Meet the Team

Kenny & Christy Chapman

FOUNDERS

When Christy and Kenny Chapman founded The Blue Collar Success Group® in 2011, the focus was on providing the guidance that the in-home industry severely lacked – consistent ethical technician 

training and retention, on-site consulting, personalized marketing, and business strategies to boost the bottom line for owners and entrepreneurs.

A business owner in the trades himself, Kenny noticed that his industry peers were experiencing similar frustration to his own when he bought a plumbing company in Colorado in 1994, which only took in $1,000 a month in revenue.

Kenny, now an award-winning industry trainer, later built that business into a multi-million dollar company.  Using his expertise and experience, he created The Blue Collar Success Group to fill a void in the home services industry, specifically for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC services.

Christy was excited to put her business development skills to work in the home services industry. With a bachelor’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and experience developing marketing campaigns for national and international brands, she discovered a passion for helping independent businesses grow and thrive.

Christy now applies this knowledge and ambition to her role as Strategic Advisor for The Blue Collar Success Group, guiding creative aspects of key projects, consulting with managers about tactical and long-term goal execution, and providing input regarding prioritization of company plans and objectives.

Chris Crew

PRESIDENT

Chris joined The Blue Collar Success Group in early 2018 as a success coach, and has since offered extensive knowledge about every facet of the in-home services – pricing, planning, budgeting marketing, recruiting, training, and showing clients how they can transform their businesses into revenue generators. His journey through the industry began at age 16 as an apprentice electrician and, after just eight months, was promoted to lead technician. It was the tipping point for what would be his vast resume as a successful owner, supervisor and business coach.

Chris in 2005 joined a residential electrical company in Atlanta, and was quickly promoted to a supervisor responsible for 18 trucks and producing more than $4 million in revenue. He moved to Sarasota, Fla. in 2008 and served as a business coach for a large electrical company helping franchisees achieve success, like the “Million Dollar Award” he won in Georgia for producing $1.4 million in revenue. Chris, from 2010 to 2012, coached various plumbing, electrical and HVAC businesses for the franchisor and eventually oversaw the coaching team for more than 90 locations nationwide.

He then shifted to owning an electrical business, growing the company in a four-year span from 10 trucks to 60, five locations and generating $18 million. Chris ultimately sold his shares of the company to join The Blue Collar Success Group.

Chelsea Crew

FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Chelsea brings innovative strategies to The Blue Collar Success Group through her experience in event coordination, classroom and online training. She also helped create a sponsorship program partnering with technical colleges across the country to bring qualified specialists into trades.

Chelsea brings more than a decade of experience in training and development for in-home service companies across North America. She has past expertise as a call center supervisor for American Home Shield, corporate relocation specialist for residential moves with United Van Lines and spent the last eight years with the training and development arm of Direct Energy. Chelsea, while working with business owners and front-line employees across North America, helped grow Direct Energy’s training for franchisors in plumbing, electrical and HVAC.

Jeremy Self

COACHING & TRAINING MANAGER

Jeremy is masterful at creating systems that produce immediate results and was one of the creators of what’s known as “call-by-call” management. He found his passion for helping businesses – managers to everyone in between – achieve personal and professional growth after speaking at a Blue Collar Success Group event in 2018.

Jeremy forged an in-home services career in 2003 and, in two years, became one of the youngest top-producing high-ticket salespeople in the country. He’s held nearly every high-level role, including sales manager to general manager, in an in-home services company. Jeremy has been instrumental for the growth of franchises and start-up business, in addition to adding millions in revenue to existing privately held companies.  

Callen Kusmik

LEAD BUSINESS COACH & TRAINER

Callen Kusmik was “born in the trades” being consumed in his family’s HVAC and Plumbing business for much of his life. For the last 10 years, he’s operated the business as Business Operations and General Manager. His industry experience and training span all aspects of the trades, including service, installation, dispatch, sales, marketing, and management.

With a degree in Business Management from Colorado State University coupled with his experience in the trades, Callen discovered a passion for effective business strategy and is now eager to serve home service businesses.  His unique ability leverages different skills and experiences to help other businesses achieve their goals. Callen’s dedication to personal and professional growth resulted in many industry specific certifications and licenses as well as his Kaizen Leader certification and is currently working toward Black Belt Lean Six Sigma and PMP education.  Callen has also received certifications from Service Titan® and The Bob Pike Group™.

Born and raised in Colorado, Callen and his wife Savannah love spending time with their two German Shepherds

James Casterline

LEAD TRAINER & BUSINESS COACH

James is an accomplished business operator with over 24 years of experience in the home services industry.  With a passion for coaching and developing others, James has been successful in growing multiple businesses over the course of his impressive career.

James’s wealth of experience in the trades includes overseeing HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operations in the capacity of operations manager, general manager, and business owner.   He has achieved many professional goals, such as starting a new HVAC division from scratch in under two years and working his way up to General Manager of a sizable $20M three-trade company.  NATE certified in AC as well as gas heat, James also holds a National Master Mechanical certification through the ICC.

His ability to lead, coach, and develop others, however,  is perhaps James’s greatest talent.  A natural, engaging leader, James has extensive experience in training in both individual and group settings, and is most proud of his ability to develop leadership skills and structure within an organization.  He has a proven gift for putting the right people in the right positions to win

When not working hard to bring out the best in others, James and his wife enjoy traveling and visiting with their grandson and three grown children.  As Colorado residents, the Casterlines take full advantage of their beautiful surroundings to go camping and off-roading in their Jeep.

Richie DeRuvo

BUSINESS COACH & TRAINER

Richie got his foot in the door in the HVAC world in 2010. Beginning his career on the financial and office management side of the trade, he worked his way up in operational management to General Manager. In his time as an operator, he has gained experience training across all departments within a business, from call takers, to comfort advisors, to service technicians. Richie has a deep rooted passion for developing and implementing new processes and has successfully created SOP’s where none existed before. This all led to record breaking increases in revenue and the highest gross margin within his network nationally.

Though he has a love for operations, he has always gotten the most satisfaction out of teaching and mentoring members of his team to reach new heights. As a student of The Blue Collar Success Group himself, Richie is now eager to pass on what he has learned and help others break glass ceilings.

Richie lives with his wife, Ashley, in New Jersey with their continuously growing furry four-legged family. 

Jacob O’Keefe

BUSINESS COACH

Jacob joined the home services industry in 2011, amassing a variety of experience in the HVAC field. With a Master Mechanical A License under his belt, Jacob continued to succeed in various roles, including Service Manager, Senior Technician, Technical Trainer, and System Administrator.

Jacob’s approach throughout his career has been to build trust through communication and respect. Known for his excellent strategic and troubleshooting skills, Jacob has followed his passion for supporting others in the trades by pursuing a career in coaching.

Outside of his professional life, Jacob enjoys spending time with his wife (and high school sweetheart) and their four children. The family enjoys fishing and trips to the beach.

Ryan Black

BUSINESS COACH & TRAINER

Ryan’s journey in the trades is a remarkable blend of hard work and dedication, rooted in his upbringing within a family plumbing business that began in 1991. In 2012, fate called him to take the reins, and over the next 11 years, he transitioned through various roles—from Service Manager to President & CEO—expanding the company into HVAC and electrical services while establishing dedicated Sales and Installation departments.

During his tenure, Ryan achieved significant milestones, including developing a strong company culture centered on relationship building and goal-setting, mastering budgeting and financial analysis, and successfully navigating a business acquisition with a nationally recognized private equity group. His experience laid the groundwork for his newfound passion for serving the blue-collar community.

After selling the family business, Ryan found his calling was to become a Trainer and Coach for the 

trades, spending several years honing his skills before joining The Blue Collar Success Group® family. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife Samantha and their three children, 

aged 2 to 22. The Blacks love traveling, RVing, boating, and hosting gatherings at their home, where they create lasting memories with friends and family.

Audrey Griffin

BUSINESS COACH

Audrey Griffin began her career in the trades as a Project Coordinator for a plumbing and heating company, quickly transitioning into the position of Director of Office Operations. In her new role, Audrey implemented processes to streamline call handling, improve objection management, and enhance performance tracking. Her leadership led to an impressive booking rate of over 80%, and she developed comprehensive playbooks and SOPs to bring structure to office operations.

As VP of Operations from 2020 to 2022, Audrey played a critical role in modernizing the company’s financial and technological infrastructure. She spearheaded the transition to accrual accounting, integrated new financial software, and led the adoption of MDM platforms and improved credit card processing systems. By 2022, she stepped into the role of General Manager, overseeing the company’s most successful year to date. She also led the launch of an electrical division, implemented Service Titan’s inventory management system, and ensured the company had its cleanest and most accurate financials in history.

Audrey’s passion for helping others in the trades is what brought her to pursue the role of business coach. Known for her ability to identify challenges, solve problems, and implement effective processes, Audrey’s experience and ability to connect with those she’s coaching continues to make a lasting impact.

When she’s not helping businesses overcome challenges and achieve their goals, Audrey, her husband, and their two daughters (the Griffin Girls) are always up for an adventure, making the most of the Colorado outdoors.

Marc Katz

SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

Marc Katz is a results and data-driven sales and marketing professional with extensive experience in accelerating revenue growth and optimizing sales operations. Known for his analytical approach and love of numbers, Marc has led account executives and sales representatives to surpass company goals through strategic coaching, skills development, and process optimization. His passion for sales and marketing is evident in his ability to develop and implement metric-based strategies with proven success.

Marc has achieved remarkable results across various leadership roles. Whether boosting pipeline efficiency by 30%, increasing lead conversions by 35%, or helping teams achieve $15.6 million in annual revenue, Marc’s ability to combine strategic foresight with hands-on execution has enhanced every company he’s worked with.  He was inspired to join the Blue Collar team out of his love for the trades and the desire to help positively change the lives of members.

Marc lives in Arizona with his wife and children.  A die-hard baseball fan, Marc can often be found cheering for both the Cubs and the Diamondbacks, never missing a chance to back his favorite teams.

Troy Pettry

SUCCESS CONSULTANT

Troy spent several years developing strong communication and customer service skills in the entertainment industry. After graduating from a major corporation’s sales college, he became a top sales performer in various industries. Always growing and challenging himself, Troy went on to excel in multiple roles in business management.

Troy began his own residential remodeling company, which he successfully ran for over 20 years. Troy looks forward to using his communication skills, sales experience, and out-of-the-box thinking to benefit the members of The Blue Collar Success Group.

Marla Moran

SUCCESS CONSULTANT

Marla Moran joins The Blue Collar Success Group team with a wealth of experience as an entrepreneur and home services expert.

Marla’s passion for the industry has enabled her to help thousands of professionals start, grow, and exit their businesses successfully. She excels at assisting HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors with world-class programs & training. In addition to her expertise, Marla is a self-motivated leader with strong relationship building skills. Her impressive interpersonal and communication skills have helped her create and implement effective training curriculum and reporting methodologies. 

A GE Performance Hall of Fame and DE Winners Circle award winner, Marla looks forward to helping Blue Collar members accelerate their growth, gain freedom, and build their empire!

Ashley McCarthy

TECHNOLOGY MANAGER

As the program development director, Ashley uses her vast knowledge of consumer behavior, technology and business to streamline the design content of The Blue Collar Success Group’s internal and external systems. Her goals include curating live event and video recordings, increasing online marketing and expanding the user-friendliness of client products.

Ashley’s past academic success makes her an asset for implementing programs for our members. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, before pursuing two master’s degrees in industrial/organizational psychology and business administration.

Laurie Richard

MARKETING MANAGER

As an English major, Laurie graduated with the desire to pursue her first passion; writing. Eventually, she added graphic design to her wheelhouse, landing her the role of Creative Director for a national flooring company. Before joining The Blue Collar Success Group team, Laurie utilized her writing and design skills across several industries and media platforms, including magazine columnist, blogger, UI & UX designer, and Editor.

Laurie’s superpower is in problem-solving, messaging, and content strategy. Her strong desire to continue learning and growing has led her to pursue education in digital mediums such as database and website development.

Laurie lives in the mountains of North Carolina, where she and her husband are always on the lookout for new hiking destinations.

Janet Wopinski

VENDOR PARTNER MANAGER

Janet’s experience in partner program management for the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical trades began in 2006 and has been evolving ever since. Her success is rooted in an innate ability to develop strong relationships while seeking the most advanced and beneficial solutions for members. Known for her innovation in strategic partnerships, Janet’s proven track record helps The Blue Collar Success group add an extra dimension of service for our members. Janet and her husband Joe live in Florida and enjoy traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with their three daughters and two grandsons.

Kim Hansum

CONTENT MARKETING SPECIALIST

Kim’s past professional and academic accomplishments make her an asset as Strategist to Blue Collar’s social media presence. Though already possessing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Kim’s love of learning has her pursuing a master’s degree, with a focus on social media.

Since 2014, Kim has excelled in a variety of fields, including marketing, customer service, and office management, all of which have added to her extensive skill set. She is dedicated to producing educational and entertaining social media content for the Blue Collar membership community. Kim’s unique ability to be a creative and strategic thinker while also being detail-oriented will vastly contribute to The Blue Collar Success Group’s presence across all social media platforms.

Kim lives in Sarasota and is always exploring new outdoor restaurants to take her rescue cat to.

John Janzen

TRAINING & EVENT SPECIALIST

John brings a wealth of experience in operations and leadership to his role as Training and Event Specialist.   Quickly rising through the ranks in the hospitality industry, John’s success as General Manager for the prominent hotel chain earned him a Marriott Silver Award for Guest Satisfaction two years in a row.  Not surprising, as John successfully managed all group sales, oversaw customer service, and helped increase room revenue by a staggering 30%.  Known for his strong work ethic and creative problem-solving skills, John looks forward to ensuring that Blue Collar Members have exceptional event experiences.  

Based out of Florida, John and his wife enjoy attending Tampa Bay Rays games, visiting Orlando’s theme parks, and relaxing at the beach.

Sydnie Herrick

CLIENT RELATIONS SPECIALIST

Sydnie Herrick brings over a decade of experience in elevated client relations to the Blue Collar team. Her dynamic personality and results-driven mindset have allowed her to excel in all aspects of her role, whether administrative, creative, or service-oriented.  With a proven track record for effectively managing multiple projects, Sydnie’s superpowers include critical thinking, adaptability, and a strong attention to detail.

As Client Relations Specialist, Sydnie is highly motivated to ensure that our members receive the world-class Blue Collar experience they’ve come to expect.  When not changing lives at work, Sydnie and her fiancé enjoy living in Florida with their three pups.

Theresa Wilkins

MEMBER RELATIONS CONSULTANT

With over a decade of experience in the HVAC and plumbing industries, Theresa brings a dynamic, results-driven mindset to The Blue Collar Success Group® as Member Relations Consultant.  

Theresa honed her operational and leadership skills early in her career by helping to streamline processes, improving efficiency, and providing key insights to senior leadership. This well-rounded background allowed her to seamlessly blend data-driven decision-making with a people-first approach, ensuring both business success and customer satisfaction. 

Known for her strategic approach to account management, Theresa quickly rose through the ranks demonstrating a proven track record of exceeding sales quotas—often by as much as 85%—while fostering long-term client relationships. Theresa’s ability to connect with people, combined with her expertise in leveraging technology, has made her work with vendor partners especially successful.

When not changing lives for BC members, Theresa enjoys baking, crafting, playing games with friends and family, and unwinding by a campfire.