Your leads are down. Your phone is quieter. And it's not your marketing... It's the market.

In this episode: Klark and Jon Grubb with Unitede Restorers dig into the national claims data behind the 2025–2026 slump, why nearly 50% of filed claims went unpaid last year, and exactly what the restorers who are still winning are doing differently.

Disaster Podcaster is hosted by Klark Brown, founder of Restoration Advisers and creator of the Modern Restoration Movement. Built for restoration company owners who think differently.

JON GRUBB

→ Connect: jon@unitedrestorers.com

→ Connect:https://unitedrestorers.com/

Additional Video on this Topic

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI84xzP7yD51fsEQ4ZXQvE8o9dUUs6Ym0&si=zVjIlMJS5dDRFimS#RestorationBusiness #DisasterRestoration #Restopreneurs #SmallBusiness #Podcast_____________________________________________________________🏠 Check out more about us, what we do to help restorers, and more.https://restorationadvisers.com/👕 Get your very own Restoration AF Hoody and T-Shirts.https://restorationadvisers.com/home-2481📘 Want to go deeper on the 8% philosophy? Check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series: https://books.by/restoration-advisers🏫 Join the Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationadvisers.com/rba🏔️ Join us at our Montana Business Retreat: https://restorationadvisers.com/montana2026📩 Host contact:Klark Brown: Klark@hey.com

Human Powered, AI Driven.95% of estimates sent in this industry get no response. Not rejected... just silence. In Part 2, Klark, Sean Michael Lewis, and Toby Clem break down exactly why that happens and what you can do about it before you send another one.In this episode (part 2/2):How to upload your Xactimate estimate into AI and get a humanized email that actually connects with the customer — in under 30 secondsBuilding a full month of social media content in 30 minutes, and why Google review consistency now determines whether you're relevant or invisibleWhy marketing agencies are dying faster than most realize — and what "human-driven, AI powered" means for your business going forwardDisaster Podcaster is hosted by Klark Brown, founder of Restoration Advisers and creator of the Modern Restoration Movement. Built for restoration company owners who think differently.#RestorationBusiness #DisasterRestoration #Restopreneurs #SmallBusiness #Podcast__________________________________________________________________________🏠 Check out more about us, what we do to help restorers, and more.https://restorationadvisers.com/👕 Get your very own Restoration AF Hoody and T-Shirts.https://restorationadvisers.com/home-2481📘 Want to go deeper on the 8% philosophy? Check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series: https://books.by/restoration-advisers🏫 Join the Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationadvisers.com/rba🗓️ Upcoming Aramsco Classes: https://restorationadvisers.com/aramsco/allclasses🏔️ Join us at our Montana Business Retreat: https://restorationadvisers.com/montana2026📩 Host contact:Klark Brown: Klark@hey.com

The restoration industry is adopting AI. Most of them are doing it wrong: chasing tools instead of solving problems. In this episode, Klark sits down with Sean Michael Lewis (CEO, Tier Level) and Toby Clem for an unfiltered conversation about what AI actually does for restoration business owners, and what it doesn't.In this episode (Part 1):Sean breaks down how he accidentally built $150,000 worth of software using AI, and what that means for your tech stack.Why starting with the problem (not the tool) is the only way to get value from AIThe leadership gap is growing in the restoration industry, and whether AI makes it better or worseDisaster Podcaster is hosted by Klark Brown, founder of Restoration Advisers and creator of the Modern Restoration Movement. Built for restoration company owners who think differently.#RestorationBusiness #DisasterRestoration #Restopreneurs #SmallBusiness #Podcast__________________________________________________________________________🏠 Check out more about us, what we do to help restorers, and more.https://restorationadvisers.com/👕 Get your very own Restoration AF Hoody and T-Shirts.https://restorationadvisers.com/home-2481📘 Want to go deeper on the 8% philosophy? Check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series: https://books.by/restoration-advisers🏫 Join the Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationadvisers.com/rba🗓️ Upcoming Aramsco Classes: https://restorationadvisers.com/aramsco/allclasses🏔️ Join us at our Montana Business Retreat: https://restorationadvisers.com/montana2026📩 Host contact:Klark Brown: Klark@hey.com

Tell me if you have asked THIS questions: How long do I, as a new restoration owner, have to still be On-Call?Every restoration owner asks it eventually.This episode started with a social media post from a new operator asking that exact question. The thread blew up. Thirty-year veterans are still on call. Ten-year owners who never escaped it. And a whole lot of limiting beliefs are being passed down like they're wisdom.They're not.The real answer isn't about tenure or timelines, really. It's about systems. Most restoration companies either don't have them, don't trust them, or never built them in the first place. We see it too often.We talk about why the first one to two years on call is realistic... and what you should be building during that time so it doesn't become year ten.Why hiring for character beats hiring for experience almost every time. Why the owner who handles every call is actually the biggest bottleneck in the business. And what it really means to work on the business rather than be permanently in it.Systems aren't software. They're not just SOPs. They're the agreement your team has about what good looks like, who's empowered to act, and what doesn't need to come back to you.If you're still the nucleus of every decision in your company, this episode is for you.The 8% don't stay on call forever. They build something that doesn't need them to be.__________________________________________________________________________🏠 Check out more about us, what we do to help restorers, and more.https://restorationadvisers.com/👕 Get your very own Restoration AF Hoody and T-Shirts.https://restorationadvisers.com/home-...📘 Want to go deeper on the 8% philosophy? Check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series: https://books.by/restoration-advisers🏫 Join the Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationadvisers.com/rba🗓️ Upcoming Aramsco Classes: https://restorationadvisers.com/arams...🏔️ Join us at our Montana Business Retreat: https://restorationadvisers.com/monta...📩 Host contact:Klark Brown: Klark@hey.com

Most restorers treat stabilization like a formality. Or worse — an overhead cost they're trying to minimize. This episode challenges that entirely.I brought in two operators who are actually in the field day in and day out, Corey of JDR Restoration (Fort Worth, TX) and Jake Blanton, founder of Guardian Restoration (27 locations across 9 states), and asked them one simple question: walk me through your last fire job.What followed was a real conversation about what professional stabilization actually looks like. The testing. The PPE protocols. The generator decisions. The 14-day timelines. The sister company's subs have to follow your safety standards, whether they like it or not. And the customer conversations that happen before a single piece of equipment gets moved.We talk about why asbestos testing isn't optional (regardless of build year) Why firing a structure back up to open the pores is something less than 1% of this industry does. Why stabilization is a revenue center, not a liability. And why rush any job because the insurance company is impatient isn't real restoration. It's compliance and will cost you dearly.If you're a restoration contractor and don't have an iron-clad process around stabilization, this episode might blow your mind and get you started.The 8% don't wait for someone else to define the standard. They set it.📘 Want to go deeper on the 8% philosophy? Check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series: https://books.by/restoration-advisers🏫 Join the Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationadvisers.com/rba🗓️ Upcoming Aramsco Classes: https://restorationadvisers.com/aramsco/allclassesAsbestos Whitepaper (All the proof you need): https://restorationadvisers.com/asbestos_whitepaper
Environmental Assessment Phase Download: https://restorationadvisers.com/environmentalassessmentphase🏔️ Join us at our Montana Business Retreat: https://restorationadvisers.com/montana2026📩 Guest contact:Corey Burger: cb8057@gmail.comJake Blanton: jacob.m.blanton@gmail.comKlark Brown: Klark@hey.com

Most restorers hear "follow the rules" and never stop to ask: whose rules? And who made them?In this episode, I sit down with two of the top 1% of restoration operators.Kevin Dooley and Chris Laney will unpack the difference between real standards and inherited assumptions that hold this industry back.We get into the rules worth following (technical standards, unmanipulated data, consistent documentation) and the ones worth questioning (Xactimate-only pricing, adjustor-dictated scope, fear-based billing).Plus: why most collection problems start at onboarding, not at invoicing.You'll hear Kevin explain IoT (Internet of Things) and sensor-driven drying data, why Chris believes consistent repeatable results start with telling the story on the front end, and why I think your technicians shouldn't need a second job to make rent.This one's a bigger conversation than 56 minutes allows, but it's a start.A little about the 8%: The contractors who set their own standards, personal, operational, and technical, instead of waiting for someone else to define them? That's the 8%.If you want to understand this philosophy of The 8% deeper, check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series at https://restorationadvisers.com/storeWhat's next for Disaster Podcaster? Expect more real conversations with operators who are doing the work, fewer echo chambers, and practical frameworks you can actually use.🎧 Subscribe and listen to more at: https://restorationadvisers.com/podcastJoin The Incredible Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationadvisers.com/rbaUpcoming Modern Restoration Aramsco Classes: https://restorationadvisers.com/aramscoContact Info for our guests: Kevin Dooley: Kevin@kahi.ioChris Laney: chris@e3drying.comKlark Brown: Klark@hey.com

Most people see disaster response as emergency work and cleanup. But there's a whole layer of invisible work that determines whether survivors actually recover, or get left behind.In this episode, we share our recent experiences volunteering with United Survivors Disaster Relief (USDR) in Kerrville, Texas, Jamaica, and Washington State.You'll hear about the critical behind-the-scenes coordination that makes or breaks disaster response, logistics, intelligence gathering, community connections, and survivor advocacy. This is work that rarely gets talked about but absolutely has to happen.A little about the 8%: this invisible infrastructure work is exactly what separates restoration contractors who truly serve people in crisis from those just running insurance jobs.What is the 8%?The 8% are restoration operators who think differently than the conventional majority. They build businesses around empowered teams, community relationships, and long-term sovereignty, not insurance dependency. They're the innovators and early adopters who lead the industry forward while others wait for permission.
If you want to understand this philosophy deeper, check out the 8% Restopreneurs™ book series at https://restorationadvisers.com/store

What's next for Disaster Podcaster?Expect more field stories, fewer industry politics, and practical frameworks you can actually use.🎧 Subscribe and listen to more at: https://restorationadvisers.com/podcast

Join Restoration Business Academy: https://restorationbusinessacademy/rba

Check out UDSR at: https://unitedsurvivorsrelief.org/

Upcoming Aramsco Classes: https://restorationadvisers.com/aramsco

Too many restoration contractors have been told they’re part of the insurance industry. That’s a lie that keeps you broke and stuck.

In this episode, Toby has a conversation with the CEO and founder of Albiware: Alex Duta.

They dive deep into how the industry is made up of contractors, not claims specialists. We are part of the claims process, not the claims industry. The minute you embrace that distinction, everything changes.

In this video, you’ll learn:
🔹Why restorers lose money by acting like insurance middlemen
🔹The difference between the claims process vs. the claims industry
🔹How plumbers and other trades bill for cost incurred — and why you should too
🔹Practical steps to collect deposits, secure draws, and stop waiting on carrier approval
🔹How to finish jobs, collect checks, and take back control as a Restopreneur™️

Contrary to the loudest voices in the industry right now, this is how the most successful independent restoration companies are operating right now.

Stop giving away your leverage to carriers. Start leading your business like a contractor who gets paid.

🚨 Are you ready to stop waiting for carriers and start getting paid faster?

Join our 2-Day Client Onboarding Class and learn how to take control of the client journey, protect your margins, and build independence. 👉 https://www.restorationadvisers.com/finish-jobs-collect-checks 🎧

Subscribe and listen to more at Disasterpodcaster.com

Join Restoration Business Academy: https://www.restorationadvisers.com/RBA-Academy