Straight Talk – an ISSA Podcast
Straight Talk, an ISSA podcast, presents a curated playlist of the hottest topics facing the cleaning industry today—from health and safety to infection prevention to innovative products to business development and much more. ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association, brings together the top experts and decision makers give our listeners and members the most up-to-date information for their businesses.
Episodes
488 episodes
From the Lab to the Reprocessing Floor: How Enzymatic Detergents Get Tested, Chosen, and Trusted
What does it take to develop effective enzymatic detergents for today’s healthcare environments? In this episode, we explore how detergent manufacturers validate cleaning performance, differentiate their products, and support healthcare facilit...
Where Cleaning Contracts Are Really Won or Lost
Winning a contract is only half the battle—executing a smooth transition is where the real pressure begins. In this episode, Randy Burke and Jason Little at DCS Global break down one of the biggest hidden challenges in the cleaning and facility...
Cleaning in the Age of AI and Automation
What happens when a university engineering project turns into a global technology company helping major facility service organizations digitize operations?
Hantavirus and Beyond: Is the Cleaning Industry Ready for What’s Coming?
Biohazard incidents can happen anywhere—schools, offices, healthcare facilities, public spaces, transportation hubs, and commercial buildings. When cleaning professionals encounter blood, bodily fluids, infectious materials, or other potentiall...
Is Your Website a Pretty Brochure or a Powerful Business Tool?
A great-looking website doesn’t always mean great results. In this episode, we explore why so many cleaning company websites fail to convert—and what you can do about it.
Why New Cleaning Employees Quit Before They Even Settle In
Over 55% of cleaning industry new hires quit within the first 60 days—and many companies are asking the wrong question about why. In today’s program, we explore what separates cleaners who stay from those who leave almost immediately. From onbo...
Why Most Quarterly Business Reviews Fail
Most business owners in the cleaning and facility solutions industry are good at what they do. They know how to run a crew, manage a job, and keep clients happy. What they're less comfortable with—and what could be costing them real money—is a ...
Fraud Isn’t Black and White: Inside Restoration’s Gray Areas
In this episode, we take a closer look at insurance fraud in the restoration industry—from every angle.
The Long Game of Restoration
Tim Miller has seen the inside of a lot of restoration companies. After more than 30 years in the cleaning and restoration industry—starting at a mom-and-pop janitorial supply house, moving through specialty chemicals, a decade at Jon-Don, a co...
Three Industries, One Mission: The Future of Indoor Air Quality Starts Here
A new alliance between two well-known industry organizations is opening the door for home inspectors to expand into indoor air quality assessment—and the timing, both groups say, couldn't be better. NORMI (National Organization of Remediators a...
Good Salespeople Fail in Bad Systems
If your sales team isn’t hitting its numbers, the instinct is often to blame the people. But what if the real problem is the system they’re operating in?
Breaking Away: How Contractors Are Growing Without TPAs or Franchises
There's a growing movement in the restoration industry—one that says independent contractors don't need a franchise or a TPA to build a thriving business. Trusted Restorer has been making that case for years, and under its recently refreshed id...
Navigating the Storm: Why Good Data is Your Business Playbook
If your cleaning business feels harder to run right now, you’re not imagining it. Rising costs, labor challenges, and constant uncertainty are putting pressure on every part of the operation. But what if the answer isn’t working harder—it’s wor...
What Really Matters When You're Ready to Sell
You had a great year. Revenue is up. The phone kept ringing. So when you call a broker and float the idea of selling, you expect excitement on the other end of the line. Here is why that may fall flat.
When Growth Works Against You
Growth should feel like progress—but for many businesses, it creates more problems than it solves. In this episode, we take a closer look at the leadership decisions that determine whether growth actually scales or simply adds stress, complexit...
Women in Leadership: Building Confidence, Taking Chances, and Shaping the Future
What does it take to lead—and succeed—at the highest levels of the cleaning industry? In this episode, we sit down with three dynamic women leaders in manufacturing and distribution to explore the real drivers behind their success.
Stop Using One AI Tool for Everything
Are you using ChatGPT for everything? You might be slowing yourself down without even realizing it. In this episode, we break down a smarter way to use AI: matching the right tool to the right job. From writing and research to strategy, numbers...
The Trust Factor: An Inside Look at RIA’s new Ethics Framework
Why do ethics matter in restoration? Because trust is everything. In this conversation, Saima Hedrick, CEO of the Restoration Industry Association, and Justin Woodard, the RIA President Elect, discuss why ethics are not just a talking poin...
Why Air Quality is the New Five-Star Standard
Indoor air quality and mold are no longer just operational concerns—they’re central to guest experience, brand reputation, and long-term building health. In this conversation, Doug Hoffman of NORMI and John Greenwell of EcoLife Asia share how g...
Policy in Motion: Why the IICRC Legislative Fly-In Matters to You
What happens in Washington, D.C., doesn’t stay in Washington—it impacts every corner of the cleaning and restoration industry. In this conversation, we explore the IICRC Legislative Fly-In, where industry professionals meet directly with Congre...
A Quiet Change in Xactimate Could Cost You on Every Job
A small change to a software setting… with a big impact. In this conversation, we break down the updated labor efficiency settings in Xactimate and what they mean for disaster restoration professionals.
The Rise of the Robotic Workforce: Who Will Manage the Machines?
Robotics is reshaping the cleaning industry—but the real story goes beyond machines. In this episode, we explore how automation is addressing labor shortages, improving consistency, and introducing new ways to manage cleaning operations through...
The Rise of the Robotic Workforce: Who Will Manage the Machines?
Robotics is reshaping the cleaning industry—but the real story goes beyond machines.In this episode, we explore how automation is addressing labor shortages, improving consistency, and introducing new ways to manage cleaning operations t...