Port City Profiles

Nick Mendez started his law career defending insurance companies, trying to shave $10,000 off claims from people living paycheck to paycheck. It didn't make him feel good. So he and his partner Devlin Horton switched sides and built Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys.

Rich talks with Nick about what the insurance playbook looks like from the inside, why his intake team works from home instead of a call center, and how a contingency fee shapes which cases the firm takes. Nick explains how a case gets valued, why so few go to trial, and why North Carolina's contributory negligence law makes slip and fall claims so hard to win. He also tells the story of a veteran client whose seven-figure settlement protected his retirement after a crash with a commercial vehicle, and why the firm shows up on billboards in Hawaiian shirts.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:15) - From Insurance Defense to Injury Law

(05:43) - The First Call After an Injury

(08:58) - Managing Client Expectations

(10:44) - What a Case Is Worth and Going to Trial

(13:56) - A Veteran's Seven-Figure Recovery

(18:06) - Hawaiian Shirts and Approachable Marketing

(20:47) - Slip and Falls and Contributory Negligence

Connect with Nick:

Website: https://hortonmendez.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hortonmendezlaw

Instagram (Español): https://www.instagram.com/hortonmendezley

Follow Port City Profiles on Instagram and TikTok: @portcityprofiles

Follow host Rich Cardona: https://www.instagram.com/richcardona__/

Want to know more about UNFLTR? Visit https://unfltr.io

Produced by ⁠UNFLTR

In 2018, Sean Claire moved his family to the North Carolina coast. Three months later, with a two-week-old son at home, Hurricane Florence came through, their roof failed, and the family spent 60 days without a home.

Sean had roofed every summer since he was 14. After Florence he left a career in venture-backed tech and started Fortitude Roofing, built on two words that are now on every truck: integrity and craftsmanship. Rich talks with Sean about the door-knocking insurance pitch homeowners should watch out for, how long a roof really lasts near the ocean, how his crews replace a full roof in a single day, and why every Google review Fortitude gets turns into a donation to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Sean also names the mistake he would fix first if he started over: processes and KPIs, sooner.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction: First Guest on Port City Profiles

(00:53) From Teenage Roofer to Business Owner

(03:02) The Silicon Valley Detour

(05:09) Hurricane Florence: The Divine Intervention Moment

(06:56) Building on Core Values: Integrity and Craftsmanship

(09:46) Giving Back: Supporting Autism Awareness

(10:50) What to Expect When You Need a Roof

(13:17) Red Flags: Avoiding Roofing Scams

(15:22) The Fortitude Process: Four Steps to Peace of Mind

(17:45) One-Day Roof Replacements and Quality Craftsmanship

(19:58) The Undervalued Trades: Why Roofing Matters

(22:35) Lessons Learned: Building a Business the Right Way

(24:48) The Future: Developing Leaders and Growing Impact

Connect with Sean:
Fortitude Roofing: https://fortituderoofing.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortituderoofing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortitudeRoofingCompany
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanclaire

Resources mentioned on the episode:

Support the Autism Society of North Carolina: https://www.autismsociety-nc.org

Follow Port City Profiles on Instagram and TikTok: @portcityprofiles
Follow host Rich Cardona: https://www.instagram.com/richcardona__/
Want to know more about UNFLTR? Visit https://unfltr.io

Produced by UNFLTR

How well do you actually know the businesses in your own city? Port City Profiles is Rich Cardona's weekly conversation with the owners and pillars building Wilmington to know a little bit more about how and why they do it. Built for Wilmington locals and future locals, this show is how you get to know the Port City through the people who make it what it is. New episodes drop every week, so hit subscribe and get to know your city. Whether you already call Wilmington home or you're thinking about it, Port City Profiles is your way in.