In this episode of AI for Business Owners, Jeff Torello sits down with Tersh Blissett, owner of multiple HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies and Co-Founder & Chief Experience Officer of Trade Automation Pros, Chief Executive Officer of Service Emperor, and Co-Host & Founder at Service Business Mastery. Tersh shares his journey from the Air Force and engineering school into the skilled trades, and how a simple Excel automation project sparked a long-term passion for optimizing business processes.

The conversation is about how automation and AI are reshaping service businesses, especially in the trades. Tersh explains how contractors can streamline operations by integrating CRMs, automation tools, and AI-powered systems into everyday workflows. Jeff and Tersh also explore the hype surrounding AI, the difference between automation and true AI solutions, and why many business owners are suddenly eager to adopt these technologies.

The episode highlights the importance of optimizing workflows before automating them and discusses the real-world challenges of implementing AI tools inside growing companies.

Key Takeaways:

• Automation First, AI Second: Many business problems can be solved with simple automation before jumping into complex AI systems.

• Process Optimization Matters: Businesses should optimize processes before attempting to automate them.

• AI Adoption Is Driven by FOMO: Many companies are adopting AI quickly due to fear of falling behind.

• AI and Software Are Closely Linked: In many cases, AI is simply another evolution of traditional software solutions.

• The Future of AI in Business: AI will continue improving rapidly, making today the “worst” it will ever perform.

Noteworthy Quotes:

• “I started automating things because I was tired of spending hours every day doing manual reports.” – Tersh Blissett

• “AI isn’t the solution to every problem—sometimes it’s just software solving a business need.” – Jeff Torello

• “Before you automate a process, make sure it’s optimized first.” – Tersh Blissett

• “People are adopting AI quickly because they’re afraid of getting left behind.” – Tersh Blissett

• “Today is the worst AI will ever perform—it’s only going to get better from here.” – Jeff Torello

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction and sponsor message

01:36 – Tersh Blissett’s background and business ventures in the trades

02:47 – From Air Force and engineering to HVAC and service businesses

07:38 – AI hype vs real business value

11:51 – SEO, AI search, and how businesses appear in generative results

14:04 – AI agents and the future of automated purchasing

20:42 – Local AI models vs cloud AI tools

34:06 – Managing data, storage, and digital assets

42:41 – When business owners should hire experts instead of doing it themselves

44:00 – The rapid acceleration of AI development

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• Tersh Blissett LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/

• Trade Automation Pros LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradeautomationpros/

• Trade Automation Pros Website: https://tradeautomationpros.com/

• Service Emperor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/icebound/

• Service Emperor Website: https://serviceemperor.com/

• Service Business Mastery LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/service-business-mastery/

• Service Business Mastery Website: https://servicebusinessmastery.com/

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• Website: https://sinjun.ai/

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