The Zero Debt Playbook: Bill Russell on Scaling to $170M and Operational Excellence

In this episode of the Big Hitters podcast, Andrew Hathaway speaks with Bill Rossell, CEO of LB Capital. Bill shares his journey from military service and restaurant management to selling Yellow Pages, where he first crossed paths with founder Lance Bachman. He breaks down the operational execution behind LB Capital’s zero-debt model, which manages $170 million in revenue across 14 entities. Bill explains how they partner with trade business founders by taking 50% equity and operational control to drive rapid growth, why retail roofing and fencing represent massive market opportunities, and how his personal journey with sobriety informs his steady leadership approach. Support our Sponsors: 🤝 Thank you to Ben Jordan of Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric. Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric provides 24/7, dependable plumbing, HVAC, and electrical solutions to homes and businesses across Salt Lake City, Utah. Website: https://actionplumbing.net/ Follow on Instagram:   / benjordanofficial   Connect on LinkedIn:   / action-plumbing   🤝 Thank you to Dustin Grimes of Grimes Financial Partners. Grimes Financial Partners is a full-service financial planning firm that helps high-net-worth clients achieve their personal goals with custom-built solutions. Website: https://grimesfinancialadvisors.com/ Follow on Instagram:   / grimesfinancialgroup   Connect on LinkedIn:   / dustin-g-57941669   🤝 Thank you to Michael J. Fox of Corberry Digital Marketing. Corberry Digital Marketing helps home service businesses dominate their local markets by providing high-quality leads, smart follow-up systems, and strategic positioning. Website: https://corberry.com/ Follow on Instagram:   / corberrydigital   Connect on LinkedIn:   / corberry-digital-marketing   🤝 Thank you to Silas Lagoy of Forgemark LLC. Forgemark LLC is a fractional family office financial planning company that specializes in merging real estate, business, and finance to create holistic wealth management plans for its clients. Website: https://forgemarkprivatewealth.com/ Follow on Instagram:   / silaslagoy   Connect on LinkedIn:   / silas-lagoy-senior-marketing-director-421b...   🤝 Thank you to Joe Work of 10xnerds. 10xnerds saves business owners cash by analyzing their outgoing expenses, trimming the expense fat, and optimizing the cash flow. Website: https://10xnerds.com/ Follow on Instagram: N/A Connect on LinkedIn: N/A — Chapters: 00:00 CEO and founder-visionary partnership 02:11 Bill’s path from restaurants to Yellow Pages 05:35 Building businesses and launching LB Capital 09:31 Operations, growth, and company culture 12:17 What makes Build It to Sell different 15:30 Choosing the right operating partners 16:48 Private equity, exits, and building enterprise value 19:29 Why fencing could be the next big home-service opportunity 20:42 Systems, standardization, and scaling service businesses 21:49 Sobriety, gratitude, and giving back Stream on Other Platforms: 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38cEQ3Z... 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Connect with Andrew: Follow on Instagram:   / theandrewhathaway   Follow on Facebook:   / bighath33   Follow on TikTok:   / theandrewhathaway   Connect on LinkedIn:   / anhathaway   Hathaway Companies Website: https://hathaway-companies.com/ Virtual Assist Website: https://www.virtual-assist.co/ Freedom AI Website: https://freedom-ai.io/ Connect with Bill: Follow on Instagram:   / billrossell317   Connect on LinkedIn:   / billrossell   LB Capital Website: https://lbachmanncapital.com/ Build It To Sell It Website: https://www.buildittosellit.com/ 1️⃣ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL 2️⃣ SUBSCRIBE TO ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS 3️⃣ SHARE THIS ON SOCIAL OR WITH A FRIEND #BigHittersPodcast #AndrewHathaway #SuccessMindset #Entrepreneurship #Podcast