Trade Operations Episodes

In this engaging episode of Head Heart & Boots, Chris and Brandon delve into essential tactics for transforming customer interactions into enduring business opportunities within the restoration industry. They underscore the power of first impressions, the strategic handling of customer interactions from the initial call through to project completion, and the seamless integration of services from emergency response to reconstruction. Key Takeaways: First Impressions Matter: The episode highligh...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Head, Heart, and Boots Podcast, hosts Chris and Brandon sit down with David Oburst, the Chief Product Officer at Verisk, to explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence and its impact on personal growth, leadership, and the restoration industry. David shares his journey of self-discovery through the podcasting experience, revealing how it has challenged his perspectives and fostered personal growth. Key Takeaways: AI as an Enhancement: AI ai...

The episode of the Head, Heart, and Boots podcast featuring Chris and Brandon offers a wealth of insights on leveraging “the halo effect” to enhance customer experience and drive business transformation. Key Takeaways: Importance of First Impressions: The halo effect underscores the significance of making positive first impressions in every aspect of business, from the appearance of company vehicles and employee uniforms to the initial customer service interaction. These first impressions can ...

In the latest "Head, Heart and Boots" podcast our host, Chris, dives into a captivating solo interview with Alex Duda, the innovative CEO and founder of Albiware. In this episode, we explore Alex's remarkable journey from transforming his family's restoration company to spearheading a Silicon Valley-backed startup. It's a tale of resilience, strategic thinking, and visionary leadership. Key Takeaways: The power and importance of Google reviews in driving business success. Keeping up with the...

In this episode of the HEAD HEART & BOOTS podcast, Chris and Brandon explore the themes of personal and business transformation, emphasizing the importance of aligning key performance indicators (KPIs), standards, and behaviors for success. Learn how these elements help unify an organization and provide a clear path for measuring business health and individual success. Key Takeaways: Understanding the role of KPIs in unifying organizational goals. The significance of standards in defining ind...

This special episode with Joey Coleman was recorded immediately after his headliner keynote at The Collective by CORE 2023 event in Austin, TX. We talk customer experience, and we get into Joey’s latest passion and the topic of his upcoming book on Empathy. If you enjoyed our three other shows with Joey, you’ll dig this impromptu chat with him. Joey just can’t help but drop gold nuggets left and right. Check it out and share with a friend or team member.- Chris Thanks for listening! If you e...

In this episode, Chris and Brandon break down the value of the Restoration Checklist Meeting that our project managers conducted with homeowners and the value it had to our process, profitability and overall client experience on the recon side of the best. How do we get more proactive and strategic with the ways we solve problems in our business, and optimize our process? Check out the conversation and share it with your team! - Chris Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be s...

Back by popular demand "Changing our Project Management Mindset." In this riveting episode of Head Heart & Boots, your hosts Brandon and Chris embark on a captivating journey to uncover the hidden depths of the project manager's role. Join us as we delve into the vital responsibilities, mindset, and perspectives that set these unsung heroes apart in the world of business and innovation. It's a common misconception that project managers merely oversee timelines, budgets, and teams. While these e...

In this enthralling episode of the "Head, Heart, and Boots" podcast, Chris and Brandon explore the realms of entrepreneurship, self-improvement, and the role of AI in business. They engage in a fascinating discussion with Zach Garrett of Liftify, a pioneering firm that's transforming how companies manage online reviews using AI. Zach recounts his evolution from assisting in his father's computer shop to leading a cutting-edge company that harnesses AI for business enhancement. He provides deep i...

With June 1st marking the industry's first day of Hurricane Season, Brandon and I take the opportunity to dive into a conversation about Emergency Response Plans and pre-storm planning conversations. How do we take our pre-storm planning with clients and prospects to a different level and not just close more sales this season, but level up our service delivery and customer relationships? Jump in for an equally strategic and tactical convo that you will no doubt want to share with folks on your...

In this chat, Brandon and I zero in on the importance of holding our standards, while still prioritizing connection and relationship with our people. It's important for us to consider- is this a true pattern? Or is this an event? If it's an event, what's the best way to address that? Patterns on the other hand, have the power of life and death within our team. Good patterns are the target- allowing bad patterns can sabotage everything we work so hard for. Check it out and please share with your...

In this episode, Brandon and I dig into Covey's 4 Disciplines of Execution model, and spend some hang time on Accountability- inspecting what we expect. We also get deep into "controlling what can be controlled", ie. Covey's "leading measures". The model is simple, and easy to teach the leaders on your team- a solid framework, that frankly, all the fancy new(er) management models like EOS and Pinnacle seem to be built around. Let us know what you think of the episode. And give us a 5 star revie...

In this episode, Brandon and I meet with Marcie Richardson, the Director of HR and Safety for Guarantee Restoration. She's a charismatic and passionate leader and had some awesome insight and stories to share with us. We talk about employee onboarding, employee one on ones, and practical ways that we can care for our employees as they do the do the dirty work of our industry. Check it out and let us know what you think!- Chris Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to l...

In this show, Brandon and I discuss what it really means to be customer-centric in how we're delivering service, in particular to commercial clients. Do you feel like you're running a customer-centric business? What happens when a client wants you to deviate from your process or standards? Is there room in your process for that? Do you take time to be curious about why the customer is making certain requests or demands? It's easy for us to get so married to our internal process and so religiou...

In today's show Brandon and I have a conversation with Ben Ricciardi, founder of Ironclad Restoration Marketing. We spent a good chunk of the convo talking about how to maximize your Google Business Profile- a free Google feature that can have a significant affect on your organic search placement as a business. Tune in to hear all the details and get your own GBP dialed in for maximum lead gen. - Chris https://www.ironcladrestorationmarketing.com/ Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast ...

This is our second chat with Joey, and it's just as epic as the first. In this show, we talk through the last 4 stages of customer onboarding. Every moment of this podcast is applicable to our restoration businesses, and most of it immediately actionable. We will definitely be having Joey back- his first episode has been one of our most downloaded episodes. Check it out and share it with your friends! - Chris Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a review, follo...

In today's show we talk about our people's compensation. What if we were more proactive in granting raises to our people? And how do we maximize the perceived value of that raise? What is the role of generosity in managing compensation across our team? How do you keep it from getting out of control? Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a review, follow the show (don’t forget to turn on your notifications!) and share with a friend. Your continued support is what...

In this episode Chris and Brandon dive inside the mind of a leader. What should we be focused on each day? How should we be thinking about our people, and the work we do? What disciplines and systems do we need to create and hold people accountable to in order to provide the kind of work environment that is essential for our people to thrive? This and more on today's episode. Check it out and share it with a friend- Chris Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a...

For this week's show we invited Brandon Donatelli and Larry Nettles from Homee, a new technology platform that serves to digitize claims and simplify the process for policy-holders and contractors. We talked about the TPA landscape and how Homee is carving out a new niche in the insurtech space. Check it out! Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a review, follow the show (don’t forget to turn on your notifications!) and share with a friend. Your continued suppo...

In today's show, Brandon and I get into the role of the project manager, and how we put on the right mindset and perspective on that role. Too often, we think of our PM's as simply managing our recon process, leading the timeline, coordinating subs, guarding the GP, etc. It is definitely those things, but the real job of a PM is much more mission critical. Brandon and I break down what the real focus on responsibility of a PM is. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to...

Quiet quitting is a topic that's been all over business news headlines and people's LinkedIn feeds lately. In this episode, Chris and Brandon take the subject on and give their perspective on how it's showing up in the restoration industry, and what we can do to address it as leaders. Check out the show and let us know what you think-Shoot us a DM on LinkedIn. - Chris Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a review, follow the show (don’t forget to turn on your n...

In this show with author and consultant Joey Coleman, we explore the 8 stages of customer experience, an important topic for our industry, but especially important because of how the 8 stages track with today's sales process in our industry. Joey presents an incredibly straight-forward take on how to maximize the relationship we're building with our customers, how to drive referrals, and grow the lifetime value of our customer relationships. Check it out, it's an awesome episode. We had so much...

In this episode, Chris and Brandon talk digital marketing and lead-gen with Zach Garrett, a marketer and founder of Liftify, a turnkey marketing service that gathers reviews from your customers. We talk about how to leverage your Google My Business profile, how to react to a bad review when they happen, and how to maximize the lead-gen that Google reviews can give your business. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a review, follow the show (don’t forget to tu...

In this show, Chris and Brandon talk technician training and development. How do we invest in our technician's growth, if we know they're likely to leave in just a couple years? What is the role of certifications in a tech's development? We also spent time talking about the struggle to hire techs in the first place, as well as how to keep the door open for techs to return back to your company at some point. Sometime's people need to leave to chase higher pay or explore a new opportunity. If we ...