Driving progress in the trades: expert advice from an HVAC pro and ServiceTitan industry advisor

Photo from Western Heating & Air Conditioning on Yelp

A great tradesperson can come from anywhere: You might turn a summer job into a full-time gig, learn a trade passed down from your parents, or hone your skills in a specialized trade school. Or you might enter from the administrative side and discover a lifelong passion for the field—like Angie Snow, co-owner of Western Heating and Air Conditioning and Principal Industry Advisor for ServiceTitan, a leading home services software company.

Angie Snow

As a young mom eager for more time at home, Angie left her teaching career to help her husband Ryan manage their HVAC business in 2007. She found more than what she bargained for: “What I thought was just a sidekick to my husband became a very awesome and special career for us as we grew our company,” she said. “It’s been really, really special to be part of such an impactful industry as the trades, and as HVAC and plumbing specifically.”

With 18 years of industry experience, Angie has witnessed firsthand the essential nature of this work and how public perception shapes the profession, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “These people are the heroes—they’re coming and saving us and keeping us cool. It brought a new light to how important the trades are and why we are so needed,” she said.

That’s why she has stepped into the hero’s shoes herself and committed to making the trades work better for everyone, customers and contractors alike. As ServiceTitan’s Principal Industry Advisor, she helps provide business owners with the tools they need to succeed. When integrated with platforms like Yelp, ServiceTitan allows service businesses to maximize their leads, streamline their workflow, and unlock new possibilities for growth.

There is a path for everyone in the trades, and there is so much opportunity… Consider finding your own unique genius where you shine in the trades because it won’t let you down.

—Angie Snow, Western Heating & Air Conditioning and ServiceTitan

Drawing on her experience in the field as an HVAC business owner and behind the scenes at ServiceTitan, Angie shares insights on the future of home services—including empowering women in the trades, tackling the labor shortage, adapting to new technology, and much more.

What was it like stepping into a leadership role in a male-dominated industry?

“Back when we bought our business in 2007, technology looked a lot different. Marketing looked different. I just had to have my ad in a phone book. That’s all I needed to do. But as we were transitioning over the years, and reviews became important, and it became important to have an online presence and social media, that was exciting for me because I felt like that was an opportunity for me to go out and learn and get ahead of the curve and start implementing those things in my business before a lot of my competitors did.

Ryan and Angie Snow

“At first it was a little bit scary because I would go to these contractor events, and a lot of times I would be the only woman in the room. I would look around and think, am I in the right place?  There was a little bit of imposter syndrome, like, should I really be here? This is a man’s field.

“It took a little bit of time… until I came across a group called [Women in HVACR] and [felt like] I found my people. This whole organization was built upon educating women, helping them get the foundation that men had, to mentoring opportunities and spaces where you could have other women mentor you. Having these other women that I could connect to really made me feel empowered—to the point where I was like, I’ve gotta be part of this. And so I joined their advisory board, and I sat on that for six years.

“Even now in the 2020s, we still don’t have representation for a lot of these different trades, so I just started up with Women in Plumbing and Piping and I became a member of [National Women in Roofing]. It’s just so cool to see these organizations exist to support women, where a lot of times we just haven’t felt that or seen that in the trades.”

There’s a labor shortage in the skilled trades. How do you inspire young people to enter the field?

“When I was in the day-to-day running of our business, a lot of my workforce was men who were older than me. It was a little intimidating to feel like I’m managing my dad. But now a lot of these men are retiring, and so we’re having a hard time finding people. There are so many different job opportunities, career paths, and avenues that didn’t even exist 10, 15 years ago, and so there’s a bit of a challenge to get the youth interested in the trades.

“In our own business, we decided that we were going to look for people—fresh, green, no [prior] skills—to come work for us. We will train you and teach you our ways, and we offer scholarships. We paid for education. There are a lot of home service companies and contractors that will do this just to train and get people in the door.

“I have a [19-year-old] son who’s… an HVAC installer right now. He’s making more money than so many of his friends right now—so much more money that [he decided against the] typical, four-year college path. He’s like: This is something I’m good at. I can work with my hands. He’s making great money, and there will always be a need for what he’s doing.

“A lot of younger technicians that we’ve hired are recruiting their friends because they’re seeing the opportunities in the trades. So it’s cool that it’s starting to become more accepted, and they really are seeing the potential in having a career in the trades.”

What else do you think is holding people back from pursuing a career in the trades?

“I think there may be a bit of a stigma around being a plumber: I don’t wanna be the plumber with the plumber crack. What kind of a job is that? There’s a level of [judgment] that people may associate with the trades. Something that we’re doing at ServiceTitan to try to change that stigma is showing how home service companies are really the heroes. They’re the ones showing up.

“I mean, you look back to COVID a few years ago, and everyone was stuck at home. As a business owner, that was a little bit scary for me. I didn’t know: Will people still call us? Will they still have us come out to their homes? But because people were spending so much time at home, people were investing in their home. We saw this surge during COVID of our services because everyone was investing in home instead of traveling or investing in other things.

“With that, I think people saw this as an industry that is not gonna be touched by recession; it’s not gonna be touched by an awful virus. You will have steady work, and these people are the heroes—they’re coming and saving us and keeping us cool. It brought a new light to how important the trades are and why we are so needed.”

Photo of Angie presenting a $1,000 check to the winner of Western Heating & Air Conditioning’s “coolest school competition.”

Something that we’re doing at ServiceTitan to try to change that stigma is showing how home service companies are really the heroes. They’re the ones showing up.

—Angie Snow, ServiceTitan

How did running your own business shape your view of how home pros should use technology?

“I always felt like we were a little bit left behind in the trades [in terms of technology]. I remember getting a reminder text that said: ‘You have a dentist appointment. Can you confirm this?’ And I’m like, gosh, I wish I could do that with my own company.

“[At the time] there just wasn’t much available. It held me back even to a point of just understanding my monthly numbers because I would have my numbers on QuickBooks and my numbers from my other operating system, and they never matched. It’s really hard to make decisions when you don’t have a clear understanding of how your business is performing.

“When our company made the transition [to ServiceTitan] in 2018, I couldn’t believe it. We had instant insights, real-time data. I could see average tickets for my technicians. I could see their hours. All of this data, I had been paying someone in my office to just put reports together. That was a position I didn’t need anymore because I had an all-in-one solution. I could cancel all of those third-party services and [have them all talk] to each other.

“Once we did that, our business was able to grow faster and more profitably. We were so much more efficient in the office and in the field. The technicians loved it, and it was a better experience for our customers. It was a game changer for me. Now it’s just really cool to be behind the scenes at ServiceTitan to see how much work developers really put in. It blows my mind what’s possible with technology.”

Photo from ServiceTitan

Pro tip: Did you know you can integrate ServiceTitan—or your existing customer relationship management software (CRM)—with Yelp to manage all of your leads in one place? Learn about how the Yelp Leads Zapier app lets you connect different apps and automate tasks between them, no coding needed.

Home services can be a high-turnover industry. What’s your strategy for retention and building a positive workplace culture?

“This generation really values work-life balance. They really value having time with their family and time off when they want it. And we’re in a 24/7 industry, especially in the heat of summer when we have so many calls. But [it’s important] to honor that work-life balance because that’s what I want in my life too. We had to get creative about our scheduling and making sure that we found successful ways for them to have time with their family.

We talk so much about the customer experience, but the employee experience is just as important. Find ways to meet their needs because then they’ll serve your customers at a higher level.

—Angie Snow

“We implemented what we call a four-day work week. We have two separate schedules: They work Monday through Thursday two weeks in a row, so they get a three-day weekend. Then they move to a Wednesday to Saturday rotation, so they get a five-day weekend every three weeks.

“It’s making them be more thorough at their job while they’re working for us. They’re not blowing through jobs. They’re taking time at a customer’s home and really trying to make the most of every single job because they know they’re not gonna be burnt out. They know they’re not gonna be working late into the night.

“You have to figure out what works for you, but ultimately it’s about creating an employee experience. We talk so much about the customer experience, but the employee experience is just as important. Be creative with that and find ways to meet their needs because then they’ll serve your customers at a higher level.”

What advice would you give anyone considering a future in your industry?

“If there’s an open door, go explore it. Because you just never know what’s behind the door. Looking back 18 years ago when I was getting ready to jump into this with my husband, I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought I was just gonna be his faithful sidekick, but the opportunities are endless from the technical side to the administration, to the marketing, to the leadership and the visionary side.

“There is a path for everyone in the trades, and there is so much opportunity. It is a service that people need. So I would definitely consider finding your own unique genius in where you shine and finding a path on the trades because it won’t let you down. You’ll be surprised.”

These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear more from Angie, or visit the show homepage to learn about the show and find more episodes.

Photos from Angie Snow