Hi friend,
Happy new year from Chicago! To kick off a new year, we sat down with a business owner whose company has been standing the test of time for more than a century.
Brian Goldman leads Big Blue Bug Solutions, a multi-state pest control business serving customers across New England. What began in 1906 (!) as a door-to-door window-washing operation has evolved into a focused, growing pest control company now run by Brian and his brothers. Over generations, the business has adapted, simplified, and scaled, all while staying rooted in the same core service and family ownership. We met Brian through Greg Bilazarian, who know one another from sports broadcasting during college.
P.S. When Big Blue Bug Solutions needed a billboard in 1980, Brian’s father decided to think differently; instead of a sign, he put a giant termite on the roof along the busiest highway in the state. At 58 feet long and roughly 4,000 pounds, he worried it might be an eyesore; instead, it became a landmark that Rhode Islanders fell in love with. Today, the Big Blue Bug still watches over I-95, reminding everyone that sometimes the boldest ideas work best.
Before we dive in, a quick welcome back to Owner to Owner. This is a private email series for owners, by owners, and about owners. At NGP, the most meaningful insights consistently come from operators in the seat—people making real decisions with real consequences. Each month, we sit down with a business owner to ask five straightforward questions, followed by our Three Cents on what their experience might mean for how you lead or operate your own business.
INTRO: Brian Goldman So what does it take to steward a multi-generation business, know when to simplify instead of diversify, and scale without losing alignment? Let’s dive into Brian’s story and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
FIVE QUESTIONS
1. When did you start your company and what does it do today?
Our story goes back more than a century. My great-grandfather came to the U.S. in 1906 with a nickel in his pocket, and with that nickel, he bought a pail, a sponge, and an apple because he was hungry, and started going door to door washing windows. That business grew, and in 1935, it was my grandfather who made the decision to diversify. One day, while he sat at his desk in that window-washing company, our pest control arm was born. Over time, the company tried a number of different services, but pest control was the beautiful business. It was profitable, it was growing, and there was always a need for it. I officially joined the business years later, working my way up from the field, and today I run the company alongside my brothers. We now operate as a multi-state pest control business across New England.
2. What is the best decision you’ve ever made for your business?
One of the biggest inflection points for us was deciding whether to diversify our services or double down on what we already did best. We experimented with adjacent offerings like insulation and wildlife control, but ultimately realized how hard it is to execute new services at the level we expect. That pushed us to simplify, focus on pest control, and grow geographically across New England instead. As we built that regional footprint, it unlocked larger commercial opportunities, bringing on a leader who is now selling numbers we’ve never seen before. Focusing on what we do best, and scaling it deliberately, has driven some of the strongest growth in our history.
3. Can you share a moment when things went sideways and you had to make a tough decision?
About three years ago, we thought we were ready to scale, our systems felt solid, quality controls were in place, and we invested heavily in marketing to fuel growth. Very quickly, efficiency started to fall apart, with technicians who should’ve been running full days making only a handful of stops. The real wake-up call came when I learned someone on our office staff was purposely making the schedule inefficient to make sure technicians got their hours, well-intentioned, but damaging, and a sign we weren’t aligned on what success actually looked like. At the same time, we were changing out financial support and internal roles, and because we’re a seasonal business, it took too long to fully grasp how inefficient we’d become before the busy season had passed. In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise; it forced us to slow down, get honest about what wasn’t working, rebuild the right systems, and the last few years have been some of the best we’ve ever had.
4. What are you focused on tackling next?
Right now, our focus is on scaling in a way that’s sustainable and intentional. We’ve kind of reached that inflection point where now we just need to keep building density in the region, especially across the New England markets where we already operate. That means adding more locations within existing states and making sure each branch is operating efficiently before expanding further. We’re also investing heavily in marketing and technology, because now is the time to grow, and we finally have the systems in place to support it. The goal is to keep expanding while maintaining the service quality and culture that got us here in the first place.
5. What advice would you give to other business owners?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how important peer groups are, because being an owner can be incredibly lonely. Having people you trust to benchmark against and pressure-test decisions helps you understand whether you’re actually performing well or missing something. But the biggest lesson for me came when my father had a serious health issue and, as I’ve said before, overnight I took over the company. It forced me to realize how quickly everything can change and how you need to be ready to step into any role. You hope nothing like that ever happens, but it could happen tomorrow, and you have to ask yourself if you’re truly prepared.
Our Three Cents
Our conversation with Brian was the type that just flew by. He's full of charisma, passion, and care. As we reviewed our notes with this stellar operator, we reflected on three things:
1. Focus beats diversification when execution matters.
Big Blue Bug experimented with adjacent services, but the real growth came from recognizing how hard it is to execute multiple offerings at a high level. By doubling down on pest control—their strongest, most repeatable service—and expanding geographically instead, they unlocked scale, operational clarity, and larger commercial opportunities. Growth didn’t come from doing more things; it came from doing one thing exceptionally well, in more places.
2. Scaling too fast exposes misalignment.
The breakdown wasn’t just inefficiency. It was a mismatch in incentives and definitions of success. Well-intentioned scheduling decisions undermined productivity, and seasonal timing delayed visibility into the problem. The lesson wasn’t “don’t grow,” but rather “don’t assume everyone is ready.” True scale requires alignment across people, metrics, and expectations, not just confidence in systems on paper.
3. Always have a succession plan in place
Taking over the business overnight due to a family health crisis reshaped how leadership preparedness was viewed. Succession, role coverage, and decision ownership aren’t long-term exercises—they’re immediate risks. Being prepared to step into any role isn’t pessimism; it’s responsible ownership, and it forces a higher standard of operational resilience across the business.
This issue has a bit more depth and color than the first few. We’re glad you’re here for it. Thanks for spending time with us as we stepped into Brian’s family business and the incredible journey of the Big Blue Bug.
If something here sparked a thought, a question, or a story of your own, just reply — we read every note. And if you’d like to be part of a future issue, say the word.
Until next month, wishing you a strong week ahead. We’ll see you soon.
- Victor & Brian
About Owner to Owner
This is a new private email for owners of B2B businesses in the US. Hosted by two longtime business owners, Brian O'Connor and Victor Saad of NextGen Growth Partners, we share personal interviews, honest lessons, and draw connections back to your work and life. Glad you're here.