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Bringing Together -
Local Businesses & Your Neighbors in SWFL
Good Neighbor Podcast Estero
EP # 235 Mold Myths and Business Growth: Lessons from Voda Cleaning
Discover the heartwarming journey of Amanda Shepherd from Voda Cleaning and Restoration, a local business dedicated to supporting their community in Southwest Florida. Amanda shares her passion for service, stemming from her personal experiences with Hurricane Ian's aftermath, emphasizing the mission of helping neighbors regain their homes and peace of mind. The episode delves into the complexities of water damage restoration, debunking common myths that often lead homeowners down risky paths.
Tune in to learn why mold remediation is a delicate science that requires expert intervention, rather than household solutions that might seem convenient. Amanda highlights cutting-edge technologies that enhance the restoration experience, making processes smoother and more transparent for clients. She also reflects on the vital role of teamwork and positive company culture in delivering outstanding service, sharing stories that warm the heart.
Join us as we explore the innovative approaches Voda embodies, their commitment to eco-friendly practices, and how they put clients first, always. If you’re in need of restoration services or just curious about what goes on behind the scenes in this industry, this episode is a must-listen. Don’t forget to follow Voda on social media and reach out for free estimates, because they’re always ready to help! Subscribe, share, and leave a review to support local businesses like Voda that truly care about their communities.
Voda Cleaning and Restoration
Amanda Shepherd
Fort Myers, FL · Pineland, FL · Iona, FL · Saint James City, FL · Palmona Park, FL · Cape Coral, FL · Bokeelia, FL · Suncoast Estates, FL · North Fort Myers, FL · Pine Island Center, FL
(239) 666-7359
vodacapecoral
myvoda.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, cabo, jim Schaller.
Speaker 2:Welcome Good Neighbors to episode number 235 of the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we have Good Neighbor Amanda Shepherd from Voda, I'm sorry. Cleaning and Restoration of Southwest Florida. I got that out, I got it Welcome.
Speaker 3:Hi, thank you. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Always fun to introduce new people to our listeners in our community and share what they do. So let's jump right in and want you to share a little bit about what you do.
Speaker 3:Sure. At Voda Cleaning and Restoration, we specialize in a wide range of services to keep your homes and businesses clean, fresh and damage-free. We're known for our five-star service, eco-friendly products and top-notch customer care. Unlike some companies that work for insurance providers, we work for you, though we do coordinate with insurance providers if needed, so we're available 24-7 for emergency services. We offer water damage restoration, mold remediation, fire damage restoration, biohazard cleanup and restoration. We also, on the cleaning side, we have tile, grout, carpet, LVP, floor cleaning, upholstery cleaning, air duct and dry event cleaning and odor removal, and we proudly serve all of Southwest Florida, from South Venice down to the Everglades.
Speaker 2:Wow, it's a big area. So let's back up your story a little bit. How did you get involved in all of this?
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah, I wanted to build a business that actually shows up when we say we will, calls people back and treats customers and team members with real care and respect. After experiencing damage from Hurricane Ian and seeing how much our neighbors were struggling, we knew this was a way we could help the community. We also fell in love with Voda. When I say me we, I'm speaking for me and my husband. I mainly run the business, but my husband also, Chuck Shepard. He also helps out with the business as well. So we fell in love with Voda. The company won Franchise of the Year Award in 2024, and they have amazing people, systems and resources. And now we've built a great company culture in Southwest Florida with a team that actually enjoys working together, which makes a huge difference in the service we provide.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. That makes a big deal. It's kind of they become family in essence, right that's right. So let's talk about starting a business number one but growing into what you have the challenges along your journey. Whether personally or professionally, we've all gone through some type of challenges. Is there something that you went through that you can look back at now and say you know what? I'm in a better place now and I made it through it?
Speaker 3:Sure, just starting a business in general is way harder than you would expect, kind of like having kids. There's a lot to figure out and it's nonstop work. But through the process I've learned so much about networking, growing a business and staying resilient, and it's knowledge I'll carry with me forever and I'll pass along to my kids one day as well.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. Let's talk about some of the myths or misconceptions surrounding what you do that we could, kind of no pun intended, but clean up for our listeners.
Speaker 3:Yes, One of the biggest misconceptions is I can do it myself. I'll just make a flood cut and put some fans in there. So I'm referring to when there's a flood from a hurricane or rain, for example, or it could be a pipe burst or something like that inside the home. They call it a flood cut. You know they'll cut a couple feet or a couple inches whatever it is of drywall and throw some fans in there. So a lot of customers do think my friend will do it. You know my neighbor has a fan, I'll just throw that in there, but not quite Water damage. Restoration is actually a science, so we use psychrometry to measure the moisture levels and safely dry out materials. Plus proper HEPA filtration and antimicrobial treatments are needed to prevent mold in the future as well. So another really big misconception is bleach or vinegar can kill mold.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I'll just dump bleach on it, it'll be OK.
Speaker 3:That's right. So that could work on a hard surface. But on porous materials, mold roots deep inside, so professional remediation is often needed to prevent any future mold growth as well.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and we've seen a lot of that down here because of the hurricanes recently. So there's a lot of people that haven't fully cleaned that and they're just inviting trouble down the line, correct?
Speaker 3:Absolutely Yep and most likely higher costs in the future as well to remediate if it's not taken care of right away.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. So, going off script a little bit, do you notice anything changing or trending in the industry lately?
Speaker 3:There are dehumidifiers where you can check moisture readings from remotely, where there is new technology out there so you can check those remotely. There's a lot of new programs. We use some cutting edge technology in our company where we can scan the room with what they call LiDAR technology, so we can use an iPad to actually map out the rooms of the house or the business in the different areas and measure square footage. So it avoids lengthy drawings, you know by hand, and it actually helps the customers and the insurance providers see everything and what we're doing real time and it actually works kind of like a Facebook newsfeed or something, you know something in social media where you can invite different people to look at it and they can see the status of drying logs.
Speaker 2:And that's the technology. It's a wonderful thing. It helps everybody do their job easier and prevent further damage like you guys do. Now are you from Southwest Florida originally?
Speaker 3:I'm from Virginia and moved to Southwest Florida 10 years ago, and my kids were born here, so I've been here for a while now.
Speaker 2:What brought you to Southwest Florida?
Speaker 3:The same thing that brings everybody else. I think the warm weather and water. So I'm actually from the beach. I'm from Virginia Beach. Okay, and it just wasn't quite warm enough for me there all year round.
Speaker 2:I'm with you. I'm with you. That's why we stay further south, you know, as far south as we can. So I know, owning a business can be very demanding of your time, but when you do get a moment of free time, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Speaker 3:Right now it's all been all about school projects and for the kids and preparing for the Pinewood Derby race. For Cub Scouts as well it's coming up. We're also hooked on Mario Party Jamboree for Nintendo Switch which, as you can tell, I have young kids, two boys that are six and eight, so it's kind of like a video game board game, and we've been making a tradition of playing that on Friday nights and then again, with the warm weather and water, we love to get out on the boat or get out to the beach whenever we can.
Speaker 2:That's it. Get out and enjoy Southwest Florida Absolutely. Is there one thing you wish our listeners knew about Voda that maybe they wouldn't be too aware of?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're locally owned and we genuinely care. And I just want everybody to realize that Voda is a national franchise which, like I said, makes it great that we have those technical resources and excellent systems. But we are locally owned here in Southwest Florida. You know we genuinely care. We've been through the hurricane damage. We offer free estimates and if you're not happy with our services we'll come back and fix it. You know we'll clean the carpet or tiling ground again. We're also big on communication and we always put you first, not the insurance company.
Speaker 2:And that's the big thing, especially with all the issues with insurance lately down here. So how would our listeners go about contacting you if they wanted to learn more or had some issues they needed help with resolving?
Speaker 3:Sure, give me a call anytime with questions. I love speaking to our customers and I'm happy to help anytime. If I don't know the answer, I'll get with my operations manager, who has many, many years of experience in the industry. So you can also check out our website and look at our social media pages as well. So just look up Voda Cleaning and Restoration of Southwest Florida and, like I said, give me a call anytime. I'm happy to talk.
Speaker 2:Very good, any last words for our listeners today.
Speaker 3:Thank you for listening and love everybody in Southwest Florida and happy to help the community here.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, Amanda. Thank you for being such a good neighbor. It was a pleasure getting to know you and we hope to see you out in the community soon.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPEstero. com. That's GNPEsto. com, or call 239-296-2621.