EP247 From CEO to Chief Education Officer: Bill Spohn on Legacy, Leadership & Better HVAC (November 2025)

"Get mad at the problem, not the person. When people feel safe, they'll actually bring you the real issues." - Bill Spohn

"We're woven into the fabric of this industry. The industry made me—so in a way, it owns me." - Bill Spohn

"What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing." - 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's shifting from "Chief Executive Officer" to "Chief Education Officer." 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 "woven into the fabric of the industry," 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's four core values—Do the Right Thing, Be a Team Player, Get It Done, and Be Attentive—and 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 "five whys"), 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't want to be the owner who leaves on a stretcher—or the one who keeps wandering back in and undermining the next generation. Instead, he's 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 "comfort industry" as a whole, the blending of HVAC and building performance, the importance of passing down institutional knowledge, and even Bill's side quest to learn rock guitar and someday join the Building Science Boogie Band.

 

This episode was recorded in November 2025.