Executive Summary
What began as an internal communication tool for Peterman Brothers employees has evolved into a thriving business with its own EIN and independent revenue stream. With over 30,000 monthly downloads and a position in the top 2.5% of global podcasts, the Can’t Stop the Growth podcast has transformed from an internal communication and leadership channel into a comprehensive platform featuring premium partnerships, a dedicated online community, and a suite of educational offerings. This case study reveals how CEO Chad Peterman, with the strategic guidance of PeopleForward Network (PFN), built a podcast empire that not only educates home service leaders but generates substantial revenue while creating life-changing impact for its community members.
The Challenge: Connecting with a Distributed Workforce
As the leader of Peterman Brothers, a rapidly growing home services company, Chad Peterman faced a critical communication challenge: how to consistently develop his team when most employees spent their days in the field rather than at company headquarters.
“I believe that the way that we grow our business at Peterman Brothers is to grow our people,” Peterman explains. “But knowing that almost all of our people are out away from the facility every day, that’s what I was looking to solve—how do I get in their head?”
Peterman identified several key obstacles to consistent leadership development:
- Limited Face Time: With team members primarily working at client locations, opportunities for in-person leadership development were restricted to occasional Friday meetings
- Continuous Growth Needs: The company’s expansion required consistent leadership messaging and skill development
- Diverse Learning Styles: Traditional training methods weren’t reaching all team members effectively
- Geographic Expansion: As the company grew beyond its Indianapolis headquarters, maintaining cohesive culture became increasingly challenging
The Solution: Creating an Accessible Leadership Platform
Peterman’s innovative approach came in the form of a podcast—an accessible medium that could reach employees during their commutes or between service calls. What began as an internal communication tool soon evolved into something much more significant.
Phase 1: Foundation Building
Peterman launched the Can’t Stop the Growth podcast with a clear focus on internal leadership development. The podcast featured content derived from Friday leadership sessions, making these teachings available to all team members regardless of location or schedule.
“It started with content from our Friday morning meetings,” Peterman explains. “I would address topics most relevant at the time, whether from a book I’d read or process improvements we’d implemented.”
These core teachings eventually formed the foundation for Peterman’s book, “Can’t Stop the Growth,” which outlined his leadership philosophy:
- Treat your team members as number one
- Lead yourself
- Create your vivid vision
- Empower your people to dream big
- The cadence of culture
- Give them a voice and a choice
- Give your service real significance
- Give customers the wow experience
Phase 2: Expanding Reach and Value
As the podcast gained traction internally, Peterman recognized opportunities to expand its impact:
- Guest Expert Series: Bringing in outside experts to provide additional perspectives and knowledge
- Public Distribution: Making episodes publicly available rather than limiting to an internal platform
- Customer Engagement: Creating content valuable to customers as well as employees
The podcast’s influence began extending beyond internal team development when customers started engaging with the content.
“We started to hear from our customers that they love these episodes,” Peterman recalls. “Like we’d have a tech out in the house and they’d be talking about an episode that we did and we’re like, ‘You’re listening to that?’ And he’s like, ‘It really did work.'”
Phase 3: Partnership with PeopleForward Network
While the podcast was working well conceptually, the operational demands were pulling Peterman’s media team away from their core responsibilities. The company’s media lead, Jared, was spending valuable time on podcast production when his primary focus needed to be on marketing campaigns and commercials.
Facing this capacity challenge, Peterman partnered with PeopleForward Network to:
- Take over production responsibilities
- Strategically grow the podcast’s audience
- Develop a sustainable business model
“I was wondering if we could free Jared up to really do what he loves to do,” explains Peterman. “That’s where the conversation came to be like, what might PFN be able to take off our plate for Jared to be able to grow?”
PFN not only handled production but brought strategic vision for transforming the podcast into a revenue-generating asset. “PFN started to help us really grow our numbers,” Peterman notes. “Then it was like, but what do we do with the numbers? Like, what do we do past this?”
The Results: A Thriving Ecosystem of Content, Community, and Commerce
The partnership with PeopleForward Network catalyzed remarkable growth and transformation for the Can’t Stop the Growth brand.
Audience Expansion and Recognition
- Over 30,000 monthly downloads as of early 2025
- Recognition in the top 2.5% of global podcasts
- Listeners spanning the home services industry nationwide
Revenue Generation
- Developed a suite of strategic content partnerships with aligned home services vendors
- Generated approximately $350,000 in revenue during 2024, their first year of monetization
- On track for seven-figure revenue in 2025
- Established as its own business entity with a dedicated EIN
Strategic Content Partners
The podcast evolved to feature specialized educational series from carefully vetted industry partners:
- Camp Digital: Marketing education series for home services companies
- Zyra Talk: AI solutions ensuring home services companies never miss customer calls
- Goodleap: Financing partner that educates on removing financial barriers to closing deals
- Chirp: Technology platform that helps optimize sales processes, plus mindset coaching
“They are educating on those niche things,” Peterman explains about these partners. “All of them are educating on what they’re really passionate about.”
The Arena Community Platform
Building on the podcast’s momentum, PFN helped Peterman launch “The Arena,” a dedicated online community platform that:
- Connects home services leaders who share Peterman’s people-first philosophy
- Provides interactive learning experiences
- Hosts virtual and in-person gatherings
- Gives content partners direct access to engaged community members
- Creates opportunities for relationship-building among members
“We launched this community to activate those big numbers,” Peterman explains. “How do we get to know those 30,000 so we can really know the impact that we’re making on them?”
Real-World Impact: Beyond the Numbers
While the business metrics are impressive, Peterman finds the most satisfaction in the tangible impact the podcast and community are having on home services leaders.
“The stories that I hear is life changing,” he shares. “People are coming to one session and getting a solution.”
These success stories demonstrate the practical value being delivered:
- Accelerated Growth: A member who attended a “Chat with Chad” session in October implemented Peterman’s blueprint for opening a new market location. What was planned as a 12-month project was fully operational with new office space and staff within 60 days.
- Business Transformation: A struggling business owner who met Peterman at an industry conference joined the Arena community and completely turned around her home services company. She’s now expanded to 22 employees and secured a major national contract.
- Immediate Results: Multiple members have attended sales training through the Arena and secured new business the very next day by implementing what they learned.
“It is my life’s mission to figure out how do we mentor and share so that other people can achieve their dreams and feel like they’re making a true impact,” Peterman reflects.
The PFN Difference: Creating a Sustainable System
For Peterman, the partnership with PeopleForward Network has been transformative because it allowed him to focus on his strengths while building a sustainable business model.
“The reason why podcasting is hard is the lack of the systems behind it and having a trusted partner,” Peterman observes. “I would say never do podcasting alone. Never do community alone. A lot of things—don’t do it alone. Like do it. You stay in your lane and find the right partners that know what they’re doing.”
PFN’s contributions extended far beyond production:
- Strategic Vision: Identifying pathways for monetization and community building
- Partnership Development: Creating and selling sponsorship packages to aligned businesses
- Operational Support: Handling the day-to-day logistics while keeping Peterman involved in high-impact activities
- Community Building: Developing and managing the Arena platform
- Expanded Reach: Cross-promotion through PFN’s established network of people-first leaders
“We would never be where we’re at without a partnership with PFN,” Peterman emphasizes. “They know what they’re doing. This is what they do.”
What’s Next: Expanding Impact and Opportunity
As Can’t Stop the Growth continues to evolve, Peterman and PFN are focused on maximizing its impact and reach. Their future plans include:
- Expanding Core Partnerships: All core partnership slots for 2025 have been filled in Q1, with additional sponsorship opportunities being developed
- Growing the Arena Community: Continuing to integrate podcast listeners into the community platform
- Deeper Educational Offerings: Expanding specialized training programs like the successful sales training initiative
- Strategic Leadership: Developing the management structure with PFN’s David Gregory leading day-to-day operations
Key Takeaways for Business Leaders
The Can’t Stop the Growth journey offers valuable insights for organizations considering podcasting as a business development tool:
- Start with a Clear Purpose: Peterman’s initial focus on employee development provided a strong foundation that later expanded to broader audiences
- Find the Right Partners: Rather than struggling with production challenges, partnering with experts allowed Peterman to focus on content and relationships
- Build Authentic Value: The podcast’s success stems from delivering genuine educational content rather than promotional material
- Focus on Relationships: The most significant outcomes have come from the connections formed through the podcast and community
- Integrate Multiple Revenue Streams: Combining content partnerships, community memberships, and educational offerings creates a diversified business model
“A podcast could be the greatest choice that you would ever make for your business to really get the outcomes that you’re looking for,” Peterman concludes.
This case study was developed based on an interview with Chad M. Peterman, President & CEO at Peterman Brothers and Host of the Can’t Stop the Growth podcast, conducted in May 2025.