John Wilson (00:00)
Peter, I can't thank you enough for being on the CEO Global Network podcast. Thank you so much for being with us.

Peter Messenger (00:06)
My pleasure.

John Wilson (00:08)
Now, just before we get started, I've got a half a dozen questions that I'd like to ask you here in the next few minutes. But I just want to let everybody know who's listening and perhaps watching this podcast, that you are the president of A1 Heating and Air Conditioning. And you've been the president for as long as I've known you, which is coming up on 10 years, Peter. I mean, you've been a member of CEO Global Network for almost 10 years coming up this in a couple of months.

Peter Messenger (00:31)
Time flies.

John Wilson (00:32)
Yeah, so just want to let everybody know that and let's get right into the questions, okay? So what leadership lessons have you learned? Is there a leadership lesson or two that has bounced off the page that you've learned from carrying on and running a multi-generational family business?

Peter Messenger (00:49)
Well, you know, family businesses are businesses like any other business, right? The only thing is they have the drama of what a family can bring sometimes. And that is, you have to deal with it, right? But this is an incredible opportunity to be able to work in a family business because I'm very grateful for the opportunity that my parents have given me and my grandparents.

But, you know, my father was an old school working-class Brit and he didn't stand for any laziness or anything like that. You do your job. You have to strike a balance when it's a family business because on one hand, you want to give the family the opportunity, but on the other hand, you have to make sure that people are caring and competent in their positions. And when it's a family business, people are watching. If you have the wrong person in a role, it's like a cancer in any business—but even greater in a family business.

My dad did a lot of things that helped me along. He would put me in the office when he would go on holiday...

John Wilson (02:01)
Okay.

Peter Messenger (02:08)
...and I remember he'd leave me with a couple of things because I was just a young kid who was really just a mechanic being thrown into something foreign to me. And he'd say, “Just remember—any decision is better than no decision.” I always took that to heart.

He was also big on the three-legged stool: everything we do has to be good for employees, good for the company, and good for the customer. If one leg isn't right, it's not worth doing.

John Wilson (02:51)
Yeah, that's wonderful. Real strong, solid lessons learned there. Great advice from your dad. How do you balance staying hands-on in the trade, in the industry, with running day-to-day operations, Peter?

Peter Messenger (03:06)
Well, it's no secret that my first love for this business is definitely the trade side of it. My family is very trade oriented—my grandfather was a Royal Engineer, my dad was a jet aircraft mechanic, we're all refrigeration mechanics. I'm third generation, my son is now serving an apprenticeship.

But running a business takes responsible, caring leadership. And the short answer is: I don't really run the business. I leave that to my fantastic number one, Sue. She has a wide berth to run the company, and I'm here for support. We're very dialed in on company values, how we want the business run, and we meet regularly to stay aligned. I focus on the bigger-picture stuff, while she handles day-to-day operations. I think you actually have a better business if you stay out of the day-to-day.

John Wilson (04:18)
Yeah, great advice. And yes—Sue, an outstanding number one. What's been the toughest business decision you've had to make in your time as president—and what did it teach you?

Peter Messenger (04:33)
It's people. It's always people. The soft stuff is the hard stuff. I did have a situation... I joined CEO Global, and it taught me a lot. It empowered me to grow the business. But I realized that my number one at the time—an outstanding person, a soldier for A1—was not going to be the right person for the next phase.

It broke my heart. But it was the right thing to do. As a business leader, you have to make tough decisions. Having CEO Global and Ron on my side helped, because I might not have done it on my own. It’s lonely at the top.

John Wilson (06:15)
Yeah, absolutely. So how do you keep your team motivated and maintain high standards across thousands of customers and service calls?

Peter Messenger (06:25)
Good question. We're a remote business—our team is always at customers’ homes or businesses. It's impossible to supervise every transaction. So you develop systems and stay disciplined.

We have a great app that captures photos and documentation, and every job has a required list of items that must be submitted. We use it to make sure we’re delivering what we promise. And if employees follow the system—no callbacks, proper photos, proper documentation—there are bonuses. Documentation is part of the job, and there’s also government oversight in our industry, so high standards are non-negotiable.

John Wilson (07:49)
Yeah, that's so important. Thanks for sharing that. Peter, last question: what advice would you give to leaders navigating succession or generational transitions in their businesses?

Peter Messenger (07:57)
I think a lot of us ignore it. We were guilty of that. It's easy to avoid—but it's critical for the survival of the business and the happiness of everyone involved.

My advice: get help. You're too emotionally invested to do it yourself. I got tremendous help from Ron, my group leader, and from Kalen, now our accountant. Not sure we’d have gotten through it without them. Having a third-party professional keeps everyone on track.

And as best you can, keep the emotion out of it. Hard to do, but essential.

John Wilson (08:59)
Try to keep the emotion out of it—difficult but important. Peter, I can't thank you enough for being on the CEO Global Network podcast. The time has flown by. Maybe we can do this again down the road.

Peter Messenger (09:03)
Absolutely. And thank you for having me. CEO Global has made a big difference in my life—business and personal. My only regret is not discovering it sooner.

John Wilson (09:35)
Well, it's great having you with us, Peter. You’re highly valued by everyone who knows you. Thank you so much for spending this time with us.

Peter Messenger (09:45)
My pleasure. Thank you, John.