‍How Hashtag Plumbing stopped firefighting, regained margins, and scaled from $1M to $3.5M

Quick snapshot

• Revenue on joining Breakthrough Academy, just over $1M; last year, $3.5M.
  
  
• Net profit went from negative to about 28% last year.
  
  
• Team grew from roughly six technicians and no office staff, to 15 technicians and three full time office staff.
  
  
• Brent’s average hours fell from about 80 hours a week to 30–35 hours.

‍Meet Hashtag Plumbing

From the outside, Hashtag Plumbing owners Brent and Chloë Mooney were running a successful 6-figure plumbing business. On the inside, things felt a lot more hectic.

Brent wore every hat in the business and hustled hard to get everything done. One time, he worked 68 hours in a 3 day period 🤯

When they found themselves with $1MM in revenue and no money in the bank, Brent and Chloë knew it was time to ask for help.

What changed with practical coaching and systems

Breakthrough Academy brought a package of trades-specific coaching and implementation, not vague motivation. The three pillars that transformed Hashtag Plumbing were:

1. Master Business Plan and job cost cards

The MBP gave a single source of truth for budgeting, forecasting, and profitability. The job cost card, Chloe’s favorite tab, lets the team see exactly how each job is performing by type, and which contracts are profitable. With visibility, the team stopped guessing and started making decisions that improved margins and reduced risk. “You then start actually almost predicting what’s going to happen in your business,” Brent says.

2. Org chart and role clarity

Brent listed 20 plus hats he was wearing, then delegated the items he disliked or that did not use his highest value time. The org chart became a career map, a culture tool, and a hiring blueprint. Chloe describes this as “choose your own adventure” for employees, because it gives technicians visible steps and options to grow. Having clear roles protected the team and allowed the owners to step back.

3. Weekly check-ins, reviews, and admin systems

A simple, anonymous weekly form and regular 45–60 minute reviews opened communication while protecting privacy. Chloe runs check-ins so employees can raise issues without fear. That routine uncovered problems before they became crises, and made management a predictable, repeatable process.

All of those changes were supported by targeted contractor coaching from Breakthrough Academy, which helped the couple implement deposits, progress billing, and better invoicing. Chloe credits a rapid return on the first changes she implemented: 

The Results: Before Breakthrough Academy vs. After

These are not vanity metrics. The systems produced durable outcomes that improved cashflow, margin, and life at home.

• Revenue: ~1M when they joined BTA in 2018, 3.5M last year.
  
  
• Profitability: From less than zero percent to ~28% net profit.
  
  
• Headcount: From 6 technicians and no office staff to 15 technicians and 3 full time office team members.
  
  
• Owner time: Brent moved from 70–80 hour weeks to around 30–35 hours, which improved family life. As Brent says, “The business runs itself,” meaning the company can function autonomously while ownership focuses on growth.

Other practical wins from the Breakthrough Academy coaching program

• ⬇️ Reduced monthly overhead by looking critically at recurring expenses like telecom costs
• 💸 Implemented deposits to break the cash crunch cycle
• 🏡 Office moved out of the family home

Lessons for trade business owners

1. Get visibility, with job cost cards and a business plan.
   
   
2. Protect cashflow with deposits and progress billing.
   
   
3. Document roles, delegate, and create career maps for employees.
   
   
4. Start weekly check-ins and enforce quarterly reviews.
   
   
5. Join a trades-specific coaching community for faster implementation and ongoing support.
   

When will we write your success story?

Brent and Chloë accomplished impressive results in their business WITHOUT building systems and processes from scratch.

They invested in Breakthrough Academy and received:

• A 6-week crash course on how to run a profitable trades business
• A massive library with hundreds of pre-built SOPs, systems, contracts, and more.
• Personalized coaching to hold them accountable, help them overcome roadblocks and support them when times got tough.
• A community of hundreds of other contractors going through the exact same program, overcoming the exact same challenges and working towards the exact same goals.

If you want to explore joining our program, book an implementation call today.

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