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Buying a business is not just about the deal. It is about what happens when you walk in on day one and meet the people who already know how the business works.
In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Mike Bourgeois of Cardinal Heating & Air to talk about military service, search, acquiring a home services business, imposter syndrome, leadership, technician burnout, and why trust matters more than ego when stepping into an established company.
Mike shares how his Air Force experience shaped his ability to lead people, why he and his business partner searched for nearly two years before acquiring Cardinal, and what it has been like to lead a 37-year-old HVAC company with an experienced team, strong brand, and deep customer base.
In this episode, Jessi and Mike discuss:
- How Mike’s Air Force background prepared him for business ownership and people leadership
- Why the search process is much harder than LinkedIn gurus make it look
- What made Cardinal Heating & Air stand out as an acquisition target
- How Mike approached leading a team with more technical HVAC experience than he had
- Why empowering smart people reduces single points of failure
- How Cardinal supports technicians by avoiding unsustainable call volume and burnout
- Why Mike would choose a high-trust, lower-performing employee over a high-performing, low-trust one
This episode is for searchers, acquisition entrepreneurs, home services leaders, operators, investors, and anyone who wants a more honest look at what happens after the deal closes.
Because owning the business does not automatically make you the expert.
Sometimes the best thing a new owner can do is listen first.
CONNECT WITH mike
- michael@skylinepartnership.com
- Cardinal Heating & Air