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Meet the 2025 Emerging Leaders Winners

This year was the first-ever Emerging Leaders in Restoration award, and after reading through dozens of nominations, we can assure you of one thing: the future of our industry is in very good hands. We were blown away by all the talent, passion, and innovation from young professionals in restoration across the country.  And the timing couldn’t be more perfect. With disaster events on the rise and a labor shortage that’s becoming even more urgent (a report by Associated Builders and Contractors anticipates nearly half a million new workers will be needed in 2025

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Igniting Your Inner Drive to Succeed | The Tee Box Series for Business Part 1

Teeing Off into Peak Season As winter fades and construction season heats up, trades across the country shift into high gear. Whether you’re in disaster restoration or concrete paving, the summer months often bring the busiest schedules, and the greatest pressure. For those of us in the northern states, it also signals the return of something else we love: golf season. Now, I’ll admit—I love the game. Most days, anyway. On others, let’s just say my relationship with golf is… complicated. But whether you’re striping drives down the fairway or chasing balls through the

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How Can I Keep Hiring Moving Without Losing Top Talent?

Dear Kristy,  I understand the importance of hiring slowly, but how can I keep the process moving without rushing decisions or losing top candidates? In today’s competitive job market, the “hire slow, fire fast” mantra is widely embraced. While it’s crucial to take the time to evaluate candidates carefully to ensure a long-term fit, it’s equally important to maintain efficiency throughout the hiring process. Hiring slow doesn’t mean dragging candidates along for weeks without feedback or updates. It means moving them through the stages deliberately and thoughtfully, ensuring that each touchpoint is meaningful and

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Blinded by Your Own Light: How Your Ego Hinders Your Growth

We’ve all heard the phrase “blinded by the light.” Most people know it as the title of the catchy tune covered by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, but it was originally written by Bruce Springsteen. While the song might seem cryptic at first, it’s rooted in the energy, confusion, and optimism of youth. Beneath the surface, it speaks of invincibility, ambition, and that youthful belief that anything is possible. As business owners, leaders, and executives, we often carry that same belief. We are driven by a fire inside a light that pushes us forward. It’s

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Disaster is Coming—And Workers Aren’t: 4 Crucial Steps You Can Take to Overcome the Restoration Industry’s Labor Shortage Now

When disaster hits, your clients count on you to show up strong—but let’s shoot straight: this labor shortage is a beast. It’s not just a perception or talk around the coffee pot; the struggle is real and backed by solid industry research, like the latest C&R State of the Industry Report (November 2024), which calls out how fragmented we’ve become and emphasizes the urgent need for a unified response to the skilled labor gap. You’re feeling it every day as you hustle to staff your team, maintain morale, and handle an ever-increasing workload. In

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Stop Managing, Start Empowering: How to Create a “Response-Abled” Driven Workplace

What if your employees stopped waiting for instructions and instead took full ownership of their roles? What if they didn’t just complete tasks but actively sought solutions, communicated effectively, and embraced challenges? This is the difference between accountability and responsibility and it’s the foundation of a high-performing service business. Accountability ensures tasks get done and expected outcomes are inspected, but responsibility goes deeper. It fosters a mindset of ownership, where individuals understand the bigger picture, proactively solve problems, and take initiative. A culture built on responsibility empowers teams to see their impact, make informed

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Home Restoration Can Get Messy — Here’s Why Waste Management Should Be a Top Priority

When disaster strikes—whether from fire, flood, or another catastrophic event— homeowners naturally want their property to be put back to normal as promptly as possible. Restoration professionals can do heroic work here, returning damaged assets and structures to their former luster. Before things look good-as-new, however, they tend to get a little messy, with plenty of debris that must be discarded and disposed of. For home restoration professionals, efficient waste management is essential for any successful project. Staying one step ahead of debris accumulation allows restorers to maneuver around their job site and make

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What It’s Like to Work for You (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)

I remember years ago we had a restoration company come visit our office to watch how we conducted our morning huddles and how we interacted with our team. The visitors were in the midst of major culture issues in their business and heard we were able to turn our culture from one of fear and frustration, to one of inclusion, teamwork, and happiness. Our guests arrived one morning and were greeted by our friendly office staff who offered them coffee and a tour of our company. While that was going on, our managers and

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Job Setup Basics for Faster Drying

Water damage doesn’t observe a regular business schedule. Oftentimes, crews must extract water and place equipment after hours, when managers or supervisors may not be available to guide the setup. This places the burden on sometimes less experienced technicians or even temporary help to start the job. One key to effective restoration is properly sizing drying equipment. Deploying the correct amount of high-performance air movers, dehumidifiers, and air filtration units on the job ensures the most rapid structural drying and prevents the possibility of secondary problems like mold and damage to humidity-sensitive materials. On

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The Real Risk Ahead for Insurance

At INTRConnect 2025’s Media Roundtable, the conversation centered around one growing concern: the future of insurability. As natural disasters grow in frequency and severity, the ability to provide and afford insurance coverage is becoming more difficult, not just for policyholders but for the entire system supporting them. The discussion highlighted how these challenges are impacting property owners, real estate markets, and service providers across the board, including those in restoration. The big takeaway is the system is straining under the pressure of catastrophic loss. While wildfires get the headlines, experts say earthquakes and floods

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