Project Management and CRM for Contractor Success | Kaili Smit from Job Nimbus

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro-experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while we keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us out on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Kaili from JobNimbus, Vice President of Marketing. How are you doing today, Kaili?

Kaili Smit: Doing great.

Ernesto: Great to have you on today’s episode. I’m sure our listeners are tuning in wondering what JobNimbus is all about. Let’s kick it off with that. In your own words, can you tell us a little bit more?

Kaili: Yeah. So first and foremost, our mission statement is to make contractors heroes. What JobNimbus does is project management and CRM software specifically for the roofing industry. We’re hyper-focused on kind of the blue-collar life, supporting hardworking Americans.

Ernesto: Definitely, that’s great to hear. So, for our listeners tuning in, what problems do you solve for your clients?

Kaili: Communication, scheduling, and organization. I’m remodeling my house right now, so I’ve worked with a lot of contractors. It’s challenging to ensure everyone is on the same page—knowing when people are showing up, when they’re getting paid, and coordinating access to the property. We make sure everything from starting a job to closing it out and getting a five-star review is handled. We take that off their plate because it’s a lot to manage, especially when you’re dealing with people’s homes.

Ernesto: I would agree. Contractors are mostly focused on the job, not the administrative part. Great stuff from you guys. So, would it be fair to say your ideal ICP is roofing companies?

Kaili: Yep. Roofing companies that have been around for a little while, usually with three or more users. Once they have their first office admin or a more structured setup, we make their lives so much easier. That’s our sweet spot—they’re fantastic for us.

Ernesto: Awesome. So how does someone usually find out about JobNimbus? Is there a top client acquisition channel that you have?

Kaili: We do a lot of paid ads, but we’ve grown big enough over the last ten years that our brand awareness is strong. We’ve done a lot of events and brand-building efforts. Most of our traffic, whether paid or organic, comes from people searching our brand terms. So thankfully, our name is out there in the marketplace.

Ernesto: Definitely. That’s always important. For our listeners, you can check them out at jobnimbus.com. What role would you say the website plays in client acquisition?

Kaili: It’s critical. As we’ve grown and the industry has become more competitive, people aren’t just Googling JobNimbus and signing up anymore—they’re comparing us with competitors. The website is our opportunity to immediately showcase how we’re different. It’s essential for standing out and giving people a sense of who we are while highlighting our unique value.

Ernesto: Awesome. Are there any tools, tips, or methods you’d recommend to our listeners for website lead generation?

Kaili: Definitely. One tip is optimizing your forms and what you’re asking. For example, we started asking for people’s favorite TV shows as a test. It actually increased our form conversion rate by 12%. People like the chance to show their personality. Another thing we did was redesign our website with a distinct look that reflects our personality. We’re a bunch of nerds here—we named one of our conference rooms “Cogwarts.” So, we added comic book gradients and a unique design to stand out from competitors. The redesign not only improved conversion rates but also made our brand more memorable.

Ernesto: Love that—bringing personality to your site! Let’s talk about you as a leader. As VP of Marketing, what are some key tasks you focus on day-to-day?

Kaili: At the end of the day, it’s about revenue. If we’re not hitting revenue targets, I’m talking to the board about it, which isn’t fun. I work closely with sales; I’m lucky to have a great relationship with our VP of Sales, Nick Powell. Collaboration is key. My other focus is empowering my team. My goal is to process-size everything so they can make decisions independently. I focus on removing roadblocks, reviewing metrics, and ensuring campaigns stay on track.

Ernesto: That’s what great leadership looks like—not micromanaging but empowering others. Great stuff, Kaili. Let’s jump into our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Kaili: Absolutely.

Ernesto: First off, what is the last book you read?

Kaili: The Dictator’s Handbook.

Ernesto: Interesting! Was it recommended, or did you pick it up on your own?

Kaili: I study cyberpsychology, and reading about propaganda and dictator methods helps me understand behavioral science and marketing. It sounds intense, but you learn a lot about how people resonate with messages.

Ernesto: Awesome. What is one single thing your company is focused on the most right now?

Kaili: We’re rehauling how we’re known in the market, especially after acquiring SumoQuote. They offer a fantastic quoting tool that enhances the homeowner experience. We’re focusing on being more homeowner-centric this year.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what’s one thing you’d want to fix for your role as a marketer?

Kaili: Teaching people to ask the right questions. AI is amazing, but unless you’re specific about what you need, it won’t deliver. If I could create a tool to help people refine their questions, it would solve so many problems.

Ernesto: Definitely. If there’s one repetitive task you could automate, what would it be?

Kaili: Internal communication. I often have one-on-one conversations and forget to update everyone else. Automating reminders for updates on a larger scale would be a game-changer.

Ernesto: Lastly, what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself if you were restarting your marketing journey?

Kaili: No one knows everything. Don’t get in your own way. Test everything, ask questions, and focus on learning and adapting.

Ernesto: Fantastic advice! Thanks so much for being on the show today, Kaili. If someone forgets everything about this interview, what’s the one thing they should remember about JobNimbus?

Kaili: We’re dedicated to making sure there are no more bad contractor stories—only great ones. We’re here to make contractors heroes.

Ernesto: Absolutely. Check them out at jobnimbus.com. Kaili, thank you so much for joining us today. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you in the next episode of Pathmonk Presents.

Kaili: Thanks, Ernesto.