00:00:00 Lance Bachmann
You know, people don’t ask. Are people happy? I’m happy. I never asked somebody what they do without you. Happy, right? Like he’s happy. No one asked that question. And I’m happy like life is good. Like I’m blessed. So why can’t more people have a blessed like, why not me? You hear me give that speech all the time. Why not me? We make our own Hells. We make our own reasons to why we can’t do things.
00:00:22 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Welcome to the Kooler Lifestyle Podcast. I’m your host, Matt Kuehlhorn, and I’m excited to have you join me as I interview community members and business leaders from the communities in which I live, work and serve through my business, Kooler Garage Doors. We’re going to bring you highlights on characters in our communities.
00:00:39 Lance Bachmann
Why?
00:00:40 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Because community matters. And I want to know more about who is behind our business and leadership in order to understand and support the community fabric that our relationships make up. And collectively, we can build stronger communities that support our lifestyles, our youth and our health. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Kooler Lifestyle Podcast. I’m your host, Matt Kuehlhorn. Today I’m sitting down with a real force. Lance Bachmann, LB Capital. I’m really excited to have these conversations with you. Lance and I know we’re going to dip and dive in all different directions. I appreciate your time.
00:01:22 Lance Bachmann
Hey Dytra, I’m me on your podcast. I appreciate it. I’m a fan. I listen to him. You’ve got a lot of good stuff and I love how you try to affect change in people’s lives.
00:01:30 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, I appreciate that, man. All right. For the listeners. You’re beaming in from outside of Philadelphia and.
00:01:39 Lance Bachmann
Ran inside Bucks County. What else here?
00:01:41 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, right on. Where did you where’d you grow up, man?
00:01:46 Lance Bachmann
I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and then Council Rock. I went to Council Rock in the suburbs of Wealthy School.
00:01:52 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Right on. Was growing up like for you, What were you into? I?
00:01:57 Lance Bachmann
Was poor. I was in, out of group homes, foster care, in trouble. Wrestled. Play a little bit of soccer, try to play football. You know, Not the typical childhood, but that’s Okay. Yeah. Glad that I went through what I went through.
00:02:11 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Now I get that, what’s the little bit of a story? So you know, I got introduced to you about a year ago as you stood on stage with vertical track. You were at that time running 1 SEO. It seems like maybe you have had an exit from 1 SEO, but what’s the, what’s a little bit of story? How did that develop for you?
00:02:34 Lance Bachmann
So, you know, in out of trouble. Kind of figured it out. When I was about 21. Start selling the phone book. Jeff Cartwright hired me. Great guy. Mentor. Still friends today. Bill Cormier. Love love the phone book. Phone book is more powerful than Google. Most powerful tool I’ve ever seen in my life is the phone book for advertising now it’s garbage, but I mean they listen. It was a great book back then. Things change. Evolve. They didn’t. I left there. Started doing yellowpages.com. Grew that to 159 million, 900 employees worked for me and I started 1S EO as my confidence grew. I love 1S EOI think it’s the best tool agency still in the country. I don’t own it like you said. I exited. I sold. Most people don’t know that why I owned 1S EOI, bought multiple home service based businesses and it just kept growing and growing and really all I did was implement it. But I learned from Geiger, Tommy Mellow, all these guys to just let me into their shops. Yeah. And I’ve always just rinsed to repeat what they did, went right to service tighten, went right to answer phone book rate, call rate systems, what’s our sales, what’s our average ticket. I mean the playbook they gave me is the same playbook I use and that all different. I mean there’s some tweaking I took from different people, but you know I see it looks like Danny to know we did your brand it look like.
00:03:55 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, that’s right, man. I’m taking their playbook too.
00:03:59 Lance Bachmann
I take Danny Antonelli’s brand playbook. So, I mean, it’s really, you know, there’s nothing authentic about Lance Bachmann except for one thing. I see success. Monkey see, monkey do. It’s not that hard. I mean, there’s nothing that authentic about me.
00:04:12 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:14 Lance Bachmann
I love 1S EO and I’m known for that and I accidented that about 90 days ago knowing that I was going more into roofing, HVAC, painting, power washing. I’m going to help change the home in the home service industry also. I want to serve and give back.
00:04:29 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah. And that that’s the piece that it gets me really excited that the mindset you have around serving give back, I mean, has that been a part of you since childhood?
00:04:41 Lance Bachmann
I mean, I had a different childhood. I don’t think I could have gave anything, anything back. So I had nothing to give. Makes sense. Not just I’m not about financially, probably. Emotionally I had low self esteem. I think it came, you know, I have such grace in my life now, right? I never have to work again if I don’t want to. That children are never going to have to work if they don’t want. I have so. I’m so grateful. I want to help change as many lives as possible. I like you know people don’t ask are people happy I’m happy. I never asked somebody what they do or you’re happy right? Like he’s happy. No one asks that question. And I’m happy like life is good. Like I’m blessed. So why can’t more people have a blessed like why not me? You hear me give that speech all the time. Why not me? We make our own Hells. We make our own reasons to why we can’t do things you know. I had a partner, I’m not going to say, but he sold low ticket. Let’s just say he’s like it’s not even worth selling, but as soon as you weren’t partners, he hired more people. No, it’s his mindset was it isn’t worth splitting the money with someone, but that’s the wrong mindset. I’d rather split the money with someone and double up trouble up by druple. My money makes sense. It’s such there’s longterm, very shortterm gains and everything.
00:05:51 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, I think I’ve been.
00:05:53 Lance Bachmann
I want to get back. I just want to get back. I want to make as many multimillionaires as I can across this country.
00:05:57 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Beautiful man. So that mindset you mentioned like childhood to have an insecurity, How does somebody listening right now begin to shift out of a mindset of insecurity and get the mindset of a of a line, if you will, somebody that’s there for others, taking, giving, serving and growing. How does that shift happen?
00:06:18 Lance Bachmann
Drop everyone around. Anyone ever drop everyone? I don’t. I don’t say that rudely or meanly.
00:06:24 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Drop your network.
00:06:25 Lance Bachmann
Because it is your network. And I’m not saying you can’t have friend someone text me the day I know you don’t want to hang out no more. I know you think I’m a loser. I listen to your podcast and listen to all these podcasts. I don’t think you’ll lose. You’re one of my best friends for 15 years, brother. One of my best friends. I love you. If you want to come to my house, swim, eat, hang out my kids, I’m in. But I’m not going to a bar sitting around talking about the glory days. I don’t fucking time. I don’t care make sense. I’m hanging out with winners like and the problem is like they they don’t want to hang out with me. They say they do, but they don’t want to talk about business. They don’t talk about money. They don’t want to talk about growth. They don’t want to talk about buying real estate. All these things that are just wishes to them that I’m doing right. So mindset get don’t hold on to what you have because you’re holding on to what you have. You can’t grab what you want. And the majority of people around you, and you know this, you’re on your own business. You went through your story. The people around you, the majority of them don’t care, including family members. They say they want you successful, just not more successful than them, right? Because jealousy is a mean in your nasty thing, right? And people, people want you to need them, which is sad. I don’t want anyone to need me. I don’t want my own children to me. I want my children to want me. I don’t want my wife not to need me, but to want me. The day we got married, me and my wife, we had the ironclad preno. But I have no problem saying that My house was paid off. We came back from being buried. I literally put my house in my wife’s name. I said I want you to want me. If you don’t feel like you want me. I’m not holding that gun to your head. You could have the house. I’ll leave like you like that’s that’s my mindset. Like I want you to have a one that relationship. If you don’t find yes. I would have said everyone with low self esteem, change your circle, get around, start taking small little actions and watch your confidence build and what what happened is this is the people that don’t always succeed during start saying things to you, but just know in the back of your mind where you’re going and keep going and don’t don’t let anyone. Break your focus.
00:08:30 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, I’m hearing a couple of things in there. One is the compelling future, right, having somewhere that we need to go and having some urgency to that so we don’t have time for the distractions.
00:08:41 Luke Hylton
Hey everybody, this is Luke from Kooler Garage Doors. Just want to take a quick second to talk about our sponsor, Sommar Garage Door Openers. We believe Sommars are the best in the business when it comes to garage door openers. We always recommend them for residential installs because of the many features they have such as Wi-Fi connectivity and safety features like a fixed chain that runs along a secure rail for a quiet and safe operation. Click the link to find out more about Sommar Garage Door Openers. https://www.sommer-usa.com/
00:09:15 Lance Bachmann
It’s I had distractions my first six, 7-8 years in business. I remember going to Vegas with people having $10,000 bills that don’t even hang out with me no more. They don’t even call me anymore. One or two of them might 10,000 like paying for trips for people. They don’t even call you anymore. Now they’ll say I’m the problem now. I stopped picking up your tab. I stopped paying for things. So that’s why you don’t hang. Listen, there’s there’s two sides to every store and the truth somewhere in between. For a lot of things that tell people, you got to know where you’re going to, where you want to be. People don’t want to take that journey with you. You got to cut them off. The best example I ever heard someone say, rockets go up to the moon, right? And they’re meant they’re built together to get you to the moon. But when a rocket takes off, things fall off the rocket. They’re just not meant for the full journey to the moon with you. Doesn’t make them bad people. I love all the people. I’ve loved every part of that I’ve ever had. I’ll buy them a beer, give them a drink. I love it. No, no hard feelings. I love their children out of their families. It’s our mindsets were just different. I knew what I wanted to do, and once I got the financial freedom to do it, I’m all in. I’m all.
00:10:30 Matthew Kuehlhorn
What a great analogy, man. The Rocket. I’m going to carry that with me because that’s so good. Things drop off. It’s.
00:10:36 Lance Bachmann
Just so true. It’s just drop. Don’t make it bad. Doesn’t people want to make it nasty? It’s not nasty. It’s just I’m going here, you’re going there. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s why there’s a right and a left.
00:10:49 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah, we make meanings and those meanings aren’t always empowering. I’m that on the realm of partnership. So here’s a nuts and bolts type of question, because partnerships on some level have some second sexiness to them and I’m certainly interested in in the workings of them. Personally, but also I know some listeners probably are too and I get that like you make a bigger pie, so if you have a percentage of a larger pie you actually have more abundance than if you did try to contain and you have a little tiny pie, but you have got the whole thing and so nuts and bolts wise partnerships do they take a bunch of cash.
00:11:30 Lance Bachmann
So this is it, right? It depends on when people ask you that question, is it Take a ton of cash? Partnerships work in a lot of different ways. Someone once said to me the only reason why you have a partner is because you need a partner. And I started laughing. I don’t need a partner. That financial freedom now. I want partners now because I want to make them multimillionaires. I think a lot of operators and home services never become multimillionaires because what you said, that ego of this is my company, I’m the operator. When you’re doing the million, two million, $3,000,000 a year, you’re really not a business owner. You are in theory right. You’re employing people, You’re paying taxes. But you really built yourself a good job. You’re making good money, right, Good job. When you make past that 10, fifteen $20 million, now you’re a visit. And it’s very hard to scale as you know to go from 2:00 to 10:00 is the hardest part to go. It’s a lot easier to go from 10 to 50 than it is from 2:00 to 10/3 to 10/8 to 12:00. So I mean that’s where you know, I think partnerships for people that have done it on multiple times, I’ve exited now multiple times, multiple verticals. To private equity, it’s it. If they’re looking for the plug and play system, I mean, that’s it. With people understanding, like what makes me unique is I’m the best salesperson, I’m the owner. I’m like, that’s the worst thing you could say. That’s the worst thing you could say. How do I scale you as the owner as the best salesperson? That’s not scalable, right? So systems, processes, all those things. I love partnerships. I think bad people do bad things, right? So. People say to me, well, partnerships and bad. Sometimes they do. I’ve had partners that just ended, but they weren’t bad people. It was just it. It’s just our visions changed. Where we were going changed. It didn’t make them right. Me wrong. They make me right and them wrong. It just mean it wasn’t us to take the journey together. And that’s okay. That’s okay. And listen, I say this to people all the time. I keep going and going and going, some other partners. Are happy where they are. Not everybody wants to keep going. Some people want to stop and that’s OK. It’s what you went out of life. So I’m I’m about partnership. I think roll ups. Partnerships are the smart way to do it. I think you get there a lot faster with great people together than you do by yourself.
00:13:54 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Well said.
00:13:56 Lance Bachmann
That’s me.
00:13:56 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Yeah. And I’m hearing that. You know some of the nuts and bolts and in partnerships that work out like maybe there’s some values alignment, but more importantly there’s a target like we’re all going in this One Direction and if that shifts for any one person in that moment, fine. And yet there’s still the clarity that you have like that mindset of like I’m going here join me kind of deal.
00:14:20 Lance Bachmann
You know vision is change, I say from true leaders. Visions will change. Your vision will change. What I saw is going into the roofing, paint and HVAC business. I didn’t expect to see some of the things I saw and I saw things that in corporate America AT&T would never allow. I saw things at 1S EO we would never allow. Give an example, I was buying a company. I called up Superior Supply Company and I said why is this guy spending half $1,000,000 with you and he’s getting no rebate whatsoever and the guy started laughing. I had no clue I was and goes because he didn’t ask. I live and oh.
00:14:56 Matthew Kuehlhorn
My gosh, I said What?
00:14:57 Lance Bachmann
Kind of partner is that 5% of 500,000 is $25,000 that would have paid for half his CSR salary for the year. Making your customer service experience better for him, being able to sell more your product, that’s a part. But you laughed at me and him. Now this guy had no clue that I owned multiple roofing companies by this time and that I sold one already to a private equity firm, which I got. To be able to be an equity partner in that private equity firm, which is a $4 billion plus fund like so he had no clue who was speaking to and he said so cavalier. Now they’re begging to come in here and meet with me and I’m not let them off to my door. I’m like, you’re going to give them a refund first before I take a meeting with you. Not because I’m some type of knight in shining armor. It’s just do the right thing. These companies have done the wrong things for so long to these people. That’s why really Matt, or really made me say I’m all in on roofing, painting, power washing is. I believe there’s such an abundance that someone like me can give with my experience and serve and I don’t need to make any money from it. It’s I’m going to make money because you’re going to let me into your shop and understand the business is better and doing what we’re doing right now, communicating. You’re going to make money because I’m going to show you, hey, this is the business playbook with these. Show they call partners. I used to afford vendors for right now, so they truly become.
00:16:24 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Partners, yes, and what you’re really?
00:16:27 Lance Bachmann
So that’s where. Yeah, I.
00:16:28 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Love it. It’s it’s a great perspective. It’s it’s maturity really and it’s win, win wins and going for creating as many wins across the board as possible. I mean, this is I I see it as as new school and maybe it’s always right. There’s always going to be takers, there’s always going to be givers, but the folks that come and create win, win wins. Are the the true winners? I mean, that’s where true abundance gets created.
00:16:55 Lance Bachmann
Then you and you feel great about yourself. I mean, I’ve changed people’s lives. But then partnering with me and they’re multimillionaires. You don’t have to worry about their kids, school, college. They paid off their homes. Do you know what kind of grace and enjoy and pleasure that gives me and makes me feel like and listen, I won too, right? I got money out of it too. But they know they would have never got in there as fast. I never said they never would have got in there but as fast without the partnership and the relationship. And that’s why I always say to people, that’s why I jumped on a plane, go see Tom Howard’s place, who’s in my place. So I talk to all, I talk to everyone, you know that we go back and forth on Facebook. I never, I’ve never not answered messages. I’ve never not answered text messages. I just said the only person sitting on the phone. I said, why do you not answer that phone call? I asked them, I don’t know who it is. On my phone, I answer and I say, listen, I’m going to meet you. Can you call me back? Like that could be the next person that really, truly wants to make a difference. So I answer my phone and how, how hard is to say, give me 30 seconds, I’ll call you back and text me. Yeah, that’s me.
00:18:02 Matthew Kuehlhorn
I noted that one. I’m going to take that note. What would you say to the owner operator who’s listening right now that is thinking like, yeah, why not me, What would be like potential first steps out of the gate? Like, we get some inspiration. They’re like, yeah, I’m ready to take some action.
00:18:20 Lance Bachmann
It depends. It depends. You know the first thing I said anyone is you know. If you’re an owner, operator and you’re inspired, you can’t do 10 things at once. When you hear me speak, Matt, you always hear me say start with one thing, take action on one thing. What’s the biggest issue you see inside your organization? I will tell you this, It always starts with sales. If you can’t sell, you do not have a company. If you don’t understand, I’d be like, what do you mean I’m not a salesperson. Someone says to me I’m like, get away from me. Like I sold my wife to be with me. Makes sense. She sold me to be with her. I sell my kids every day and that’s the hardest job in the world, selling your kids. So it starts with sales. Once you get that kind of figured out, then you got to start going okay, How do I feed the sales people? So advertising is very big to me. And you remember I got nothing to sell. I don’t own 1S EO, just I think it’s the best agency in the country. I don’t care who you use, but you have to advertise, right? You have to advertise. That it’s systems processes and you work your way down to the final part of get your whole entire check from your customer. Right. So I have a very different philosophy I I’m very sales oriented. How can we move. We were in here before you the phone ringing some of my companies went right to music and I’m screaming and Scott’s looking at me like I’m like why the fuck where people going straight to music and not hey please hold Thank you for calling Dylan. Hey please hold. David calling Pups painting Please hold David calling Cherry roofing. Like it should be an automatic. You know you’re getting in touch with us if we can’t answer by the 3rd, 4th ring that we’re not making you wait, you’re not going to automated system because I want when you’re calling me. Most likely you’re probably have a little stress attitude at that time. Who wants to go spend money on paint, HVAC, roofing IT services? I sure as hell don’t. Do you, Matt?
00:20:06 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Not my first choices.
00:20:10 Lance Bachmann
That’s right. So that’s where they get a frictionless environment and you’re going to just see everything?
00:20:15 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Bro, So good, so good. I hope listeners took a bunch of notes there. Lance, what do you think is going to be your legacy?
00:20:25 Lance Bachmann
The only thing my legacy is going to be is my family. That’s it. That’s all I worry about. Business is business. My family’s, my family’s. My legacy. My wife and my four sons. The few, well, the only brother I talk to, the only sister I talk to. And some of the friends around me that I’m around. But yeah, my family might might. I mean, I I want when I’m on my deathbed, my legacy to be to say my wife said I know my husband wasn’t perfect. I know he wasn’t a flawless man. But he tried the best he could for our family. Now with my son to say one thing I know my dad loved me, but that wasn’t perfect. But I know my dad loved me all. If I can get that from my son, they tell me they’re happy, I’ll die happy, man.
00:21:06 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Beautiful man.
00:21:08 Lance Bachmann
I don’t need much. I got more than I ever thought I’d have, yeah.
00:21:12 Matthew Kuehlhorn
I’ve had a couple of two final questions for you. One’s kind of in the same thread, because I think it’s an interesting one. We there, there’s some pundits, if you will, that talks about life balance. But then I’m also interacting with some folks that are just truly obsessed. Obsessed over family, obsessed over business. Where do you fall in that line? Do you do you find balance? Isn’t it obsession?
00:21:39 Lance Bachmann
I’m obsessed with winning. I mean, it’s just I I can’t explain it. It’s I’m obsessed with when I hate losing. My one son hates losing. We try to work on that. I think it is a balancing act, but it isn’t really a balancing act when you love those things. I my wife would never ask. I don’t have to work. My wife would never ask me not to work. My wife still packs my lunch every single day, right, Because she knows I want to run out that door and I want to attack the day. And I get 8 hours, 7 hours, nine out. Whatever it is, she knows I want to attack the day, right? And then when I’m done, I want to attack it with my kids, whether it be wrestling practice, football practice. I coach my kids every single that day, not every single day, but I coach my kids and all their sports. I travel with my kids multiple times a year. So I think it’s a balancing act, but I think you have to be obsessed with both. I think you can be right and you know. I don’t think you’d be home every single night. If you want to be a multimillionaire with your kids when you come from nothing to build, I think you’re going to have to sacrifice, right? But I’d say this. I have quality time with my children, first quantity time. I have quality time at work instead of, you know, for example, I say to my one son dragging hammer, he kind of in practice like just. Doesn’t pay of 10 like my one son Sponge wants to be there. You tell he loves every moment. My other son kind of goes through the process. I call it right And I say, listen son, you could practice for 20 years straight and never be good at something if you ain’t in the practice. Meaning if you don’t want to be there, if you don’t want to pay attention, if you don’t want to learn because that’s the difference. For some someone being great and good is the practice. So, so I think you got both, man, to be honest with you and I want both. I want to change as many people’s lives as possible in business. I want to get as many people that were ever in recovery and troubles, selfless, loose, self esteem operators that think they could have become multimillionaires. And I want to hand you that check. I want to hand, I want to take that journey with you. It’s not just about handing you a check from day one. It’s about taking that journey, seeing your confidence growth, seeing you become a better leader, seeing you believe in yourself. And then you punch your Willy Wonka ticket and you become a multi millionaire. We change your families and life forever.
00:23:56 Matthew Kuehlhorn
Changing trajectories, generations.
00:23:58 Lance Bachmann
That’s cool.
00:23:59 Matthew Kuehlhorn
It’s awesome, man. What I’m hearing is just being obsessed with winning and in defining that win in a multiple win scenario, like we talked about the win, win, winning, absolutely Beautiful, inspiring. Lance, for anybody that wants to reach out, whether partners or just follow, you get to know you. Where do we find you?
00:24:21 Lance Bachmann
Here’s my cell phone and give it to everybody, 215-796-4393. It’s my real cell phone. Comes right to me. I don’t pull any punches. It’s people like, man, this is really you. I’m like, it’s me. 215-796-4393, you can follow me on Instagram @lancebachmann, follow me on Facebook @lancebachmann. I mean, I’m a pretty easy guy to get a hold of. Google, Lance Bachmann, I mean. I I don’t hide. That’s for sure
00:24:46 Matthew Kuehlhorn
I think for anybody that’s just meeting you for the first time and and we’re going to do our darndest to get this pushed out because I love the mission that you’re on man. And and I want to support it any way I can. For the folks that are just meeting you for the first time. I mean you’re authentic as fuck and I really appreciate that you don’t have a show to put on you’re just grounded you’re you’re aiming for winning so I just want to applaud you acknowledge on that and. Man, I really appreciate the fire that you spit out today. There’s a ton of value in this conversation. So thank you for your time. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your drive, man. Let’s good get it.
00:25:24 Lance Bachmann
Thank you. Thank you, man. I appreciate it. Love the show. Love you. Thank you. Brother,
00:25:27 Matthew Kuehlhorn
we’ll talk to you soon. Lance, Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for listening to the Kooler Lifestyle Podcast. We count on your subscriptions, your likes, your shares, and I encourage you to do that. Now, if you’re watching on YouTube, go ahead and subscribe. Lower right hand button. If you’re on audio, download this, share it, and we look forward to having you on the next one.