# Welcome to Built to Work

Welcome to Built to Work, the podcast that gets its hands dirty, dives into the grit, and uncovers the heart of what makes the blue-collar world tick. I’m Colin, your host, and I’m sitting down with the people who keep our world running. From those tackling the tough jobs no one else dares to do, to the HR professionals working overtime to find the labor force we desperately need. Whether you’re in the trenches or behind the scenes, this podcast is for anyone who values hard work, determination, and stories that build the backbone of our workforce. So, grab your gloves, your coffee, or your clipboard. It’s time to get to work.

# Episode Introduction

Welcome to another Built to Work podcast. I am here with my friend and somebody that I used to do a lot of business with, Bo Lace with Lula. Bo, thank you for being here today.

### Bo:
Yeah, absolutely. Happy to be here.

# Discussing Lula

**Colin**: Bo and I have known each other for at least five years now, going back into the property management world when I used to own a company. Bo is the CEO and one of the founders of Lula, which is an awesome company. Bo, can you tell the people about Lula? What do you guys do?

**Bo**: Yeah, so we’re a technology platform that streamlines the maintenance process for property managers and their residents while also bringing a fully vetted nationwide network of contractors to complete the work.

**Colin**: In simple terms, for a property manager, that basically means they don’t have to have their own maintenance guys on staff, right?

**Bo**: Yep, and even if they do have some W2s, the reality is in this business with the seasonality, you can’t staff appropriately year-round. So, you’re always going to engage third-party contractors, even if you have a few W2s. We do have some customers that have outsourced 100% of their maintenance to us. It’s just easier to take that pain away from them and put it on our plate, and we’re happy to do that.

# Expansion and Growth

**Colin**: You have expanded quite a bit from Kansas City to multiple markets now. How many markets are you in currently?

**Bo**: We’re in around 47 markets today. We just opened up San Diego, Minneapolis, and Colorado Springs.

**Colin**: How many pros are in your network?

**Bo**: We have 7,000 Lula pros nationwide today that go through a rigorous vetting process. We get about a thousand applicants of contractors a month but only accept about 12%.

**Colin**: What’s the criteria for acceptance?

**Bo**: We ensure they have the right insurance, pass a background check, possess a professional license, and check any reviews they have online. We put them through competency tests to ensure they truly know their trade.

# Improving the Maintenance Process

**Colin**: With technology at the core, you offer AI-driven solutions. How does AI help in your process?

**Bo**: We’ve got an AI product that assists with initial work order ingestion using natural language processing. It guides residents through troubleshooting, curating work orders and then assigns it through our network, increasing the resolution rate significantly.

**Colin**: So, you’re refining the work order using AI, reducing unnecessary work orders?

**Bo**: Exactly. About 10% of all work orders get deescalated, eliminating an unnecessary trip.

# Customer Success Stories

**Colin**: Can you share any success stories where Lula changed the game for property managers?

**Bo**: Absolutely. We have one customer who said if it weren’t for Lula, they would have closed their doors. Maintenance was a significant pain point, and by consolidating all backend processes with us, they became more operationally efficient and reduced staff by 50%.

**Colin**: We experienced similar outcomes, streamlining our operations by letting your network handle our maintenance needs.

**Bo**: Many find they can reduce W2 coordinators significantly, as we handle much of the coordination burden.

# Looking Ahead

**Colin**: What does the future hold for Lula?

**Bo**: We are focusing on scaling into new markets aligned with customer needs and strategic partnerships. AI remains integral, and we’re enhancing our work order management system for better efficiency. We are also releasing it commercially as a SaaS product named Foresight.

**Colin**: Fantastic. Thanks for sharing your insights and progress. It’s been inspiring to see a Kansas City-born company thrive and expand nationwide. Best of luck, and thank you for your time today, Bo.

**Bo**: Thanks for having me.

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Stay tuned for more insights and stories from Built to Work that dive into the heart of the blue-collar experience, where every day is a chance to build something meaningful.