Restoration Pros Unplugged

Clinton James
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Marketing

Restoration Pros Unplugged is the podcast built for restoration business owners who want to grow, operate smarter, and lead better. Hosted by Clinton James, CMO at Water Restoration Marketing, each episode cuts through the noise and gets straight to what matters — real conversations with restoration industry pros, business builders, and experts who've been in the trenches. From marketing and sales to operations, leadership, and scaling your company, Restoration Pros Unplugged delivers the insights, strategies, and honest talk you won't find anywhere else. No fluff. No filler. Just straight-talking advice from people who know this industry. Whether you're running a two-truck operation or managing a multi-location company, this podcast gives you the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to take your restoration business to the next level. Subscribe, tune in, and get ready to learn from the best. Welcome to Restoration Pros Unplugged.

  1. 2d ago

    Sealed on a Napkin: How Rick McGuigan and Larry Braun Built the Partnership That Blew Pine Ridge Wide Open

    Rick McGuigan asked Larry Braun to join his company for ten years. Larry kept saying "you can't afford me." They finally settled it on a napkin. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Rick McGuigan and Larry Braun of Pine Ridge Cleaning and Restoration in Cleveland, Ohio. Rick bought a small carpet cleaning business in 2003 and grew it to $3.5M largely on his own. Larry came out of 30 years in steel. Together they've taken Pine Ridge into mitigation, reconstruction, and contents. You'll walk away with: Why the visionary and integrator split works, and why two visionaries would have sunk themWhy Larry spent a year learning the business before changing any of itHow they built a contents division in eight weeks after avoiding it for yearsWhy they hired a department manager with no restoration experience at allWhy Pine Ridge doesn't use job titles, and what that does for the cultureHow they handle disagreements without letting them fester---------- Subscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit https://restorationprosunplugged.com ---------- Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  2. Sep 4

    Five Fire Claims in Six Weeks: Bobby Thomas and Malik Stevens on Killing the Margin vs. Volume Myth

    Malik Stevens believed what everyone says about TPAs. Then he ran five fire claims in six weeks, and the first one billed almost $60,000. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Bobby Thomas, CEO of Extreme Services, and Malik Stevens, a Louisiana owner converting his independent company into an Extreme franchise. Bobby came up from carpet cleaning to technician to owner and runs corporately across five states. Malik covers Lafayette, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. You'll walk away with: Why the margin vs. volume argument doesn't hold up once you run the numbersHow to find margin on a job when the obvious line item isn't billableWhy getting approvals before work starts ends billing fights before they startHow tighter documentation on program work improved every job they runWhat the independent side actually costs you in waiting, guessing, and unpaid workWhy Bobby caps his franchise growth on purposeSubscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit restorationprosunplugged.com. Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  3. Aug 28

    "The Packouts Girl With the Hobby Job" : Kristen Stein on What Contents Work Actually Takes

    Most restorers think contents is easy. Put stuff in a box. Kristen Stein says the box was never the hard part. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Kristen Stein, owner of Blue Kangaroo Packouts in Randolph, New Jersey. Kristen came out of international trade, bought a restoration franchise three years ago, and now runs 20,000 square feet of storage serving New Jersey, New York, and parts of Pennsylvania. You'll walk away with: Why contents is an owner-operator business, not a passive oneHow to set homeowner expectations when a job runs three to six months instead of three weeksWhere contents companies quietly lose money on box sizing and inventoryHow to push back on carrier guidelines with documentation instead of argumentsHow she uses video and AI estimating to size crews and trucks before anyone rolls outWhat restorers should ask before handing a contents company a client's entire home---------- Subscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit restorationprosunplugged.com Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  4. Aug 21

    Two Phone Calls, One Drive Home: How Michael Harrison Built a $6M Restoration Powerhouse

    Michael Harrison told his insurance agent he'd do $250,000 his first year in business. He finished at $1.6 million. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Michael Harrison, owner of Mid-South Restoration Services and 1-Tom-Plumber Memphis. Michael started in the trade at 14 as his brother's helper and spent 20 years learning it at franchises and independents before two phone calls on one drive home pushed him to go out on his own. You'll walk away with: How he built a 100% referral business on insurance agents and adjustersWhy he tells agents straight when a loss isn't worth filing a claim onWhy his $6M year was less profitable than his smaller yearsWhy he turned down a TPA that wanted a cut of referrals he already earnedHow he cash funded a 1-Tom-Plumber franchise to be the first call when a building floodsThe culture decision he sat on too long, and what it cost himWant to connect with Michael or learn more about Mid-South Restoration Services and 1-Tom-Plumber Memphis? www.1tomplumber.com/memphis-tn www.midsouthrestoration.com ----- Subscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit restorationprosunplugged.com ----- Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  5. Aug 7

    From Near-Bankruptcy to Breakthrough: Raul Gonzalez's Restoration Comeback Story

    Most restoration business owners only show you the highlight reel. Not this episode. Raul Gonzalez of WonderBuilt Restoration and Construction gets real with Clinton James about the two times his business almost didn't make it — bad hires, a cash crunch, a lawsuit that blocked his SBA funding, and high-interest loans just to cover payroll. He shares exactly what it felt like, what he got wrong, and how he turned it around by finally asking for help instead of trying to do it all himself. If you've ever laid awake worrying about making payroll, this episode is for you. Raul's story is proof that the struggle isn't a sign you're failing — it might just be the price of building something real. Sales SOPs. KPI tracking. Job profitability. Getting financing-ready. These are the exact things that almost sank Raul's business — and they're the exact sessions at the Restore Scale Dominate Summit, Aug 27–28 in San Diego. Apply now at RestoreScaleDominate.com  Seats are almost gone. ---------- Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  6. Jul 31

    Six Years, Six Territories: How Tunde & Moji Adefolaju Built a 15-Truck SERVPRO Starting One Week Before COVID

    Tunde and Moji Adefolaju opened their SERVPRO one week before COVID shut everything down. Six years later they're running six territories and 15 service vehicles in Northern California. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with the husband-and-wife team behind SERVPRO of East Concord / Brentwood. Neither came from restoration — Tunde managed construction projects, Moji came out of banking and oil and gas. One 40-minute phone call with a franchisee they'd never met sent them into the industry. You'll walk away with: - How they survived a launch that landed on top of a global shutdown - Why they built SOPs and culture early, before they had the crews to run them - The collections fight every restorer has, and how they shortened their payment windows - How they split residential and commercial: Google for one, relationships for the other - Why they added a 1-Tom-Plumber franchise, and how the two brands feed each other - Moji's advice for women getting into restoration ---------- Subscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit restorationprosunplugged.com ---------- Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  7. Jul 24

    From Navy Squadron to a $100K Job: Dwayne West's First 9 Months at Firehawk Restoration

    Nine months into business, Dwayne West landed a $100,000 job off his second lead. In this episode, he tells host Clinton James how he did it. Dwayne owns Firehawk Restoration in Jasper, Georgia. He's a Navy veteran who grew up working construction with his dad, then built a career flipping houses and running a general contracting business before jumping into restoration. You'll walk away with: How a $875 pay-per-lead buy turned into a six-figure mitigation and rebuild jobWhy Dwayne skipped third-party administrators from the startHow his construction background let him launch offering full mitigation and reconstructionWhy he invested in a 1-Tom-Plumber franchise to build commercial relationshipsHis advice for anyone thinking about starting a restoration companyWant to connect with Dwayne or learn more about Firehawk Restoration? Visit firehawkrestoration.com Subscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit restorationprosunplugged.com. Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

  8. Jul 17

    Industrial Metrics, Explosive Margins: How Larry Braun Scaled Pine Ridge Restoration Past $6M Using Dashboard Accountability

    Running your restoration company on gut feeling and bank balances is a quiet way to stay stuck. Real growth comes from installing hard numbers and accountability into every job. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Larry Braun, VP and Co-owner of Pine Ridge Restoration in Cleveland, Ohio, and a featured speaker at the Restore Scale Dominate Summit in San Diego. Larry spent 30 years running an industrial steel plant before joining the restoration business just two and a half years ago. He brought a manufacturing mindset with him — and it worked. Pine Ridge had been stuck at $3M since 2005. Larry helped push them past a $6.3M forecast, chasing an $8M stretch goal. You'll walk away with: How Pine Ridge ties technician bonuses directly to job-level profit marginA field accountability system that catches costly mistakes before they become callbacksHow to get clean financial visibility between your emergency response and reconstruction teamsWhy niche-focused BDRs are outperforming generalists in insurance and senior living verticalsWhy ranking on Google isn't enough anymore, and what AEO means for your next leadWant to see Larry break down these exact systems live? He's leading a hands-on session called “Behind the Dashboard” at the Restore Scale Dominate live event in San Diego, August 27–28. Early bird pricing expires tomorrow, July 18th, and saves you $150. Apply now at https://restorescaledominate.com Subscribe to Restoration Pros Unplugged and visit restorationprosunplugged.com. Running a restoration company and want to get more jobs from your online marketing? Book a free discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing at https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Restoration Pros Unplugged is the podcast built for restoration business owners who want to grow, operate smarter, and lead better. Hosted by Clinton James, CMO at Water Restoration Marketing, each episode cuts through the noise and gets straight to what matters — real conversations with restoration industry pros, business builders, and experts who've been in the trenches. From marketing and sales to operations, leadership, and scaling your company, Restoration Pros Unplugged delivers the insights, strategies, and honest talk you won't find anywhere else. No fluff. No filler. Just straight-talking advice from people who know this industry. Whether you're running a two-truck operation or managing a multi-location company, this podcast gives you the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to take your restoration business to the next level. Subscribe, tune in, and get ready to learn from the best. Welcome to Restoration Pros Unplugged.

Information

  • Creator
    Clinton James
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Restoration Pros Unplugged
  • Show Website
    Restoration Pros Unplugged

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