The Contractor KPI System Behind $12M Growth | Chris Hermes (Ep. 253)

Most contractors feel like they’re stuck in a business that never stops demanding MORE.

More leads… more hiring… more problems…

Yet somehow never more profit.

If you’ve ever felt like your home improvement business is controlling you instead of rewarding the effort you’re putting in, this episode is a must!

Because by the end of this conversation, you’ll see exactly how one owner built a simple, repeatable contractor KPI system that scaled a brand-new bath business from $0 to $12M in just 2.5 years — while keeping profit high, culture strong, and stress low.

The system isn’t complicated.

It’s not expensive.

And it’s not reserved for “big companies.”

It’s a straightforward set of KPI principles and leadership disciplines that ANY contractor can put in place, starting TODAY.

In this episode, Chris Hermes of USA Showers pulls back the curtain on the KPI framework, leadership disciplines, and mindset upgrades that helped him:

• Dial in the KPI formula contractors use to hit 15–20% net profit while scaling
• Open new markets quickly without drowning in problems
• Escape the “wearing five hats” trap most owners NEVER get out of
• Earn 760+ 5-star reviews in 2.5 years
• Build a culture where people are HUNGRY for results (instead of waiting to be told what to do)
• And build a business that supports his life… not the other way around

If you want your company to feel easier, simpler, and more predictable so you can scale without burning out…

This is the episode that shows you how.

Key Highlights:

(0:00) Intro

(3:57) How a “raging serial entrepreneur” scaled from $14M to $60M

(5:30) The trajectory of taking a bath business from $0 to $12M in 2.5 years

(7:52) Why Chris built his business around his LIFE (not the other way around), and how other contractors can too

(9:09) The missing discipline most contractors skip… and why it keeps them stuck

(10:11) The Contractor KPI system that makes growth predictable (and keeps your people chasing targets)

(12:26) The wild “USA Showers Jamboree” ritual that keeps the whole team aligned and hungry

(14:23) The real formula behind scaling fast with 15-20% net profit

(16:42) Chaos vs. Discipline: the brutal fork in the road every home improvement owner faces

(17:32) The 33/33/33 trap that silently destroys your profit while tripling your stress

(19:19) The dangerous hiring mistake owners make when they feel overwhelmed… and why “unicorns” won’t save you

(21:00) How to build world-class sales & marketing systems even if you’ve never done it before

(21:51) How being “dumb” in the right rooms unlocks unfair growth

(26:49) The hidden conditioning that holds contractors back from wealth

(29:25) The 2-part mindset shift Chris used to rewire his relationship with money… and actually keep more of it

(30:54) A “success leaves clues” shift that quietly turns small contractors into $20M machines

(36:04) How one “give-back” idea became their biggest culture hack and motivated the entire team

(39:35) The best piece of business advice Chris ever received (and why it still drives his decisions today)

(40:22) Why every contractor (big or small) needs to attend this one event in 2026

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