On Hot Takes presented by Sumus, host Bill and Summus CEO Jim Baker interview entrepreneur Chase Hazelwood, third-generation owner of GoForth Pest Control. Hazelwood shares how he took over operations in 2008, bought and merged a competitor, and transformed the business by implementing checklists, scripts, technology, and a service model built on ultra-fast responsiveness. He explains shifting from paper tickets to automation, joining Vistage, focusing on profitability alongside growth, and scaling through acquisitions—highlighting one failed Richmond deal and successful market-expansion buys in Fayetteville, Hickory, and a family acquisition that grew from $3.6M to $6M. Hazelwood also details Galaxy AI tools for technician KPIs, customer communication, CRM features, and an AI texting campaign that sold $1M in mosquito upgrades in 45 days, emphasizing innovation for speed and accuracy rather than labor reduction.

00:00 Show Intro

01:08 Meet Chase Hazelwood

02:30 Family Business Roots

03:25 Taking Over and Scaling

07:19 Profit and Vistage Shift

09:30 Sales Systems and Checklists

11:13 Service Speed and Tech Edge

15:16 Acquisition Wins and Fails

23:58 Hiring for Soft Skills

26:50 Systems Feel Demeaning

27:29 Galaxy AI Under the Hood

28:48 AI CRM in the Field

33:08 Texting Wins and Call Center Limits

36:13 Automation Without Layoffs

39:03 Perceived Customer Value

41:31 Crawl Space and Recurring Revenue

43:20 Christmas Lights Reality Check

45:43 Homeowner Prevention Tips

47:59 Five Takeaways and Wrap