Invest in Your People: How to Empower Employees and Boost Profitability with Kelton Balka
Kenny Chapman and Chris Crew sit down with Kelton Balka, owner of Tennessee Standard and a fifth-generation plumber. Kelton shares how taking care of your team isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the smartest business move you can make. From scaling his plumbing company to over $1 million in monthly revenue and building a culture where people don’t want to leave, he breaks down what it really means to invest in your people—and why profitability is just a byproduct.
- Kelton starts by sharing his journey from being a fifth-generation plumber to running his own successful company — and why he nearly avoided plumbing because everyone told him there was “no money in it.”
- Kelton shares how going to college was his way of making sure he could run a business and be a great tradesman.
- Kelton reveals the hardest hump in growing a business: Going from one truck to four. That jump took him to $1.2 million in revenue.
- What is the real recipe for business success? According to Kelton, it comes down to business smarts, on-the-ground experience, and understanding your numbers.
- Kelton reveals what Tennessee Standard is all about--and how they plan on becoming Knoxville’s #1 plumbing company, give tradesmen a path to real wealth, and become a light in the community, all for the glory of God.
- Kenny and Kelton agree that ego has no place in business. If you want to build something sustainable, you must get rid of your ego.
- According to Kelton, plumbing is a people business. You're not selling parts — you're selling labor. And if you don’t take care of your people, you won’t make it.
- What is the smartest move you can make early on in your business? Kelton says: build a financial model. It may just be a big spreadsheet, , but it shows you exactly what happens when you sell X, spend Y, and what’s left at the bottom.
- Kelton reveals how to scale from $3 million to $6 million and stay profitable.
- How to invest in your people according to Kelton:
1. Pay better than average.
2. Train consistently — they train four days a week at Tennessee Standard.
3. Provide top-tier equipment — it improves both results and morale.
4. Build a real culture — even small things like lunch or coffee make people feel valued.
- Chris and Kenny explain why delegation isn't about handing off your work — it's about empowering your team and giving them the tools to win.
- Kenny on financial modeling: The magic of spreadsheets is that they don’t have emotions. You can make smart decisions without letting fear or excitement cloud your judgment.
- Chris shares the benefits of vulnerability in leadership and why it’s not weakness.
- Kenny challenges owners who don’t love their business or are in it for the money: If you’re just showing up for the money and don’t love what you do, don’t be surprised when no one else cares either.
- According to Kenny, it's not that we have a lack of skilled labor in the trades, it's that there's an overabundance of bad ownership in the trades.
- Kelton exposes a common trap: Thinking you should start a business just because you’re the best technician.
- Kelton on training fears: “What if I train them and they leave?” He believes that if you don’t train them, they’re definitely leaving. So invest in them and give them a reason to stay.
- Kelton reminds us--don’t take it personally when someone leaves. Business is fluid — some people are here for a season, and that’s okay.
- Kelton on why building a sellable business matters: even if you don’t want to exit, it forces you to build systems, track profitability, and make better long-term decisions.
- For Kelton, a healthy profit margin in home services is around 20%.
- Kelton’s final takeaway: stop chasing shortcuts. Put in the work and treat people the way you want to be treated.
Mentioned in This Episode:
HomeServiceBusinessSuccessShow.com/s2e14
Kelton Balka on LinkedIn
