Episodes

In this episode Brandon and I hear the origin story of the Blue Collar Nation boys, Eric Sprague and Larry Wilburton, and their training platform SuperTech University (formally known as Morning Tech Meeting). We dive deep on the importance of soft skill training with our technicians- how most of us spend money to get our techs all the appropriate certifications and technical training, but often fail to teach them how to "act" and "think" in the course of doing the technical work. Eric and Larr...

A version of "tripping over dollars to pick up dimes"- in this episode, Chris and Brandon talk about those times when our impatience or sense of urgency, actually costs us more time or resources, when a simple pause or extra dose of patience would have been more productive. 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 makes this mission possib...

Kickboxers rarely make it big in MMA. Many struggle to adapt their skillset beyond striking. In order for them to be champion level in MMA, it requires them to become proficient in wrestling and jiu jitsu, which requires they start at "the bottom" again. Very difficult to go back to being a novice when you've been accustomed to living as a champion. But apparently that's what it takes. And of course there's an obvious parallel with owning or leading companies- as the company grows, it requires ...

Have you ever considered where your anger comes from? Or how others experience your anger? Anger is a universal emotion that all humans experience-all of us get angry at others, and we also know what it feels like when others unleash their anger on us. Why don't we talk about it more often? During this episode Brandon and I discuss our personal relationships to anger- how it shows up in our work, how it's affected our leadership over the years, and the impact it's had on our marriages and pare...

“What is it like to work here?” This was the question back in 2015 that started a five year journey for Clint Pulver, one that would ultimately become a whole new career helping owners, CEOs and managers around the world learn how to make their companies a place where their teams actually want to work. Over the course of five years, Clint became the “Undercover Millenial” and with his backwards hat, hoodie and sneakers, he interviewed more than ten thousand employees, across more than 100 comp...

Well the cat is likely already out of the bag and as you can probably tell 2022 brings changes to the show! Join us as we take a quick look under the hood and give some insights into what motivated the name change and what you can expect more of in 2022. 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 makes this mission possible. Thank you sponso...

Amazing to think another entire year has gone by! Join us as we take a quick look in the rear view mirror and discuss what new perspectives 2021 delivered. 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 makes this mission possible. Thank you sponsors! Xcelerate Restoration Software Xcelerate is an innovative restoration job management solution...

Next to labor, collections has become one of the number one challenges for restorers, and in this episode with industry attorney Ed Cross, we dive into some of the strategies and resources available to put ourselves in a much stronger position when we go to collect on the money we and our teams have rightfully earned. You'll also get to hear some of Ed's favorite tricks of the trade, what he relishes about the work, and how to actually engage an attorney for help with collections, contracts and...

Any kind of meeting or face to face interaction with our teams is valuable- I think all of us would agree on that. But it's also an investment- are we making the most of that time with our teams? In this episode, Brandon and I dive into the core meeting rhythms and key recurring interactions we recommend for all the teams we work with, and deep dive on the why behind these meetings and what the agenda and focus is for each of them. Check it out- compare with what you and your team are currentl...

When you’re talking to a veteran business broker that’s helped more than 300 restoration owners sell their companies (Over $600M in transactions), you might expect the conversation to be full of chatter about profit and loss reports, expense ratios, debt to income, job margins,customer segments, business plans and analytical verbiage. But in this conversation with Gokul Padmanabhan, we ended up having a distinctly different kind of chat- one centered around people, legacy, depth, and vision, an...

The primary problem we all face is not a lack of information. We live in a world where as long as we are in aggressive pursuit of knowledge the information is available. MOST OFTEN THE REAL PROBLEM IS A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND FOCUS. As business owners and leaders we need to surround ourselves with operators that are challenging us, encouraging us and holding us accountable to the goals we've set for ourselves and our teams. The MRM Leadership Circles are designed to create a community of pe...

In this episode Tom Gissler, President of Restoration 1 talks about his unconventional journey of leadership, including a four year break from the restoration industry where he served as a police officer in Atlanta Georgia. We talked about the formative role failure has played in his life, his passionate views on TPA’s, what it looks like to really take care of our customers, and his vision for the future of Restoration 1. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast please be sure to leave a ...

In this show, Chris and Brandon chat about the experiences and relationships in our lives that can affect the way we lead, shape our reactions to situations and people, and ultimately cap our leadership potential. Often we try to cover the damaging experiences and broken relationships with our achievements, only to discover that we're ultimately collecting them in a bottomless hole. The money, titles, accolades don't cover the wounds. We have to deal with them, and understand their impact in or...

Do you ever wonder what's going on behind the scenes of our industry's most reliable and consistent Media partner? Michelle Blevins takes her role as a steward to our industry serious and it's clear that she isn't here to just be another marketing machine. She is in the corner of the restorer and has committed to bringing top quality information, insights and more as she continues to develop the C&R platform. Join us as we deep dive into her story, her mission and what drives her to remain comm...

The game of estimating is quickly changing. Technology, shifting relationship structures between the players and increasingly complicated environments are having their affect. It's critical we don't settle into a victim mentality but instead we advance our understanding and skill set so that we can continue to operate at the forefront of the industry. Remember we are the professionals and it's our job to help lead and educate all vested parties even throughout the scope and invoicing process. L...

Bill Zipp, an international expert sales trainer and sales consultant to Fortune 500 sits down to talk with us about sales management and the ideal profile of a sales person. This is such an important, emerging topic in our restoration industry, because the game is changing. With the agency side of the insurance business becoming less and less engaged in the claims service, and of course the rise of TPA's and desk adjusters, operators that want to grow are learning how to pursue more commercial...

We spend the vast majority of our lives working, building our businesses and delivering our services. The reality is we will face good times and bad times, ups and downs. It's far too easy to fall into a place of "Quiet Desperation". A place where we are not necessarily motivated or working towards goals and aspirations. We are merely surviving. Dr. Nick Sotelo brings us some insights on how to better develop our Mindset, Mission and Movement so that we can remain hyper vigilant in our pursuit ...

How many of us feel like the ups and downs of our businesses and our day-to-day lives toss us around like the waves of the ocean? Often times we find ourselves responding to challenging situations in ways that leave a negative impact or we over celebrate a small win and allow it to distract us from the bigger goal. In this episode we explore some of the tools we can use to build a stronger sense of self awareness that ultimately helps us create stronger emotional fortitude. By keeping our eyes ...

Our tactical processes and procedures are absolutely mission critical and must be prioritized; however we must be equally driven to help our teams understand the true “WHY” behind those processes. By consistently speaking into our teams and casting a clear vision for where we are headed and why we focus on the things we focus on, we better equip them to push through challenges and overcome obstacles. In order to communicate at this level you have to know your people which requires the developme...

COVID, TPA’s and carrier consolidation have changed the landscape of our industry. It’s harder than ever to remain front of mind and to develop professional relationships, especially with agents. Join us as we get key insights from Gerry Edtl (more than 40 years in the industry!) as he shares his perspective on relational selling, looking at the claims relationship through the eyes of an agent and creating true value for our referral sources not just cheap talk. www.GerryEdtl.com Gerry@GerryEdtl...

We tend to think about integrity as something we identify ourselves or our businesses with, ie. "I'm a person of integrity" or "Integrity is one of our core values." What we've found, is that integrity is a moment by moment choice. We're constantly choosing throughout our life, "Am I going to choose integrity in this moment, or am I not." In today's show we dive into the roles that discipline and integrity play in the growth of all leaders. How can we become better aligned between what we say ...

What can we learn from iconic business leaders? The Steve Jobs', Elon Musks' and Warren Buffets' of the world? In this episode we pull some insights from great leaders we admire: Building a mission people want to be a part of Get comfortable doing more with less. It's amazing what a small team of loyal, dedicated, driven and thoughtful people can do together. Never stop being engaged with what's happening in the field. Inspect what you expect, know what's happening in your business. Thanks ...

Rachel Stewart, CEO and Co-founder of Xcelerate Restoration Software and past EVP of Titan Restoration We cover a lot of ground in this episode with Rachel: The importance of surrounding yourself with people that are smarter and more successful than you. (If you're feeling like an imposter or like you're in over your head, that's probably the group you need to be in) Discovering that other leaders "don't know what they're doing either" 😉 The importance of working with great partners- CPA, co...

Fear (often just a lack of proactive engagement) can cause us to not properly equip our teams for success. It’s critical that we ensure our teams have the right level of information. Yes, even the financials! so that they can have the highest chances of bringing big WINS in their role on our team. when we provide the appropriate amount of information based on each individual’s position, we empower our employees to have a real and significant impact on the future of our company. As leaders, we ha...