He Beat Cancer And Says Most Owners Are Selling For The Wrong Reasons | Michael Werner

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Michael Werner has lived several business lifetimes: Goldman Sachs M&A, president of Werner Ladder at $500 million plus, the Gerber turnaround from $100 million to $700 million, and founder of HomeX, where he sold Schedule Engine to ServiceTitan for nine figures. Twenty years ago, doctors told him he had about four years left. In this episode, he and Tommy break down private equity done right, why ownership changes how people work, the three things that motivate every employee, and the four trends that will decide which home service companies survive the next decade.

Connect with Michael ⟶ michael@homex.com

-- 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 🕐 -- 00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - Why He Asks Everyone Their Origin Story 04:19 - Goldman's 15 Minute Rule 06:05 - Growing Werner Ladder Past $500 Million 08:49 - Too Entrepreneurial To Stay 12:07 - The Gerber Turnaround: $100M To $700M 14:30 - Satisfy Customers Or Delight Them? 19:41 - Trust, Time, Transparency: The HomeX Idea 23:30 - Why He Took A Minority Partner 29:09 - The Rental Car Ownership Test 32:29 - The Three Things That Motivate People 36:19 - Did The Trades Give Him Cancer? 38:53 - Hold The Mirror Up Before You Sell 42:39 - Never Say Retirement 47:15 - Four Trends That Decide Who Survives 50:33 - The David And Goliath Strategy 53:00 - Where He'd Put His Money 59:39 - The Death Sentence, In Full 1:02:10 - Long-Term Greedy: Final Advice

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