Pesty Marketing Podcast

The Truth About AI for Pest Control: Voice, Agents & What's Coming NextThe Truth About AI for Pest Control: Voice, Agents & What's Coming Next

Antoni Hoshino is back! The founder of Pest AI returns to break down how far AI has come since his last appearance and where it's headed next.

From AI agents that handle leads and collections around the clock, to voice AI finally sounding human, to the real reason most operators are wasting money on tools they don't need... Antoni pulls back the curtain on what's actually working in pest control right now.

We also get into the underrated superpower that separates operators who thrive with AI from those who don't, why your ability to document your processes matters more than ever, and the mindset shift that's helped both of us communicate better with AI and with people.

If you've been wondering how to cut through the noise and start using AI in a way that actually moves the needle, this one's for you.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcoming Antoni Hoshino: How AI Has Evolved in Pest Control
01:05 – From Text to Agents: The New Capabilities of Pest AI
04:24 – The Truth About Voice AI Adoption (And Its Biggest Roadblock)
07:17 – Where Should You Start With AI in Your Business?
11:01 – The Process Mapping Tool Every Operator Should Know
24:23 – What’s Next for AI: Context, Data, and Smarter Decisions

🔗 Connect with Antoni & Pest AI: https://pestai.io/

🚀 Grow Your Pest Control Company with Pesty

If you want more high-quality leads, better close rates, and a marketing system built specifically for pest control, learn more about working with us:

👉 https://pestymarketing.com

Why Pest Control Needs More Women (And Why Companies Are Missing Out)

Join us for a powerful and inspiring episode of the Pesty Marketing Podcast featuring two leaders redefining the pest control industry 👏

Meet Bobbie Terry (Owner of The Bug Lady – Austin, TX & Founder of Women in Pest Control) and Nanette Rota (Owner of Praying Nantis Pest Control & COO of Women in Pest Control). 

With 50+ years of combined experience, they share what it really takes to succeed as women in a traditionally male-dominated industry—and how they’re opening doors for the next generation 🚀

If you’re a pest control business owner, technician, or leader looking to grow your company, build a stronger team, and create a better culture—this episode is packed with insights you can actually use.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

✅ How women are thriving in the pest control industry
✅ The real challenges (and opportunities) for women in home services
✅ How to recruit, train, and retain female pest control technicians
✅ Building leadership and culture inside a pest control company
✅ Why community (like Women in Pest Control) is a growth lever
✅ How events, networking, and mentorship accelerate success

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Why Pest Control Needs More Women (And What’s Changing)
01:12 – How Nanette Got Her Start in Pest Control
10:04 – The Moment Women in Pest Control Took Off
13:00 – Inside the First All-Women Pest Control Conference
15:35 – The Scholarship Changing Women’s Careers
18:26 – Why Women Quit Pest Control (And How to Fix It)
31:37 – What Makes Women Stay (Most Companies Miss This)

🌐 Get Involved:

👇 Learn more about Women in Pest Control, events, and how to support the mission:

Evelina Empower Her Fund: https://www.womeninpestcontrol.com/em...

Join The Community: https://www.womeninpestcontrol.com/

Women in Pest Control Conference: https://www.womeninpestcontrol.com/ev...

🚀 Build the growth engine your market demands:
https://pestymarketing.com/

Your Pest Control Office Team Makes or Breaks Your Next Million

Your office team is either making you money or costing you millions — and most pest control owners have no idea which one it is.

Margaret Garcia, President of Grit PPO, is back and she's pulling back the curtain on the hidden revenue leaks inside your office. 

Missed calls, weak lead handling, bad booking rates — these "small" mistakes are quietly killing your growth.

If you're serious about hitting your next million in pest control, this episode is required watching.

🔥 What You'll Learn:
✅ The real cost of missed calls and poor lead handling
✅ What booking rate your office team should actually be hitting
✅ The #1 mistake killing pest control companies at the $3M mark
✅ How to hire the right CSR and what to look for
✅ The most important move in the first 60 seconds of a customer call

⏱️ Jump to What Matters Most:

00:00 Welcome & Introduction to Margaret Garcia
1:20 How Much Revenue You're Losing From Missed Calls
3:04 Owners' Shocking Reactions to Lost Revenue
4:08 The True Cost of Missed Leads
5:38 What Booking Rate Should Your Office Actually Hit?
6:40 What Drives High vs. Low Close Rates
8:08 The Factors Behind Higher Close Rates
10:09 Should You List Pricing on Your Website?
12:23 The Power of Strong Brand Differentiation
14:22 Matching Your Sales Language to Your Website
15:38 Why Call Analysis is a Game Changer
17:38 Real Example: Pivoting From Customer Feedback
19:42 Fast Follow-Up and Learning From Non-Conversions
22:29 Bottlenecks Holding You Back at $3M
25:50 Top 5 Numbers Every Pest Control Owner Must Track
26:14 The Most Expensive Office Mistake When Scaling
27:13 How to Hire the Best Customer Service Rep
29:24 The Most Important Move in the First 60 Seconds
32:00 Is Grit PPO Right for You?

Want results like Margaret's clients? Work with Grit PPO:
👉 https://www.gritppo.com/

Ready to hit the PCT Top 100 and generate 100,000+ leads per year? Let's build your growth engine:
👉 https://pestymarketing.com/

What Top 10% Pest Control Companies Do Differently (3,000 Company Study)

What Top 10% Pest Control Companies Do Differently (3,000 Company Study)

This episode breaks down what the best pest control companies are doing differently—from technician performance and customer satisfaction to reviews, retention, and company culture. If you run a pest control business and want to learn how top operators scale and improve service quality, this episode of the Pesty Podcast is for you.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 — Introduction + overview of the Applause 2026 Home Services Benchmark Report

1:12 — Why benchmark reports matter for pest control operators
3:04 — One surprising data point that caught operators off guard
4:12 — Why 5-star reviews matter more than ever
5:52 — What defines an exceptional pest control company
8:04 — What top technicians do to create great customer experiences
9:33 — Small acts that dramatically improve satisfaction and retention
16:33 — How photos and post-service communication build trust
18:46 — Visibility vs invisibility with customers (and why it matters)
23:19 — Technician pay models: quality vs output
25:27 — What actually motivates technicians
27:10 — What the best pest control company cultures look like
29:19 — Creative customer retention tactics operators are using

Read the full 2026 Home Services Benchmark Report from Applause:
👉 https://www.applausehq.com/research-reports/2026-state-of-home-services-benchmark-report?utm_source=pestypodcast

🚀 Grow Your Pest Control Company with Pesty

If you want more high-quality leads, better close rates, and a marketing system built specifically for pest control, learn more about working with us:

👉 https://pestymarketing.com

Why This Pest Control Company Doesn’t Compete on Price

Most pest control companies get stuck in price wars, but Kodiak Pest Control refuses to play that game.

In this episode, I sat down with Jacob Haslem, a career pest control operator and marketer, to break down how he is building a premium pest control company in rural Wyoming without racing to the bottom on price.

Jacob shares how his background in sales, marketing, and operations shaped Kodiak’s positioning, and why competing on value, branding, and customer experience beats competing on cost every time. 

Kodiak sells time savings, peace of mind, and trust, anchored by a clearly defined brand and a differentiated service model.

If you are a pest control owner tired of attracting price shoppers and shrinking margins, this conversation will challenge how you think about pricing, branding, and long-term growth.

Timestamps:

00:14 – Meet Jacob Halsem
1:16 – Building a Distinct Brand Voice Inspired by Duluth Trading Co.
2:41 – Why Wyoming Requires a Value-First Pest Control Strategy
3:37 – The Core Brand Promise Time Savings and Peace of Mind
4:39 – “Pests Don’t Belong in Your Home or Your Schedule” Explained
6:07 – The Goal Making Kodiak a Household Name
16:23 – The Strategy Behind the Kodiak Unlimited Program
20:29 – Using Bold Marketing to Build a Premium Pest Control Brand
23:26 – How Kodiak Differentiates From Legacy Pest Control Companies
24:30 – Customer Engagement Reviews and Perceived Value
31:17 – How Brand Investment Drives Higher Close Rates

If you want to grow the right way, with stronger margins, better customers, and a brand that actually stands out, this episode is packed with real-world insights you can apply immediately.

How Pest Control Companies Accidentally Attract Bad Leads

The fastest way to get unqualified leads is simple: market to everyone.

When your messaging tries to appeal to everyone, you don’t get more leads 
you get the wrong ones.

🚫 Price shoppers
🚫 Tire kickers
🚫 “Just getting quotes” callers

But when your marketing is built for one specific buyer, something powerful happens:

✅ The right people call ready to book
✅ Your close rate goes up
✅ Your sales team stops wasting time

In this video, I answer your questions around broad marketing kills lead quality and how pest control companies can attract higher-intent customers without increasing ad spend.

If you want fewer bad leads and more booked jobs, listen up! 

0:00 — Why “marketing to everyone” guarantees bad leads
1:01 — The first move that instantly improves lead quality online
2:48 — The hidden factor most pest companies ignore (psychographics)
5:33 — How to steal customer psychographics straight from reviews
7:08 — Messaging signals that repel tire-kickers and attract buyers
10:00 — Premium vs affordable: which actually gets better leads?
16:00 — How your website quietly qualifies (or disqualifies) customers
20:32 — One action to take this week for higher-intent leads

📬 JOIN THE PESTY PLAYBOOK  
Real tactics. Real growth. Built for pest control owners. → https://www.pestymarketing.com/playbook  

📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL  
Tired of mediocre marketing? Check your local market. →
https://pestymarketing.com/

👤 BUYER PERSONA GPT (FREEBIE) 
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-685c4a198bfc8...

The 5 Most Profitable Metrics in Pest Control

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Weber—entrepreneur and founder of Driven—to break down the five essential KPIs every operator must track to truly dominate their market.

Whether you’re a solo operator or managing multiple branches, this episode is packed with practical strategies to elevate your technician performance, boost marketing ROI, and drive team-wide accountability.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & Intro: Meet Adam Weber and how his journey from pest control operator to tech founder began
08:01 – The Birth of Driven: How a personal need for better data led to a dashboard revolution
13:48 – KPIs 101: What KPIs are, and why they’re the backbone of operational excellence
17:05 – KPI #1: Callback Rate by Technician — what it means and how to use it to improve service quality
23:20 – KPI #2: Completion Rate — boost efficiency and same-day service success
28:18 – KPI #3: Production Per Hour — understand productivity benchmarks and set the right targets
34:06 – Choosing the Right KPIs: Why less is more—focus on 5, and execute well
37:45 – KPI #4: Phone Call Answer Rate — how missed calls are costing you customers
43:21 – KPI #5: Close Rate — turn more leads into sales with better inside sales tracking
49:34 – Common Data Pitfalls: Why clean data matters, and how to get team buy-in
51:06 – Who Driven Is For: Why operators of any size can benefit from real-time performance tracking
54:09 – Final Takeaways & Next Steps

📈 If you’re serious about scaling faster, retaining more customers, and getting your team fully aligned—this is the episode that can shift your entire operation.

🔗 Learn more about Driven: https://www.bemoredriven.com/about

📬 JOIN THE PESTY PLAYBOOK  
Real tactics. Real growth. Built for pest control owners. → https://www.pestymarketing.com/playbook  

📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL  
Tired of mediocre marketing? Let’s fix that. →
https://calendly.com/sarinna-pestymarketing/intro-call

How One Pest Control Company Closed $2M in Sales Without Leaving the Office

Most pest control companies treat the phone like a customer service tool. But what if it could be your best sales weapon?

In this episode, Raymond Kidwell breaks down the sales script framework and inside sales system that helped his company close over $2M in revenue — all before a tech ever showed up.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all script, Raymond shares the exact structure, objections, incentives, and training methods that turn CSRs into closers. If you're ready to stop wasting leads and start selling over the phone, this is your playbook.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro: Why most pest control companies leave money on the table
0:19 – Meet Raymond Kidwell & his $2M phone sales background
2:43 – How customers want to be sold today (and how most companies miss it)
3:47 – Selling over the phone = closing the deal before the tech arrives
4:21 – Transitioning from in-person to phone sales: Lessons learned
5:20 – Overcoming internal resistance and aligning team incentives
7:30 – Why getting team buy-in matters more than buy-in itself
9:09 – The #1 objection in pest sales (and how AI proves it)
13:03 – Preventing objections through questions and rapport
13:46 – The $2M Phone Script Framework (Full Breakdown)
16:18 – How AI tracks true leads, call outcomes, and missed revenue
22:11 – How to train CSRs to sell (not just serve)
26:28 – Why technical training boosts phone conversion rates
27:43 – The biggest mistake pest companies make with inside sales
30:25 – The hidden cost of not having dedicated phone sales staff
34:26 – Contact Raymond & learn more about Voice for Pest

🔗 Learn more about Voice for Pest: https://voiceforpest.com

📬 JOIN THE PESTY PLAYBOOK  
Real tactics. Real growth. Built for pest control owners. → https://www.pestymarketing.com/playbook  

📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL  
Tired of mediocre marketing? Let’s fix that. → 
https://pestymarketing.com/

The #1 Reason Pest Control Operators Stall at $3M (And How to Scale to $10M+)

In this episode of the Pesty Marketing Podcast, I’m joined by Eric Bassett—VP of Natura Pest Control, associate certified entomologist, and host of the  @bugbux  Podcast. 

With 18+ years of industry experience and a current role as a fractional CMO for growth-minded pest control companies, Eric pulls back the curtain on what’s actually holding operators back from scaling past $3M—and how to build the systems to break through to $10M+.

⏱️ Timestamps:

01:12 — Setting up processes before working with a marketing agency; common pitfalls for operators

03:29 — Calculating customer growth based on closing rates and revenue

04:36 — Collaborating with marketing partners: using data to set marketing goals, budgets, and lead expectations

06:07 — Operational challenges and infrastructure needed for rapid scaling

10:16 — Marketing campaign effectiveness: tracking performance, re-allocating budgets across channels

13:07 — Growth philosophies: speed vs. cost, quality, and volume of leads

17:48 — Marketing budget considerations based on company revenue and growth appetite

30:22 — Defining a qualified lead and aligning expectations between teams

34:43 — 40/40/20 marketing framework: list, offer, and creative

39:10 — Differentiation exercise: analyzing and improving your competitive offer

44:02 — Year-end review: using data to inform next year's plans and budgets

46:41 — Key traits of top performing teams: accountability, data-driven decisions, and leadership

👉 Listen now and learn how to build a marketing machine that works with your ops—not against it.

📬 JOIN THE PESTY PLAYBOOK  
Real tactics. Real growth. Built for pest control owners. → https://www.pestymarketing.com/playbook  

📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL  
Tired of mediocre marketing? Let’s fix that. → https://calendly.com/sarinna-pestymar...

🎯 Want to connect with other growth-minded pest control pros? Join the BugBux Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/646060795949979/

 🔔 Subscribe for more breakdowns, interviews, and real marketing strategies for pest pros 

 💬 Got questions or takeaways? Drop them below.

How This Pest Pro Scaled Through Smart Acquisitions

Feeling burned out in your pest control business? You're not alone — and you're not stuck.

Cody Smith started out like many operators: running solo, wearing every hat, and grinding nonstop.

But instead of burning out, he found a smarter path. In this interview, Cody breaks down how he scaled through small acquisitions, overcame the fear of hiring, and transitioned from technician to business leader.

Whether you're trying to grow past $1M or just escape the day-to-day chaos, Cody’s story is packed with lessons you can apply right now.

⏱️ Timestamps: 

00:00 – Introduction
01:45 – Lessons from Working in a Family Business
04:39 – How Cody Scaled His Dad’s Business
06:15 – Top 3 Tips for Successful Small Acquisitions
08:36 – How Smarter Launch Started
17:05 – Common Sales Mistakes Pest Control Companies Make
23:41 – Fear, Leadership, and Letting Go
28:33 – Best Resources Cody Recommends 
32:34 – Final Thoughts and Smarter Launch's Vision

📬 JOIN THE PESTY PLAYBOOK Real tactics. Real growth. Built for pest control owners. → https://www.pestymarketing.com/playbook

📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL Tired of mediocre marketing? Let’s fix that. → https://calendly.com/sarinna-pestymarketing/intro-call

👉 Get Smarter in Your Sales & Proposals with Smarter Launch: https://www.smarterlaunch.com

👍 Like this video if Cody’s story gave you insight or inspiration

🔔 Subscribe for more breakdowns, interviews, and real marketing strategies for pest pros