--- title: "More Leads Won’t Save You with Rich Ashton" id: "1848" type: "post" slug: "s3e42-more-leads-rich-ashton" published_at: "2026-10-27T14:45:12+00:00" modified_at: "2026-10-27T13:41:58+00:00" url: "https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/s3e42-more-leads-rich-ashton/" markdown_url: "https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/s3e42-more-leads-rich-ashton.md" excerpt: "What if buying a business with zero industry experience meant stepping right onto the brink of bankruptcy? Our guest today bought a failing HVAC company generating two million dollars in declining revenue, only to discover it was losing money on..." taxonomy_category: - "Business Acquisition" - "Eight Figure Business" - "Leadership" - "Podcast Episodes" - "Podcast Season 3" - "Riches in Niches" --- # More Leads Won’t Save You with Rich Ashton Published in [Business Acquisition](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/category/podcast/business-acquisition/) , [Eight Figure Business](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/category/podcast/eight-figure-business/) , [Leadership](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/category/podcast/leadership/) , [Podcast Episodes](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/category/podcast/) , [Podcast Season 3](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/category/podcast/podcast-season-3/) , [Riches in Niches](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/category/podcast/niching/) What if buying a business with zero industry experience meant stepping right onto the brink of bankruptcy? Our guest today bought a failing HVAC company generating two million dollars in declining revenue, only to discover it was losing money on almost every job. Instead of chasing more leads or lowering prices, he made a few bold bets that would outperform any marketing or technology. That strategy didn’t just save the company—it grew it from under one and a half million to over ten million dollars with a team that now runs the business without him. Welcome to today’s episode of [Your Business Growth Podcast](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/) . I’m your host, Jeremy Shapiro, author of *[Your Business Growth Playbook](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/)*, and my guest today is Rich Ashton. [Listen on iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-leads-wont-save-you-with-rich-ashton/id1826637671?i=1000798353700) [Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ehMVD7TQSFHt7xzrgmJ7B) [Watch on YouTube](https://youtu.be/qNGrEZGqv3o) --- ## About Rich Ashton Rich Ashton is a four-decade entrepreneur, author, and owner of Tom’s Mechanical and Tom’s Commercial, leading HVAC companies serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 1988, after an early career in commercial real estate development with Trammell Crow Company, Rich purchased a near-bankrupt HVAC business with no prior trades experience. By eliminating unprofitable service lines and committing to exceptional customer service, he led a dramatic turnaround that scaled the company from under $1.5 million to over $10 million in revenue. Believing that companies stop growing when the owner runs out of leaders rather than leads, Rich developed a proprietary internal training program to develop blue-collar technicians into skilled small business managers. That program was so successful that his trained team now runs the day-to-day operations of the company. Rich is the author of *Growing Your Own: Common Sense Advice for Developing Leaders Within a Small Business*, published in May 2025, and actively trains other business owners on how to cultivate leadership from within. ## Connect with Rich Ashton - [GrowingYourOwn.net](https://GrowingYourOwn.net) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-ashton-397a2b10/) ## Speed Round Answers: - All In Lead Source: OTT (streaming television) advertising - Books: *Extreme Ownership* by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, and *Start with Why* by Simon Sinek - Unlikeliest Mentor: His wife ## Like This Episode? There’s More! ### Subscribe! Your Business Growth Podcast is available on all major [podcast platforms](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/#subscribe) . Subscribe today! [Subscribe!](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/#subscribe) ### Get the Book! Pickup the #1 Best Seller, [Your Business Growth Playbook](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/) today online or at your local bookseller! [Get the Book!](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/buy/) ### Meet Jeremy! Book your [Blueprint Discovery Call](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/blueprint/) with Jeremy today and get back to the growth you deserve! [Book a Call!](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/blueprint/) ## Rich Ashton Episode Transcript Coming Soon! ## Like This Episode? There’s More! ### Subscribe! Your Business Growth Podcast is available on all major [podcast platforms](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/#subscribe) . Subscribe today! [Subscribe!](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/#subscribe) ### Get the Book! Pickup the #1 Best Seller, [Your Business Growth Playbook](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/) today online or at your local bookseller! [Get the Book!](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/buy/) ### Meet Jeremy! Book your [Blueprint Discovery Call](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/blueprint/) with Jeremy today and get back to the growth you deserve! [Book a Call!](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/blueprint/) ## More posts - ### [More Leads Won’t Save You with Rich Ashton](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/s3e42-more-leads-rich-ashton/) [October 27, 2026](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/s3e42-more-leads-rich-ashton/) - ### [Growth Should Shorten Payback and Lengthen Runway](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/growth-should-shorten-payback-and-lengthen-runway/) [October 23, 2026](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/growth-should-shorten-payback-and-lengthen-runway/) - ### [Your 30-Day SEO Ranking Reset](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/your-30-day-seo-ranking-reset/) [October 21, 2026](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/your-30-day-seo-ranking-reset/) - ### [Your Business Needs a “Fries” Strategy](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/your-business-needs-a-fries-strategy/) [October 16, 2026](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/your-business-needs-a-fries-strategy/)