Meet the 2022 Unsung Hero Award Winner Field Hero of the Year:

One word rings through in speaking to Kurt, and in his nomination: positivity.  Kurt has been in the restoration industry for 18 years and counting. He joined at 21, and admits he never looked back, saying “this was the career for me.” 

He joined Dalworth Restoration, a FLEET Response company, four years ago. The bulk of his experience until that point had been as a lead technician or crew chief.  “The culture and the ownership was everything I could have asked for. 

Dalworth gave me the opportunity to grow in the company and be a part of the management team,” Kurt said. “I started out with Dalworth as a mitigation project manager and after less than a year, they promoted me to mitigation manager. This year I was also given the opportunity to manage the environmental department as well.”  Today, Kurt oversees 50% of Dalworth’s total dollar volume. He is well-educated in the industry, keeps up on technology, and is on a constant pursuit of growth for himself and his team.  

Watch this quick interview to get to know Kurt more, and read the full article at www.candrmagazine.com!

This week, we welcome ATI's Chief Marketing Officer Kenneth Schweighofer to the podcast! ATI is known for utilizing data to grow its marketshare, increase customer base, and acquire companies. The marketing department is no different.

Kenneth and Michelle discuss effective marketing techniques for restoration companies, setting yourself apart from the competition, the advantages of organic marketing in certain areas, and more!

In this week's episode, Michelle catches up with fellow podcasters, Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke from the Head Heart and Boots podcast, and columns in C&R.

This conversation covers everything from personality types and tests and learning to embrace, hone in, and grow in who you are. There are also discussions on tough topics like anger and regret, and managing expectations.

Plus, the importance of self-awareness in business and in life, and the impact that can have on sales, family life, and every aspect in between.

Other topics include humility in sales, mentorship vs. management, favorite resources for growth, and SO much more.

Are you ready to take your company to the next level? Want to drive profitability upward? What about getting paid for the job you should do?

Reets Drying Academy is revving up for their Next Level event, happening Aug. 10-12 in Peachtree City, GA!

Next Level is a hands-on, interactive learning experience involving some of the cleaning and restoration industry's top instructors. In this quick conversation with Jeremy Reets and Nick Sharp, we discuss:

O.P. Almaraz and Tim Bauer of Allied Restoration Services join Restoration Today to discuss building trends and how restorers can help create and restore homes and businesses to be more insurable, and less disaster-prone.  

In a recent C&R article, Tim wrote about the Great Californian Insurance Crisis, but the lessons apply everywhere. As natural disasters increase, our role as restorers is to ask ourselves the question: "How can I help my clients avoid going through this again?"

Elan Pasmanick is the equipment guru behind Born to Repair, a company specializing in restoration equipment repair. Have a broken dehu? Elan can fix it. Need some tips on deep-cleaning difficult equipment? Also, Elan.

In this video, check out our conversation with him on equipment repair tips and tricks, how he found himself in restoration, the art of effectively cleaning equipment of all kinds, and more!

You can also find Restoration Today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Gary Findley, chairman of the board for Stellar Brands, has had quite a year. First, he released his new book, fondly titled "The Redneck CEO", then he appeared on ABC's Undercover Boss.

Gary joins Restoration Today to talk about the growth of Stellar Brands, which is parent company to Restoration 1, his knack and passion for franchising, what he's learned from some mistakes - and wins over the years, and more.

In an industry with many events, every planner and coordinator has to be up to the challenge to find ways to innovate and draw in attendees and vendors. From education to networking to expo hours, there are a lot of variables that can make or break an event, and impact future attendance for better or worse. Plus, there are key details like location, hotel, and accessibility to consider.

Now going into its second year, The Collective by CORE is orchestrated by a powerhouse team, led by Vice President of Marketing Diane Goheen and Senior Director of Events Beth Thompson. The event is known for having a variety of tracks on a lot of topics, rich themes that run throughout the conference and venue itself, great networking events, and always a few surprises.

In this episode of Restoration Today, Beth and Diane get real (amidst many laughs) about what it takes to plan an event in this space, lessons learned from year one, and what's on deck for year two.

Katie Smith, CR, CEO of PHC Restoration and President of RIA's Board of Directors, proudly calls herself an "everyday restorer" - and embodies servant leadership.

Through thick and thin in business and in life, Katie remains true to herself, her beliefs, and her ethics, while giving her all to everything in which she is involved. Her clear calling to serve others has made Katie a highly-sought-after servant leader in her company, community, and industry. As a CEO, she is authentic and transparent.

As a member of her local community, she is selfless and involved. As a member of our industry, she is a tireless advocate and connector. You can find similar descriptions for every area of her life.

In this episode of Restoration Today, get to know Katie as she shares:

... and more!

Getting paid is a common pain point for restoration contractors. There are a number of reasons for this – communication, working with adjusters, coverage issues, multi-party checks involving lenders, etc.

In this episode, Michelle is joined by Mark Whatley (founder) and Sean Duffy (VP) of sureti - a new app is paving the way for better customer service and faster payment times for property insurance claims by alleviating frustrations and delays caused by multi-party checks.

They discuss the frustrations they have seen throughout the insurance restoration process, the evolution of a non-biased solution, and what this means for every part involved - property owner, restorer, carrier, and lender.