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The Turn: Blue Collar to Billions

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by Iconic Founders Group

5.0(7 reviews)

12 episodes

Updated Daily

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Podcast Overview

You've fought hard for your business. Growth was earned, not given. Maybe you've scaled, maybe you've sold— but who have you become in the process? This isn't another podcast obsessing over multiples and deal structure. We get to the heart of what you're actually going through. Hosted by Kory Mitchell, CEO of Iconic Founders, we sit down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real— businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Because the real story isn't just how you got here—it's about the lessons along the way. About the Host, Kory Mitchell: Kory Mitchell is the host of The Turn and the founder of Iconic Founders Group. He's lived the founder's journey—building a small regional specialty contracting business with his family into a national ($200m)brand and navigating two transactions, including a 9-figure exit. With 25+ years in the specialty contracting industry, Kory learned how personal and high-stakes the decision to sell can be. Now he guides founder-led companies through legacy-preserving transactions and serves as a board member for several large national specialty trades businesses, bringing an operator's perspective to strategic growth. About Iconic Founders: Iconic Founders Group provides expert guidance for blue-collar industry founders ready to grow and sell their businesses while preserving legacy. We work with founder-led businesses doing $3M–$20M in profit across specialty contracting and trades—including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, roofing, concrete, environmental services, tree services, excavation, asphalt paving, restoration, and more. Whether you're seeking liquidity, finding a partner to scale, or protecting the team and culture that made you great, Kory and the Iconic Team serves as a trusted advisor throughout the entire process—from readiness to strategic buyer alignment, all the way to a proud and well-earned close. Learn more at www.iconicfounders.com. Built Something Great? We Want to Hear Your Story. Whether you're in the thick of scaling, contemplating an exit, or reflecting on lessons learned, we'd love to connect. Visit us at www.iconicfounders.com and subscribe to The Turn wherever you get your podcasts.

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Publishing Since

1/16/2026

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Recent Episodes

June 23, 2026

Most Owners Are Terrified to Do This. He Did It Anyway.

Chris Lee's mom called him with a U-Haul in the driveway. He'd already accepted a job in Little Rock. The U-Haul went to Texas instead. He joined his family's landscape company — Earthworks — when it had 25 employees, an answering machine, a pager, and no real systems. His stepdad was a brilliant operator who couldn't tolerate people. Chris was the opposite. He liked people. That turned out to be enough to start something.Over the next 25 years, Chris built Earthworks from a few hundred thousand in revenue to more than $40 million. He expanded geographically before it made obvious sense. He invested in data systems early, then figured out how to share that data with his team — and tie it to how they got paid. That comp shift, he says, was the single biggest thing they ever did. He opened new branches in Dallas and went greenfield into Houston with one operator and a foreman. And two years before going to market, he hired an advisor and did his own due diligence on the business — so when buyers came, there were no surprises. He sold to Osprey Landscape Group and rolled equity. He's still running the Texas platform. Still working more than he expected to. Still proving they made the right call.Here's what we discuss with Chris:• Canceling his job offer and joining the family business in 1998 with a pager and a roll of quarters • Expanding the geographic and demographic footprint when the business was being too restrictive • Investing in their first ERP system and what real-time job costing changed • Why sharing financial data with your team is terrifying — and why you have to do it anyway • Teaching employees the difference between profit and cash flow • Tying comp to actionable behavior — and why it became the single biggest move they made • The rule that changed everything: "My check gets cashed last" • Opening new branches in Dallas and going greenfield into Houston • Starting the sale process two years before going to market • Doing their own due diligence before buyers did • Getting four LOIs and why the decision came down to culture, not price • What it actually feels like post-close — more pressure, not lessRunning a blue-collar business? Wondering how to think about value or selling? Iconic Founders Group helps founders like you explore what's next. If you're doing over $2M in profit, check us out at iconicfounders.com or send us a message at theturn@iconicfounders.com.Iconic Links: • Learn More: https://www.iconicfounders.com • Connect: theturn@iconicfounders.com • Production: Lower Street https://lowerstreet.co

June 9, 2026

They Grew to $40M and Destroyed the Family Doing It

Seth Zeller's dad and uncle started an electrical contracting company in the early eighties on a handshake and a work ethic. No succession plan. No operating agreement. Just family, and the assumption that family would figure it out. When five second-generation Zellers entered the business, that assumption got tested. Hard. Seth pushed the envelope — bought out the first gen, took the reins, grew the business from $7 million to $40 million. But the conflict never went away. It just got worse.The fractures inside the business followed them everywhere — to the kitchen table, to Christmas dinner, eventually to the floor of the office. Seth and his brother had a physical altercation. In front of a customer. Their accounting manager had to pull them apart. Through all of it, the business kept growing. Consultants came and went. One fired them as a client. They tried EOS, YPO, a pastor as mediator, and a third-party buyout that fell apart on the one-yard line in January 2025. Seth finally forced his exit through the buy-sell in August of that year.He got out. He's not sure it healed anything yet. The family isn't taking vacations together. His parents are hurt. His confidence has wavered. But he's building something new — a consulting practice, a growth coaching business — and processing all of it out loud. This is the story of what happens when you don't make a plan. And what it costs. Here's what we discuss:• How the Zeller's built a $7M electrical business on integrity, reputation, and a handshake • What happens when five second-gen family members enter a business with no succession plan • Why "owner" isn't a job title — and the alignment problems it created • Buying out the first gen in 2015 — and why it didn't fix anything • Growing from $7M to $40M through EOS, the Great Game of Business, and outside consultants • The physical altercation with his brother — in front of a customer • Why the consultant fired them as a client • The third-party buyout that went to the one-yard line and fell apart • How to craft a buy-sell that actually alleviates conflict instead of adding to it • What it feels like to finally exit the business — and why it's more complicated than reliefRunning a blue-collar business? Wondering how to think about value or selling? Iconic Founders Group helps founders like you explore what's next. If you're doing over $2M in profit, check us out at iconicfounders.com or send us a message at theturn@iconicfounders.com.Iconic Links: • Learn More: https://www.iconicfounders.com • Connect: theturn@iconicfounders.com • Production: Lower Street https://lowerstreet.co

May 27, 2026

12x EBITDA—and Still Regrets Selling

What if you got exactly the number you dreamed of—and it was still the wrong decision? Danny Namerow built Farryn Electric from scratch on lessons his electrician father taught him the hard way: diversify, don't work for builders, and never let one client own your business. He pivoted to service work, adopted flat rate pricing, built a tight crew of six, and watched his margins soar. Then a private equity firm called three times. On the third call, he listened—and walked away with 12 times EBITDA. Within a year, he'd watched them lose 90% of his customer base. Danny opens up about the earn-out nightmare, what he'd negotiate differently, and the business fundamentals that made Farron sellable in the first place. He found his Costa Rica anyway. But he'd tell you there was another path to get there.Here's what we discuss with Danny:• Why Danny's father drilled one rule into him: never work for builders • The pivot from new construction to service work — and how it changed everything • How flat rate and package pricing unlocked margins he couldn't hit on time-and-materials • Why a tight crew of six outperformed larger, less focused teams • The three calls from private equity — and why he finally picked up • What 12x EBITDA actually looks like when the check clears • The earn-out nightmare: how PE lost 90% of his customer base in under a year • What he'd negotiate differently if he did it again • Why having a second buyer in the room changes everything • How he found his version of Costa Rica — and whether the sale was the only path to get there12x EBITDA—and Still Regrets SellingRunning a blue-collar business? Wondering how to think about value or selling? Iconic Founders Group helps founders like you explore what's next. If you're doing over $2M in profit, check us out at iconicfounders.com or send us a message at theturn@iconicfounders.com.Iconic Links: • Learn More: https://www.iconicfounders.com • Connect: theturn@iconicfounders.com • Podcast Production: Lower Street https://lowerstreet.co

12 total episodes available

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What is The Turn: Blue Collar to Billions?: You've fought hard for your business. Growth was earned, not given. Maybe you've scaled, maybe you've sold— but who have you become in the process?

This isn't another podcast obsessing over multiples and deal structure. We get to the heart of what you're actually going through. Hosted by Kory Mitchell, CEO of Iconic Founders, we sit down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real— businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Because the real story isn't just how you got here—it's about the lessons along the way.

About the Host, Kory Mitchell: Kory Mitchell is the host of The Turn and the founder of Iconic Founders Group. He's lived the founder's journey—building a small regional specialty contracting business with his family into a national ($200m)brand and navigating two transactions, including a 9-figure exit. With 25+ years in the specialty contracting industry, Kory learned how personal and high-stakes the decision to sell can be. Now he guides founder-led companies through legacy-preserving transactions and serves as a board member for several large national specialty trades businesses, bringing an operator's perspective to strategic growth.

About Iconic Founders: Iconic Founders Group provides expert guidance for blue-collar industry founders ready to grow and sell their businesses while preserving legacy. We work with founder-led businesses doing $3M–$20M in profit across specialty contracting and trades—including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, roofing, concrete, environmental services, tree services, excavation, asphalt paving, restoration, and more. Whether you're seeking liquidity, finding a partner to scale, or protecting the team and culture that made you great, Kory and the Iconic Team serves as a trusted advisor throughout the entire process—from readiness to strategic buyer alignment, all the way to a proud and well-earned close. Learn more at www.iconicfounders.com.

Built Something Great? We Want to Hear Your Story. Whether you're in the thick of scaling, contemplating an exit, or reflecting on lessons learned, we'd love to connect. Visit us at www.iconicfounders.com and subscribe to The Turn wherever you get your podcasts.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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