Most operators think scaling comes down to process. But the real unlock is talent.

In this episode of Founder’s Story, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the lessons from year two of operating Alarm Masters — including the leadership hires that changed the company, the painful acquisition lessons they learned, and why investing ahead of growth became their biggest advantage.

They share why A players outperform entire teams of average talent, how building stronger operational structure transformed the business, and the acquisition mistakes that forced them to rethink diligence, integration, and growth strategy.

Inside this episode:
→ Why one A player outperforms two B players
→ Hiring a sales manager earlier than expected
→ Building accountability and structure across operations
→ What great operators actually do differently
→ The importance of humility in leadership hires
→ Lessons learned from successful and failed acquisitions

🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/

Connect:
Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

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Most businesses don’t stall because of strategy. They stall because everything depends on the owner.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the hidden cost of founder dependency — why owners become the bottleneck, how it limits growth, and what eventually breaks when every decision runs through one person.

They share lessons from scaling Alarm Masters, empowering employees to make decisions, and building a company that can grow without the owner at the center of everything.

Inside this episode:
→ Why founders become the bottleneck
→ The danger of tying the business to your identity
→ How owner dependency hurts growth and exits
→ Empowering employees to make decisions
→ What breaks when every relationship runs through the owner
→ Building a scalable company structure

🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/

Connect:
Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

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Most business acquisitions don’t fail because of strategy. They fail because operators underestimate hiring, systems, and execution.

In this episode of Entry & Exit: Founder’s Story, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the first full year running Alarm Masters after the acquisition — including the wins, the mistakes, and the operational changes that completely transformed the company.

They share how they scaled the business 60% in their first full year, why hiring cheap talent hurt growth, how international hiring became a major advantage, and the lessons they learned rebuilding sales systems, operations, and technology from the ground up.
Inside this episode:
→ Why hiring the cheapest option backfires
→ Building an international team that scaled the business
→ The mistakes they made with their first sales hire
→ Transitioning from legacy software to Salesforce
→ Balancing founder involvement vs delegation
→ Breaking company sales records three times in one year
→ How they grew Alarm Masters 60% in their first full year

🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

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Most security companies are still marketing like it’s 2015. The best operators are already adapting to AI search, modern SEO, and smarter outbound systems.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the marketing channels driving real growth for security companies today — from Google reviews and local SEO to AI optimization, outbound prospecting, and commercial lead generation.

They share what’s working inside Alarm Masters, including the SEO strategy that helped land one of the biggest projects in company history, how AI platforms are changing customer behavior, and the channels that completely failed for them.

Inside this episode:
→ Traditional SEO vs AI search optimization
→ How Google reviews impact lead flow
→ Outbound systems for commercial leads
→ Marketing channels that failed
→ Why tracking and attribution matter

🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/

Connect:
Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

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Most people dream about buying a business. The first 90 days show you what ownership actually feels like.

In this episode of Entry & Exit: Founder’s Journey, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the chaotic first three months after acquiring Alarm Masters — from stolen equipment and blacklisted domains to learning every role inside the company.

They share the real lessons from stepping into a service business as young operators: resisting the urge to change everything, surviving technology disasters, building trust with employees, and discovering what kind of company they actually wanted to build.

From making collections calls and site visits to uncovering broken systems and redefining culture, this episode is a raw look at what happens after the deal closes — when the real work starts.

Inside this episode:
→ Why they focused on being great employees before great owners
→ The brutal technology and email issues that hit immediately
→ Lessons on working capital, WIP projects, and key man risk
→ How they earned trust with technicians and staff
→ The discovery that shaped their sales-driven growth strategy
→ The coffee-drop tactic that became a scalable pipeline engine

🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

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AI won’t replace your team — but it will make them dramatically more effective.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down how they’re using AI to scale a security business — from simple tools like ChatGPT to fully deployed agents handling quoting, support, and operations.

From custom GPTs for sales and tech support to an estimation agent that turns plans into full quotes in minutes, this episode shows how AI drives efficiency, better customer experience, and margin growth — without cutting headcount.

Inside this episode:
→ Why AI is both overhyped and underused
→ The 3 levels of AI adoption
→ Real examples across sales, ops, and finance
→ How one AI tool reduced multi-day estimates to 5 minutes
→ Why focus beats trying to automate everything

🔗 More Entry & Exit — entryandexit.com

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

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In this episode of Entry & Exit — part of the Founders Story Series, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble walk through how they went from software and small business experiments to acquiring their first security company — and why the industry checked every box they were looking for.

They break down the real drivers behind their decision: recurring revenue, regulatory moats, fragmentation, and the opportunity to scale through acquisition. From discovering the “buy vs. build” path to finding the right deal (on the first try), this is a candid look at how their journey into security actually started — including what they got right, what they missed, and what almost killed the deal.

If you’ve ever considered buying a business — or wondered why security continues to attract serious operators — this episode gives you the full origin story.

Inside this episode:
→ Why security stood out vs. HVAC, plumbing, and other trades
→ The role of recurring revenue in making the model work
→ How regulation and licensing create a competitive moat
→ Finding and closing on their first deal (Alarm Masters)
→ Mistakes they made during diligence and legal process
→ How they financed the acquisition with an SBA loan

🔗 More Entry & Exit — https://entryandexit.com

Connect:
Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

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Most trades sell one thing. Security sells four — and that changes everything.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down why the security industry is uniquely built for high-ticket sales — and how operators turn small jobs into $50K–$100K+ projects.

They unpack the core advantage: multi-scope selling across fire alarm, intrusion, video, and access control — plus the “fifth scope” that expands deals even further. From real-world deal breakdowns to the compounding power of recurring revenue, this episode shows why security isn’t just another trade — it’s a sales engine.

Inside this episode:
→ The 4 core scopes that drive high-ticket security deals
→ Why security problems grow (and lead to bigger contracts)
→ How a $35/month account can turn into a $75K project
→ The role of urgency, regulation, and risk in closing deals
→ Why recurring revenue is the “eighth wonder of the world”

🔗 More Entry & Exit — httpsentryandexit.com

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — http://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

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