Making Cents of It All

Protecting Outdoor Lifestyles - Jennifer and Mike O'Neal of MosquitoNix

Jesse Stakes Season 2 Episode 73

Jennifer and Mike O'Neal join the show to share their family's company and the amazing opportunity for people to own their own business while having a proven system and team to support that MosquitoNix® has to offer.  

With over 20 years of experience, MosquitoNix® provides customized misting systems, monthly fogging treatments, and special event spraying to ensure a mosquito-free environment. Their services are designed for efficiency and simplicity, allowing customers to enjoy their outdoor spaces without the nuisance of mosquitoes.

The company prides itself on using environmentally friendly ingredients in their green alternatives, ensuring safety for both customers and the environment. Dedicated to customer satisfaction, MosquitoNix® offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, a limited lifetime warranty on service plans, and employs trained and licensed technicians. For those seeking a reliable and effective mosquito control service, MosquitoNix® is a trusted choice.

In addition to the pest control services offered, whether you need lights installed, maintained or removed, MosquitoNix is here to help with services that are designed to help take the stress out of this busy time of year. From installation to maintenance to removal and storage, we will be there to help make your home, business or neighborhood display look merry and bright. Our MosquitoNix Elves provide professional holiday and Christmas light installation and do all the work for you, so you can relax and enjoy the holiday.



WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.510 --> 00:00:11.610
Jesse Stakes: Hey, everybody! Welcome to this week's episode of making sense of it all. So today I have Jen and Mike O'neill. They are the leaders of mosquito nicks.

2
00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:13.919
Jesse Stakes: Guys. Thank you so much for joining me.

3
00:00:14.600 --> 00:00:15.600
Mike O'Neal: Thanks for having us.

4
00:00:16.400 --> 00:00:24.210
Jesse Stakes: So, Jen, tell me a little bit about mosquito next, before we jump into everything. Can you give a give my audience a high, level overview of what you guys do.

5
00:00:24.210 --> 00:00:43.379
Jen O'Neal: Yeah, thank you. 1st off, Jesse. So much for having us. We're big fans of the show. So Mosquito nix is a 20 year old closely held family company that really is focused on protecting homeowners and businesses outdoor lifestyles through a insect misting system.

6
00:00:43.770 --> 00:01:07.950
Jen O'Neal: We also really focus on making holidays bright as well with our mosquito necklace, holiday lighting and decor. But we've really built our business around the this wonderful client experience of of being outside, whether that's without the biting insects, like gnats and mosquitoes and ticks and flies. Or it's, you know, enjoying some beautiful holiday lighting and decor.

7
00:01:08.540 --> 00:01:13.880
Jesse Stakes: That's awesome. And I know that like if you grew up in the southeast, or if you grew up around the coast, or

8
00:01:14.150 --> 00:01:29.450
Jesse Stakes: anywhere where there's water, you can appreciate what it means to either have mosquitoes biting you while you're sitting outside in your backyard or be able to have a very clean, comfortable environment to where you can actually enjoy the outdoors and not be running from your life from the next insect bites.

9
00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.000
Mike O'Neal: Just got it. Yes.

10
00:01:31.880 --> 00:01:32.500
Jesse Stakes: So.

11
00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:48.749
Jesse Stakes: Mike, if you could tell me a little bit about the family history of the company, I mean, it's pretty cool that you guys are. You know, you guys were family run family. You know that the company was grown by the family. Tell me a little bit about what that has looked like and kind of where you're at now, where you guys are going.

12
00:01:49.140 --> 00:02:08.020
Mike O'Neal: Yeah. So, as you said, 20 year history of company mosquito necks, we always joked. It feels like there's about a hundred O'neals that work here. But overall to this point of roughly 6 O'neals in total work at Mosquito today, and kind of how it's expanded over. Time is back in 2,003

13
00:02:08.494 --> 00:02:26.910
Mike O'Neal: mosquito. Next we made a big splash. The concept of what we do at Mosquito next, and Jen mentioned it to is we protect these outdoor spaces that people, you know, make memories in through a pretty unique way. Through our outdoor insect missing system. So in in envision someone like

14
00:02:26.910 --> 00:02:40.640
Mike O'Neal: Okay sprinkler system. Or if you go to the produce aisle, you'll see the little Mister Spray, so envision that in a like backyard space and back in Dallas in in 2,003.

15
00:02:40.690 --> 00:02:44.871
Mike O'Neal: This concept was is very well known in the Texas for horse farms. So

16
00:02:45.200 --> 00:03:10.980
Mike O'Neal: for 75 years they've been in using stables. However, we took this concept and said, Hey, let's bring this into the residential and commercial spaces like restaurants. And we did that, and it made a large splash. And because it's different, right? So people know pest control, they know. Hey, I have my guy sprays the lawn on a frequently basis. But the difference is, it's temporary, right? We are using chemicals. There's a lot of

17
00:03:11.792 --> 00:03:22.109
Mike O'Neal: old school ways of doing things, and the mosquito next way. Why it's so different is in in is evolved over 20 years. Is we use the outdoor, intact missing system

18
00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:50.563
Mike O'Neal: for permanent control. And so it sprays early morning, late at night, automatically by itself, and over the years we we start very closely in Dfw. And then, as the the O'neill family grew we've expanded in in in, Jen and I. On this call we moved to Jacksonville, back in 2,016, open up from the start. So it's been a it's been a fun journey. But definitely a lot of the family affair, for sure.

19
00:03:50.910 --> 00:04:17.350
Jesse Stakes: That's that's really cool. I think that it's a it's. It's pretty awesome when you can take something that's an existing industry and make it better. And that's 1 of my. That's 1 of my favorite things is when you, because every you know, it's 2,024. There's been thousands and thousands and thousands of years of things happening. And you know you go from things like Citronella, and you go from thing. You know other things that are, you know, pesticides and different things, that in the industry there's negative effects to all of it.

20
00:04:17.350 --> 00:04:22.540
Jesse Stakes: So I think it's really cool when you can kind of you truly can reinvent the wheel, but make it better.

21
00:04:24.470 --> 00:04:44.310
Jesse Stakes: you know I I think I think that my audience likes to hear stories. I think that they like to hear, you know, just different applications and kind of you mentioned restaurants and different residential residential places. Jen, can you tell? Just tell us some of your favorite, you know. I don't mean to put you on the spot here. But can you tell me some of your favorite jobs that you guys have done, and you don't have to name names, but but stories are great.

22
00:04:44.310 --> 00:04:55.929
Jen O'Neal: Yeah, no, for sure. Well, I mean, 1st off, just going back to what you just said, you know, really disruption. I know it sounds kind of interesting, but is something that

23
00:04:56.100 --> 00:05:21.090
Jen O'Neal: we've always really loved. And I think what's cool about mosquito necks in general, is it allows us to disrupt a a kind of archaic industry. When you think about pest control, right? So bringing in the tech space bringing in like low cost entry minimal direct labor into what is really looked as a service brand. Has been super fun. So that's just been one of my favorite projects overall is

24
00:05:21.090 --> 00:05:37.107
Jen O'Neal: disrupting a space that typically has a ton of vans. A ton of home visits, a ton of labor, a big office space. A lot of chemicals right? Like creating safe spaces and safe solutions, has been something I've really loved.

25
00:05:37.480 --> 00:06:02.459
Jen O'Neal: I mean, I always go back to our 1st job in Jacksonville. Starting a business is hard and mike and I were young and hungry, and we were like, we'll go open up this office, you know, like we have a we have a roadmap. At the time we had mosquito. Nix had been around for 15 years. Right? We had opened up multiple different offices. And so we thought like it was, gonna be a little bit easier. And

26
00:06:02.460 --> 00:06:30.590
Jen O'Neal: I remember getting our 1st client was this awesome couple in San Marco and going out and doing the installation. And just you know, a beautiful outdoor space with a pool and amazing vegetation, and just their excitement, the second that they took that remote control and they clicked it, and watching all the nozzle spray. You know just the excitement on their face and the excitement on ours to know, like, Hey, this is the start of something really great.

27
00:06:30.964 --> 00:06:51.515
Jen O'Neal: I will say, too, we have some really incredible holiday lighting clients and some of my most favorite are more on the commercial side. There's a large one. That we have serviced out in Texas before. And it's a football group. If you can think about maybe what that would be.

28
00:06:51.870 --> 00:06:53.020
Jesse Stakes: Have a star on there.

29
00:06:53.685 --> 00:06:54.350
Jen O'Neal: Yes.

30
00:06:54.350 --> 00:06:55.910
Mike O'Neal: Just a little, just a little one.

31
00:06:56.199 --> 00:07:13.299
Jen O'Neal: And so, you know, so like that is super cool. It's like, you know, you would never dream that you get to work in these kind of environments. So it's it's just been so much fun to just see the pure joy that people get from. You know the work that our our excellent team is doing.

32
00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:23.180
Mike O'Neal: And and I'll add to what Jen saying the holiday lighting piece for us, not only just from a like a client, and facing, but for a business level for our team members.

33
00:07:23.640 --> 00:07:26.529
Mike O'Neal: So when it comes to the outdoor insect missing system

34
00:07:26.550 --> 00:07:31.076
Mike O'Neal: controls number one, right? We won't make sure our customers can enjoy their spaces.

35
00:07:31.810 --> 00:07:36.970
Mike O'Neal: But aesthetics is a very close number, too. So meaning when you out walking your outdoor space.

36
00:07:37.170 --> 00:07:56.150
Mike O'Neal: we don't want to be seen, and we IA lot of times our clients like, Hey, did your team show up today? Because they can't see it? And that's a big part of our job. While installing the beauty of the holiday lights which, by the way we brought back, came around in 2,006. We introduced the holiday lighting, else component of our business.

37
00:07:56.230 --> 00:08:11.590
Mike O'Neal: It brought a huge satisfaction for our team members. So envision you're working in 1,000 degree heat. You put this missing system in, and the client can't see it. You're not getting that much, you know, round of applause. Except on the back, and when they have no bugs.

38
00:08:11.590 --> 00:08:28.500
Mike O'Neal: The holiday lighting piece is amazing, because the team members go up there. They, you know, the big star. They put lights everywhere, and it's it showcases their work. And so from a morale and it's been, I love that side of the operation side, because it just really is another side of our business that

39
00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:30.713
Mike O'Neal: really boost just team members. Even so.

40
00:08:31.340 --> 00:08:54.090
Jesse Stakes: No, I think that's awesome. And I think what you're saying. I always. I always kind of liken things to the electric company. You know everyone expects the electric company just to work, and it's like you don't really see electricity, you just use your stuff. But if it doesn't work right, or if it turns off, then you're mad, but you're never happy about it, you know, and so say I would imagine the same thing on the on the pest control side of it is that if you don't feel it, you're just

41
00:08:54.090 --> 00:09:01.509
Jesse Stakes: focused on your conversation. You're just enjoying your night out, but the minute that you start getting bit the minute the minute that you start getting annoyed by insects.

42
00:09:01.510 --> 00:09:25.209
Jesse Stakes: Now you're mad at your Pest Control Company. So no, I think that I think that that's am amazing, that you guys have given your your employees something that they can feel very positive about, feel excited about, because I don't believe that my audience like when you, when you, when even when I when I 1st thought about this, when I'm thinking pest control and lighting, I'm like. It's both outdoors, but I don't necessarily think about the 2 things that that how they go together.

43
00:09:25.330 --> 00:09:42.310
Jesse Stakes: But when people see your system, when they see like you said, you have a remote control to control your misting. You have a remote control to control your lighting. It really is very similar, as far as the types of applications or the places that you're applying your your systems to, and the way that you operate them.

44
00:09:43.941 --> 00:09:48.509
Mike O'Neal: All. I read one more thing when it comes to the employees, because

45
00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:57.850
Mike O'Neal: we haven't a 7 year average tenure. And when people think service businesses. They tend to think high turnover because of what the environments these.

46
00:09:57.850 --> 00:09:58.520
Jesse Stakes: Sure.

47
00:09:58.520 --> 00:10:03.370
Mike O'Neal: And team members working. That's something for us. We have a lot of pride in, because

48
00:10:03.420 --> 00:10:19.980
Mike O'Neal: generally people think of a service business. You have to have a lot of vehicles, and you have. You have high turnover. Well, with mosquitoes. The best part of our model is, you don't need a ton of employees. But the the team members you do have. We have great you know, average tenure, which is awesome.

49
00:10:19.980 --> 00:10:22.330
Jesse Stakes: I think that's amazing. Jen, you were gonna say something.

50
00:10:22.590 --> 00:10:27.040
Jen O'Neal: Oh, yeah, I kinda was just gonna echo, really what what Mike was saying. So.

51
00:10:27.190 --> 00:10:40.600
Jesse Stakes: Very good, very good. So I'd like to dovetail this into the fact that now you guys are taking the mosquito next name and the mosquito next business. And you guys are starting to roll this out nationwide through a franchising program. Yes.

52
00:10:41.470 --> 00:11:06.100
Jen O'Neal: Yup, that's correct. Really what Mike and I saw when we opened up North Florida in 2016, and as we continue to expand was, we had a great 15 year roadmap on how to open up this business but we quickly learned there was a lot of other efficiencies that at the time we were lacking. We we quickly realized you don't need an office space

53
00:11:06.667 --> 00:11:28.224
Jen O'Neal: we can make our systems better by doing the smart technology which we created. And and we own it is something that is very unique to mosquito nicks, because we make our own systems install them and service them as well as our solutions. So that got really great. It was a. It allowed us to cut our direct labor almost in half, which is incredible.

54
00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:52.419
Jen O'Neal: We we were able to take our sales and make them much more efficient by taking everything virtually so no longer. People are having to go, knock on doors and do at home visits and then wait weeks, you know, on the client end to get a proposal done. Our team can do a proposal in a matter of minutes virtually, and be able to showcase exactly what that's gonna look like for the client.

55
00:11:52.834 --> 00:12:14.250
Jen O'Neal: And so there's a lot of things that we just really tightened up and created a really wonderful system that's gonna continue to improve over the years. But for us we really felt like it was. You know, we put in all this blood sweat and tears over the time over, you know, the 20 years that we've had this business.

56
00:12:14.250 --> 00:12:31.960
Jen O'Neal: And now we want to be able to guide other entrepreneurs who want to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves. To create a wonderful life for their family and accomplish their goals. And we're so excited. To have launched franchising back in January of this year.

57
00:12:32.330 --> 00:12:46.539
Jesse Stakes: No doubt. I think that's absolutely amazing, and I think one of the things for me, at least even in even in the beginning of this conversation. It's that light bulb moment when you realize that, you know, when I think of a pest control business, I'm thinking I'm walking around with a can. I'm spraying around somebody's house.

58
00:12:46.540 --> 00:13:06.710
Jesse Stakes: you know. I'm I'm doing things that you know I'm probably going in spaces that I don't necessarily want to go into. But but when you're talking about it from a technological standpoint, you know, it's a it's a totally different audience that you're appealing to than just your you know your handyman, or the person that's, you know, maybe looking to replace a job. This is an opportunity to truly

59
00:13:07.230 --> 00:13:19.660
Jesse Stakes: be an entre, be an entrepreneur, but with the the systems and everything that you guys have already put like you said the blood sweat and tears in where you don't have to. Necessarily, you know. Invent, invent your own wheel if you will.

60
00:13:19.800 --> 00:13:20.669
Jesse Stakes: You know, Mike.

61
00:13:20.670 --> 00:13:22.880
Mike O'Neal: And I would say, too, on franchising

62
00:13:23.402 --> 00:13:50.129
Mike O'Neal: it's used to get a bad light right? Because you have all these restaurants all all through crop, and you think it's a big corporate conglomerate. Well, in all reality, franchising is mostly all small business owners, and they they put their own investment in, but it's backed by a proven business model is why franchising is such an appeal? Because it does. It used to get a bad rap, but in all reality, majority of the franchise systems out there are

63
00:13:50.130 --> 00:13:57.360
Mike O'Neal: small business owners and and for mosquito. That's why we picked it. And before we we decide to go into franchising. We seek

64
00:13:57.400 --> 00:14:24.599
Mike O'Neal: a partner, and our partners name is Fran Worth, who's the best in how to scale a a proven business model and franchising. They have over 500 years experience, and for us, because we don't want to go into it half cooked. And it's been a huge success in in with Fran Worth, because franchising is A is a total different area in it. But it for us. We like it because we get to find husband, wife teams like Jen and I, looking to make, you know, make their next big step so.

65
00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:52.340
Jesse Stakes: No, I think that's a great point, and I think that you know to your point. When you decide to franchise your business. It is a it's a totally different step than running a mosquito. Nix business like you're you are now in the business of training people. Of of selling the value of what you have to offer, of making sure that you're providing them, those systems and updates and everything that they need in order to be in order to be in business themselves. But you're not necessarily doing the day to day of running mosquito, Nick.

66
00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:59.990
Jesse Stakes: anymore. You're in the day to day of of training, retaining and and selling franchisors or franchisees. I guess I should say.

67
00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:25.687
Jen O'Neal: Yep, that's absolutely correct. And it's something that has, you know. We're just so grateful for having the opportunity to partner like, Mike said with with brand worth. Because we know mosquito nicks. We know client experience. We know customer acquisition. We know those things backwards and forwards. We could talk to people about them with our hands tied behind our back in a blindfold on right. But

68
00:15:26.469 --> 00:15:49.750
Jen O'Neal: you know, franchising is something that is totally new to us and when we decided to take this step, we really made sure that we had a great partner that would be able to support the massive influx, and interest that we've had across the country. And Friend Worth really provides that for us. Instead of us having, you know.

69
00:15:49.750 --> 00:15:59.989
Jen O'Neal: a 3 to 5 person. Org chart out of the gates. As a franchise, or, which is, which is reality for most franchise you. You usually only have a few people supporting them when they start.

70
00:15:59.990 --> 00:16:13.159
Jen O'Neal: We have an org chart of over about 60 people that are supporting our franchisees, and just the other day we got a note from one of our new franchisees who purchased 4 different territories.

71
00:16:13.446 --> 00:16:37.199
Jen O'Neal: Saying, you know how amazing their experience has been. Usually, if you're gonna invest. You know that kind of money out of the gates. So by 4 territories you might be nervous, and he was so confident and and so happy with his decision. And he's only a few weeks into our onboarding process. So it just really is a fulfilling mission for Mike and I to have the opportunity to help people again create their vision for their life.

72
00:16:38.060 --> 00:16:43.799
Mike O'Neal: For us. It's turning to coaching, really it, because, like you said, just so, we've done the operational side. But for us

73
00:16:44.160 --> 00:16:46.070
Mike O'Neal: opening a business is tough.

74
00:16:46.120 --> 00:17:08.909
Mike O'Neal: and if you open it by yourself you're you're by yourself right. However, when you partner with mosquito next, there'll be, there'll be highs and lows, and you need to have some. That sounding board of a partner, and at Jen mentioned, you have at least 60 people. Day one, you know, we just start launching in January of mosquito next support, which is a great thing to have when you're you're taking on a new adventure.

75
00:17:09.170 --> 00:17:20.429
Jesse Stakes: No doubt. So let's talk about what that opportunity looks like for your for your franchisees. Let's talk about what the market looks like, because I think that's a big, you know the big question, mark. If somebody hasn't looked at it before, you know.

76
00:17:20.430 --> 00:17:45.700
Jesse Stakes: is there is there regional application to your to your services. Is it something that applies nationwide worldwide, like? What is the what's the opportunity? Look like for somebody, you know that like, let's just say, for argument's sake, let's say I mean, Florida is an easy place, because we're all familiar with it. But we could talk about another area of the country as well. But let's talk about Florida for a second. What does that? What does that opportunity look like for somebody who is saying? I might be interested in this.

77
00:17:48.550 --> 00:18:12.800
Jen O'Neal: Yeah. So yeah, so Florida, is a is a great spot. Obviously, because the climate is is warmer. We do have quite a few offices. That are already in Florida. So A lot of our interest is coming from other areas that people wouldn't necessarily think of as you know, a key market for mosquito Nicks. The northeast is a really hot space where there's.

78
00:18:12.800 --> 00:18:13.350
Jesse Stakes: Okay.

79
00:18:13.350 --> 00:18:32.675
Jen O'Neal: Chris. Middle part of the country, you know, is same thing. And the reason why is, I know we have mosquito in our name but our insect missing systems. Take care of a variety of other biting, flying, and just downright annoying insects. One of those being flies so

80
00:18:33.040 --> 00:18:57.879
Jen O'Neal: like, Mike was saying. You know we were developed in the horse barn industry to get rid of flies. So A lot of restaurants will have us from a commercial space more B, 2 B instead of B to C to get rid of flies that are coming into a restaurant space or around a dumpster area also for ticks. So line disease transmission is very real and keeping ticks away from people as well as pets is a really important

81
00:18:57.880 --> 00:19:14.829
Jen O'Neal: thing. And so we've seen such an influx of interest across the whole United States since we launched in January, really to combat not just the mosquitoes. But again, these other biting insects, too.

82
00:19:15.310 --> 00:19:16.500
Jesse Stakes: If we go Tennessee.

83
00:19:16.760 --> 00:19:17.450
Mike O'Neal: Sorry. Go ahead. Sorry.

84
00:19:17.450 --> 00:19:30.679
Jesse Stakes: No, I was just gonna say, not to mention, you guys, have you guys, you have your whole lighting system as well. I don't want that to get lost because the aesthetic, the aesthetic piece of what you guys do is is as important as the as the pest control piece.

85
00:19:31.300 --> 00:19:34.571
Mike O'Neal: And that's help with. I was gonna elaborate with the holiday lighting. The Core Division.

86
00:19:35.140 --> 00:19:59.739
Mike O'Neal: you, you know, ticks is a big drop northeast. I mean that the season generally goes from February to November. However, that holiday light division is a big component of our business today, and why we brought in 2,006 is yet we do have with mosquitoes a slight seasonality to it, however, that holiday lighting the core elves division, I mean for, to give you example, for Jackson's revenue represented

87
00:19:59.770 --> 00:20:03.849
Mike O'Neal: 16% of revenue last year, which is a big portion of our revenue.

88
00:20:03.850 --> 00:20:04.880
Jesse Stakes: No doubt.

89
00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:07.119
Mike O'Neal: To answer this, that that part of the business.

90
00:20:07.820 --> 00:20:18.599
Jesse Stakes: And I gotta imagine that a lot of that is, it's from your existing customers. It's not like you're getting somebody who's just buying lighting. They're gonna if they're a lighting customer, they're probably utilizing your pest control services as well.

91
00:20:19.780 --> 00:20:44.769
Jen O'Neal: Yeah, and that's the beauty behind our our customer acquisition Center, you know, for all of our franchisees, we handle the sales for them and so they don't have to be out again, hitting the pavement, you know, going door to door, trying to hard, close, and and really being salespeople, because a lot of people think they're a salesperson, and then they get in front of a client, or they get in a you know, a tough situation where they're trying to close a deal.

92
00:20:44.770 --> 00:21:08.850
Jen O'Neal: and they quickly realized they're not. That was me right. I love to talk to people. I love to build relationships, but like hard closing and just getting the deal done, I was not good at, and I wanted to be the cheerleader. I wanted to be the fun person, and I would give everything away for free. So the business would not be profitable. But you know that's 1 beauty behind the Customer acquisition Center is, it allows us to

93
00:21:08.850 --> 00:21:32.550
Jen O'Neal: go and sell a client, but then cross sell them easily, you know, so we can easily hit them with hey, here is, you know, a 1 time treatment for your event coming up and then let's upgrade you to permanent control with our insect missing system, and then let's go ahead and get you on schedule for a holiday lighting into core. You know it. It really allows some some cross cell and efficiencies from that front, too.

94
00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:35.060
Jesse Stakes: No doubt. No doubt. So.

95
00:21:35.810 --> 00:21:55.860
Jesse Stakes: Mike, do you see that there is an opportunity here, like as far as when you look at future, when you look at future demand for these services versus what it is to in today's world. Do you guys see it increasing, decreasing? What do you see? As as far as what's the what's the future for pest control in the future? For you know, a St. A static lighting for people's homes and for businesses.

96
00:21:55.860 --> 00:22:02.509
Mike O'Neal: And that's that's a great question. That's a common question. We'll get a lot of these, you know, future entrepreneurs, because obviously they're exploring the opportunity.

97
00:22:03.032 --> 00:22:08.940
Mike O'Neal: You'll you'll see. Due to Covid, really? The home services industry

98
00:22:09.270 --> 00:22:23.409
Mike O'Neal: expedited meaning the value of people's time and money. They want to know. Where am I gonna use those? Right? You have very limited both with people's most day to days, and you'll see through Covid. You saw people appreciate

99
00:22:23.510 --> 00:22:33.070
Mike O'Neal: in in where the time with their family they started discovering, but also the value, their money. And during that window of time, instead of taking a

100
00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:48.940
Mike O'Neal: you know, a family of 4 on a trip to Disney world that could cost you $10,000. Right? You do. Once a year people decide to say, Hey, let me invest that money in my my home. Let me build a outdoor oasis, a pool pergola, whatever it is.

101
00:22:48.940 --> 00:23:18.169
Mike O'Neal: and create this here and what we saw in in for future growth is that during that period of time people really recognize the value of their home, and for mosquito necks. What do we do we protect outdoor spaces from these insects? And so we definitely see, not only on the holiday or outdoor insect piece, but that's the same with the holiday lighting. People say, Hey, I'd rather, instead of traveling for whatever Christmas or whatever holiday is, I'd rather stay home.

102
00:23:18.170 --> 00:23:30.419
Mike O'Neal: put up a great display to surprise my kids for lights, and that's also commercial as well. So we see a a large growth, obviously in the past control industry. But we have. We represent the holiday lighting, seasonal component, too.

103
00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:38.657
Jesse Stakes: No doubt, and I tell you what, for $10,000 to go to Disney world, I will dress up as a mouse and put as many lights on my house as possible to avoid that cost.

104
00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:39.686
Mike O'Neal: I agree.

105
00:23:41.420 --> 00:24:01.099
Jesse Stakes: Jen. i. 1 question I did have, and I think that everybody would be wondering this as well if they're interested in this is competition, you know, not just not just other businesses that are competition. But what? What do you consider the main competition? Is it people doing it themselves? Is it them hiring somebody else. What? What is the main competition for mosquito necks?

106
00:24:01.670 --> 00:24:11.259
Jen O'Neal: Yeah, it's a great question. I'm gonna answer with something that probably is gonna shock people a little bit. But I would say, one of our biggest

107
00:24:11.340 --> 00:24:14.500
Jen O'Neal: competition items is really education.

108
00:24:14.956 --> 00:24:29.860
Jen O'Neal: A lot of people don't even know that an option like this exists when you say permanent enjoyment without biting insects outside, regardless of where you live. In the country people laugh. They're like there is no such thing unless I stay inside

109
00:24:29.860 --> 00:24:49.320
Jen O'Neal: right? And so one of our biggest you know, hurdles if you will. Is just educating the client that that this even exists. There are people who, you know, want to try and do it themselves. But, like Mike said, I mean, I think at the end of the day.

110
00:24:49.650 --> 00:24:58.850
Jen O'Neal: as a you know, American culture. We are starting to value our time so much more. And you know, would you rather

111
00:24:58.850 --> 00:25:22.130
Jen O'Neal: have to go and spray some yucky chemical all over your house, you know, every few days, in order to, you know. Go play on your playground with your kids, or have friends over in the pool and patio without swatting away. You know, it really comes down to where do you wanna spend your time? And homeowners, at least from you know what we've seen.

112
00:25:22.130 --> 00:25:48.809
Jen O'Neal: They're demanding excellence even more than they have in the past, and they're also demanding innovation and disruption in archaic industries. And so I think we're in such a brilliant spot to continue doing that, continue providing an excellent client experience, and continue to shake up an industry that is pretty stagnant, in in our opinion. With some really cool technology and and amazing products and features.

113
00:25:49.100 --> 00:25:53.270
Mike O'Neal: I think this is Jen's line. It's we make pest control sexy. Is that what I hear from you all the time?

114
00:25:53.775 --> 00:25:57.240
Jen O'Neal: You know it's it's just it's it's fun, I mean, like

115
00:25:57.340 --> 00:25:59.169
Jen O'Neal: in all reality. I mean

116
00:25:59.550 --> 00:26:12.450
Jen O'Neal: you don't. You don't know me personally as well, Jesse, but when we have our whole mosquito next teams, we constantly always start with raise your hand. If you ever thought you'd be working for a company that had mosquito in their name.

117
00:26:12.850 --> 00:26:31.339
Jen O'Neal: No one, no one raises our hand right. It's not like something that you aspire to be when you're a kid you're not like, I'm going to be a mosquito killer right? But I think what's cool is again. You know the fact that we are coming into an industry that in the past has been very unsafe right in the past, has been very

118
00:26:31.620 --> 00:26:55.320
Jen O'Neal: labor intensive, and had this stigma of just like, you know, kind of gross, and we're making it cool, and we're making it fun. And we're making it something to talk about. You said it earlier. Bugs aren't really a talking point unless they're an issue. But what's cool is we're we're bringing in really neat talking points about how we're keeping the bugs away. So it's fun and exciting to kind of shape things up.

119
00:26:55.700 --> 00:26:58.900
Jesse Stakes: No doubt I don't think I could say it any better than what you just did.

120
00:26:58.940 --> 00:27:08.340
Jesse Stakes: If people are listening to this Jen, and they like what they hear. They're interested. They want to know more. They want to. They want to get some of that education that you were talking about.

121
00:27:08.360 --> 00:27:11.849
Jesse Stakes: What's the best way for them to get a hold of you and Mike.

122
00:27:12.390 --> 00:27:35.893
Jen O'Neal: Yeah. So feel free to check out our website. It's just www, dot mosquito? Nix, that's nix.com that will lead us directly into our customer, Caroline. And you know Mike and I are always happy to have conversations directly with people that are interested, so feel free to request us or you can, you know, just request one of our amazing team members. I will say

123
00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:54.140
Jen O'Neal: we are the luckiest in the world, because the mosquito next team across the country is absolutely incredible. And I will say that's 1 of the reasons we have a 98 customer retention rate is because of our incredible team. So we're very grateful and and would love the opportunity to talk with anyone that's interested.

124
00:27:54.830 --> 00:28:09.719
Jesse Stakes: Awesome, Mike Jen, I wanna thank you guys so much for joining me. I learned a lot. It made me look at pest control and lighting differently than what I had before we started this conversation, which I gotta imagine my audience is doing the same. So thank you guys again, I appreciate. You

125
00:28:09.860 --> 00:28:12.060
Jesse Stakes: put me under the learning tree for a little while.

126
00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:13.670
Jesse Stakes: Thank you.

127
00:28:13.670 --> 00:28:14.360
Jen O'Neal: Thank you. Jesse.

128
00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:15.620
Mike O'Neal: Appreciate it again.


People on this episode