Épisodes

  • "4 Ways to Get a Higher Return on Your Marketing Dollars" (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)

    "4 Ways to Get a Higher Return on Your Marketing Dollars" (FTM Rapid Reaction Series)
    Jul 14 2026
    While we prepare Season 17 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week's episode, Tim reacts to an article Clay Dennis titled, "Four Ways to Get a Higher Return on Your Marketing Dollars" (released in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠June 2026 issue of The Fire Time Magazine⁠⁠)⁠.⁠⁠⁠ ------ Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VPYc1089JDU Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join Want to get more fireplace leads for your company? Check out: https://findmyfireplace.com
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    22 min
  • Season 16 Finale - Q&A Episode

    Season 16 Finale - Q&A Episode
    Jul 7 2026
    "You'd think eight out of ten people walk out with an estimate. Once you actually track it, it's under twenty percent every single time." In this episode, Tim closes out season 16 with the show's traditional Q&A—answering the sharpest questions listeners submitted while he was on the road teaching, including some real pushback on the systems he preaches. It's the practical, put-it-into-practice cap on everything the season covered. In this episode, Tim covers: - Why customers wander the showroom pointing at random fireplaces—and how nailing step two makes those distractions vanish - The case for never correcting a customer who asks for the "wrong" product—because being right isn't the same as making the sale - How to give a firm installation date on-site even when you're at the mercy of back orders and outside trades—and why "yellow zone, red zone" keeps your crew from ever going home early Don't miss Tim's raw take on why door swings are his favorite metric, why AI now makes tracking them effortless, and the Stephen Covey fish-tank lesson that explains how he juggles a full plate without letting the big rocks get buried—listen for the honest admission that his discipline exists precisely because he doesn't have it all figured out. —— Links from this episode: WhyFire Fireplace Al Visualizer: https://whyfire.com —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s_4bXhz2wiw Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 2 min
  • Dan Bonar - Win Business Through Relationships and Trust

    Dan Bonar - Win Business Through Relationships and Trust
    Jun 30 2026
    "We are the immovable number two. And it's okay being the immovable number two." In this episode, Tim sits down with Dan Bonner (Vice President of Residential Sales, ICC Chimney) to unpack how a privately owned chimney company turned restraint into its sharpest competitive edge. Dan's spent the last six years steering through a pandemic boom, a workforce that doubled, and tariffs that erased two weeks of work overnight. In this episode, Tim and Dan cover: - Why chimney *should* be a commodity—and how ICC deliberately makes theirs anything but by refusing to sell through hardware stores or big box. - The "boss versus leader" image Dan keeps in his head, and how he kept a frustrated team from walking out when every tariff solution got scrapped a day later. - Twenty-plus years of distributor relationships built entirely on handshakes—zero written contracts, anywhere in North America. Don't miss Dan's masterclass on the value wedge and the discipline of staying the "immovable number two"—a clear-eyed argument that constraints don't starve a business, they focus it, and that chasing every opportunity is how good companies die of indigestion. —— Links from this episode: Marketing Warfare: https://a.co/d/07Z9jdqN Fire Time Podcast Q&A Episode: http://itsfiretime.com/ask —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y3-1wAHxxbA Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 2 min
  • Matt Bradley - Hiring and Inspiring Gen Z (Live from HPBExpo 2026)

    Matt Bradley - Hiring and Inspiring Gen Z (Live from HPBExpo 2026)
    Jun 23 2026
    "The most depressed, anxious, addicted, and self-destructive generation in American culture—we created this world." In this episode, Matt Bradley (Partnership Manager at WhyFire and Editor of The Fire Time Magazine) makes a provocative argument from his 2026 HPBExpo class: the reason you can't hire or inspire young workers isn't pay, schedules, or time off—it's a culture that's stripped them of meaning. He traces the problem back to Nietzsche and offers an ancient antidote. In this episode, Matt covers: - Why higher pay, flexible schedules, and more paid time off won't fix your hiring problem—and what young people actually crave instead. - The "fortitude formula"—moral purpose times sources of strength—and how Viktor Frankl found meaning in a concentration camp. - Concrete interview questions and shop-floor practices that work, including why you should drop the sarcasm and never assume Gen Z is lazy. Don't miss this one if you've ever caught yourself blaming "kids these days"—Matt argues that mindset is just an easy way to let yourself off the hook, and he hands you a practical playbook to mentor the most capable hires you've been overlooking. —— Links from this episode: WhyFire Fireplace AI Visualizer http://whyfire.com —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nBRD5lY_m7k Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 12 min
  • Dane Harman, Karen Harman-Smeltz, and Peter Parsons - Cultivating a Mindset of Innovation and Excellence

    Dane Harman, Karen Harman-Smeltz, and Peter Parsons - Cultivating a Mindset of Innovation and Excellence
    Jun 16 2026
    "I can't sell Harman because there's a dealer too close to me, but I'd donate a kidney and my firstborn to get it." In this episode, Tim sits down with Dane Harman, Karen Harman-Smeltz, and Peter Parsons to trace how a burn pot rooted in anthracite coal became the backbone of one of the hearth industry's most beloved pellet stoves—and what it takes to keep innovating decades later. Dane built Harman Stoves into a legend, Karen carried its values forward, and Peter built a pellet market from almost nothing on an island ninety miles out in the Atlantic. In this episode, Tim, Dane, Karen, and Peter cover: - Why Dane's 1991 Pellet Pro feeder still works today—and how a coal-pushing block evolved into a laser-cut slide plate that runs entirely on temperature. - The real difference between a private company's "right" decision and a public one's—and why a profitable model can still get killed to protect a stock price. - Whether tightening EPA regulations actually force better stoves or just strip the fun out of innovation—and where diminishing returns turn good intentions into expensive ones. Don't miss the moment Dane explains why deciding—truly deciding—pulls a whole team behind you, because this conversation about fire, family, and pressure-fueled innovation will change how you think about building anything worth keeping. —— Links from this episode: Big Enough: Building a Business that Scales with Your Lifestyle https://a.co/d/0e8WRuD7 Fire Time Podcast Q&A Episode http://itsfiretime.com/ask —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nXru0bLymCQ Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 26 min
  • Kyle Titsworth - Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You're Young

    Kyle Titsworth - Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You're Young
    Jun 9 2026
    "Core values allow us to lead to a standard—without those core values, things can slip." In this episode, Tim speaks with Kyle Titsworth (General Manager and Partner, The Fireplace Showcase) about transitioning from manager to owner in a family business. Kyle shares insights from his journey taking over partial ownership while serving on the Northeast HPBA board, leading a team where most employees have decades more experience than he does. In this episode, Tim and Kyle cover: • Why setting core values becomes crucial when you're a young leader managing seasoned veterans—and how it prevents business standards from becoming "wishy-washy" • The power of simplifying customer choice through strategic showroom design—like Kyle's "remodel wall" that presents just three fireplace replacement options instead of overwhelming customers • How weekly sales meetings and forcing salespeople to track their own metrics transforms behavior better than any manager-generated report ever could Don't miss Kyle's take on why manufacturers need to stop speaking in industry jargon and start organizing around customer situations—because nobody walks into a showroom asking for a "zero clearance fireplace." —— Links from this episode: WhyFire Website: https://whyfire.com —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rZ4lSOzYNAs Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 1 min
  • Tim Reed - How to Create Marketing Messaging

    Tim Reed - How to Create Marketing Messaging
    Jun 2 2026
    "It can never be too long, it can only be too boring." In this episode, Tim shares a class he taught in Denver, Colorado at AES Dealer Days, where he explores why most marketing messages in the fireplace industry fail—and reveals a simple framework that can triple your leads without spending a penny. Drawing from real examples of businesses that position themselves as heroes instead of their customers, Tim shows how to craft messages that actually resonate. In this episode, Tim covers: • The three deadly sins of marketing—making your business the hero, cramming too many things into one message, and focusing on products instead of customer problems • The PEACE framework for creating sound bites that cut through noise and make prospects turn their heads—from articulating problems better than customers can to showing genuine empathy • Why "family owned for 50 years" belongs in tiny print, not your headline—and how companies waste tens of thousands on beautiful websites that break fundamental messaging rules Don't miss Tim's breakdown of real fireplace company websites that demonstrate these principles in action—plus the exact tagline changes that could transform your lead generation overnight. —— Links from this episode: Whyfire Website: http://whyfire.com —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k5mqmLpLZe0 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 2 min
  • April Sunshine Hawkins - Clear Mind, Clear Messaging: Why Great Marketing Starts on the Inside

    April Sunshine Hawkins - Clear Mind, Clear Messaging: Why Great Marketing Starts on the Inside
    May 26 2026
    "I've been looking for this kind of clarity in my life." In this episode, Tim talks with April Sunshine Hawkins (Former Co-Host of the Marketing Made Simple Podcast and Storybrand Private Workshop Instructor) about why most marketing fails and how to craft messages that actually resonate. April brings deep expertise from teaching the StoryBrand framework worldwide, plus insights on the internal blocks that sabotage even the smartest business owners. In this episode, Tim and April cover: • Why cognitive load kills your marketing—and how speaking in insider jargon instantly loses your audience • The PEACE framework that transforms confusing websites into customer magnets in five simple steps • How fear and ego create marketing that serves the business instead of the customer—and what self-awareness has to do with better sales Don't miss April's breakdown of why "people like us do things like this" means you should stop trying to appeal to everyone and start speaking directly to your ideal customer—because a message for everyone is a message for no one. —— Links from this episode: Q&A Episode: http://itsfiretime.com/ask —— Watch this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z_2bFUzpx4w Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-time-podcast/id1433804268 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vHdzg48bE5qFf0KjMeMej?si=7b6cae3923d348f2 Read The Fire Time Magazine: https://www.itsfiretime.com/magazine Subscribe to The Fire Time Magazine: https://itsfiretime.com/subscribe Support The Fire Time Podcast financially: https://www.itsfiretime.com/join
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    1 h et 4 min