In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with John Speed, founder of Kilauea Pest Control in Hawaii, to talk about what it really takes to build an exceptional company.

John shares the lessons he's learned growing one of Hawaii's most respected pest control businesses—from creating an award-winning workplace culture to surrounding yourself with great people and learning from other industry leaders.

The conversation dives into why the best leaders don't react emotionally, how to give feedback that actually improves performance, why explaining the "why" matters more than giving instructions, and how networking with high-level operators can completely change the trajectory of your business.

Whether you're trying to get out of the truck, build a stronger leadership team, or create a company your employees never want to leave, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can implement immediately.

In this episode:
• Why great leaders pause before reacting
• Building a "Best Place to Work" culture
• Hiring and retaining rock-star employees
• The importance of peer groups and networking
• Leading through trust instead of micromanagement
• Giving constructive feedback that motivates
• Why your people, not your systems, are your greatest competitive advantage

Lessons from Hawaii's first PCT Top 100 pest control company
If this episode challenged the way you think about leadership, share it with another business owner or someone on your team who needs to hear it.

https://www.skool.com/bugbux

Most pest control companies offer the same products. So why do some businesses earn loyal customers while others lose them?

In this episode, Allan Draper sits down with Ben Riches, founder of Apex Pest Solutions, to discuss how communication has become one of his company’s biggest competitive advantages. From answering every phone call to following up after every service, Ben shares the systems that have helped his company grow from zero to nearly 850 customers.

They also dive into leadership, consistency, building systems, and the books that have shaped Ben as an entrepreneur.

https://www.skool.com/bugbux

What can a CPA teach a pest control owner about scaling a business?

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Brandon Sizemore, co-founder and COO of Mint Pest Control, for a conversation packed with real business insights, operational lessons, and mindset shifts every PCO needs to hear.

Before helping build one of the industry’s fastest growing companies, Brandon spent 12 years as a CPA working with organizations like the Arizona Cardinals and the Salvation Army. Now, he’s applying those same systems, processes, and financial principles to pest control growth.

This episode goes far beyond accounting.

Allan and Brandon dive into:

• Why most business owners struggle to get out of the truck
• How systems and documentation create scalable companies
• The mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur
• Why pest control is one of the best businesses in the world
• Leadership, delegation, and building customer experiences that last
• The importance of mentorship, community, and learning from failure
• How Bug Bux and networking can accelerate your growth

Whether you’re a solo operator trying to grow or leading a multimillion dollar company, this episode is full of practical lessons you can apply immediately.

This isn’t just an episode you listen to once… it’s one you’ll want to revisit with a notebook in hand.