Restoration Pros Unplugged

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 is a business podcast hosted by Clinton James, with 74 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Clinton James hosts Restoration Pros Unplugged, a business show with 74 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #74

  An 11-Inch Rain and a $300K Lesson: Tyler Hendrix on Building Voda South Kansas City

  Sep 25, 202641 minS1

  One 11-inch rain event cost Tyler Hendrix and his partners an estimated $250,000 to $300,000 in a single day, because they weren't built to handle the volume. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Tyler Hendrix, co-owner of Voda South Kansas City and incoming general manager of 1-Tom-Plumber Kansas City. Tyler came out of construction project management, building municipal water plants across five states. A ski trip with two friends turned into a business, and they opened their doors in April 2025. You'll walk away with: Why a year of trying to buy an existing business never worked out How carpet cleaning gives them a non-emergency touchpoint and a steadier cash flow The first hire they held onto too long, and what it cost them What the storm taught them about paying for capacity before you need it What a fractional CFO and a 13-week cash flow forecast changed Why the plumber referral war pushed them into 1-Tom-Plumber Why Tyler says restoration's low barrier to entry is just deferred ---------- Want to connect with Tyler? Find him on LinkedIn or on Instagram at @TylerHendrix360. ---------- 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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  Episode #73

  Dropped Out, Cashed Out His Roth, Built the AI: Caleb Owens on Running Restoration at 24

  Sep 18, 202635 minS1

  At 20, Caleb Owens took over a $525K mitigation department that had bad hires, heavy churn, and stolen equipment. Fifteen months later it was running at $1.5M with 37% profit. Then he left, liquidated his Roth IRA at 23, and started his own company. In this episode, host Clinton James sits down with Caleb Owens, owner of Kern Water Damage Restoration in Bakersfield, California. Caleb is 24, came up through demo and containment work, and is now building AI systems most restoration companies twice his size don't have. You'll walk away with: How he grew a small mitigation department more than 3x in profit in 15 months Why his first AI build wasted four hours on a 20-minute email, and what he changed How he connects calls, texts, email, and documentation so AI can actually help How his system drafts carrier responses overnight Why most owners let their inbox decide their priorities How he answers the premium-increase objection with real numbers Why he gives his whole SOP library away for free ----- 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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  Episode #72

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

  Sep 11, 202637 minS1

  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 them Why Larry spent a year learning the business before changing any of it How they built a contents division in eight weeks after avoiding it for years Why they hired a department manager with no restoration experience at all Why Pine Ridge doesn't use job titles, and what that does for the culture How 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/

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  Episode #71

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

  Sep 4, 202634 minS1

  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 numbers How to find margin on a job when the obvious line item isn't billable Why getting approvals before work starts ends billing fights before they start How tighter documentation on program work improved every job they run What the independent side actually costs you in waiting, guessing, and unpaid work Why Bobby caps his franchise growth on purpose 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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  Episode #70

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

  Aug 28, 202645 minS1

  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 one How to set homeowner expectations when a job runs three to six months instead of three weeks Where contents companies quietly lose money on box sizing and inventory How to push back on carrier guidelines with documentation instead of arguments How she uses video and AI estimating to size crews and trucks before anyone rolls out What 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/

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