From parachutes to project sites — meet Chris Kushmaul, a U.S. Army veteran turned restoration business owner.
In this special Veterans Day episode of Restoration Today, Chris, U.S. Army veteran and owner of a Restoration 1 franchise in Metro Detroit, shares how the lessons of discipline, teamwork, and mission focus from his military service built the foundation for success in the restoration industry.
This is more than a business story — it’s about finding purpose after service.
In this Restoration Today episode, we sit down with Yvonne Vanbibber, General Manager of Blue Kangaroo Packoutz of Cincinnati & Dayton, to explore the emotional and logistical side of contents restoration.
From hoarding situations to heavy-loss homes, Yvonne shares how her unique background helps her lead with empathy, communication, and care.
She discusses:
This episode is a reminder that in restoration, we’re not just rebuilding property — we’re helping people heal.
Grab a drink and join Phil & Michelle for another Happy Hour with one of the industry’s top leaders — Jeff Moore, President of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and President and Chief Acquisitions Officer at ATI Restoration.Jeff shares the remarkable story of how his family’s abatement business evolved into a national restoration powerhouse. From defining roles in a family company to building a strong culture and hiring top talent, Jeff offers candid insights into what drives sustainable growth.He breaks down:- Why profitability now matters more than raw growth.- How smaller operators can dominate their local markets.- The RIA’s initiatives to improve communication, pricing, and industry unity.- His funniest industry story- ...and MORETune in for a mix of leadership lessons, business strategy, and good laughs — only on Happy Hour with Phil & Michelle!
Welcome back to the brand new dynamic and practical video tip series designed to help restoration professionals overcome common team challenges and drive consistent, high-quality results.
Erik Berglund, expert and founder of The Language of Leadership, in collaboration with RTILearning.com, presents “How to Get Your Team to Do the Thing.”
This series offers actionable insights on building highly accountable teams, eliminating excuses, and effectively implementing new strategies, services, technology, products, equipment, and any other “thing” essential to your business’s success.
From Firefighting to Founding a Movement — Dave Heimbach joins us to share the inspiring story behind Helpful Heroes.
What started as an idea to help off-duty firefighters earn extra income has become a nationwide network of trusted handyman services. Through Helpful Heroes, firefighters connect directly with homeowners needing help around the house — bringing reliability, integrity, and peace of mind to every job.
In this episode, Dave dives into:
Welcome back to Season 2, Episode 8 of Chasing the Vision — brought to you in partnership with Exit Strategies 360 and Violand Management Associates!
This episode is part two of our deep dive into the variables of a deal. In the last episode, we broke down key terminology to help you feel more confident and informed during the deal-making process.
Today, we’re taking it a step further — getting more personal as we explore real-world examples, discuss the role and impact of leadership teams, and unpack how these variables shape the structure and success of a deal.
Whether you're planning for growth, succession, or sale, this conversation will give you valuable insights into what really drives value behind the scenes.
Meet Michelle and Jorge Gutierrez, owners of SERVPRO Team Gutierrez! From humble beginnings to winning Franchise of the Year, their story is one of resilience, leadership, and people-first culture.
In this episode, Michelle and Jorge share how they’ve grown a 70-person team by staying true to five core values:
Discover how they navigated challenges like the polar vortex, built strong ties with their community, and created a workplace where employees stay—and grow—for decades.
Big News from Floodlight Consulting Group!
The team is stepping into a brand-new chapter — and we’re bringing you along for the journey. In this episode, we’re sharing some major updates from Floodlight Consulting Group!
What does this mean for Floodlight? What’s next for the Head Heart & Boots podcast? And how do we find balance in a season of change?
Tune in as Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke break down the “why” behind this move, what it means for their community, and how they're thinking about leadership, growth, and alignment in this next season.
In this episode, two volunteers for the RIA Legislative Task Force, Vince Scarfo, COO of Clear Team, and Justin Woodard, Owner and CEO of Woodard Cleaning and Restoration, break down the key legal and regulatory issues impacting the restoration industry right now.
From unfair price gouging laws to the absence of a unique NAICS code, restorers across the country are facing challenges that many don’t even know exist. But thanks to the work of the RIA Legislative Task Force, independent contractors finally have a voice.
Topics we cover:
Watch now to learn how you can get involved — and why your voice matters.
Advocacy Action Hub: https://www.restorationindustry.org/advocacy-action-hub?check_logged_in=1
Submit an issue to AGA: https://www.restorationindustry.org/form/submit-an-issue-to-aga
Michelle sits down with David Grove, owner and founder of BYLT Restoration, at The Collective, to talk about how he's integrating AI into daily operations, what’s coming next with BYLT’s AI-powered newsletters and videos, how to improve your prompts with AI, the top AI tools and social media follows he recommends, and MORE! Don't miss this insightful conversation!
Sign up for the newsletter here: https://restoraition.beehiiv.com
Kenneth Klein, law professor at California Western School of Law and former defense attorney, joins the podcast to unpack his groundbreaking paper, "The Case for Pausing Any Immediate Embrace of the Social Inflation Argument for Legal System Reforms." In this conversation, Professor Klein shares how a personal disaster led him to study catastrophe insurance, why the "social inflation" argument sounds all too familiar, and what contractors and policyholders need to know about slow payments, underpayments, and the push for legal reforms.
We cover:
In this special episode of Restoration Today, Michelle sat down with Allen Reid at The Collective to talk about the heart behind restoration, his role as Director of Client Relations at Dwyer Restoration, how to pivot sales strategies when the industry slows down, favorite takeaway from The Collective, and MORE!
“Main Street Restorer” is a new inspiring video series showcasing real-world challenges and practical advice from seasoned broker, Gokul Padmanabhan of Restoration Brokers of America, helping entrepreneurs discover innovative solutions and strategies for success. Journey with Gokul as he shares stories and wisdom on helping Main Street Restorers grow, thrive, and prepare for the future – whatever it may hold.
In episode 8, Gokul gives a summary of the M&A market so far in 2025, what he predicts for the rest of the year, current economic conditions, and MORE!
In this episode, we sit down with Dan Claps, CEO, and John Ortega, GM, at Voda Cleaning & Restoration to explore what sets their franchise apart in today’s competitive market. From their growing national network to the unique challenges franchisees are facing—and overcoming—we dig into what makes Voda different.
You’ll hear about standout jobs, the demographics driving their workforce, where new franchisees are coming from, and how Voda is building a strong community of owners ready to serve their markets.
Whether you’re in the restoration industry, curious about franchising, or looking for inspiration from real-world success stories, this conversation delivers insider insights you won’t want to miss.
In this episode, we sit down with Skip Jankoski, owner of Purified Environments, to unpack the intersection of mold remediation, indoor air quality, and public health.
Skip shares his perspective on the latest NIH updates, the unique needs of sensitized individuals, and how evolving science—and even climate change—are reshaping industry standards.
From busting dangerous mold myths to highlighting practical steps contractors can take today, this conversation is a must-listen for restoration professionals ready to better serve their clients and prepare for the future.
Thinking about selling your restoration business? In this episode of Chasing the Vision, in partnership with Exit Strategies 360 and Violand Management Associates, Michelle, JT Kraai, and Tim Hull break down the real deal structure variables you need to know—cash, rollover equity, notes, earnouts, and more. Learn why all-cash exits are rare, why post-sale involvement often matters, and how to position yourself for the best outcome.
In this episode of RestoreAI, we’re joined by David Grove from BYLT Restoration to explore Notebook LLM — a powerful, source-driven AI that creates reports, videos, podcasts, timelines, study guides, and more from your uploaded content (not random internet searches).
Key Takeaways:
In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Buttenham, Co-Founder of Reins and co-author of Alternative Equity: The Owner’s Guide to Phantom Stock & Modern Incentives.
Chris breaks down how business owners can retain and inspire top talent without giving up ownership—using modern incentive models like phantom stock.
We cover:
Tune in and discover ways to strengthen retention, culture, and alignment without giving up equity!
Welcome back to the brand new dynamic and practical video tip series designed to help restoration professionals overcome common team challenges and drive consistent, high-quality results.
Erik Berglund, expert and founder of The Language of Leadership, in collaboration with RTILearning.com, presents “How to Get Your Team to Do the Thing.”
This series offers actionable insights on building highly accountable teams, eliminating excuses, and effectively implementing new strategies, services, technology, products, equipment, and any other “thing” essential to your business’s success.
Insurance can make or break a restoration business. In this episode, David Dybdahl of ARMR Network dives into the evolution of specialized insurance for restoration contractors and why mold-related risks and pollution liability coverage matter more than ever.In this episode:✔️ Why specialized contractor pollution liability insurance is essential✔️ How frequent policy changes can leave you exposed to coverage gaps✔️ The importance of additional insured endorsements when working with networks✔️ New TPA efforts to simplify insurance requirements for contractors✔️ A real case study showing the dangers of unstable insurance coverage✔️ How restorers play a critical role in climate resilience—and why stable, comprehensive policies matter✔️..and MORE!