{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"EP247 From CEO to Chief Education Officer: Bill Spohn on Legacy, Leadership & Better HVAC (November 2025)","description":"\u201cGet mad at the problem, not the person. When people feel safe, they\u2019ll actually bring you the real issues.\u201d - Bill Spohn \u201cWe\u2019re woven into the fabric of this industry. The industry made me\u2014so in a way, it owns me.\u201d - Bill Spohn \u201cWhat we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.\u201d - Aristotle In this episode, Eric turns the mic around and interviews his co-host, Bill Spohn, about the evolution of TruTech Tools, his leadership philosophy, and why he\u2019s shifting from \u201cChief Executive Officer\u201d to \u201cChief Education Officer.\u201d Bill traces the roots of TruTech back to late 2006, when a suggestion at a Testo Christmas party planted the seed for an online test-instrument business that launched in April 2007. He talks about how TruTech has become \u201cwoven into the fabric of the industry,\u201d helping connect HVAC and building performance pros while focusing on specialty tools, education, and best practices. A big chunk of the conversation is about people: attracting and retaining the right employees, and running the business through the lens of core values. Bill and Eric walk through TruTech\u2019s four core values\u2014Do the Right Thing, Be a Team Player, Get It Done, and Be Attentive\u2014and how they were distilled from nearly 80 traits the leadership team admired in their co-workers. Bill explains how these values show up in hiring (situational questions), in problem-solving (getting mad at the problem, not the person, and using the \u201cfive whys\u201d), and in daily decisions about how to treat customers and each other. Bill also opens up about his intentional five-year transition plan out of day-to-day leadership and into a more advisory and educational role, including transferring ownership and the President role to his son. He shares why he didn\u2019t want to be the owner who leaves on a stretcher\u2014or the one who keeps wandering back in and undermining the next generation. Instead, he\u2019s leaning into training the team, mentoring startups, and building out the Better HVAC directory as a free resource for contractors and consumers. Along the way, he and Eric talk about the \u201ccomfort industry\u201d as a whole, the blending of HVAC and building performance, the importance of passing down institutional knowledge, and even Bill\u2019s side quest to learn rock guitar and someday join the Building Science Boogie Band.   This episode was recorded in November 2025.   ","author_name":"Building HVAC Science","author_url":"https:\/\/www.buildinghvacscience.com","html":"