What’s the #1 thing that stole your time or energy this week? A) Last-minute schedule changes B) Re-explaining the estimate 3+ times C) Logging follow-ups and service notes D) Upselling while already buried in work E) Something else? (Comment it) I’m collecting the answers, and tomorrow I’m sharing: - the most common time-leaks across routes - and a few real fixes we’ve used to plug them If you’re a pest pro and want to sharpen the way you run routes (not just kill bugs), you might want to be in that conversation. 🔗 Here’s the community link:https://www.skool.com/pest-control-pros No pressure. No ego. Just real operators getting better at the craft and the business. — Ian🪲 Certified Operator | Tagline Branding | Building tools for the industry

There’s a photo I’ve always loved — not because of the mythology that gets attached to it online, but because of what it really represents. 📸 Photo Credit: Chadden Hunter / BBC Natural History Unit... Location: Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, Taken: 2011 during the Frozen Planet series... You’ve probably seen the image — a long line of wolves moving single-file through deep snow. Most of the captions floating around the internet are wrong. They talk about “old wolves in front,” “alpha at the back,” “sick wolves leading to control the pace.” None of that is supported by wildlife science. Here’s what’s actually true: - Wolves move single-file through deep snow for energy conservation. - The wolf at the front is breaking trail, doing the hardest work. - That position rotates — but in that moment, the one leading is the one carrying the load. And that right there… is Quiet Alpha Energy. So what is Quiet Alpha Energy (QAE)? My cousin Jess coined this idea years ago, and it stuck with me: Real leadership isn’t loud. Real leadership isn’t performative. Real leadership is steady, observant, and willing to take the first step into the snow. Not as the silverback pounding his chest. But as the wolf breaking trail. Quiet Alpha Energy isn’t about dominance. It is about responsibility. It’s the energy of someone who leads by presence —calm, focused, protective of the “family,” and willing to take the harder path so others can move more efficiently. Even in pest control — we’re not literally laying down our lives —but the principle still stands: 1. Leaders step into the tough terrain first. Not to show off. But to reduce friction for everyone behind them. 2. Leaders make the direction clear. The front wolf sets the line. If you’re hiding in the back, the pack wanders. 3. Leaders don’t outsource the hardship. You don’t ask your team to walk through something you wouldn’t walk through yourself. 4. Leadership is visible — but quiet.

There’s a story about Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Motor Corporation Production System. When he wanted someone to truly see the process, he’d draw a chalk circle on the floor and have them stand inside it for hours. No clipboard. No stopwatch. Just watch. The goal wasn’t to critique — it was to understand. Only after you’ve seen the process a hundred times can you spot the waste. I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. In pest control, our “Ohno Circle” isn’t drawn on a warehouse floor — it’s the driveway, the crawlspace, the customer’s threshold. When you slow down long enough to observe instead of rush, you start to see everything that’s been hiding in plain sight: — The wasted motion. — The broken communication. — The unnecessary trips back to the truck. — The time lost between “done” and “done right.” That’s where improvement lives. At Solve Pest Pros | Winter Park, we’re teaching our team to build their own “Ohnos” — not to criticize, but to see. Because excellence doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with seeing clearer. — Ian Terry Branch Manager | Licensed Operator | Service-Pro First Culture Solve Pest Pros | Winter Park, FL

No emergency. No heads-up. Just opted out....Went to the Gym! So after finishing my own route, I drove 2 hours to take care of it myself. The customer was expecting a one-time service. I left with a signed annual agreement. Paid in Cash. That’s the difference between covering a stop and owning the result. This isn’t about being the hero. It’s a reminder: Leadership starts where excuses stop. Some managers lead from behind the phone. Others lead from the driveway, sleeves up. At Solve Pest Pros – Winter Park, we don’t do ghosts. No missed stops. No skipped steps. No passengers. If you're not ready to own the customer experience—someone else will. In this industry, trust is earned in driveways and doorways—not just logos and leads. If you won’t show up, I will. — Ian Terry Solve Pest Pros | Winter Park, FL Branch Manager | Licensed Operator | Service-Pro First Culture #ServicePros #LeadFromTheFront #SolveStandard #PestControl #BlueCollarLeadership #WinterParkBusiness #FieldOps #AccountabilityWins #NoGhosts #CultureOverConvenience

PestWorld was a lot. Between vendor meetings and dinner invites, the calendar filled up fast. It was good — but not light. I left grateful, mentally full, and more committed to the craft than before. For those who’ve never attended an NPMA event, I’d recommend it. Even if you think you’ve seen it all, there’s always someone there doing something better, smarter, or different. Humbling in the right way. Some takeaways: - Networking still trumps everything. You can spend 6 months guessing, or 6 minutes in the right conversation. - Ants and roaches are still the primary re-service issues. We chase the new stuff, but the classics still keep the phones ringing. - The tech is evolving fast. Some of it’s fluff, some of it’s game-changing. The key is staying open without chasing every shiny object. - Know yourself. As an introvert, the volume of it all was overwhelming at times. I appreciated the built-in recharge space. Small thing, but thoughtful. I left with more clarity about what we’re doing right, and what we could do better. More importantly, I left with better people in my circle. That’s the real ROI. If you haven’t made it to one yet — make a plan.