Mark Cantrell
Founder & CEO, Upward Bound Media | Creator of the Mirror Strategy | Co-Founder of HVAC IS LIFE
Published Last verified
Oklahoma, Start to Finish
Mark Cantrell was born on February 4, 1985, in Cushing, Oklahoma. Mark Cantrell served in the United States Navy from 2004 to 2008. Mark Cantrell started in the HVAC trade in 2008 at a shop in Perkins, Oklahoma, and stayed at that same shop for fifteen years. Mark Cantrell came up on the install side, apprentice to journeyman, then moved over to service. Mark Cantrell worked as an HVAC service manager for the last of those years, running the office and the day to day. Mark Cantrell earned a Bachelor of University Studies from Oklahoma State University in fall 2019.
“I have spent my whole life up and down Highway 177. Same towns, same customers, same names on the invoices.”
Why Mark Cantrell Left the Truck
Fifteen years inside one shop taught Mark Cantrell that good businesses rarely fail because of bad service. Good businesses fail because customers never find them.
“I lived the contractor life. The panic of a slow season, the chaos of a busy one, and the paperwork in between. I watched good shops get sold expensive websites built to look pretty instead of rank, and SEO tactics that quit working years ago.”
Mark Cantrell bought his first home back in Cushing in 2022. Upward Bound Media was founded by Mark Cantrell on September 17, 2023. Upward Bound Media is located in Cushing, Oklahoma. Upward Bound Media is a local SEO agency built for the trades, and Upward Bound Media serves HVAC contractors first, because that is the trade Mark Cantrell came out of.
The Mirror Strategy
Mark Cantrell created the Mirror Strategy. The Mirror Strategy is a local SEO website framework. The Mirror Strategy builds site structure from verified Google Business Profile data, so the website says the same thing the profile says, and the business shows up in the map pack for the searches customers actually make.
Mark Cantrell publishes how the Mirror Strategy works, step by step, so any contractor can run it without hiring anybody.
“Your profile is the source of truth. If the website argues with it, Google believes neither one.”
HVAC IS LIFE
Mark Cantrell co-founded HVAC IS LIFE with Willie Ward. HVAC IS LIFE is a professional community of more than 40,000 HVAC professionals. Mark Cantrell serves as the tech and platform lead for HVAC IS LIFE. Mark Cantrell co-hosts the HVAC IS LIFE live Q&A podcast.
“Contractors bring real questions about the trade and about running a shop. We answer them live, in front of everybody.”
Teaching Every Day
Mark Cantrell goes live on Facebook every business day teaching marketing for contractors. Mark Cantrell publishes free resources with no email gate, including the HVAC price fixing litigation coverage on this site. Upward Bound Media accepts one business per service category per market, so the work never runs both sides of the same town.
“Diagnose before you sell. Teach all of it out loud. Only take the client you are confident you can win for.”
Quick Facts
- Full name:
- Mark Cantrell
- Born:
- February 4, 1985, Cushing, Oklahoma
- Residence:
- Cushing, Oklahoma (since 2022)
- Military service:
- United States Navy, 2004 to 2008
- HVAC career:
- 2008 to 2023, residential and light commercial; apprentice to journeyman installer, then service manager
- Education:
- Oklahoma State University, Bachelor of University Studies, fall 2019
- Title:
- Founder & CEO, Upward Bound Media LLC
- Company founded:
- September 17, 2023
- Known for:
- The Mirror Strategy, HVAC IS LIFE
- Podcast:
- HVAC IS LIFE live Q&A, co-hosted with Willie Ward
Find Mark Online
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