Dave Heimbuch – Wild Business Growth Podcast #142: Firefighter Helper, Co-Founder of Hidrent

Firefighters help out people for a living. Who helps out firefighters for a living? This week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Dave Heimbuch. Dave is the Founder of Hidrent. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 142: Dave Heimbuch – Firefighter Helper, Founder of Hidrent

Dave Heimbuch, the Founder of Hidrent, joins the show to share his journey from looking for help with home renovations to creating the business that connects customers with off-duty firefighters. Hear how to validate your idea, raise crowdfunding, get over perfectionism, the sacrifices Dave has made to bring Hidrent to life, and his favorite dad joke. This episode covers everything from hops to the typical hours of a firefighter. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How was Dave’s experience at Shazam
• How does Shazam work
• Where did the idea for Hidrent come from
• What was the biggest challenge marketing Hidrent
• What do people enjoy most about using Hidrent
• A spontaneous technology question
• How do you raise crowdfunding on Republic
• What is the biggest adjustment moving from Chicago to Texas

Connect with Dave at Hidrent.com and .

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro & Shazam
  • [0:30] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:40] Connect with Dave at Hidrent.com and
  • [1:40] Startup
  • [1:53] Shoutout Pavan Kumar!
  • [2:12] Tech (Technology)
  • [2:15] How was Dave’s experience at Shazam
  • [3:03] Shazam Chicago Office
  • [3:45] Mobile Device
  • [4:07] QR Code
  • [4:32] Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light
  • [4:42] Super Bowl XLVI
  • [4:46] “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO
  • [5:33] How does Shazam work
  • [5:48] Shazam London Headquarters
  • [6:09] IP (Intellectual Property)
  • [6:31] What did Dave decide to do after Shazam
  • [6:42] Advertising
  • [6:46] Photobucket, ValueClick Media, Tapad
  • [7:03] User Adoption, AdTech (Advertising Technology)
  • [7:36] P.F. Chang’s
  • [7:41] Shoutout Alex & Spense!
  • [7:55] P.F. Chang’s To Go in Murray Hill
  • [8:03] Google
  • [8:24] Big Brother, Marketers
• The Hidrent Story
  • [8:50] Where did the idea for Hidrent come from
  • [8:55] Homeowners
  • [9:10] OH-IU!
  • [9:18] Indiana University (IU)
  • [10:11] Side Hustles
  • [10:23] Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, TaskRabbit
  • [10:53] Word of Mouth (WOM)
  • [11:08] The Un-Google Moment
  • [11:34] What does a firefighter’s schedule look like
  • [12:21] Shoutout Andrew!
  • [12:48] What happened after Dave realized there was a business opportunity
  • [13:18] Apple, Fox Interactive Media
  • [15:14] What did Dave set a record in
  • [16:09] What was the biggest challenge marketing Hidrent
  • [16:38] Facebook Ads, Analytics
  • [16:54] Hidrent App
  • [17:33] Bootstrapping
  • [17:39] Nextdoor
  • [17:48] Product vs. Service
  • [18:07] What do people enjoy most about using Hidrent
  • [19:12] Was there a lot of effort training firefighters
  • [19:34] Digital Media, Direct Mail
  • [20:20] Hippo Direct, Mailing Lists
  • [20:31] A spontaneous technology question
  • [20:49] Non-Technical Solo Founder
  • [21:51] MVP Product (Minimum Viable Product), MVP (Most Valuable Player)
  • [22:47] How do you stop being such a perfectionist
  • [23:02] 401(k)
  • [23:52] How do you raise crowdfunding on Republic
  • [24:14] MicroVentures
  • [24:25] Angel Investors
  • [25:06] Investor
  • [25:27] Emily Griffith from Lil Bucks on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
  • [25:49] What is the best way Dave has grown his business
  • [25:59] Capital Factory
  • [26:31] Accelerator, Mentor
  • [27:01] Accounting
  • [27:27] What area of the business did Dave learn the most from others on
  • [28:12] CEO (Chief Executive Officer), CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)
  • [28:40] Network
  • [28:54] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [29:52] What keeps Dave inspired and creative while making big sacrifices
  • [30:08] Income
  • [30:59] Sorry, Mrs. Heimbuch!
  • [31:44] What keeps Dave going on the financial marathon
  • [33:33] What are his favorite creative hobbies
  • [34: 18] What are Dave’s favorite shows on Netflix
  • [34:28] Silicon Valley
  • [34:45] Game of Thrones, WandaVision, Disney+
  • [35:22] Gilfoyle
  • [35:28] Shoutout Mr. Guilfoyle!
  • [35:38] Martin Starr in Freaks & Geeks
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [36:02] Creative Marketing campraign
  • [36:11] HopTea
  • [36:23] Facebook
  • [36:35] A Body for Podcasting
  • [36:53] Celiac
  • [37:01] Gluten-Free Beers
  • [37:42] Email, HopLark
  • [38:14] Shark Tank
  • [38:26] What is HopLark
  • [39:20] How did HopLark find Dave
  • [39:31] Whole30
  • [39:40] Machine Learning

• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [40:11] What is a quirk Dave has
  • [40:20] OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
  • [40:51] In parallel! Nice one
  • [41:09] Jasmine Star on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
  • [41:34] What is Dave’s biggest pet peeve
  • [42:12] What is a weird talent he has
  • [42:22] The best dad joke of all time
  • [43:38] Shoutout Harry Caray. Holy cow!
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [43:53] What would Dave serve at his Masters Champions Dinner
  • [44:33] Shoutout Jason!
  • [44:43] What is the biggest adjustment after being diagnosed with Celiac disease
  • [45:47] What is the biggest adjustment moving from Chicago to Texas (besides the weather)
  • [46:14] Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville
  • [46:54] My internship at RAPP in Dallas
  • [47:40] Is there really as much corn in Nebraska as everyone says
  • [47:52] Nebraska Cornhuskers
  • [48:37] Connect with Dave at Hidrent.com and
  • [49:14] A Dad Joke Business
  • [49:38] What are Dave’s final thoughts
  • [50:02] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [50:13] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [50:17]  Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [50:20]  Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Dave Heimbuch on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!