Good Neighbor Podcast: Orange County

From Restaurant Floors To Reliable Drains: Joseph Russell On Honest, Community-First Plumbing

• Rachel Fyffe & Joseph Russell

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A busted pipe in a busy restaurant set Joseph Russell on a path he didn’t expect—one that turned quick fixes into a calling and a community business. We sit down with the owner of Newport-Mesa Drains to unpack what trustworthy plumbing looks like in real life, from diagnosing tricky drain issues to steering clear of upsells that don’t serve the homeowner. Joseph brings a refreshingly candid view of the trade: most days are about careful diagnostics, routine maintenance, and thoughtful repairs—not the sensational horror stories social media loves.

We explore the gritty, practical side of building a local service business in Newport and Costa Mesa, where word of mouth still beats billboards. Joseph and his wife Teresa lean on old-school marketing: showing up at community events, staying visible on Nextdoor, posting helpful content to Instagram, and literally cleaning up local beaches with the Surfrider Foundation. That slow-burn strategy grows trust with neighbors who value reliability, transparency, and a friendly face more than a coupon code. Along the way, Joseph busts a few myths—no, plumbers aren’t minting money on every call, and no, they don’t spend every day knee-deep in sewage.

What stands out is a clear service philosophy: be honest, be local, and be present. Joseph talks about giving straightforward options, respecting budgets, and making recommendations that actually solve the problem instead of just moving it down the line. He also shares how life by the beach—bike rides, dog walks, and low-key nights at home—keeps him grounded for the 6 a.m. calls and weekend emergencies. If you care about hiring right the first time, you’ll come away with a simple checklist: look for community involvement, transparent communication, visible craft, and neighbors who vouch for the work.

Want to connect with Newport-Mesa Drains? Find them on Instagram at nm drains and on YouTube at NM Drains for practical tips and a window into their process. If this conversation helps you choose better home services, share it with a neighbor, subscribe for more local stories, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your support keeps these good neighbor conversations flowing.

SPEAKER_01:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Rachel Fife.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Now, if you are looking for a plumber who can handle leaky faucets all the way to complex sewer line repairs, while this resource is closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Joseph Russell with Newport Mesa Drains. Joseph, how are you doing today?

SPEAKER_00:

I'm good. How are you?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm good. And I'll tell you, we are really excited to learn about your business. So tell us all about Newport Mesa Drains.

SPEAKER_00:

So basically, uh we are a local uh service and repair plumbing company here based in Newport, Costa Mesa, and surrounding areas.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, how did you get into this business?

SPEAKER_00:

So I used to work in the restaurant industry, and one of the last restaurants that I worked at had terrible plumbing. So me and the manager always used to go to Home Depot and rent plumbing equipment and you know, basically service the plumbing ourselves. And while doing that, a few of the times there was a plumbing outfit that would come in with a few of their guys to grab lunch. And they basically saw that I was doing a good job, but using poor equipment. So they joked and they laughed and they said, Hey, you should probably come join the trade. We have an opening. And I want to say two, three months later, I started apprenticing as a uh plumber.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. So now what do you think are maybe some miss or misconceptions in your industry?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh the first one, uh, probably that everyone thinks that plumbers deal with feces. Um, it's not every day that we deal with that. Um, and another one would be that everybody thinks that plumbers are rich, and that's not the truth.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, well, we know marketing is at the heart of every business. So, how are you finding your customers?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, we're basically uh word of mouth. Um, we've been doing a lot of uh me and my wife Teresa have been doing a lot of old school techniques, cards, um podcasts like this, uh next door, um Instagram, Facebook, um, a lot of community events. We pick up trash on the beach. Uh, we've joined Surfrider Foundation. We've done a few things that are uh basically just for the community to try and get our name out there without you know uh having to spend a bunch of money uh and give it to corporate companies with you know little to no results.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. My friends tell me all the time that I should have one, but I'm too busy working.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. Now, outside of work, Joseph, what do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, if I'm not, you know, late night watching the Sopranos with my wife, uh, I take my dog to the park. Me and my wife like to walk around on the beach a lot, use the beach as much as we can, and we like to ride our bikes and cruise around.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, Joseph, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about Newport Mesa Drains.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh basically that, you know, that we're honest. Um that, you know, there's uh, you know, this podcast is obviously to highlight small business. Um we are uh we are very old school, we are very honest, and we honestly just try and help out whoever we can when we can with what services we have available.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, how can our listeners learn more about Newport Mesa Drains?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, if I do start a podcast, but meanwhile, it would have to, they would have to just tap into our Instagram. Uh, that's nm drains. Uh that's that's our Instagram. And then we also have an NM Drains uh YouTube channel as well.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, Joseph, I really appreciate you being on the show, and we wish you and your business really all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much for supporting small business like ourselves.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnporangecounty.com. That's gnporangecounty.com or call 714 941.