Justin Blaine, Co-owner of Carter Services in Torrance, CA, provides a unique perspective on banking on the resilience of the trades by detailing his transition from a professional M&A advisor to an owner-operator. Drawing on lessons from his three years in minor league baseball, Justin discusses the necessity of humility, work ethic, and managing failure when entering a new industry. He shares the fascinating story of how he went from being a customer to the owner of a 50-year-old family business that specializes in multiple home service trades. Justin reveals how he navigated a challenging first year of ownership by leveraging technology to learn the business quickly and implementing a “hospitality first” mindset to drive a 45% revenue increase in year two.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [1:42] Justin’s pivot from minor league baseball to M&A and the trades

• [14:58] Transitioning from customer to owner of a home services business

• [25:23] Cultivating a growth mindset with your team and “unreasonable hospitality”

• [37:25] The future of private equity and why the trades is accessible to everyone 
  

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• AthletesTouch

• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

• Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
  

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

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