Epic Entrepreneurs

Welcome to Epic Entrepreneurs! What does it take to build a real and thriving business in today’s world? As entrepreneurs and business owners, we went into business to have more freedom of time and money. Yet, the path of growing a business isn’t always filled with sunshine and rainbows. In this chart-topping show, host Bill Gilliland; author of the best-selling book “The Coach Approach” leverages his decades of experience coaching proven entrepreneurs to make more money, grow the right teams, and find the freedom of EPIC Entrepreneurship.

Epic Entrepreneurs is a business podcast hosted by Bill Gilliland, with 328 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Bill Gilliland hosts Epic Entrepreneurs, a business show with 328 episodes published.

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  Epic Entrepreneurs

  You Can Grow A Cleaning Business Without Losing The Human Touch with Marcus Southern, Southern Royalty Cleaning Service LLC

  Oct 1, 202648 min

  Clean is easy to promise and brutally hard to deliver the same way every single time, across every crew, on every job. That’s why our conversation with Marcus Southern from Southern Royalty Cleaning Service LLC goes far beyond mops and buckets and straight into what actually scales a service business: trust, communication, and leadership that shows up when it counts. Marcus shares the real story behind building an 11-year, Hampton Roads based cleaning company with his wife Amber, rooted in faith, family, and a commitment to making customers feel heard. We talk about what sets Southern Royalty apart in commercial cleaning, recurring janitorial services, post-construction cleaning, floor care, soft washing, and pressure washing, plus why becoming a one-stop solution can win contracts that would otherwise require multiple vendors and multiple bids. Along the way, Marcus breaks down how he thinks about quality control, training leaders, and staying personally involved without getting trapped in the day-to-day forever. We also get candid about the hardest parts of growth: hiring in a changing culture, finding people with the right attitude, and learning to delegate when you’ve spent your life believing you have to do everything yourself. Marcus explains “trust but verify,” why accountability and business coaching matter as revenue rises, and how referral marketing and strong networks like BNI can create steady leads without dumping money into ads. If you’re building a local service business and want practical insight you can apply this week, press play, then subscribe, share the episode with a fellow owner, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway. CONTACT INFO: support@southernroyaltyservicellc.com https://www.southernroyaltyservicellc.com/ High Retention - Short and Sweet Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

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  Epic Entrepreneurs

  A Great Home Design Happens Long Before Delivery Day with Caitlin Madia, Remarkable Interior

  Oct 1, 202640 min

  A remodel can look gorgeous on Pinterest and still feel wrong the minute you move back in. We talk with Caitlin Madia, founder of Remarkable Interiors in Morgantown, West Virginia, about what actually makes a home come together and why “just picking colours” is rarely the real problem. Caitlin breaks down full-service interior design from concept to completion, including furnishings, remodels, and new builds, and she explains why homeowners often feel overwhelmed right when the spending gets serious. We get honest about the parts most people never see: the space planning hours, the trade coordination, the backorders, the last-minute swaps, and the small problems that can turn into expensive regrets. Caitlin shares how she acts as a client advocate across contractors, vendors, and big-box options, keeping the project aligned with what the homeowner wants to live with for years. If you have ever second-guessed a tile choice, a lighting plan, or a layout, this conversation will feel painfully familiar in the best way. We also zoom out to the business side of interior design and entrepreneurship in 2026: nonstop price changes, rising freight and labor costs, and the pressure to grow without losing quality. Caitlin talks about hiring, using a business coach, building documented systems and processes, and what “growing the right way” looks like as she works toward a future flagship showroom. She even shares what she looks for when hiring a designer, and why drive and sales ability can matter as much as technical skills. If you enjoy real stories about small business growth, leadership, and building a home that supports your life, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend planning a remodel, and leave a review with the biggest decision you are trying to make in your space. CONTACT INFO: caitlin@remarkableid.com High Retention - Short and Sweet Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

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  Epic Entrepreneurs

  Honest Same Day Repairs Turn One Call Into Loyalty with Mike Melatti, The Garage Doc

  Sep 30, 202648 min

  Your garage door breaks at the worst possible time and suddenly you’re not shopping for a “good deal” you’re shopping for someone you can trust. That’s why I wanted to bring on Mike Melatti, founder and president of The Garage Doc in Virginia Beach, to talk about what it really takes to run a reliable garage door repair and installation company in Hampton Roads when pricing is rising and competition is everywhere. We get into the practical side of the business: how same-day service works without rushing quality, why Mike refuses to throw out quotes over the phone, and how honest diagnostics can beat shady upsells in the long run. Mike shares the real numbers behind lead conversion, including why paid lead platforms can be a grind unless you’re first to respond, and why the close rate jumps once you’re standing in the homeowner’s garage solving the right problem. We also dig into the unglamorous work owners carry: answering phones, managing reviews, staying organised, and choosing software that keeps the field running smoothly. You’ll also hear the personal side of leadership in a family-owned business: working 50 to 60 hours a week, struggling with delegation and control, and deciding whether “growth” is even the goal. Mike talks about balancing emergency calls with the opportunity for predictable recurring revenue through annual tune-ups and a potential maintenance plan, plus what he wants the company to look like by 2030. If you like real-world small business stories, home service marketing lessons, and customer experience strategies that actually hold up under pressure, this one’s for you. Subscribe to Epic Entrepreneurs, share this with a business owner who cares about doing it right, and leave a review if you want more conversations like this. What’s one service experience that instantly won your loyalty? CONTACT INFO: mike@thegaragedoc.com Google Link: https://share.google/NLiulliD2OhKIgQJ6 Personal FB: https://www.facebook.com/mike.melatti?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=rGRZzQbDkEnfBkqQ&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1bEQFJQmz6%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr# Business FB: https://www.facebook.com/SearsGarageSolutionsHamptonRoads?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=KpzNQI7jcps9oz0K&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F14maCNZLn6p%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr# Company Website: www.TheGarageDoc.com High Retention - Short and Sweet Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

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  Epic Entrepreneurs

  Running A Service Business Means Learning To Pre-Qualify People Fast with Andrew Schray, AB Tree Service

  Sep 30, 202635 min

  A tree service business can look like a simple trade until you see what’s underneath: high-stakes safety, expensive equipment, nonstop scheduling decisions, and customers who can change plans at 10 p.m. I sit down with Andrew Schray of AB Tree Service NC to get real about what it takes to build a fast, high-quality tree removal and tree trimming operation in a crowded market, and why “must be nice” doesn’t capture the mental load of ownership. Andrew shares his journey from always hustling to running a four-year-old service company that’s built on clean job sites, fair pricing, and reputation. We dig into lead generation, the problem of quote shoppers, and how pre-qualification protects your time while improving the quality of your pipeline. He also explains what he’d do if qualified leads suddenly quadrupled, how he thinks about scaling crews, and why speed becomes a true competitive edge only when you can finish the job without damaging a customer’s yard. We also get into leadership and resilience: losing a partner, learning not to blow up when “stuff” breaks, and leading by example when your crew is watching everything you do. Andrew talks about the future too, from how AI may change marketing and search behavior to his plan to launch a crane division and expand into bigger lifting and rigging work. If you’re a small business owner feeling stuck or overwhelmed, this conversation is a push to take the next step and learn by doing. Subscribe for more founder stories, share this with a friend in the trades, and leave a review if it helps you think differently about growth, sales, and leadership. CONTACT INFO: abtreeservicenc@gmail.com High Retention - Short and Sweet Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

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  Epic Entrepreneurs

  We Built Restopros To Stop Bad Cleanup From Hurting Families with Ryan & Bob Parrish, Restopros of Catawba Valley

  Sep 29, 202652 min

  A water loss is stressful enough, but the wrong cleanup can turn it into a health problem and a financial mess. We’re joined by Ryan and Bob Parrish from RestoPros of Catawba Valley to share what “doing restoration the right way” actually means when a water heater blows, a toilet leaks into the basement, or category three sewage backs up into a finished space. We talk about the personal moment that pushed Bob from a logistics career into water damage restoration and mold remediation: discovering severe hidden mold during a remodel and watching how improved air quality changed an elderly family member’s health. From there, we get practical about standards and trust: how they educate homeowners with moisture meters, documentation, and the IICRC S500 water cleanup guidelines, and why they tell people to verify instead of blindly believing any contractor. Ryan breaks down the day-to-day reality of building brand awareness and referral relationships with plumbers, insurance adjusters, and agents, plus the discipline it takes to write detailed estimates fast enough for insurance timelines. We also dig into father-son leadership, separating responsibilities, hiring technicians who can handle both technical work and stressed homeowners, and what a true 24/7 emergency response looks like when the phone rings at midnight. If you care about ethical restoration, insurance claims that don’t spiral, and entrepreneurship lessons from the field, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share this with a local business owner, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. CONTACT INFO: rparrish@restopros.co ryanparrish@restopros.co High Retention - Short and Sweet Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/ All the best! Bill Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/

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