Why Most Trades Owners Can’t Scale Sales (And the Fix) Built on Doors, Not Google: The $500M Growth Playbook How Door-to-Door Scaled a $500M Company and Why It Works Anywhere
Thu Jan 22 2026
In this episode, Chris Lee sits down with David Royce — founder and former chairman of Aptive — to break down how a $500M+ pest control business was built (and scaled) through door-to-door, culture, and a recruiting system that translates to any home service company.If you’re in HVAC, plumbing, roofing, solar, or electrical, this isn’t a “pest control story” — it’s a blueprint for raising your growth ceiling by building a team that can win year-round (including shoulder season).You’ll hear why door-to-door puts you back in control when demand drops, how to make the shift from technician to manager to true scaler, and how the best companies turn “secret sauce” into systems, training, and repeatable process. David also breaks down what he means by “obsession,” why it shows up in every high performer, and how Aptive created real buy-in with a 25% employee equity pool that produced life-changing payouts for key people.If you want to stop relying on luck, seasonality, and “hoping the phone rings,” this conversation will change how you think about growth.Connect with David Royce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-royce-22539425/CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA!TEXT ME: 509-905-4109INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/chrisleeqb/?hl=enFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chrisleeqb/TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisleeqbSPONSORSPartner Spotlight: 1SEO Digital Agency: At Next Level Pros, we teach you the best ways HOW to market your business. If you want additional hands-on help executing, we trust 1SEO, our marketing partner. They implement SEO, PPC, Google Local Services Ads, and high-performance websites that turn stronger operations into booked jobs. Learn more or book a consult: https://1seo.com/next-level-pros/
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In this episode, Chris Lee sits down with David Royce — founder and former chairman of Aptive — to break down how a $500M+ pest control business was built (and scaled) through door-to-door, culture, and a recruiting system that translates to any home service company.If you’re in HVAC, plumbing, roofing, solar, or electrical, this isn’t a “pest control story” — it’s a blueprint for raising your growth ceiling by building a team that can win year-round (including shoulder season).You’ll hear why door-to-door puts you back in control when demand drops, how to make the shift from technician to manager to true scaler, and how the best companies turn “secret sauce” into systems, training, and repeatable process. David also breaks down what he means by “obsession,” why it shows up in every high performer, and how Aptive created real buy-in with a 25% employee equity pool that produced life-changing payouts for key people.If you want to stop relying on luck, seasonality, and “hoping the phone rings,” this conversation will change how you think about growth.Connect with David Royce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-royce-22539425/CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA!TEXT ME: 509-905-4109INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/chrisleeqb/?hl=enFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chrisleeqb/TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisleeqbSPONSORSPartner Spotlight: 1SEO Digital Agency: At Next Level Pros, we teach you the best ways HOW to market your business. If you want additional hands-on help executing, we trust 1SEO, our marketing partner. They implement SEO, PPC, Google Local Services Ads, and high-performance websites that turn stronger operations into booked jobs. Learn more or book a consult: https://1seo.com/next-level-pros/