Ep 29 The AI Tool Carl Steinmann Created Changed How His HVAC Company Operates (And Why It Matters)

Welcome back to the Chapter One Podcast — your inside look at the people powering Charlotte's business scene. Real entrepreneurs. Real stories. Right here in the Queen City. In Episode 29, we sit down with Carl Steinmann, owner of Varsity Zone HVAC in Mooresville, NC. Carl shares his journey from growing up in a New York entrepreneurial family (folding New York Times newspapers at 5 years old) to spending 20 years in corporate sales, to finally taking the leap and building his own HVAC business right here in the Lake Norman area. Carl opens up about: Driving up I-77, seeing Lake Norman for the first time, and knowing he had to move Why Covid was the breaking point that pushed him out of corporate America The role faith played in his decision to start his own business How he and his wife successfully ran a kickboxing franchise in NY — and what it taught him Why he chose to buy into the Varsity Zone (Horsepower Brands) franchise instead of starting from scratch The honest truth about marketing in your first year (and why networking beats ad spend) How AI is transforming HVAC inspections and bringing transparency to homeowners What makes an owner-operated HVAC company different from the big private-equity-backed brands His best advice for anyone thinking about leaving corporate to start their own business If you're a founder, a franchise owner, or just someone considering the leap out of corporate America — this episode is loaded with real, honest wisdom from someone who lived it. 📍 Connect with Carl & Varsity Zone HVAC: 🌐 Website: varsityzonehvac.com (Mooresville, NC location) 📞 Phone: (704) 360-4228 📱 Find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn 🎙 Subscribe to the Chapter One Podcast for more authentic conversations with Charlotte's entrepreneurs, founders, and small business owners. 👉 Hit subscribe, drop a like, and let us know in the comments — who should we interview next? #ChapterOnePodcast #CharlotteNC #LakeNorman #Mooresville #HVAC #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #QueenCity #VarsityZone