{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Hot Takes, Presented by Sumus","title":"From Family Pest Control to $52M: Chase Hazelwood on Growth, Acquisitions, and AI-Driven Service","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/7155e3ba\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3034,"description":"On Hot Takes presented by Sumus, host Bill and Summus CEO Jim Baker interview entrepreneur Chase Hazelwood, third-generation owner of GoForth Pest Control. Hazelwood shares how he took over operations in 2008, bought and merged a competitor, and transformed the business by implementing checklists, scripts, technology, and a service model built on ultra-fast responsiveness. He explains shifting from paper tickets to automation, joining Vistage, focusing on profitability alongside growth, and scaling through acquisitions—highlighting one failed Richmond deal and successful market-expansion buys in Fayetteville, Hickory, and a family acquisition that grew from $3.6M to $6M. Hazelwood also details Galaxy AI tools for technician KPIs, customer communication, CRM features, and an AI texting campaign that sold $1M in mosquito upgrades in 45 days, emphasizing innovation for speed and accuracy rather than labor reduction.\n\n00:00 Show Intro\n01:08 Meet Chase Hazelwood\n02:30 Family Business Roots\n03:25 Taking Over and Scaling\n07:19 Profit and Vistage Shift\n09:30 Sales Systems and Checklists\n11:13 Service Speed and Tech Edge\n15:16 Acquisition Wins and Fails\n23:58 Hiring for Soft Skills\n26:50 Systems Feel Demeaning\n27:29 Galaxy AI Under the Hood\n28:48 AI CRM in the Field\n33:08 Texting Wins and Call Center Limits\n36:13 Automation Without Layoffs\n39:03 Perceived Customer Value\n41:31 Crawl Space and Recurring Revenue\n43:20 Christmas Lights Reality Check\n45:43 Homeowner Prevention Tips\n47:59 Five Takeaways and Wrap","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xNUezk6i-5z2DSz8qPEfiWjGa-1pG1u9aPM8bCIvDI8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82OTg1/YmYxZmVhNTI5OWMw/ZmEzOTRmYWNhODY0/NzhkNS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}