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 jobs, slowing growth, or dipping into personal funds just to stay afloat.

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Ilana Ben-Ezra, PhD, President of National Claims Funding, to reveal how restoration business owners can get paid upfront without waiting on the insurance company.

Ilana breaks down:

- Why delayed insurance payments can stall growth—or even sink a business

- How National Claims Funding’s Approved Scope Advance Program puts cash in your hands upfront

- Real examples of contractors who used this solution to take on more jobs and grow faster

- The simple, no-strings-attached process to start funding your invoices today

If you’ve ever felt the stress of waiting on insurance checks, this episode will show you how to take control of your cash flow, stay competitive, and focus on what matters most—growing your business and serving more customers.

Visit: https://natclaims.com

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Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

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 companies can land more commercial contracts in 2025.

If you’ve struggled to break into the commercial market or you’re ready to scale past residential feast-or-famine work, this conversation gives you the blueprint. Clinton and Leah walk through the traits of successful business development reps (BDRs), why professionalism and persistence win in commercial sales, and how your digital presence can make or break your outreach.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to hire and train BDRs that build real trust with commercial decision-makers
• Proven sales practices that open doors and keep you top-of-mind
• Why your website, Google Business Profile, and reviews are credibility checks you can’t ignore
• How to feature your BDRs online and build social proof with past commercial work
• The growth system that happens when sales and marketing work together

This isn’t theory it’s the exact playbook top restoration companies are using right now to win long-term, high-value commercial contracts.

Learn More About Adding a 1-Tom-Plumber Franchise with Leah:
https://www.1tpfranchise.com/water-restoration-marketing/

Want Personalized Help?
Schedule a Free Discovery Call with Clinton (Water Restoration Marketing):
https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

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 sales and marketing engine.

Holly shares her journey from her early days at Servpro to becoming a key leader at DocuSketch, where she now helps restoration professionals streamline operations, win more business, and deliver a true “white glove” customer experience.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• Holly’s career path from Servpro to DocuSketch.
  
  
• What DocuSketch really is and why it’s more than “just a documentation tool.”
  
  
• The “no-cost pre-loss scan” strategy and why it’s a game-changer for winning prospects.
  
  
• How restoration pros are using 360 tours and before/after portfolios to stand out from competitors.
  
  
• Real-world examples of DocuSketch saving companies thousands in liability claims.
  
  
• Overcoming objections like “we already sketch by hand.”
  
  
• The “access deactivation” follow-up tactic that keeps you top-of-mind with property managers.
  
  
• How to integrate DocuSketch with ERPs, marketing campaigns, and sales systems.
  
  
• Why Holly believes in systems over goals for consistent sales success.
  
  

If you’ve ever thought DocuSketch was “just a documentation tool,” this episode will change the way you see it.

Visit: https://www.docusketch.com/

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Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?
Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

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 Clinton James sits down with Ben Jernigan, owner of WTR Restoration and founder of DrMoisture.com, a new educational hub for homeowners, agents, and adjusters.

With over 18 years of experience in public adjusting, restoration, and disaster response, Ben shares his journey of rebuilding after Tropical Storm Allison, scaling WTR into a nationwide operation, and why he believes education is the next frontier for the industry.

Listeners will walk away with powerful lessons on business growth, leadership, and the future of restoration.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode:

• The pivotal career moment after Tropical Storm Allison that led Ben into restoration work.
• Transitioning from public adjuster to restoration owner—and the unexpected hurdles along the way.
• Scaling WTR Restoration to handle over 50 major disaster events nationwide.
• Technology’s role in improving efficiency and customer satisfaction (Matterport 3D, remote moisture tracking, Encircle, and more).
• Core business values—how transparency and owner involvement set WTR apart.
• Lessons from setbacks and surprising wins that shaped his leadership philosophy.
• Introducing Dr. Moisture—an educational initiative for homeowners, adjusters, and agents.
• Future of restoration—climate-driven disasters, tech innovations, and where the industry is heading next.
• Rapid-fire insights—Ben’s daily routine, favorite tools, and one takeaway for listeners.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation that blends hands-on restoration experience with a vision for educating and empowering the next generation of professionals.
Visit: https://drmoisture.com/ Your trusted educator for water damage prevention, restoration knowledge, and peace of mind.

Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with Leah Hanlon, one of the nation’s top restoration sales leaders at Icon Property Rescue and now VP of Franchise Sales for 1-Tom-Plumber. Leah reveals how she’s helping entrepreneurs merge restoration and plumbing into unstoppable growth machines.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Leah’s journey from dominating restoration sales to building a national franchise empire
  
  
• How to use emergency plumbing as the ultimate “door-opener” for winning lucrative commercial accounts
  
  
• The proven framework Leah teaches franchisees to generate restoration leads through plumbing services
  
  
• Strategies for identifying and training top-performing Business Development Reps (BDRs)
  
  
• Why 24/7 emergency service is a game-changer for commercial client relationships
  
  
• The biggest opportunities right now for restoration pros looking to expand into commercial channels
  
  
• Leah’s vision for the next 3–5 years in restoration and plumbing—and how you can position yourself to win
  
  

If you’re ready to unlock new revenue streams, scale your business, and learn from one of the best in the industry, this episode is your playbook for success.

Contact Leah Hanlon:- 

https://www.1tpfranchise.com/

[email protected]

Franchise email:  [email protected]

Franchise sales number: 1-855-832-6866

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Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James interviews Chris Nordyke, President and Co-founder of Floodlight Consulting Group, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale high-performing sales teams in the restoration industry.

With deep industry experience and a passion for business growth, Chris shares the foundational strategies behind Floodlight’s success and how their Fractional Sales Leadership model is transforming how restoration companies pursue and close profitable commercial work.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• Chris’s journey from the field to leading one of the industry’s top consulting firms
  
  
• The origin and mission behind Floodlight Consulting Group
  
  
• The value of 1-on-1 custom consulting for restoration owners and leadership teams
  
  
• What makes Floodlight’s Fractional Sales Management service a game-changer for companies wanting to grow without hiring full-time sales managers
  
  
• How to build and lead sales teams that consistently land commercial restoration contracts
  
  
• The most critical KPI’s every restoration company should be tracking to measure growth, accountability, and profitability
  
  
• Insights into current industry challenges, future trends, and the move from hustle to strategic scalability
  
  
• Why understanding and improving your company’s enterprise value is more important now than ever
  
  
• Actionable takeaways restoration pros can implement immediately to gain clarity, momentum, and results
  
  

Whether you're a restoration veteran or a growth-focused business owner, this episode is packed with real strategies, data-backed insights, and expert perspective to elevate your operation.

Visit: floodlightgrp.com to learn more about consulting services, assessments, and training tools mentioned in the episode.

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Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this power-packed episode, Clinton James sits down with Amy Levine, owner of Bright Side Restoration, who built one of Long Island’s most respected restoration businesses from scratch.

Amy pulls back the curtain on her early challenges, how she scaled with purpose, and the systems that helped her stay sane in the chaos. Whether you're running a solo crew or managing a multi-location team, her journey delivers real-world lessons you can apply right now.

As a female leader in a traditionally male industry, Amy brings a fresh perspective on team culture, client relationships, and building a lasting brand in your local market. Her partnership with Water Restoration Marketing unlocked serious ROI—and she’s sharing exactly how.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to scale your restoration business without losing quality or control
  
  
• Proven ways to build trust and reputation in your local market
  
  
• What to look for when hiring—and how to build a winning team culture
  
  
• Real marketing strategies that deliver ROI (and which ones to skip)
  
  
• Why customer experience is your best marketing tool
  
  
• Insightful advice for women navigating leadership in restoration
  
  
• How to plan for long-term growth and position your company for the future
  
  

Whether you're navigating growing pains or mapping out your next five years, this episode is your blueprint for sustainable success in the restoration industry.

If you’re interested in learning how Water Restoration Marketing can help you overcome the challenges discussed in this episode and get more water jobs, book a free strategy session with our team today!

https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Rocky Hensley, founder of ICON Property Rescue and the visionary behind 1-Tom-Plumber, to unpack a bold strategy that’s helping restoration companies secure more commercial restoration work—fast.

After building and selling a successful restoration company, Rocky saw the writing on the wall: shrinking margins, too much reliance on TPAs, and fewer large-loss opportunities. So, he created a game-changing solution—a plumbing franchise designed specifically to bolt onto restoration businesses and open doors to high-value commercial clients.

You’ll discover:

• Why emergency plumbing is the perfect lead-gen machine for water damage restoration
  
  
• How restoration owners are using 1-Tom-Plumber to get their foot in the door with commercial property managers
  
  
• The revenue and margin impact of adding plumbing services without overhauling your core business
  
  
• Real-world examples of franchisees recouping their investment in under 12 months
  
  
• The systems, training, and support 1-Tom-Plumber provides—from marketing to staffing to national branding
  
  
• What makes a restoration company the ideal candidate for this bolt-on franchise model
  
  

Whether you're trying to escape the TPA trap, grow your commercial footprint, or create more predictable commercial revenue, this episode delivers a proven roadmap to scale smarter.

Ready to turn plumbing into your commercial restoration pipeline?
Learn more about how Rocky and his team can help you plug 1-Tom-Plumber into your business and dominate your market:

https://www.1tpfranchise.com/

Franchise email:  [email protected]

Franchise sales number: 1-855-832-6866

Want to grow your restoration brand and generate more water jobs with expert marketing?

Book a free strategy session with our team at Water Restoration Marketing:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.net/schedule

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with Ryan Schrader, Director of Local SEO at Water Restoration Marketing, to break down how restoration companies are winning more jobs in 2025 with Google Local Service Ads.

Ryan shares the biggest updates to LSAs this year, why some campaigns deliver consistent, high-quality calls while others bleed budget, and the exact framework their team uses to help restoration companies turn LSAs into $10K+ months.

This isn’t theory or guesswork—it’s the tested, agency-built system helping restoration business owners generate exclusive water damage leads without relying on lead-sharing platforms or expensive PPC campaigns.

If you’re a restoration owner or marketing manager ready to scale lead flow and dominate your market, this episode gives you the strategies, tools, and mindset to make LSAs your #1 source of jobs.

Ready to see how LSAs could work for your company?
Book a free LSA Audit and Strategy Session with our team today: https://calendly.com/clintonjames/free-gbp-audit

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James sits down with JP Koenig from RocketLevel Commercial to break down how restoration companies can finally crack the code on landing commercial jobs. JP shares how his background in corporate sales led him to a big realization: most restoration companies are great at the work—but struggle to consistently get in front of commercial decision-makers. That’s where RocketLevel comes in.

You’ll hear how the RocketLevel team acts as an outsourced sales engine, combining SDRs (sales development reps), CRM systems, and enriched data to generate real meetings with property managers, facility directors, and other commercial gatekeepers. JP walks through what a typical engagement looks like, how fast companies start seeing results, and what types of restoration businesses benefit most from this approach. From partnering with industry giants like SERVPRO and Paul Davis to helping mid-size firms break into new markets, RocketLevel is proving that commercial growth isn’t just for the big players—it’s for any company with the right systems in place.

If you’re a restoration owner who’s tired of relying solely on residential work or waiting around for word-of-mouth referrals, this episode will show you exactly how to turn outbound sales into a scalable growth engine.

To learn more about RocketLevel and how they’re helping contractors land commercial work without the guesswork, visit https://rocketlevelcommercial.com/ 

If you’re interested in learning how Water Restoration Marketing can help you overcome the challenges discussed in this episode and get more water jobs, book a free strategy session with our team today: https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/