“Sales is a 30-minute love affair.” This week, Tim shares lessons from Pat Butson, a hearth industry legend who became Tim’s sales mentor in his retirement. With four decades of experience at Vermont Castings, Majestic, and Whitfield—plus a legendary handshake as a national arm wrestling champion—Pat combined fierce confidence with Read more…
► ► RESOURCES November 2025 Resource 1: “Value Over Price: The Long Game in Sales” “The work starts when you make the sale.” In this episode, Tim and Seth cover: Selling on price, value, and service when your product is the same as your competitors. Developing a sales process and
“The purpose of your showroom is to sell the in-home visit.” This week, Tim welcomes Kenneth Walker, independent sales rep for Fire Walker Sales covering nine states, to break down the five principles every winning fireplace showroom needs. Kenneth has seen hundreds of showrooms—from thriving retail operations to struggling chimney
“The work starts when you make the sale.” This week, Tim does a deep-dive into the intricacies of sales with his friend Seth Fultz, Regional Sales Manager at Bridgewell Resources, who talks about his experience wearing multiple hats within his role – from inventory management and in/outbound logistics, to truck
“Service isn’t a necessary evil—it’s your most valuable relationship builder.” This week, Tim welcomes Bart Ogden, owner of Home Safe Hearth & Chimney in Wichita, Kansas, to discuss how service work can be the foundation of a thriving hearth business. Starting as a chimney sweep in 1979 in a town
“The customer bought the experience, not just the fireplace.” This week, Tim welcomes Nate Lammers, (Midwest Sales Representative for Kozy Heat), and Adam Spencer, a homeowner who recently completed a major fireplace remodel. After Nate discovered his neighbor Adam had purchased a fireplace from a local dealer, he realized Adam’s
► ► RESOURCES September 2025 Resource 1: “Beyond the Sale” While we prepare for Season 15 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week’s episode, Tim reacts to an article by Clay Dennis’s “Beyond the Sale” (released in the February
► ► RESOURCES August 2025 Resource 1: “Q&A with Tim Reed and Gideon Honeycutt” At the end of Season 14, Tim trades places with Gideon and takes a turn in the interview hot seat to answer questions about his journey and the things that have shaped him and his career.
While we prepare for Season 15 of the podcast, Tim will be giving weekly rapid reactions to audio articles from The Fire Time Magazine. In this week’s episode, Tim reacts to an article he wrote at the end of the year titled, “You Can’t Make Everyone Happy” (released in the
► ► RESOURCES July 2025 Resource 1: “What I’ve Been Thinking About” This week, Tim shares some thoughts he’s had based his recent travel and the moment that the industry finds itself in. In his episode, Tim covers: Why advertising isn’t the answer most companies think it is when sales