Elmer Zubiate, CEO of Zooby Neighborhood Superheroes Inc., recently shared insights on building a $40 million business while maintaining integrity during a two-part interview on The Contractor Fight Podcast hosted by Todd Liles, CEO of Service Excellence Training. The conversation provides practical guidance for entrepreneurs navigating rapid growth and team management challenges, with direct implications for human resources professionals and vendors serving the talent management sector.
In the first episode titled "The Brutal Truth About Building a $40M Business Without Selling Your Soul," Zubiate detailed his journey scaling Elmer's Home Services into a Texas powerhouse before selling to private equity investors. He revealed decisions that nearly sank the company and sacrifices most entrepreneurs avoid discussing, emphasizing how chasing revenue at the expense of values leads to burnout. Zubiate explained the critical balance between rapid growth and long-term stability, highlighting mindset shifts that separate businesses that fizzle from those that endure. This perspective matters to HR vendors because it underscores the importance of values-based leadership in sustainable business models, suggesting that companies prioritizing ethical growth may require different HR solutions than those focused solely on rapid expansion.
The second episode, "How to Lead, Build, and Keep High-Performance Teams," focused on Zubiate's philosophy that culture beats perks every time. He demonstrated how team loyalty is fostered through clarity rather than superficial benefits, and how regular communication prevents talent drain in competitive markets. Zubiate provided leaders with a blueprint for building teams that want to stay and grow, offering practical guidance for transforming employees into united, high-performance units. For HR vendors, this represents a significant shift in how organizations approach retention and engagement, moving away from transactional benefits toward deeper cultural connections that require more sophisticated HR tools and consulting services.
Zubiate also discussed his vision for Zooby Neighborhood Superheroes Inc., his newest venture described as a modern home services company built for people who expect better service. The company emphasizes honest, flat-rate services without hourly billing or contractor drama, focusing on home repairs without headaches and maintenance without mystery. Todd Liles, an expert in training home services companies, noted that "Elmer makes it clear: customers win when your team feels valued. That's business done right." This customer-team value connection has implications for HR vendors developing employee experience platforms and recognition systems that align internal culture with external customer satisfaction.
The podcast episodes offer valuable insights for business leaders seeking sustainable growth strategies and effective team management approaches. For the HR vendor community, Zubiate's experiences highlight emerging trends in leadership development, cultural alignment, and values-based business practices that are reshaping how organizations approach talent management. As companies increasingly recognize the connection between employee experience and business outcomes, HR vendors must adapt their offerings to support these deeper organizational transformations rather than just transactional HR processes. The interview content is available through https://www.serviceexcellencetraining.com where listeners can access the full discussions.
