The UpFlip Podcast

Ken Goodrich bought his father's struggling HVAC company, only to have the IRS seize everything and 30 employees quit overnight. Left with just $3,000 and two technicians, Ken had to learn how a company actually works. Today, he has bought and sold over 250 companies and achieved a high nine-figure exit. In this episode, Ken shares his ultimate playbook for Business buying and capitalizing on the "Silver Tsunami" of retiring baby boomers.
He breaks down exactly why the real money is in "boring" Home Services rather than flashy tech startups. You will learn his exact mathematical formula for evaluating a company's worth, why Service & Consulting businesses are prime targets for private equity, and how to execute a 1,000-day plan to 10x your company's value. Ken also reveals his unusual Entrepreneurship strategy of buying up phone numbers from dead businesses to generate millions in leads.
The "Silver Tsunami" is creating a massive opportunity to buy retiring baby boomers' businesses with established brand equity.

Cut a target company's historical customer base in half during your evaluation because you will lose customers during the transition.

Target companies priced accurately or above market, as underpriced businesses attract budget-conscious customers who flee when prices are corrected.

Buying a bankrupt competitor's dormant phone number can instantly generate revenue through existing service call volume.

Build a strict 1,000-day plan with a budget and schedule before acquiring a company to ensure a highly profitable exit.

Tags:  Business buying, Entrepreneurship, Home Services, HVAC, Goettl, Business scaling.

Resources:
Grow your business today:  https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast
Connect with Ken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-d-goodrich-ba580427

Jason Wong started his entrepreneurial journey at 16, when he managed to generated $250,000 in a single week by selling viral products like the "Holy Meme Bible." But after years of chasing trends in the volatile world of Dropshipping and Ecommerce, he decided to pivot away from the hype. Today, Jason is the founder of Packing Duck, a vertically integrated packaging company that is disrupting the Lean manufacturing industry by making "unsexy" infrastructure sexy again.
In this episode, Jason reveals how he used his background in Digital marketing to build a B2B empire that generates eight figures without spending a single dollar on ads. He breaks down his "content-first" strategy for Customer retention, explains why he texts clients instead of emailing them, and shares how to hire "A-Players" who think like owners. You will learn the secrets to Business scaling through vertical integration and why boring businesses often make the most money.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
The Content Arbitrage: How Jason uses high-end, fashion-style aesthetics to make cardboard boxes go viral and drive millions in organic revenue.

The "Blue Bubble" Sales Hack: Why switching from email to iMessage (blue texts) drastically increased his conversion rates and customer trust.

Vertical Integration 101: How owning the factory allowed him to cut out the middleman, lower prices for clients, and increase his own margins.

A-Player Psychology: Jason’s specific definition of an "A-Player" employee (hint: it’s about "loops" of logic) and how to spot them in an interview.

The Consistency Equation: Why posting 5 times a week beats perfect quality every time, and how to adapt when platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter change their algorithms

Resources:
Grow your business today:  https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast
Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imjasonwong

Alisa Sparks grew her home staging brand, Linden Creek, to $4 million in revenue and 20 locations by treating her passion like a math equation rather than a creative outlet. In this episode, Alisa warns that 50% of owners in Home Services are actually running "hobbies" because they lack clarity on their numbers. She breaks down exactly how to escape the hobbyist trap, revealing why "middle market" pricing is a death sentence and how to shift your Business mindset to confidently price for luxury markets.
You will learn how to leverage AI to build SOPs that allow you to replicate yourself, the specific financial metrics you must track weekly, and the secrets to successful Business scaling. Alisa also shares her journey into the Franchise model, offering a roadmap for anyone looking to expand their service business without burning out.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The "Hobbyist Trap": Why 50% of owners are accidentally running hobbies instead of businesses—and the #1 financial metric that exposes the truth.

The Middle Market Death Zone: Why pricing your services in the "middle" leads to failure, and how to confidently command luxury rates by solving your client’s sleepless nights.

AI-Powered Systems: How to use tools like ChatGPT to build "set it and forget it" SOPs that replicate your best work without burning you out.

Creativity as Math: Alisa’s unique framework for turning subjective skills (like design) into repeatable formulas that anyone on your team can execute.

Weekly Financial Habits: The two exact numbers every service entrepreneur must check every Friday to ensure they are cash-flow positive.

Resources:
Grow your business today:  https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast
Connect with Alisa: https://www.instagram.com/alisa_sparks_/

At 17 years old, Aaron Steed started a business with no trucks, no money, and no safety net. Today, Meathead Movers generates $20 million annually, employs 350 people, and has landed on the Inc. 5000 list for eight straight years.
In this episode of UpFlip, Aaron reveals how he disrupted a "boring" industry by turning hustle into a visible competitive advantage. He explains why his movers jog whenever they aren’t carrying boxes, how he used a "Pay What You Want" model to build early trust, and why he actively helps his employees leave the company to pursue their dream careers.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The "Jogging" MO: How Meathead Movers disrupted the industry by requiring employees to jog when not carrying items—creating visible value for the customer.

The "Pay What You Want" Strategy: The risky pricing model Aaron used for the first three years to build an undeniable reputation (and when he finally stopped using it).

Guerrilla Marketing 101: The exact script Aaron used in Home Depot and Costco parking lots to land jobs with zero ad spend.

The "Stepping Stone" Culture: Why Aaron calls his employees' future employers to recommend them, and how this reduces turnover and attracts top talent.

The Money-Back Guarantee: How to structure a refund policy based on the customer's perceived value of each individual employee.

From Friend to Boss: The leadership transition required when scaling from a high school side hustle to a corporate organization.

The "Engine vs. Mechanic" Mindset: Why you must stop being a piece of the engine (working in the business) and start being the mechanic (working on the business) to scale.

Hiring for Grit: How to identify candidates who have the physical and mental endurance for hard labor while maintaining a smile.

Surviving Near-Death: Aaron shares how the company survived four separate events that almost wiped them out completely.

The $200 Marketing Plan: Why business cards and eye contact still beat digital ads for local service businesses starting out.

Tags: Trucking, Service & Consulting, Business leadership, Side hustle, Meathead Movers, Delivery business, Boring Business
Resources:
Grow your transportation business today: 
https://www.upflip.com/course/moving-and-junk-removal-blueprint
Connect with Aaron: https://www.instagram.com/meatheadmovers/?hl=en

Imagine being a broke college student delivering DoorDash orders just to pay rent. Now, imagine taking that same obsession with efficiency—shaving seconds off delivery times—and applying it to real estate. That is exactly how Josh Janus built a $15 million portfolio with hundreds of units in just three years.
In this episode of UpFlip, Josh breaks down how he went from a $3,000 wholesale fee to managing 50+ rehab projects at once. He reveals the "Notebook Rule" that allowed him to scale, the hard lessons learned from losing $250k to bad contractors, and the exact criteria he uses to find off-market deals that no one else is looking for.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The DoorDash Mindset: How optimizing burger deliveries for tips taught Josh to identify the most motivated sellers in real estate.

The 3-Pillar Strategy: The simplified framework (Financing, Deal Flow, Network) for starting in real estate with $0.

Wholesaling 101: How Josh made his first $3,000 by selling information on a property he couldn't afford to buy.

Finding "Hidden Equity": The specific search criteria (5+ years ownership, <$140k purchase price) Josh uses to find profitable off-market leads.

The Cold Call Shift: Why asking "What’s your real estate story?" works better than "Do you want to sell?"

The BRRRR Method: Josh’s rule of thumb for buying, rehabbing, and refinancing (aiming for 70-80% of ARV).

Contractor Nightmares: How he lost $250k to drug-using contractors and the red flags you must avoid.

Vetting Contractors: The "Quality, Speed, Price" triangle—and why you should never prioritize price in the beginning.

The Notebook Rule: A daily audit habit that forces you to delegate, automate, or eliminate tasks to free up your time.

SOPs for Scale: How to write a "3rd Grade Level" Standard Operating Procedure to automate tasks like writing offers.

Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: DoorDash to Real Estate Empire
(01:20) The Efficiency Mindset
(05:45) How to Land Your First Wholesale Deal
(07:30) The 3 Pillars of Real Estate Success
(10:45) Finding Off-Market Deals & "Hidden Equity"
(12:45) The BRRRR Method Explained(15:30) Losing $250k: Contractor Horror Stories
(17:50) How to Vet & Manage Contractors
(21:00) The "Notebook Rule" for Delegation(25:10) The Fan Blitz: Best Purchases & Rejections
Tags:  Real estate, Retail Goods, Property management, Business scaling, Passive income, Refinancing, Side hustle
Resources
Grow your real estate business today:   https://www.upflip.com/course/how-to-buy-a-house
Connect with Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshjanus