Show Information:
Episode Number: 111
Date: October 20, 2025
Duration: 44 minutes
Host Contact Information:
Host: Justin Deese
Website: JustinDeese.com
Contact: Justin@JustinDeese.com
Guest Contact Information:
Guest: Josh Crouch
Company: Relentless Digital & Trade Automation Pros
Guest Website: Relentless Digital | Trade Automation Pros
Summary:
In this episode of the Freedom Blueprint Podcast, Justin sits down with Josh Crouch—founder of Relentless Digital, co-host of the Service Business Mastery Podcast, and co-creator of Trade Automation Pros. Josh shares his journey from working full-time in HVAC to building an Inc. 5000 company, creating award-winning workplace culture, and helping trades businesses unlock efficiency with automation and leadership systems.
From leveraging one-on-ones and EOS implementation to automating repetitive tasks with tools like Zapier, Josh provides actionable strategies to grow companies, retain top talent, and save hours of wasted time. He also challenges listeners to perform a time audit and think strategically about marketing, speed-to-lead, and delegation.
Takeaways:
- Leadership skills as the ultimate long-term growth strategy
- Using EOS and one-on-ones to boost team performance and retention
- The difference between automation, delegation, and optimization—and why the order matters
- Cutting admin hours in trades businesses using AI and Zapier
- Speed-to-lead strategies for higher customer conversion
- Building a culture-focused company to attract and retain A-player employees
Chapters:
00:00 – Meet Josh Crouch: Founder, Podcaster, & Automation Expert
04:00 – From HVAC to Relentless Digital: The Accidental Entrepreneur Story
06:30 – Building an Inc. 5000 Company & Winning Best Places to Work
09:20 – Leadership, Culture, and the Power of One-on-Ones
20:30 – Training, Roleplay, and Building Consistent Processes
25:00 – Tech, Tools & Avoiding the “Silver Bullet” Trap
27:30 – Automation, Delegation & The Zapier Advantage
33:00 – Josh’s Challenge: Time Audit & Marketing Response Speed
38:30 – TAP Into the Future: Upcoming Event in Savannah, GA
41:00 – Why Leadership Skills Can’t Be Automated
Keywords:
#FreedomBlueprintPodcast #JustinDeese #JoshCrouch #RelentlessDigital #TradeAutomationPros #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #HomeServiceBusiness #HVACMarketing #Zapier #AIInTrades