Scaling a Service Business Through People and Processes – With Aaron Thomas

Building a successful service business often feels like a race against time. Entrepreneurs are told that success requires long hours, endless hustle, and constant sacrifice. But what if scaling a service business didn’t mean losing your family time, freedom, or health? For those in the service industry, finding a roadmap that blends efficiency, scale, and customer connection can feel like discovering a hidden treasure. Imagine being able to grow a billion-dollar brand while spending more weekends with your family and less time grinding in the trenches.

In this episode of The Best Business Podcast, Daryl Urbanski sits down with Aaron Thomas. He is the co-founder of Bug Bros Pest Control, All Green Lawn & Pest, and Don’s Lawn & Pest. Together with his brother Jason, Aaron has built a mini-empire by focusing on customer experience, automation, and employee happiness. A former financial planner and CrossFit Games nutrition entrepreneur, he shares how past lessons, failures, and wins shaped a new path to building without the grind.

Scaling a service business doesn’t have to mean endless grind or sacrifice. Gain practical advice on leveraging systems, automation, and customer-centric strategies to grow a local brand at scale. Learn how to create growth without burning out. Finally, see how putting people first can drive both profit and freedom.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: 

1. Learn the benefits of scaling a service business with 63% year-over-year growth without sacrificing personal and family time.
2. Understand the core systems, employee strategies, and AI tools that are transforming how home service businesses operate.
3. Reflect on how building a culture of “crazy happy” employees can be the secret to customer loyalty, reputation, and long-term success.

Resources 

• Aaron Thomas: LinkedIn
• Bug Bros Pest Control: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)
• Don’s Lawn & Pest: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | X (Twitter)
• All Green Lawn & Pest: Website | Facebook 
• GoHighLevel: Website  
• Applause (Review Gathering & NPS Tool): Website  
• DeepLawn (AI Lawn Measuring Tool): Website  
• BetaBlox Incubator: Website  
• “How to Live on 24 Hours a Day: The Original 1908 Time Management Classic” by Arnold Bennett 
• “The 1% Better Rule” by James Clear | Article/Idea  
• “CrossFit Games”: Official Website 
• Best Business Podcast with Daryl Urbanski - Where you can find more insightful interviews like this one.

Episode Highlights 

Redefining Success in Scaling a Service Business

• In the service industry, success is often linked to endless grinding, long hours, and constant sacrifice. 
• Pest control and lawn care businesses especially can feel like nonstop battles to stay ahead.
• But what if scaling a service business didn’t have to come at the cost of time, freedom, and family?
• In this episode, Daryl introduces Aaron Thomas, co-founder of Bug Bros Pest Control, All Green Lawn & Pest, and Don’s Lawn & Pest.
• Aaron shares how he redefined success by focusing on “freedom from” grind, stress, and pressure, building a thriving business without burning out.

The Thomas Brothers’ Entrepreneurial Roots

• Entrepreneurship began early for Aaron and Jason through their parents’ involvement with Amway.
• Their childhood was filled with sales meetings, conferences, and paid book reports on self-development.
• This upbringing instilled a growth mindset and the drive to build freedom-focused businesses.
• As a father, Aaron now encourages his kids to follow their passions while keeping family time central.

Scaling A Services Business Without the Grind

• Aaron and Jason replace hustle culture with systems, automation, and early hiring.
• Their strategy to scaling a service business is to grow revenue and profit together, not one at the expense of the other.
• The mantra “crazy happy employees create crazy happy customers” guides their entire approach.
• Saying “no” to enticing opportunities that don’t align with culture or capacity has been helpful to maintaining focus.

From CrossFit to Customer Experience: Lessons from Failure

• Aaron co-founded a sports nutrition brand linked to the CrossFit Games but faced financial and emotional tolls.
• Despite outward success, the lack of time freedom made him rethink his approach to growth.
• He learned to validate market fit before raising money, avoiding costly mistakes.
• Those hard lessons shifted his focus from pure hustle to strategy-driven decisions.

Growth Systems and Scaling Secrets

• Incremental milestones and constant learning shape Aaron’s path to sustainable growth.
• Jason’s tech expertise drives automation in an industry that often lags behind.
• Tools like GoHighLevel and text automation keep operations efficient and responsive.
• Tailored funnels for each service educate customers and strengthen engagement.

Text, Personality, & Templates: Reimagining Sales Funnels

• Funnels are designed to convert leads while guiding customers through a seamless journey.
• Every communication piece, emails, scripts, texts, is infused with the brand’s “crazy happy” voice and energy.
• Templates ensure consistent communication across the entire team.
• Over-communication, before, during, and after service, creates delight and trust.

How Happy Employees Drive Everything

• Employee turnover is high in this industry, yet Bug Bros hasn’t lost a team member in over 18 months.
• Salaries, bonuses, and 401k contributions create financial stability and motivation.
• Benefits like lake house retreats and top-tier health insurance set them apart.
• Aaron stresses that employees must be cared for if they are to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Data-Driven Customer Delight with AI & NPS

• Aaron and Jason have turned a traditional business into a tech-forward operation.
• They use tools like DeepLawn for AI lawn measurements and Applause for NPS tracking.
• Customer feedback triggers automated follow-ups when satisfaction dips.
• Employees even receive instant tip transfers, boosting morale and ownership.

Building a Premium Product with Premium Pricing

• Aaron positions their services at the top of the market to reflect quality and investment.
• Price adjustments ensure excellence and prevent the slow decline of loyalty discounts.
• Scripts educate customers upfront, reducing churn and setting clear expectations.
• Creative marketing like the “blue dye lawn spray” builds visibility and sparks conversations.

Always Improving, But Never Grinding Again

• Sustainable growth includes creating upward mobility for team members.
• Aaron’s “1% better daily” mindset drives consistent long-term success.
• Systems and automations allow leaders to step back from day-to-day operations.
• Their growth target is a billion-dollar brand over decades, not quick wins.

Cultivating “Crazy Happy” Culture That Sticks

• Culture isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation of their business model.
• Employees are encouraged to inject personality, humor, and joy into their work.
• Daryl calls this approach radical in its simplicity, and Aaron agrees culture outshines tactics.
• From pay to scripts to systems, everything is built to make employees feel valued.

Final Thoughts on Doing Business Differently

• Exceptional customer experience, automation, and employee care form the winning formula.
• Growing without grinding is possible with intention, clarity, and discipline.
• Aaron urges founders to design life goals first, then build businesses around them.
• Success comes from providing value, loving the work, and deeply caring for people.