The Successful Contractor Podcast

Book a free Discovery Call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591  🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series, Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5    At 33, Luke Soderling was running plumbing calls when his mom noticed a lump on his neck. Three days later, a doctor’s voicemail changed everything: stage 3 thyroid cancer.  What happened next? Luke didn’t just survive—he went on to win a Discovery Channel survival show, buy his family’s plumbing business, and grow Approve Home Services by 600% in just four years.  In this episode of The Successful Contractor, Luke Soderling of Proof Home Services in northern Minnesota shares one of the most remarkable stories we’ve ever featured. From eating caiman in the Amazon to building a thriving plumbing and electrical company an hour south of Canada, to becoming an acclaimed professional speaker, Luke’s journey proves that the mindset you build in crisis becomes the foundation for business success.  What You’ll Learn in This Episode:  • How surviving cancer at 33 reshaped Luke’s approach to life and business—and why he refuses to complain now  • Why he competed on The Wheel (Discovery Channel) and survived 60 days alone in South America after beating cancer  • The exact steps he took after buying his family business—and how CertainPath helped him hit 600% growth in 4 years  • Why “simply answering the phone” beat every competitor in his small market  • How his 14-year-old son with flyers generated $100K in leads (guerrilla marketing that actually works)  • The painful truth he avoided—“I didn’t look at the numbers because I didn’t want to know”—and how facing it fixed his electrical margins  • Why Culture Index and clear core values (“faith, family, fantastic service”) transformed his hiring  • Why he added electrical to his plumbing business—and the $100K wake-up call that proved it was the right move  • What he’s learned from Brandon Marshall’s The Lion’s Pride mentorship program  • His new BHAG: $10 million in five years  Luke’s story is part survival tale, part business masterclass, and 100% proof that with the right mindset, mentors, and systems, any contractor can build something extraordinary.  🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.  Chapters:  00:00 – Stage 3 Cancer at 33: Luke’s Life-Changing Diagnosis  06:37 – How Cancer Changed His Perspective on Life  07:32 – The Wheel: Surviving 60 Days Alone in South America  10:43 – The Hardest Part of Survival (It Wasn’t the Hunger)  12:36 – From Technician to Business Owner: Buying the Family Business  15:04 – $204K to 600% Growth: The CertainPath Turnaround  17:40 – “We Had No Competitors” – The Power of Answering the Phone  19:24 – Hiring in a Small Market: Culture Index & Core Values  23:21 – Weekly Training: Meet “Gladys” the Role-Play Customer  26:07 – The Numbers Wake-Up Call: 47% Material Costs  28:27 – Cross-Selling Plumbing & Electrical with Club Memberships  31:02 – Marketing That Works: Billboards, Geo-Targeting & Flyer Walks  34:25 – Why He Added Electrical (And How It’s Going)  37:30 – Leadership Lessons: From 1 Employee to 9  41:40 – Lion’s Pride: What Mentorship With Brandon Marshall Looks Like  43:38 – The Next BHAG: $10 Million in 5 Years  Show Notes  The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years. We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. Let us show you the way. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.  FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/  About the Guest:  Luke Soderling is the owner of Approve Home Services, a plumbing and electrical company in northern Minnesota. A cancer survivor, Discovery Channel survival show winner, and professional speaker, Luke has grown his business from $204K to over $1M in four years. He’s a three-time Crown Champion and member of Brandon Marshall’s Lion’s Pride program.  Connect with Luke:  Approve Home Services: https://approvehomeservices.com/  Luke’s YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeSoderling  Luke’s Professional Speakers Page: https://lukesoderling.com/