar business owners, Chris shares the lessons he learned through expensive mistakes, investing in himself, and building better relationships with other entrepreneurs. We talk about:

• Why getting into the right rooms can accelerate business growth
• How to network with intention and turn conversations into opportunities
• Finding the biggest bottleneck in a business instead of constantly chasing more leads
• Why clear communication and having employees repeat instructions back can prevent costly mistakes
• The three biggest challenges contractors face: leads, labor, and financial clarity
• Guerrilla marketing, referral partnerships, door knocking, and direct-response marketing
• How to generate more Google reviews and strengthen local SEO
• Why sales is theater and how presentation, confidence, and energy build trust
• Recruiting through social media and creating a culture people want to join
• Developing employees, building leaders, and giving teams room to learn from mistakes
• Why better financial reporting and understanding the numbers matter more than simply raising capital
• Hiring through skills tests, personality assessments, and real problem-solving exercises
• The costly lessons Chris learned from crypto and forex trading
• Why contractors should build businesses that can eventually be sold
• How to buy back time by delegating work and focusing on value
• Chris's approach to direct mail, marketing budgets, and supplier-funded campaigns

Chris also shares his biggest takeaways from masterminds, the habits that keep him growing, and why enjoying the journey matters just as much as reaching the next goal. Subscribe to the Home Service Roundtable for more conversations on leadership, sales, marketing, and building a stronger home service business. Learn more and apply for the Round Table Grant at HomeServiceRoundtable