Restoration Pros Unplugged – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton sits down with Ben Justesen, one of the restoration industry’s top minds in estimating and pricing strategy. Ben’s journey, from growing his family’s company, Just Right Cleaning & Construction (JRCC), into an award-winning restoration firm to leading national training programs and now shaping technology at DocuSketch offers lessons every contractor can use.

Ben breaks down the biggest mistakes he sees in estimating and pricing, explains the difference between markup and margin (and why most contractors get it wrong), and shares practical advice for protecting your profits on every job. You’ll hear how better documentation, smarter use of tech, and a disciplined approach to estimating can transform your bottom line.

Whether you’re a small operator trying to tighten up your numbers or a larger firm looking to scale profitably, this conversation is packed with insights that can change the way you run your business.

Get more educational content from Ben and the team at DocuSketch:
https://www.docusketch.com/estimate-accelerator
https://e3drying.com/docusketch-estimating-master-class/

Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

When every minute counts in restoration, getting eyes on the loss fast can make or break a job. In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with James Hatfield, CRO of LiveSwitch, to explore how simple, app-free video links are transforming how restoration companies handle intake, documentation, and customer communication.

James shares how LiveSwitch—originally built for 911 dispatch and live sports—now helps restoration teams see the job before they roll a truck, build instant trust with customers, and cut hours off every claim.

You’ll learn how leading restoration companies are using QR codes for emergency response, live video for better estimates, and recorded walkthroughs for training and accountability—all without downloading an app.

Whether you run a small team or a multi-location operation, this conversation will show you how to:

- Speed up intake calls with “remote eyes on the loss”

- Improve documentation and win more carrier approvals

- Train your team with real-world video examples

- Turn every jobsite into a marketing and retention opportunity

If you want your company to respond faster, look more professional, and build lasting customer trust—this episode is a must-listen.

Learn more about LiveSwitch:
- https://www.liveswitch.com/industry/restoration-services/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/liveswitch-inc
- https://www.facebook.com/liveswitchinc/

Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with Leah Hanlon, one of the nation’s top restoration sales leaders at Icon Property Rescue and now VP of Franchise Sales for 1-Tom-Plumber. Leah reveals how she’s helping entrepreneurs merge restoration and plumbing into unstoppable growth machines.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Leah’s journey from dominating restoration sales to building a national franchise empire
  
  
• How to use emergency plumbing as the ultimate “door-opener” for winning lucrative commercial accounts
  
  
• The proven framework Leah teaches franchisees to generate restoration leads through plumbing services
  
  
• Strategies for identifying and training top-performing Business Development Reps (BDRs)
  
  
• Why 24/7 emergency service is a game-changer for commercial client relationships
  
  
• The biggest opportunities right now for restoration pros looking to expand into commercial channels
  
  
• Leah’s vision for the next 3–5 years in restoration and plumbing—and how you can position yourself to win
  
  

If you’re ready to unlock new revenue streams, scale your business, and learn from one of the best in the industry, this episode is your playbook for success.

Contact Leah Hanlon:- 

https://www.1tpfranchise.com/

Leah@1tomplumber.com

Franchise email:  Franchise@1tomplumber.com

Franchise sales number: 1-855-832-6866

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Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James interviews Chris Nordyke, President and Co-founder of Floodlight Consulting Group, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale high-performing sales teams in the restoration industry.

With deep industry experience and a passion for business growth, Chris shares the foundational strategies behind Floodlight’s success and how their Fractional Sales Leadership model is transforming how restoration companies pursue and close profitable commercial work.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• Chris’s journey from the field to leading one of the industry’s top consulting firms
  
  
• The origin and mission behind Floodlight Consulting Group
  
  
• The value of 1-on-1 custom consulting for restoration owners and leadership teams
  
  
• What makes Floodlight’s Fractional Sales Management service a game-changer for companies wanting to grow without hiring full-time sales managers
  
  
• How to build and lead sales teams that consistently land commercial restoration contracts
  
  
• The most critical KPI’s every restoration company should be tracking to measure growth, accountability, and profitability
  
  
• Insights into current industry challenges, future trends, and the move from hustle to strategic scalability
  
  
• Why understanding and improving your company’s enterprise value is more important now than ever
  
  
• Actionable takeaways restoration pros can implement immediately to gain clarity, momentum, and results
  
  

Whether you're a restoration veteran or a growth-focused business owner, this episode is packed with real strategies, data-backed insights, and expert perspective to elevate your operation.

Visit: floodlightgrp.com to learn more about consulting services, assessments, and training tools mentioned in the episode.

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Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this power-packed episode, Clinton James sits down with Amy Levine, owner of Bright Side Restoration, who built one of Long Island’s most respected restoration businesses from scratch.

Amy pulls back the curtain on her early challenges, how she scaled with purpose, and the systems that helped her stay sane in the chaos. Whether you're running a solo crew or managing a multi-location team, her journey delivers real-world lessons you can apply right now.

As a female leader in a traditionally male industry, Amy brings a fresh perspective on team culture, client relationships, and building a lasting brand in your local market. Her partnership with Water Restoration Marketing unlocked serious ROI—and she’s sharing exactly how.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to scale your restoration business without losing quality or control
  
  
• Proven ways to build trust and reputation in your local market
  
  
• What to look for when hiring—and how to build a winning team culture
  
  
• Real marketing strategies that deliver ROI (and which ones to skip)
  
  
• Why customer experience is your best marketing tool
  
  
• Insightful advice for women navigating leadership in restoration
  
  
• How to plan for long-term growth and position your company for the future
  
  

Whether you're navigating growing pains or mapping out your next five years, this episode is your blueprint for sustainable success in the restoration industry.

If you’re interested in learning how Water Restoration Marketing can help you overcome the challenges discussed in this episode and get more water jobs, book a free strategy session with our team today!

https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Rocky Hensley, founder of ICON Property Rescue and the visionary behind 1-Tom-Plumber, to unpack a bold strategy that’s helping restoration companies secure more commercial restoration work—fast.

After building and selling a successful restoration company, Rocky saw the writing on the wall: shrinking margins, too much reliance on TPAs, and fewer large-loss opportunities. So, he created a game-changing solution—a plumbing franchise designed specifically to bolt onto restoration businesses and open doors to high-value commercial clients.

You’ll discover:

• Why emergency plumbing is the perfect lead-gen machine for water damage restoration
  
  
• How restoration owners are using 1-Tom-Plumber to get their foot in the door with commercial property managers
  
  
• The revenue and margin impact of adding plumbing services without overhauling your core business
  
  
• Real-world examples of franchisees recouping their investment in under 12 months
  
  
• The systems, training, and support 1-Tom-Plumber provides—from marketing to staffing to national branding
  
  
• What makes a restoration company the ideal candidate for this bolt-on franchise model
  
  

Whether you're trying to escape the TPA trap, grow your commercial footprint, or create more predictable commercial revenue, this episode delivers a proven roadmap to scale smarter.

Ready to turn plumbing into your commercial restoration pipeline?
Learn more about how Rocky and his team can help you plug 1-Tom-Plumber into your business and dominate your market:

https://www.1tpfranchise.com/

Franchise email:  Franchise@1tomplumber.com

Franchise sales number: 1-855-832-6866

Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with Ryan Schrader, Director of Local SEO at Water Restoration Marketing, to break down how restoration companies are winning more jobs in 2025 with Google Local Service Ads.

Ryan shares the biggest updates to LSAs this year, why some campaigns deliver consistent, high-quality calls while others bleed budget, and the exact framework their team uses to help restoration companies turn LSAs into $10K+ months.

This isn’t theory or guesswork—it’s the tested, agency-built system helping restoration business owners generate exclusive water damage leads without relying on lead-sharing platforms or expensive PPC campaigns.

If you’re a restoration owner or marketing manager ready to scale lead flow and dominate your market, this episode gives you the strategies, tools, and mindset to make LSAs your #1 source of jobs.

Ready to see how LSAs could work for your company?
Book a free LSA Audit and Strategy Session with our team today: https://calendly.com/clintonjames/free-gbp-audit

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with JP Koenig from RocketLevel Commercial to break down how restoration companies can finally crack the code on landing commercial jobs. JP shares how his background in corporate sales led him to a big realization: most restoration companies are great at the work—but struggle to consistently get in front of commercial decision-makers. That’s where RocketLevel comes in.

You’ll hear how the RocketLevel team acts as an outsourced sales engine, combining SDRs (sales development reps), CRM systems, and enriched data to generate real meetings with property managers, facility directors, and other commercial gatekeepers. JP walks through what a typical engagement looks like, how fast companies start seeing results, and what types of restoration businesses benefit most from this approach. From partnering with industry giants like SERVPRO and Paul Davis to helping mid-size firms break into new markets, RocketLevel is proving that commercial growth isn’t just for the big players—it’s for any company with the right systems in place.

If you’re a restoration owner who’s tired of relying solely on residential work or waiting around for word-of-mouth referrals, this episode will show you exactly how to turn outbound sales into a scalable growth engine.

To learn more about RocketLevel and how they’re helping contractors land commercial work without the guesswork, visit https://rocketlevelcommercial.com/ 

If you’re interested in learning how Water Restoration Marketing can help you overcome the challenges discussed in this episode and get more water jobs, book a free strategy session with our team today: https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

In this game-changing episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, hosts Clinton James and Bobby Thomas sit down with James Longley, founder of Gorilla Truck Box, to unpack how one man’s hands-on frustration in the field became a revolutionary leap forward for the restoration industry.

James shares how years of inefficiency, disorganized gear, and insecure vehicles in water, fire, and mold restoration led him to one conclusion: the industry needed a truck that actually worked for restoration pros—not against them. The result? Gorilla Truck Box: a purpose-built solution engineered from the ground up with the needs of restoration teams in mind.

You’ll hear how James’ deep industry background influenced every design detail—from the compact G1 to the versatile G3—and how customizable setups are helping companies scale smarter. We dive into stories from the field, the impressive ROI restoration companies are reporting, and how features like theft-resistant compartments and streamlined storage are transforming daily operations.

Whether you're running a single crew or building a multi-vehicle fleet, this episode offers a front-row seat to a product born from necessity and crafted for real-world impact.

Ready to stop wrestling with the wrong rig and start driving efficiency on every job?

Visit https://gorillatruckbox.com to discover how James Longley and the Gorilla Truck Box team are helping restoration pros like you take control with purpose-built truck bodies designed to scale your operation, protect your gear, and boost productivity where it matters most—the jobsite

If you’re interested in learning how Water Restoration Marketing can help you overcome the challenges discussed in this episode and get more water jobs, book a free strategy session with our team today!

https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

Ready to unlock more local leads and inbound calls in 2025—without burning cash on ads or relying on lead vendors? In this exclusive webinar replay, Clinton James, Chief Marketing Officer at Water Restoration Marketing, walks you through the 2025 Google Maps Playbook designed specifically for water damage restoration companies.

In approximately 30 minutes, Clinton breaks down the latest Google Business Profile (GBP) updates and automation tools restoration pros need to rank higher, expand their service area visibility, and consistently appear in the Google 3-Pack.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The top 2025 GBP updates that impact local rankings
  
  
• Five common GBP mistakes that sabotage your visibility
  
  
• A proven, step-by-step framework to consistently land in the 3-Pack
  
  
• Automation hacks and mapping tools to scale your reach
  
  
• How to leverage scalable local SEO across multiple markets

Whether you're a restoration business owner, office manager, or marketer, this replay is packed with real strategies used by top-performing companies to systematize local SEO and win more jobs.

This is the exact system Clinton’s team uses every month to help restoration clients dominate their local markets.

If you’re interested in learning how Water Restoration Marketing can help you overcome the challenges discussed in this episode and get more water jobs, book a free strategy session with our team today!

https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule