Real growth in the trades doesn’t come from chasing trends or jumping on the latest tactic. It comes from systems, strategy, and partnering with people who understand how contractors actually operate.

In this episode, Clinton James — CMO of Water Restoration Marketing and host of Restoration Pros Unplugged — joins Paul Sanneman, founder of Contractor Staffing Source, for a powerful crossover conversation on what truly drives sustainable growth for home service businesses.

While Clinton works exclusively with restoration companies, the insights in this episode apply to plumbing, HVAC, roofing, remodeling, and any service-based business owner serious about scaling profitably.

You’ll hear Clinton break down:

- Why niche expertise matters more than ever in today’s crowded market

- How trust signals impact Google rankings, LSAs, and AI-driven search results

- The difference between activity and strategy in contractor marketing

- Why systems always outperform hustle

- How marketing, hiring, and operations must work together to scale

- What contractors must adapt now to stay competitive in the next 3–5 years

This episode is packed with real-world experience, data-backed insights, and practical guidance for contractors who want clarity instead of chaos — and growth that actually lasts.

Whether you’re struggling with lead quality, staffing, or long-term positioning, this conversation will help you rethink how you build your business.

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Want more high-quality restoration leads that turn into onsite visits and jobs?

Book a discovery call with Water Restoration Marketing:
https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

Missed calls, slow follow-up, and storm surges can quietly kill your revenue.

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Nick D’Urbano, Co-Founder and CRO of Distance, to break down how restoration companies are using AI to capture more leads, handle overflow calls, and generate more jobs — without replacing their people.

Nick walks through real-world use cases for:

• AI Voice to handle overflow and after-hours calls during storm surges
• AI Chat to convert website visitors, Facebook leads, and form fills faster
• AI Outbound to win back lost leads, collect reviews, and stay in front of commercial prospects

They also discuss why AI works best as a backup and multiplier for your intake team — especially when phones are ringing nonstop during freezes, floods, and major weather events.

Want to see how Distance works for your restoration company?
Book a demo directly with Nick here:
https://meetings.hubspot.com/nickdurbano/demo

Looking to generate more high-quality leads that turn into onsite visits and jobs?
Book a discovery call with the Water Restoration Marketing team:
https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

This isn’t just a recap, it’s a celebration of the moments that made Restoration Pros Unplugged the go-to podcast for growth-minded restoration entrepreneurs.

In this special Rewind episode, we look back at the top interviews, biggest takeaways, and most replayed clips from our most impactful conversations. From leadership breakthroughs to sales strategies, hiring systems to franchise growth these are the insights that moved the industry forward in a big way.

You’ll hear from:

- Our most listened-to and watched guests
- High-impact advice from top operators and thought leaders
- The episodes that restoration pros couldn’t stop talking about

Whether you’re a longtime listener or new to the show, this rewind is packed with energy, value, and a reminder of just how far we’ve come.

Thank you for tuning in, growing with us, and helping us build a community of restoration leaders who do things differently.

From our team to yours:
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a game-changing New Year ahead.

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Ready to grow your restoration brand and generate more high-quality water jobs?

Book your free strategy session with the Water Restoration Marketing team:
https://www.waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton sits down with Phil DePaul, the powerhouse owner behind United Water Restoration Group Long Island and 1-Tom-Plumber Long Island. Known for his bold “BoomZeal” leadership style, Phil breaks down how he built two thriving service brands by bringing a white-collar approach to a blue-collar industry and why professionalism, extreme ownership, and clean presentation are non-negotiable in today’s restoration and plumbing world.

Phil shares his journey from plumbing distribution, to disaster recovery, to becoming one of the top franchise operators in the country. He opens up about the early struggles, the lessons learned scaling two service companies, and why franchising gave him the speed, support, and collaboration needed to grow in one of the most saturated restoration markets in America.

If you're a restoration owner looking to:

- Improve your team’s professionalism

- Strengthen communication with homeowners and property owners

- Raise your operational standards

- Break through your current revenue ceiling

…this conversation delivers the mindset, systems, and leadership frameworks you need to level up.

Packed with real stories, actionable insights, and Phil’s signature high-energy philosophy, this is an episode every restoration entrepreneur should hear.

Connect with Phil:
https://boomzeal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pdepaul/
https://www.facebook.com/picomang

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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://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

Struggling to find and keep good people in your restoration business? You’re not alone.

In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, host Clinton James (CMO, Water Restoration Marketing) sits down with Paul Sanneman, founder of Contractor Staffing Source, to talk about why the “labor shortage” in restoration is often a self-created problem and what you can do about it.

Paul breaks down the biggest hiring myths holding contractors back, like:

- Only recruiting when you “need someone”

- Thinking employees are “too expensive”

- Trying to DIY recruiting without a real system

He then walks through a simple, repeatable hiring process: writing strong job ads (with the help of AI), posting them everywhere, speed-to-lead on applicants, detailed assessments, video interviews, background checks, and proper onboarding that makes new hires say, “I made the right move.”

Clinton and Paul also dig into how AI and offshore talent are changing the game for restoration companies. You’ll hear how owners are using remote team members for roles like admin, estimating, job costing, and marketing often at a fraction of the cost without sacrificing quality or communication.

If you’re a restoration owner tired of starting from scratch every time you need to hire, this episode will show you how to build a steady pipeline of qualified candidates and treat recruiting like marketing: ongoing, systemized, and budgeted.

Visit: https://contractorstaffingsource.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

AI is changing the way restoration companies operate, and WonderBuilt Restoration is already putting it to work. In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James talks with Raul Gonzalez, owner of WonderBuilt in Tucson, AZ, about how AI tools and remote oversight are helping him streamline operations as the company grows.

Raul explains how he listened to our interview with James Hatfield from LiveSwitch, signed up right away, and quickly found real use cases like faster mold evaluations using AI-generated scopes, better contents planning through data-driven insights, and live remote support for technicians on complex jobs.

Alongside the tech discussion, Raul breaks down what’s currently working in his marketing, the challenges he’s faced while scaling, and the operational bottlenecks he’s been working to eliminate.

By the end, you’ll hear how WonderBuilt is using AI and improved documentation workflows to train faster, estimate more accurately, and create a more efficient operation without adding unnecessary overhead.

Want to see how LiveSwitch can streamline your restoration operations? Book a live demo using my link here:
https://join.liveswitch.com/9o7u9222eyk4

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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 sits down with Claire Carreras an entrepreneur known for taking broken home-service teams and turning them into high-performing operations. Claire shares her unusual path into restoration, her experiences at Paul Davis and Servpro, and the leadership lessons she learned while rebuilding departments, launching new service divisions, and now running 1-Tom-Plumber Austin.

Claire breaks down her simple 3-part method for fixing struggling restoration companies:

- People: understanding who’s on your team, what motivates them, and who fits where.

- Process: reviewing what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to change.

- Execution: setting expectations, building consistency, and holding everyone accountable.

She also talks about making great hires, spotting bad ones fast, getting out of day-to-day operations, and shifting from manager to true owner.

If you’re a restoration business owner who knows your team could perform better, this conversation will help you understand where to start and how to lead in a way that actually moves the business forward.

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 sits down with Ben Justesen, one of the restoration industry’s top minds in estimating and pricing strategy. Ben’s journey, from growing his family’s company, Just Right Cleaning & Construction (JRCC), into an award-winning restoration firm to leading national training programs and now shaping technology at DocuSketch offers lessons every contractor can use.

Ben breaks down the biggest mistakes he sees in estimating and pricing, explains the difference between markup and margin (and why most contractors get it wrong), and shares practical advice for protecting your profits on every job. You’ll hear how better documentation, smarter use of tech, and a disciplined approach to estimating can transform your bottom line.

Whether you’re a small operator trying to tighten up your numbers or a larger firm looking to scale profitably, this conversation is packed with insights that can change the way you run your business.

Get more educational content from Ben and the team at DocuSketch:
https://www.docusketch.com/estimate-accelerator
https://e3drying.com/docusketch-estimating-master-class/

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