[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-48-the-worst-decision-i-made-this-year\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-48-the-worst-decision-i-made-this-year\/","headline":"Week 48 \u2013 The Worst Decision I Made This Year","name":"Week 48 \u2013 The Worst Decision I Made This Year","description":"Week 48 \u2013 The Worst Decision I Made This Year This post is a little humbling\u2014but here goes. The worst decision I made all year? A full-page print ad in the local high school football program. Cost me over a thousand bucks. And brought in exactly\u2026 zero calls. Why did I do it? Honestly? Ego. I wanted to feel legit. I wanted to see my logo next to the \u201cGo Panthers!\u201d banner and think, \u201cI\u2019ve made it.\u201d I imagined parents flipping through the program and saying, \u201cHey, we should call this guy.\u201d But they didn\u2019t. Because that\u2019s not how marketing works anymore. Looking back, I can see it clearly: This wasn\u2019t a strategic decision. It was emotional. I wanted to feel like I was \u201ceverywhere\u201d\u2014but I wasn\u2019t thinking about where my actual clients were looking. And they weren\u2019t flipping through print ads between halftime nachos. It didn\u2019t just cost money\u2014it cost momentum: Time I could\u2019ve spent meeting agents Money I could\u2019ve put into Google reviews or sponsored posts Headspace I burned on something that didn\u2019t move the needle The turning point? Curt told me early on: \u201cStick to what works. Don\u2019t fall for the shiny stuff.\u201d I heard him. But I guess I had to learn it the expensive way. What I\u2019ve learned since: Good marketing is repeatable, trackable, and client-focused. It\u2019s not about seeing your face on a page\u2014it\u2019s about building relationships, providing value, and showing up where your ideal customer actually is. I\u2019ve grown since then. And my decisions now come from data, not dopamine. What I\u2019ll do differently moving forward: Run every idea through this filter: Does this serve my strategy, or my ego? If it\u2019s the second one, it\u2019s a no. \u2192 Up next: Week 49: What My Family Thinks Now (After 11 Months of Hustle) \u2190 Want to know the best thing I did all year? Read: Week 47: The Best Advice I Got This Year Thinking about where to invest in a home inspection franchise? Skip the print ad. Start with strategy\u2014and humility.","datePublished":"2025-07-12","dateModified":"2025-07-12","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/author\/curtis\/#Person","name":"Kloc Curtis","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/author\/curtis\/","identifier":6,"description":"Curtis Kloc is a U.S. Navy veteran and seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in business development, inspections, and technical systems. He has built and sold multiple six- and seven-figure home inspection and environmental services companies, including HERO Inspections & Environmental and Elite Analysis. Curtis is the founder of Inspections Over Coffee, a nationally expanding franchise known for its white-glove service, inspector training systems, and streamlined operational workflows.\r\n\r\nWith deep roots in nuclear engineering from his time as a Machinist Mate and Engineering Laboratory Technician aboard two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, Curtis brings unmatched precision and discipline to every business he runs. He is certified and licensed in home inspection, mold assessment, asbestos inspection, and environmental testing, and is a member of NACHI since 2006. Curtis now leads AI automation initiatives through Nexation.ai, helping businesses eliminate busywork and refocus on what matters most\u2014client relationships, growth, and results.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1630069397452.webp","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1630069397452.webp","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Person","name":"Curtis Kloc","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/site-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/site-logo.png","width":512,"height":512}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-inspector-franchisee-journey-week-48.png","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/home-inspector-franchisee-journey-week-48.png","height":736,"width":1312},"url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-48-the-worst-decision-i-made-this-year\/","about":["Uncategorized"],"wordCount":355,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWeek 48 \u2013 The Worst Decision I Made This YearThis post is a little humbling\u2014but here goes.The worst decision I made all year? A full-page print ad in the local high school football program. Cost me over a thousand bucks. And brought in exactly\u2026 zero calls.Why did I do it?Honestly? Ego. I wanted to feel legit. I wanted to see my logo next to the \u201cGo Panthers!\u201d banner and think, \u201cI\u2019ve made it.\u201d I imagined parents flipping through the program and saying, \u201cHey, we should call this guy.\u201d But they didn\u2019t. Because that\u2019s not how marketing works anymore.Looking back, I can see it clearly:This wasn\u2019t a strategic decision. It was emotional. I wanted to feel like I was \u201ceverywhere\u201d\u2014but I wasn\u2019t thinking about where my actual clients were looking. And they weren\u2019t flipping through print ads between halftime nachos.It didn\u2019t just cost money\u2014it cost momentum:  Time I could\u2019ve spent meeting agents  Money I could\u2019ve put into Google reviews or sponsored posts  Headspace I burned on something that didn\u2019t move the needleThe turning point?Curt told me early on: \u201cStick to what works. Don\u2019t fall for the shiny stuff.\u201d I heard him. But I guess I had to learn it the expensive way.What I\u2019ve learned since:Good marketing is repeatable, trackable, and client-focused. It\u2019s not about seeing your face on a page\u2014it\u2019s about building relationships, providing value, and showing up where your ideal customer actually is. I\u2019ve grown since then. And my decisions now come from data, not dopamine.What I\u2019ll do differently moving forward:Run every idea through this filter: Does this serve my strategy, or my ego? If it\u2019s the second one, it\u2019s a no.\u2192 Up next: Week 49: What My Family Thinks Now (After 11 Months of Hustle)\u2190 Want to know the best thing I did all year? Read: Week 47: The Best Advice I Got This YearThinking about where to invest in a home inspection franchise? Skip the print ad. Start with strategy\u2014and humility.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Week 48 \u2013 The Worst Decision I Made This Year","item":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-48-the-worst-decision-i-made-this-year\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]