Entrepreneurs Journey with Michael Pallozzi, EP.26

Sometimes the “aha moment” is not fireworks and confetti. It shows up when you are backed into a corner and have no choice but to figure it out. That is exactly where the conversation goes in Episode 26 of Entrepreneurs Journey. Michael sat down with Shawn Calkins, owner of Universal Service Solutions in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, to talk about what it really takes to run a home services business.

Money management. Hiring and keeping the right people. Weather setbacks that can derail your schedule. The long game of building a company that can eventually run without you.

Let’s dig into the practical takeaways you can put to work in your business today.

How it started: “I had to make it work”

Shawn did not take the traditional path. After grad school, he hit the job market during the housing collapse and sat unemployed for almost two and a half years. 

Then a small line-striping business came up for sale. Two machines, a trailer, and a chance.

“I had no options. My option was succeed.”

He became the fifth owner of what would become Universal Service Solutions. Fifteen-plus years later, the company delivers full-service asphalt maintenance: repair and patching, sealcoating, crack repair, line striping, thermoplastics and epoxies, warehouse floors, walkways, and signage.

Takeaway: Your first step does not have to be perfect. It has to be forward.

The First Big Break: Lead with value, not price

Early on, Shawn got a shot at estimating a large parking lot for a local entrepreneur, David Coral. He handed over his number and got challenged on the spot.

“He checked me and said, ‘Why is your number what it is?’”

Shawn came back the next morning with the same price, but a clearer promise. That moment became a blueprint for how he bids work today. Know the job, defend the number, and articulate value.

“Here is what I am going to deliver that he is not. It was a value proposition. And I sold it.”

Takeaway: Price invites comparison. Value creates conviction.

Weather Happens

Home services owners live at the mercy of weather. Shawn’s team lost 30 days to rain, then got hit with 100-plus degree heat and pop-up storms on a nine-acre project. Treatments started to fail because of a high water table and heat-induced steam.

“We got it done correctly. But it did not go the way we wanted. A lot of going in with a plan, then deciding that plan is out.”

Takeaway: Build schedules and cash buffers that assume disruption. Hope is not a plan.

Money Management: Profit first, clarity always

It’s a philosophical approach that changes the game: Shawn built a system to take the emotion out of money.

• Profit-first habit: “We take 5% of every dollar before it hits the bank and move it to a profit account.” Each Friday, funds sweep to a money market and then, above a reserve cap, into diversified investments at an independent firm with access controls. 
• Operating buffers: Targeting five to six months of reserves to stay solvent during rainouts and job overruns. 
• Envelope-style accounts: Multiple bank accounts create clear buckets for taxes, payroll, materials, and profit. 
• Smart credit: A revolving line of credit with high-low sweep keeps the operating account balanced and payroll protected.

“Do I miss the 5%? No. We learned to live without it. And it built confidence.”

Takeaway: Separate profit from operating cash, put guardrails in place, and meet with a trades-savvy bookkeeper weekly. Confidence is a system, not a feeling.

*Educational only. This is not personal financial advice. Talk with a qualified advisor about your specific situation.

Hiring: Attitude over resume

Shawn is blunt about hiring in your industry.

“I do not care about someone’s skill set if the attitude is not there. I can train skills. I want resilience, pride in work, and a positive mindset when it is 102 degrees.”

He uses a simple values matrix to assess fit:

• High values, high skill: Aces. 
• High values, low skill: Invest and train. 
• Low values, high skill: Pass. Culture killer. 
• Low values, low skill: Quick exit. 

Takeaway: Protect the culture first. Your crew will spot misalignment before you do.

Customer Relationships: Make it personal, then make it easy

Shawn’s team operates on a “relationship-first” approach.

“I want to hear what they are telling me, understand their perspective, and find something that transcends the transaction.”

He teaches his crew a version of “unreasonable hospitality.” Listen for the real want, then deliver. Even if they do not win the job, the goal is to make the process effortless and memorable.

Takeaway: Personal connection reduces friction. Ease of process builds referability.

Scaling: Slow, steady, and shared

Growth was not the goal in year one. Responsibility changed it. Once people depended on the company, scaling became about stewardship.

“We hit a milestone where I cannot go backwards. People depend on this business.”

The plan now: regional expansion, selective national accounts, and keeping the team growing with the company.

Takeaway: Scale at the speed of culture. Fast growth without people growth is fragile.

Investing in the Team’s Future

Shawn mentors employees on basic money habits and helps them prepare for life goals like buying a first home. The company added healthcare and a SIMPLE IRA with a 2% employer contribution, regardless of employee deferrals.

“I know not everyone will be with me forever. I want them set up either way.”

Takeaway: Owner-funded stability pays compounding dividends in retention and pride.

Retirement, Reframed: Build a self-managing company

Shawn likes the game. Retirement for him is not about quitting. It is about optionality. The target is a self-managing company that operates well when he steps away for a week or two. Leadership remains, the day-to-day runs itself, and he stays in the lane he enjoys.

Takeaway: Systematize the business so your role becomes leadership and decision-making, not daily firefighting.

Legacy: Success, defined simply

Shawn references Emerson’s idea of success and keeps his metric human.

“I want people who were with me to succeed. I want customers, employees, mentors, and even bystanders to say they were glad to be part of the journey.”

No need to be a multinational. Make an impact close to home, do right by people, and leave a memory worth talking about.

Listen to the Episode and Let’s Connect

Want the full conversation with Shawn Calkins? Listen to Episode 26 of the Entrepreneur’s Journey Here!

 

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GLASSBORO, NJ 08028

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