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Are you stuck on the treadmill, busy every day, but unsure how to grow your home inspection business without burning out? This episode tackles the fear of hiring, the chaos of doing it all yourself, and the shift from “inspector mindset” to “owner mindset” that unlocks real, repeatable growth.

Jim and Linda from Full Circle Home Inspectors share their candid, boots-on-the-ground story: moving from Ohio blizzards to sunny Central Florida, testing real estate, launching inspections as a side hustle, then facing the “uh-oh” moment of 10–12 inspections a week while answering their own phones. You’ll hear how an IEB Rapid Growth Training flipped their approach, why consistency beat bursts of marketing, and how adding ancillaries grew their average ticket from ~$385 to ~$650—without dramatically increasing inspection volume.

You’ll also hear the scary-and-sacred moment of hiring their first inspector (their son), the pain of a bad hire, and the freedom that came when they finally embraced their numbers. With coaching, EOS rhythms, and a simple retention machine powered by a VA, they jumped from ~$275K to $435K—even in a year with hurricanes. Now they’re aiming past $500K and setting sights on the $1M mark.

5 Key Takeaways

Consistency wins: stop the start-and-stop marketing. Build weekly rhythms you never skip.

Price power: ancillaries (like sewer scopes next) can raise your average ticket without killing your calendar.

Hire with courage: the weight of payroll is real—but so is the freedom when you stop riding shotgun forever.

Know your numbers: forecasting, service-to-revenue guardrails, and pay models remove anxiety and guide growth.

To connect with IEB using the following links:

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠

Website

Instagram

Email: support@iebcoaching

Retain the relationships: thank-you cards, listing-agent follow-ups, and a VA-run CRM can turn one job into ten.
“The numbers will set you free.”If this helped you think like an owner, subscribe to Inspection Empire Builder, share this episode with one inspector who needs a push, and journal one actionable change you’ll implement this week (a new ancillary, a retention touch, or a weekly numbers review). Your next growth jump starts now.

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What if everything you know about digital marketing is about to become obsolete? In this episode, we tackle the fast-moving wave of Artificial Intelligence and what it means for home inspectors who want to stay relevant, searchable, and thriving in a changing world. If your website, SEO strategy, or online presence hasn’t been updated with AI in mind, you’re already falling behind.

Cory Long, digital marketing expert, former pastor, and founder of Yroc Consulting, joins Matt Williams on this episode of Inspector Empire Builder to pull back the curtain on what AI is really doing to online search. Together, they break down why your five-year-old website might as well be a fax machine, how AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are changing consumer behavior, and what inspectors can do to stay visible in this AI-driven era.

Cory shares actionable insights he recently taught inside IEB’s mastermind groups, from how to show up in Google's new AI Overviews to why text-only Facebook posts are dominating right now. This isn’t future talk, it’s happening right now, and those who take action today will dominate tomorrow.

Takeaways:

AI search is conversational, not keyword-based, your content must shift accordingly.

“People also ask” on Google is a goldmine for the exact FAQs you should answer online.

Your Google Business Profile’s Q&A section can now directly feed AI Overviews.

Most websites built 3–5 years ago aren’t optimized for AI visibility.

Facebook is currently rewarding high-volume posting (10–15 per day!) with massive organic reach.

“Perfection is procrastination. Don’t overthink it, just post. Right now, it’s a game you can actually win.”

Don’t keep this gold to yourself, subscribe, share this episode with your team, and journal one step you’ll take this week to optimize your business for AI. For a free AI audit from Cory’s team, head to yrocconsulting.com and mention the podcast.

To connect with IEB using the following links:

Watch on YouTube

Website

Instagram
Email

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Are you leaving money on the table as a home inspector? This episode could change the entire trajectory of your business.

What if we told you there’s a way to turn one inspection into a multi-touch, high-value relationship, earning up to $4,000 per client while becoming the hero who saves real estate deals instead of killing them? In this episode of Inspector Empire Builder, Matt welcomes Catherine Hall, known nationally as America’s 203k Queen, to unpack how inspectors can evolve into high-earning rehab consultants. Catherine shares her 30-year journey from inspecting homes in the tough Philly market to running one of the most successful rehab consulting businesses in the country.

They dig deep into the untapped potential of FHA 203k and energy-efficient mortgages, revealing how inspectors can help buyers fund repairs, save deals, and create move-in-ready homes. Whether you’re a solo operator or run a multi-inspector firm, this episode offers a roadmap to diversify income and increase impact, without crawling through another attic.

What you’ll learn:

• How to generate $3,500–$4,000 per client by becoming a rehab consultant
  

• Why lenders, not agents, are the secret to a smoother, more profitable business model
  

• How to help clients finance repairs, upgrades, and even solar panels through their mortgage
  

• The difference between FHA 203k Limited and Standard loans, and where inspectors fit in
  

• How to market this service to realtors, nonprofits, and even retirement communities
  

“We’re not killing the deal, we’re saving it. Rehab consultants help buyers buy any house and get to the other side of settlement.” - Catherine Hall

Ready to add a new revenue stream that helps more people and builds your brand?

Subscribe now, and share this episode with another inspector who needs to hear it.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠

To connect with IEB using the following links:

Website

Instagram

Email: support@iebcoaching

To connect with Matt Williams use the following links:

Instagram

Email: matt@dciabq.com

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Most inspectors avoid solar panels. Why? Because they’re not in the SOP, and they’re shrouded in mystery. No noise, no moving parts, no red flags… until a buyer asks, “Does it even work?”

In this episode, host Matt Williams welcomes Cory Vanderpool from Sprk to tackle a growing challenge in the inspection world, how to confidently evaluate solar panels during a home inspection. Cory shares how his company is pioneering a new process that empowers inspectors to offer solar as a high-value ancillary service, without needing to become a solar expert themselves.

They dive into the gaps in traditional home inspections when it comes to solar, the risks buyers face when those systems go uninspected, and how inspectors can step in with a smart, profitable solution. You’ll hear how Sprk’s process works, what data inspectors collect, and how fast the turnaround is. Plus, they break down how this service can help you grow your business and build deeper trust with agents.

5 Key Takeaways:

Solar panels are often excluded from SOPs, but buyers still demand answers.

Sprk enables inspectors to gather simple data and get expert-certified reports.

Most systems seem fine, but 30% have issues buyers need to know about.

This is a high-margin, 15-minute ancillary service you can easily add.

Sprk also equips you with CE courses and marketing tools to win agent referrals.

“The more value you bring, the more money you’re going to make. Feed the root, and the fruit will follow.”, Matt Williams

If this episode sparked ideas for your business, subscribe to the show, share this episode with a fellow inspector, and visit sprkhome.com to learn how you can start offering solar inspections today.

Watch on YouTube

⁠

To connect with Cory Vanderpool using the following link:

Website

To connect with IEB using the following links:

Website

Instagram

Email: support@iebcoaching

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Most inspection business owners start out doing everything themselves, but what happens when you want to scale beyond a one-man show? If your systems rely too heavily on you, growth will always hit a ceiling. So how do you grow a business intentionally, one that can thrive even when you step away?

In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, host Matt Williams sits down with Kurvin Gordon, owner of Ugly Duckling Home Inspections in Oregon. From working in construction in Texas to building a thriving multi-inspector firm in the Pacific Northwest, Kurvin shares the step-by-step strategies he used to plan, launch, and scale his business with the end in mind. This isn’t a story about overnight success, it’s about building a long-term, sellable asset from day one.

You’ll learn how Kurvin:

Pre-planned his business for 6+ months before launching

Created service packages that average nearly $1,000 per inspection

Uses systems and VAs to streamline operations

Builds strategic partnerships with mold remediation companies

Maintains business continuity with backups and smart planning

“We don’t work nine to five, we work start to finish.” - Kurvin Gordon

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale past technician mode, this episode will give you a real-world roadmap to build a business that works even when you don’t.

👉 If this episode sparked ideas, subscribe, share with a fellow inspector, or spend 10 minutes journaling what your next intentional growth step should be.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠

To connect with Kurvin Gordon, using the following links:

Website

To connect with IEB using the following links:

Watch on YouTube

Website

Instagram

Email: support@iebcoaching

⁠Send us a text

Most home inspectors don’t get punched in the nuts on their way into the business. Aaron Shishilla did, and it changed everything.

In this episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, Matt Williams sit down with Aaron from WolfPack Advising to uncover the wild path that took him from deli worker to leading marketing expert for home inspection companies. If you’re a business owner wondering how to actually grow your reach without throwing away money on advertising that doesn’t convert, this is the conversation you didn’t know you needed.

Aaron shares how his unexpected start in home inspections, and a traumatic encounter with a 30-year-old coworker, ignited a passion for marketing that’s reshaping how businesses dominate their industries online. We dive deep into AI’s disruption of search, how Google and Apple are struggling to keep up, and what home inspectors need to do right now to thrive in this new digital landscape.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How getting fired from Publix led Aaron to discover his calling
  

• Why most digital agencies fail service businesses (and how Aaron’s team is changing the game)
  

• The shifting future of Google, SEO, and AI-driven search
  

• What “zero-click marketing” is and how it impacts your visibility
  

• The exact ROI mindset every home inspection company needs to grow sustainably
  

• “Digital marketing never sleeps. It’s a grind, but it’s the grind that makes growth possible.” - Aaron Shishilla

  
  

  If this episode challenged your thinking or sparked some next steps, subscribe to Inspector Empire Builder, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to take their business to the next level.

  Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠

  
  

  To connect with IEB using the following links:

  Website

  Instagram

  Email: support@iebcoaching

  To connect with Matt Williams use the following links:

  Instagram

  Email: matt@dciabq.com

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In today's episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, host Matt Williams sits down with Ryan Nelson, a former home inspector and Inspection Empire Builder (IEB) member, to explore the transformative power of IEB’s mastermind community. Ryan, now based in Kansas City after 12 years in the inspection industry, shares his journey from solopreneur to multi-inspector owner, navigating challenges like a 49% revenue drop during a 27-day COVID hospitalization in 2021. He highlights how IEB’s Rapid Growth Training (RGT) and pod groups reframed his mindset from technician to business owner, helping him prioritize building a life, not just a company. Ryan credits IEB’s tight-knit community for supporting his business during his illness, with members stepping up to guide his team through crises. His pod’s candid conversations ultimately inspired him to leave inspections and launch Circle of Five Coaching, where he now empowers mid-level manufacturing leaders. This episode is a powerful testament to how mastermind communities provide accountability, relationships, and clarity to align your business with your life’s purpose.

Key Takeaways:

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  Mindset Shift: IEB’s RGT program helps inspectors transition from technician to business owner, aligning business with personal goals.

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  Community Support: IEB’s community rallied around Ryan during his hospitalization, offering practical help and emotional encouragement.

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  Power of Pods: Small, accountable pod groups foster deep relationships and honest feedback, driving personal and professional growth.

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  Life Over Business: Hard seasons, like Ryan’s illness, reveal what truly matters, guiding decisions to pursue passion-driven careers.

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  Avoid the Trap: Masterminds prevent the cycle of chasing the next milestone by refocusing on building a life-serving business.

  
  

• “In your hardest seasons, look for what you can’t stop doing, that’s where your future breaks open.” — Ryan Nelson

  
  

  Watch on YouTube⁠

  
  

  To connect with IEB using the following links:

  Website

  Instagram

  Email: support@iebcoaching

  
  

  To connect with Matt Williams use the following links:

  Instagram

  Email: matt@dciabq.com

  
  

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In today's episode of the Inspector Empire Builder podcast, host Matt Williams welcomes Chris Cochran, the newest coach on the Inspection Empire Builder (IEB) team, to discuss thriving as a solopreneur in the home inspection industry. Chris, a retired Navy Intel Officer turned home inspector, shares his journey from starting a solo business in Arkansas, scaling to a multi-inspector firm during the COVID real estate boom, and intentionally returning to a solo operation in Pensacola, Florida. He explains why he chose to stay solo, emphasizing the mindset shift required for multi-inspector leadership versus solo efficiency. Chris dives into IEB’s revamped Launch program, designed to help solopreneurs build organized, sustainable businesses through systems, growth strategies, and community support. From overcoming analysis paralysis to mastering direct-to-agent marketing, this episode offers practical advice for new and struggling solo inspectors looking to grow their business and combat the loneliness of the trade.

Key Takeaways:

• 
  

  Focus on Growth: New solopreneurs must prioritize marketing to get the phone ringing, using direct-to-agent strategies like open houses or networking tailored to their personality.

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  Systematize for Success: Organized systems for growth, operations, and inspections prevent overwhelm and build client trust.

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  Progress Over Perfection: Avoid analysis paralysis by choosing a strategy, executing it, and refining later.

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  Community Matters: IEB’s mastermind group and events like Unite provide critical support, camaraderie, and diverse perspectives to combat isolation.

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  Mindset is Everything: A clear, organized mindset compartmentalizes tasks, making solo operations efficient and less stressful.

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  “Progress over perfection, pick a strategy, execute it, and don’t look back. That’s how you break through as a solopreneur.” — Chris Cochran

  
  

  Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0gctoXdRlg⁠

  
  

  To connect with IEB using the following links:

  Website

  Instagram

  Email: support@iebcoaching

  
  

  To connect with Matt Williams use the following links:

  Instagram

  Email: matt@dciabq.com