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.
Episodes
62 episodes
Systems, Leadership, and Letting Go: The Next Level for Restoration Owners with Toby Clem
In this follow-up episode, Clinton James sits down again with Toby Clem of Restoration Advisers to dive deeper into what it really takes to grow a restoration company that doesn’t depend on the owner.If your business still runs off memor...
Your Data Is Broken & Why AI Can't Save You "Yet," with Andrew Wirick of Docusketch
If your field techs are juggling four, five, even eleven different apps on a single water mitigation job — you've got a data problem. And that data problem is going to follow you everywhere: estimating, compliance, team performance, and especia...
The Fundability Fix with Paul Childers: Build a Restoration Business Lenders Actually Want to Back
You're landing jobs. Revenue is climbing. But somehow, cash is always tight — and when you need financing to grow, the doors keep closing.You're not alone. And the problem probably isn't your sales numbers.In this episode of Res...
From Disney to Mold Remediation: Engineering 5-Star Service in a 1-Star Moment with Vance Morris
What if your restoration company could deliver a Disney-level experience—even on a customer’s worst day?In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Vance Morris, former Disney leader, founder of Deliver S...
Building a Restoration Business That Runs Without You with Toby Clem of Restoration Advisers
Most restoration companies don’t struggle to find work—they struggle to build a business that doesn’t depend entirely on the owner.In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Toby Clem of Restorat...
Stop Doing Everything: The Leadership Shift That Scales Restoration Companies
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Erik Peterson, General Manager of Arko Restoration, to unpack a game-changing leadership exercise that’s helping restoration companies break through growth ceilings.
From Feast-or-Famine to Predictable Profit: The Database Strategy Most Restorers Ignore
Most restoration companies are sitting on thousands of past customers and doing absolutely nothing with them.In this episode, Clinton sits down with Alex Nghiem, Chief Revenue Officer at Epic180, to break down a simple but powerful idea:...
From $700K to $2.8M How John Gabriele Scaled and Expanded the Right Way
What does it really take to scale a restoration business and expand into a new market without making expensive mistakes?In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with John Gabriele, owner of 911 Restoration o...
How Contractors Actually Scale: Systems, Trust & Marketing | Clinton James & Paul Sanneman
Real growth in the trades doesn’t come from chasing trends or jumping on the latest tactic. It comes from systems, strategy, and partnering with people who understand how contractors actually operate.In this episode, Clinton James — CMO...
Storm Surges, Freezes, and Missed Jobs: How AI Is Saving Restorers Thousands
Missed calls, slow follow-up, and storm surges can quietly kill your revenue.In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Nick D’Urbano, Co-Founder and CRO of Distance, to break down how restoration compani...
Restoration Pros Rewind 2025: The Best of the Year | Christmas Special
This isn’t just a recap, it’s a celebration of the moments that made Restoration Pros Unplugged the go-to podcast for growth-minded restoration entrepreneurs.In this special Rewind episode, we look back at the top interviews, biggest ta...
A White-Collar Approach to a Blue-Collar Industry: Phil DePaul’s Leadership Playbook
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton sits down with Phil DePaul, the powerhouse owner behind United Water Restoration Group Long Island and 1-Tom-Plumber Long Island. Known for his bold “BoomZeal” leadership style, Phil breaks...
How AI and Offshore Talent Are Reshaping Restoration Staffing with Paul Sanneman
Struggling to find and keep good people in your restoration business? You’re not alone.In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James (CMO, Water Restoration Marketing) sits down with Paul Sanneman, founder of Contrac...
Real-World Scaling: How WonderBuilt’s Raul Gonzalez Is Growing Faster Using LiveSwitch + AI
AI is changing the way restoration companies operate, and WonderBuilt Restoration is already putting it to work. In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James talks with Raul Gonzalez, owner of WonderBuilt in Tucson, AZ, about ho...
Leadership Wake-Up Call: How Restoration Owners Can Build Stronger Teams
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Claire Carreras an entrepreneur known for taking broken home-service teams and turning them into high-performing operations. Claire shares her unusual path into restora...
Pricing Mistakes That Kill Restoration Profit and How to Fix Them with Ben Justesen
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 & Cons...
See the Job Before You Roll: How LiveSwitch video streaming is Transforming Restoration
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...
From Franchise Rookie to Industry Coach: A Restoration Journey with Scott Miller of The Growth League
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with Scott Miller, founder of The Growth League, to unpack his incredible journey from rookie franchisee to independent restoration owner and now successful bu...
AI Meets Restoration: How ERP Copilot is Revolutionizing Commercial Sales
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Jeff Carrier, Co-Founder and CEO of Restoration ERP, to talk about how restoration companies can use technology to win more commercial work and how the new ERP Copilot ...
The KPIs That Separate Struggling Restoration Companies from Scalable Ones
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James (CMO, Water Restoration Marketing) sits down with Chris Nordyke, President & Co-Owner of Floodlight Consulting Group, to unpack the sales and marketing KPIs that separate thr...
Hiring Right in Restoration: Proven Recruiting Tips with Mitchell Riley of OPS Staffing
Finding and keeping the right people can make or break a restoration business. In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with Mitchell Riley, Recruiter and Partner at OPS Staffing, to unpack what works and what...
Fast Cash for Slow Claims: A Lifeline for Restoration Business Owners
Cash flow is one of the biggest challenges restoration companies face. Insurance claims can take weeks or even months to pay out, leaving contractors scrambling to cover payroll, materials, and overhead. For many, this delay means turning down ...
Winning More Commercial Restoration Jobs with BDRs and Online Authority
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James (CMO, Water Restoration Marketing) sits down with Leah Hanlon (Franchise Sales & Business Development, 1-Tom-Plumber & Icon Property Rescue) to unpack exactly how restoration ...
From Documentation to Deal-Maker: DocuSketch Strategies for Restoration Growth
In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Holly Baldwin, Senior Customer Success Manager at DocuSketch, to uncover how restoration companies can transform an advanced documentation tool into a powerful...
Restoration, Innovation, and Education: A Conversation with Ben Jernigan
What does it take to move from working insurance claims to running one of Texas’ most trusted restoration companies while also launching a platform to educate the entire industry?In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinto...