Show Notes

Jeremy Ecker, CEO of Rest Easy Pest Control, joins the podcast to discuss his experience doing 16 M&A deals over 13 years, mostly self-funded and structured with earn-outs. Jeremy shares how he started as a bed bug canine inspection company and eventually pivoted to full-service pest control, and he details the challenges and opportunities of both acquisitions and organic growth.

This week, Dan and Donnie dive into AI updates, including the debut of the Atlas brower and rise of ChatGPT's "agent mode." They demo several examples of what this new technology can do for pest and lawn companies, and they discuss how marketing strategies must adapt as consumers move away from standard Google searches toward AI research and task execution.

This week, Dan and Donnie reflect on PestWorld 2025 and the podcast's 250th episode. They cover the buzz around the show in Orlando, including a rant about vendors who don't support the industry. They also reminisce about why they started the podcast and how it's evolved over five years — and thank their sponsors, guests and listeners for all the support.

On this episode, Dan and Donnie review the new Pest Control Industry Cost Study, produced by PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists. They discuss what's changed since last time PCOB did the cost study; the PCOB Competitive Index, a new composite score to track; and the Big 3 expenses every pest firm must manage for profitability. Tune in for an overview of this comprehensive report.

This week, Dan and Donnie talk to Pest Control Consultants President Chase Goodeill about his approach to M&A at his $11 million firm. He shares his vision for expansion, his financing strategies and his experience doing nine acquisitions since 2019. Tune in to hear about his "whatever it takes to grow" mindset.

This week, Dan and Donnie highlight the concept of tiered pricing and its psychological impact on customer decisions. They explain price anchoring, the decoy effect and how tiered pricing can help customers overcome analysis paralysis and guide them toward the most profitable option. Tune in to learn how to use these strategies in your pest or lawn business.

Applause CEO Taylor Olson joins Dan and Donnie this week. They discuss how he came to found Applause, a platform that provides incentives for hourly service workers through features like customer feedback collection, performance measurement, instant cash rewards and a technician dashboard. Taylor also details the power of automating employee incentives, and he shares tips for implementation.

This week Dan and Donnie host Audrey Hall, president of Eco Serve Pest in New York, who discussed her journey from growing up in the pest control industry to turning a small operation into a thriving company with 27 employees. She shares her development as an entrepreneur, the company's expansion plans and her philosophy for community giving.

On this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss the budgeting process from both a strategic and practical standpoint. They discuss how to get started if you're not already following a budget and which key performance indicators are most important to strong financial performance.

Pest-End COO Courtney Carace joins Dan and Donnie this week to share her company's experience growing from $6.5 million in 2020 to around $15 million today. Courtney shares the structure and philosophy she and her team are employing in pursuit of reaching $30 million by 2030.

Big Blue Bug Solutions CEO Brian Goldman joins Dan and Donnie to share insights on building a unique brand by being bold, proactive and unafraid to stand out and embrace change. He also discusses the benefits of simplifying operations by focusing on core competencies versus diversifying into other service lines.

Effectively managing people is essential when scaling a pest or lawn business. In this episode, Dan and Donnie discuss how to align values, instill accountability and evaluate employees' understanding, motivation and capacity to perform their roles.

This week, Dan and Donnie explore the concept of "Return on Motivation" and its importance in business, discussing how leadership and team commitment impact employee performance and company culture. They share personal experiences and insights about creating motivated teams, measuring the impact of motivational efforts and the role of clear communication and recognition in employee engagement.

This week, Dan and Donnie interview Sherrill Pest Control's Kevin and Patrick Sherrill, who share their company's transformation to a successful enterprise, including being recognized in PCT Magazine’s 2025 Best Places to Work rankings. They cover their approach to leadership, culture and core values, and they share the resources that have helped their business get ahead.

Justice Pest Control Owner Caleb Cunningham shares his 13-year journey from working in a cubical to buying a one-man pest control route to building a $3 million company. He talks with Dan and Donnie about what held him back for his first decade in business and how he has scaled since with help from outside resources, including peer groups.

If your team isn't executing as well as you'd like, this episode is for you. Dan and Donnie dive into reasons your people may be blowing deadlines and strategies for improving communication and turning things around. 

Jacob Olins, SVP & GM of Fintech for WorkWave, joins Dan and Donnie this week to discuss trends in financial services available through pest and lawn software providers and how they can help you grow your business. They touch on consumer financing, fleet cards, credit card surcharges and more capabilities on the horizon.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we do business, but it's still the Wild West. This week Dan and Donnie welcome Bennett Borden, CEO of Clarion AI Partners, who shares his expertise as an AI lawyer and data scientist. He covers how to responsibly implement policies for using AI — which he calls the most transformative technology since electricity — in pest and lawn companies.

Dan and Donnie discuss what the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will mean for pest control companies and their owners.

NPMA's Allie Allen shares takeaways from the recent Executive Leadership Forum, where industry leaders discussed challenges and opportunities related to workforce development, regulatory issues, the economy and insurance.