customer experience · entrepreneurship · podcast ·Sep 15, 2026

Building a 7-Figure Service Business | Chris McManus

What does it take to turn teenage hustle into a thriving, multi-seven-figure business?

In this episode, Drewbie sits down with entrepreneur Chris McManus, who shares his journey from flipping dirt bikes as a teenager to building a fast-growing landscaping and design business with a team of over 20 people.

Chris dives into the realities of entrepreneurship in the home service industry—where high-risk job sites, demanding clients, and operational chaos can either break you or sharpen your edge.

From navigating intense client conflicts to mastering speed-to-lead and communication, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on how to build, scale, and sustain a service-based business.

If you're in sales, home services, or entrepreneurship, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth, discipline, and doing the little things right.

💡 Key Takeaways

1. Confidence Comes From Standing Your Ground
Sometimes the best way to earn respect from a difficult client is to professionally push back. Boundaries build better relationships.

2. You Don't Need Genius—You Need Action
Success isn't about being the smartest person in the room. It's about taking action, figuring things out, and staying consistent.

3. Speed to Lead Wins Deals
The faster you respond, the higher your chances of closing. Delay kills momentum—and sales.

4. Communication Is Everything
From first contact to project completion, consistent communication builds trust and prevents frustration.

5. Build Credit Early—It Changes the Game
Access to capital and financing unlocks growth opportunities. Strong business credit = faster scaling.

6. Systems Beat Chaos
Growth without systems creates stress. Systems create consistency, scalability, and sanity.

7. Reputation Is Your Real Marketing
Reviews, referrals, and social proof matter more than ads. If people trust you, they'll choose you—even at a higher price.

🔥 Memorable Moments

Almost getting into a fistfight with a client… then ending the day smoking cigars together
Flipping dirt bikes as a teenager and making $500/week before most people had jobs
Financing small purchases just to build business credit strategically
Sending a few text messages to secure $200K worth of equipment
The reality of scaling a team—and the growing pains that come with it
Why most contractors fail at communication (and how it costs them deals)

🧠 Core Lessons for Sales Professionals

Follow-up is your competitive advantage in industries where most people don't
Set expectations early and often to avoid confusion and frustration
Your reputation compounds over time—protect it at all costs
Don't chase shiny objects—focus on what actually drives revenue
Execution beats perfection every single time

📲 Connect with Chris McManus

Business: GC Landscaping Inc. (All platforms)
Instagram: chrismcmanus151

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More on this: Chris Garrison on starting a service business with no money. New here? Start with what Call The Damn Leads is.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How fast should a home service business respond to a new lead?

Fast enough that the call never goes to voicemail. Chris McManus runs a landscaping company in the mountains, and during business hours his team drops everything and answers the phone. Every site up there is different, so he can't quote much over the phone. He wants a site visit on the calendar within 48 hours. Then the quote lands in the customer's inbox with a minute and a half Loom video walking them through it, like he's sitting at their kitchen table.

What should you do when a client gets out of line on a job?

Keep your cool and hold your ground. Chris had a lakefront client cussing out his crew while they set 5,000 pound boulders on a ledge. He stayed calm in front of his guys and told the client, politely, that they'd pack up and he could find someone else. The client walked off. About 20 or 30 minutes later he came back and apologized. By the end of the day they were on his back porch with a $50 cigar and $200 bourbon, watching the crew finish.

How do you build business credit when you're just starting out?

Slowly, and on purpose. Chris had no credit at all when he went full time, and for about 2 years he couldn't buy anything. So he financed whatever he could, including a $600 purchase he didn't need to finance, just to build the file. It paid off. By 2022 and 2023, 2 or 3 text messages to his sales rep at the Ford dealership lined up $200,000 in trucks, and they were in his parking lot the next day. The rest is paying your bills on time.

Why do customers think a contractor took their money and disappeared?

Because after the deposit, they hear nothing. Chris's company would take a $20,000 deposit, order the materials and then go quiet for 4 to 8 weeks until the job started. Home services is full of horror stories, so silence looks like a scam. He had a customer scheduled for the third or fourth week of March calling in the third week to ask where they were. His answer was an automated email and text drip with the start date, so the customer hears from him the whole time they wait.