Lessons Learned: A Post- PE Breakdown 2.5 Years Later

In this episode of To The Point Home Services Podcast, Chris and Chad welcome back their longtime friend and guest, Jason Buehler of Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Jason has been on quite a ride since first joining the show back in episode 90 and then again in episode 187 when he shared his incredible growth story: from $3M to $18M in just 4 years.

Now, Jason is back to open up about what life looks like two and a half years post-acquisition after partnering with Legacy Service Partners—sharing the highs, the unexpected lows, and how he rediscovered his drive to lead and scale his business to over $24–25M in annual revenue at 20% EBITDA.

 

This episode is packed with real talk on leadership, burnout, private equity partnerships, and reigniting your passion when the weight of growth starts to wear you down. Contractors and business owners thinking about selling, scaling, or stepping back into their business won’t want to miss this conversation.

 

⏱️ Episode Timecodes

• 00:00 – 05:00 | Kicking off the show, travel talk, football season chatter, and dad jokes
• 05:00 – 10:00 | Introducing Jason Buehler — his journey from Air Source America to Buehler Air and private equity with Legacy
• 10:00 – 15:00 | Scaling from $3M to $18M and navigating post-acquisition reality
• 15:00 – 20:00 | Hitting a wall: burnout, pressure, and lessons from tough quarters
• 20:00 – 25:00 | Regaining confidence and perspective, learning from peers in the platform
• 25:00 – 35:00 | Jumping back in as GM, re-engaging with the team, and fixing what drifted
• 35:00 – 42:00 | Maintaining culture while driving growth, dealing with leadership turnover, and evolving as a leader
• 42:00 – 50:00 | Deal structure insights: equity rollovers, betting on yourself, and thinking long-term
• 50:00 – End | Jason’s advice for contractors eyeing private equity and his renewed vision for the future
• 
  

🔗 Resources & Mentions

• Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing: https://www.buehlerair.com
• Legacy Service Partners: https://www.legacyservicepartners.com
• To The Point Home Services Podcast: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify

 

Thank you to our Sponsors!

 

Rilla: https://www.rilla.com/tothepoint

Chiirp: https://chiirp.com/

Contractor Commerce: https://www.contractorcommerce.com/ryno/

Bluon: https://www.bluon.com/get-demo?referral_code=ToThePoint

Avoca.ai: https://avoca.ai/r/tothepoint

 

 

💬 Enjoyed this episode?

If Jason’s journey inspired you, let us know in the comments!

 

📌 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with other home service leaders who could use the motivation.

 

#ToThePointPodcast #HomeServices #ContractorGrowth #Leadership #PrivateEquity #HVAC #BusinessGrowth