The TECHtrepreneur · Cast of characters
Meet the people.
Follow the journey.
Behind every business is a story about people.
Get to know the family, mentors, coaches, and industry personalities who shape Russ’s journey from great technician to great business owner.
The TECHtrepreneur by David M. Holt
Meet the people behind the journey.
Family. Encouragement. Hard lessons. A shared vision of something better.
The Hill family
The people closest to the dream.
For Russ, the journey toward business ownership is also a journey toward being more present for the people he loves.
Russ
Core IdentityA Christian husband and father that is also a skilled HVAC service technician that experiences an "entrepreneurial seizure" after 16 years of sacrificing family time for an ungrateful boss. He transitions from a technician into a visionary business architect.
TraitsHardworking, analytical problem-solver, former Boy Scout, and an outdoorsman who loves fly-fishing.
JourneyDepended on a paycheck-to-paycheck reality until a series of vivid dreams and a breaking-point confrontation pushed him to launch his own company, Comfort Champs. He learns to stop turning wrenches and start building generational wealth through a clear vision, great business operating systems, and servant leadership.
Rhonda
Core IdentityRuss's high school sweetheart and supportive wife of 20 years. She is a dedicated school teacher who provides the steady income and health insurance that gives the family a safety net during their new business launch.
TraitsExceptionally organized, naturally business-minded, reflective, and a creative soul who enjoys woodworking, scrapbooking, and keeping detailed notebooks.
JourneyHistorically frustrated in being a "technician widow" due to Russ's brutal work schedule, she passionately serves as the planner and co-pilot for Comfort Champs once Russ commits to a healthier family-first lifestyle.
Michael
Core IdentityRuss and Rhonda’s 15-year-old son who is a highly talented competitive soccer player.
TraitsCompetitive, resilient, and deeply values family support.
JourneyResents his father's constant absence but thrives when Russ begins prioritizing his family over his job. Under Coach Ben's leadership, Michael leads his team, the Columbus Crew, to a U-16 State Championship as MVP, a Regional Championship, and ultimately a National Championship. He later grows up to join his father on the leadership team at Comfort Champs.
Lynn
Core IdentityRuss and Rhonda’s 12-year-old daughter and Michael's biggest cheerleader.
TraitsSkeptical but affectionate, witty, and a competitive swimmer.
JourneyLongs for more "Daddy time". She is directly responsible for inspiring the final company name when she playfully wrestles with Michael while repeatedly calling him "champ".
Industry influencers, mentors, coaches & pathfinders
The people who shape the owner.
Some show Russ what is possible. Others show him what needs to change. Each brings a different perspective to the company—and the life—he wants to build.
Skeeter
Core IdentityRuss’s high school friend and first boss who inherited his father's new-construction HVAC business, bankrupted it to clear debt, and launched Skeeter’s Heaters & Coolers.
TraitsDisorganized, unprincipled, short-tempered, and aggressively loyal to a low-bid mentality.
RoleRuns his company through intimidation, toxic reactivity, and cheapskate habits. He expects technicians to improve through stress alone and views employee training as an expensive liability. He serves as the perfect blueprint of "how not to run a business" for Russ.
Terry
Core IdentityA territory manager at ABC Wholesale.
TraitsActs as a highly consultative, valuable asset to Russ rather than a simple order-taker. He sets Russ up with his very first starter inventory and teaches him the concept of "truck stock". He prioritizes long-term relationship building over fast monthly purchase volumes.
Coach Ben
Core IdentityMichael’s soccer coach for the U-16 Columbus Crew club.
TraitsMethodical planner, structural disciplinarian, and a highly effective teacher who uses core values and individual post-game scorecards.
RoleInspires Russ's operational philosophy. He teaches the boys the acronyms T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) and P.R.I.D.E. (Personal Responsibility In Daily Execution), which Russ directly adapts to build the culture of Comfort Champs.
Morris
Core IdentityA devout Christian and award-winning HVAC contractor based near Fort Knox in Louisville, Kentucky. Owner of Master's Mechanical and featured as "Contractor of the Year" in a trade magazine.
TraitsGenerous, wise, humble, and a pure embodiment of a servant leader.
RoleActs as Russ’s primary business mentor. He teaches Russ to think in decades rather than days, to design processes instead of chasing random jobs, and to implement strict scoreboards across the business ("If you don't measure, you're just guessing").
Donna
Core IdentityMorris’s warm and hospitable wife who loves to cook, entertain, and fish. She welcomes Russ and Rhonda to their lake cottage, serving as a role model to Rhonda for how a couple can successfully navigate the contracting lifestyle together.
TraitsGentle, kind, and generous - the perfect match for Morris on their life journey.
RoleWife to Morris, mother to two kids. Former school teacher that serves as the heart and chief cheerleader at Master's Mechanical.
Olivia
Core IdentityA brilliant, proactive Christian office manager and marketing coordinator at Master's Mechanical.
TraitsAn avid reader of self-help and business books, hyper-organized, and incredibly structured with forms, procedures, and competitor ad tracking.
RoleInitially appears to Russ as a nameless assistant in his dreams. In a striking turn of reality, her husband (an Army officer) is transferred from Fort Knox to Fort Benning in Columbus, GA, allowing Russ to hire her as Comfort Champs’s very first office manager.
Dave
Core IdentityA veteran of the trades turned business mentor who specializes in helping technicians think like business architects. Practical, insightful, and deeply experienced, he translates complex business principles into real-world actions that help contractors build stronger companies - and better lives.
TraitsA Boy Scout leader, serial entrepreneur, teacher, author, and industry consultant.
RoleBusiness coach for Master's Mechanical.
Bob
Core IdentityOne of Morris's MIX Group buddies and owner of a huge contracting business in Phoenix, AZ.
TraitsAlways willing to share his wisdom with others after having "a conversation" so he can better understand context, concerns, and goals.
RoleProvides Russ with another perspective about ways to make his Comfort Champs dreams come true without having to learn the hard lessons that Bob's already experienced.
Shawn
Core IdentityAn award-winning sales training expert focused on the home service trades.
TraitsA flashy dresser, Shawn is known far and wide as one of the top sales trainers in the HVAC industry. He created a Stress-Free sales approach that makes life easy for the salesperson and the homeowner. Using his approach, average tickets increase dramatically, closing rates improve significantly, and five-star reviews occur regularly.
RoleSales advisor, trainer and mentor for Morris and Bob.
Get to know their story
See what they build together.
Follow Russ and the people around him through the decisions, challenges, and lessons of becoming a business owner.