From the Yellow Chair

Home Service Industry marketing and branding gurus, Crystal Williams and Emily Fleniken speak the language of contractors by talking condensers, co-op dollars, service agreements, and equipment warranties, but also the language of entrepreneurs by talking ROI, creative strategy, trending tactics, employee retention, and community engagement. You’ll be entertained by the comical banter, but informed by the holistic approach to marketing and branding. On the daily, you’ll find this dynamic duo working the grind at Lemon Seed Marketing, but this podcast is an outlet for us to share their experiences with the masses, From the Yellow Chair.

From the Yellow Chair is a business podcast hosted by Lemon Seed, with 238 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Lemon Seed hosts From the Yellow Chair, a business show with 238 episodes published.

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  Episode #240

  Beyond the Software: The Pricing, Marketing & Execution Behind a Profitable Home Service Business

  Sep 29, 20261h 1m

  Send us Fan Mail More leads will not solve the problem if the opportunities you already have are moving through a business that is underpriced, difficult to measure, or inconsistent in execution. If your marketing needs a clearer strategy, book a call with Lemon Seed Marketing: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contact/ In Episode 240, Crystal Williams is joined by Danielle Putnam of The New Flat Rate and Ryan Bowman of Divergent for a conversation about the connection between pricing, marketing, operations and profitability. Danielle begins with one of the numbers every contractor should understand: the billable hour. She walks through how labor burden, efficiency and profitability influence the price a home service company actually needs to charge. Ryan challenges the idea that flat rate pricing or another software platform can replace understanding what is happening operationally inside the business. Crystal brings those lessons into marketing and explains why contractors cannot simply give every win to PPC, cut brand building activity, or assume more leads will fix a weak customer journey. In this episode, you will hear: • Why underpricing can quietly damage growth • Why every truck should have a clear daily target • Why flat rate pricing still requires understanding the numbers • Why brand recognition supports lead capture • Why existing customers should not be forgotten • How to map the customer journey from first contact to payment • Why implementation matters more than simply buying another tool • How leadership affects the performance of every system in the business About Danielle Putnam Danielle Putnam is CEO of The New Flat Rate and works with contractors on pricing and profitability. Learn more: https://thenewflatrate.com/ About Ryan Bowman Ryan Bowman works with contractors on process, systems engineering, workflows and operational execution through Divergent. Learn more: https://divergentbsg.com/ Listen and Follow Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-yellow-chair/id1598195561 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1goGP66YLPIxzpX1TxFGvT YouTube: https://youtu.be/4KQUyjt8JkY More From the Yellow Chair: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contractor-marketing-podcast/ If you enjoyed this chat From the Yellow Chair, consider joining our newsletter, "Let's Sip Some Lemonade," where you can receive exclusive interviews, our bank of helpful downloadables, and updates on upcoming content. Please consider following and drop a review below if you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com Interested in being a guest on our show? Fill out this form! We'll see you next time, Lemon Heads!

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  Episode #239

  Will Google Penalize AI Content? What Contractors Need to Know

  Sep 22, 202659 min

  Send us Fan Mail Your marketing strategy can keep working exactly the way it always has right up until your customers stop behaving the way they always have. That is the problem contractors need to be paying attention to. Wondering whether your current marketing strategy is keeping up? Book a call with Lemon Seed Marketing: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contact/ In Episode 239, Crystal Williams welcomes Jennifer Bagley of CI Web Group and Matt Benton of Real Time Marketing and Unify 360 for a conversation about AI, Google, websites, search behavior and what contractors should actually be doing right now. The conversation starts with one of the biggest fears surrounding AI marketing: Will Google eventually punish companies for using AI generated content? From there, the group tackles the much bigger issue. Homeowners are researching differently. Contractors need content that helps people learn and compare, not just pages targeting customers who are already ready to call. Businesses also need strong authority signals, better customer experiences and faster ways for homeowners to interact with them. You’ll hear: • Why AI generated content and useful AI assisted content are not the same thing • How the homeowner journey is becoming Learn, Compare and Act • Why traditional contractor websites may leave major questions unanswered • How reviews, community involvement and brand authority fit into search • Why speed to lead remains critical • What AI hype contractors should approach carefully • Where contractors can begin adapting without rebuilding everything overnight Meet the Guests Jennifer Bagley is CEO of CI Web Group, Catalyst for the Trades, cofounder of Just Start AI, author of Hands Up and founder of Hydra OS. Matt Benton is CEO of Real Time Marketing and Unify 360. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch the full conversation on YouTube. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-yellow-chair/id1598195561 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1goGP66YLPIxzpX1TxFGvT YouTube: https://youtu.be/c-v_dLr4N2U From the Yellow Chair: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contractor-marketing-podcast/ If you enjoyed this chat From the Yellow Chair, consider joining our newsletter, "Let's Sip Some Lemonade," where you can receive exclusive interviews, our bank of helpful downloadables, and updates on upcoming content. Please consider following and drop a review below if you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com Interested in being a guest on our show? Fill out this form! We'll see you next time, Lemon Heads!

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  Episode #238

  Stop Networking, Start Building Relationships

  Sep 15, 202617 min

  Send us Fan Mail A big network does not automatically create great referrals. If networking has become a cycle of collecting business cards, adding LinkedIn connections, and walking into rooms wondering who can send you work, Crystal Williams wants you to change the way you think about it. In Episode 238 of From the Yellow Chair, Crystal talks about shifting from traditional networking to intentional relationship building. The strongest referrals usually do not come from meeting someone once. They come from trust. In this episode, you will learn: • Why knowing people is different from building relationships • Why giving before you ask can strengthen your network • How to stay connected without turning every interaction into a sales pitch • Why vendors, past customers, community connections, and business partners can become valuable advocates • How mutually valuable relationships can create stronger referral opportunities • Why your reputation matters every time someone recommends your company The goal is not to know every person in the room. It is to create relationships strong enough that people know your business, trust your company, and are excited to advocate for your brand. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-yellow-chair/id1598195561 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1goGP66YLPIxzpX1TxFGvT More contractor marketing resources: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contractor-marketing-podcast/ Ready to take a closer look at what is working in your marketing and where there may be opportunities to grow? If you enjoyed this chat From the Yellow Chair, consider joining our newsletter, "Let's Sip Some Lemonade," where you can receive exclusive interviews, our bank of helpful downloadables, and updates on upcoming content. Please consider following and drop a review below if you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com Interested in being a guest on our show? Fill out this form! We'll see you next time, Lemon Heads!

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  Episode #237

  The Power of Local: How Community Involvement Grows Your Brand

  Sep 8, 202611 min

  Send us Fan Mail Your community should know who you are before they ever need to call. For many home service companies, brand visibility still revolves around advertising, trucks, sponsorship logos, and telling customers why the company is the best. Crystal Williams argues that contractors need something more: real community involvement. Want to build a contractor brand people recognize and trust? Book a call with Lemon Seed Marketing: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contact/ In this episode of From the Yellow Chair, Crystal explains how HVAC, plumbing, roofing, pest control, electrical, and other home service companies can become more visible by showing up in the places their customers already care about. You will learn: • Why local recognition matters • Why your community needs reasons to talk about your company • Where contractors can start showing up • How to choose causes that fit your brand • Why writing a check is not the same as getting involved • How to include your employees in community service • How to set guidelines for sponsorship and donation requests Crystal also challenges contractors to stop trying to support everything. Decide which causes matter to your company, create clear parameters, and invest more deeply in the opportunities that genuinely fit. Your action step this week: Choose one local organization, cause, event, or relationship where your company should be showing up more. Then go own it. Listen to From the Yellow Chair: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-yellow-chair/id1598195561 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1goGP66YLPIxzpX1TxFGvT YouTube: https://youtu.be/7HOrJsrHYNg More contractor marketing resources: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contractor-marketing-podcast/ If you enjoyed this chat From the Yellow Chair, consider joining our newsletter, "Let's Sip Some Lemonade," where you can receive exclusive interviews, our bank of helpful downloadables, and updates on upcoming content. Please consider following and drop a review below if you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com Interested in being a guest on our show? Fill out this form! We'll see you next time, Lemon Heads!

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  Episode #236

  Your Reputation Is Bigger Than Your Reviews

  Sep 1, 202619 min

  Send us Fan Mail Your Google rating is only one piece of your reputation. Before a homeowner ever searches your company, they may have already heard about you from a neighbor, interacted with one of your employees, seen your trucks around town, watched you support a local organization, or heard how you handled a problem. That is your reputation too. If your company has grown but your brand, customer experience, and marketing are not creating the reputation you want, talk with Lemon Seed Marketing: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contact/ In this episode of From the Yellow Chair, host Emily Fleniken explains why contractors need to think beyond review count and start intentionally building the kind of reputation that generates trust, referrals, repeat business, and loyal customers. YOU WILL LEARN: • Why strong Google reviews do not always equal a strong reputation • Why customers remember how your team made them feel • How CSRs can build trust before the technician arrives • Why small acts of care create stories customers tell other people • How community involvement builds familiarity and trust • Why relationships and referrals belong in your marketing strategy Emily challenges contractors to stop asking only how they can collect more five star reviews and start asking a more important question: What are we doing that makes people want to recommend us? ABOUT EMILY Emily Fleniken is a host of From the Yellow Chair. In this solo episode, she shares practical ways home service companies can strengthen the reputation being created through their employees, customer experience, community involvement, and relationships. LISTEN AND FOLLOW Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-yellow-chair/id1598195561 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1goGP66YLPIxzpX1TxFGvT YouTube: https://youtu.be/pg0FXbRzyjM More From the Yellow Chair: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/contractor-marketing-podcast/ Lemon Seed Marketing helps home service contractors build stronger brands and smarter marketing strategies designed for long term growth. If you enjoyed this chat From the Yellow Chair, consider joining our newsletter, "Let's Sip Some Lemonade," where you can receive exclusive interviews, our bank of helpful downloadables, and updates on upcoming content. Please consider following and drop a review below if you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com Interested in being a guest on our show? Fill out this form! We'll see you next time, Lemon Heads!

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