Disaster Podcaster

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, fou...

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 —...

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...

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...

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 thr...

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 doc...

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 coo...

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 d...

Stop Playing Their Game | Disaster Podcaster What happens when carriers shift the burden of documentation, dictate pricing, and leave restorers waiting 90 days or more to get paid? In this episode of Disaster Podcaster, Toby sits down with Russ Harlow, owner of Reliable Remediation and an outspoken voice for independent restorers. Russ has written powerfully about the gap between RIA rhetoric and...

In this episode of the Disaster Podcaster, Klark Brown delves into the transformative power of stepping away from daily operations to gain clarity and strategic insight. Broadcasting from the Montana Business Retreat, Klark shares firsthand experiences and reflections on how this unique gathering empowers restoration professionals to reassess their business models, foster meaningful connections, a...

"Do You Really Want to Scale?" – The Truth About Growth in Restoration. Bigger isn’t always better. In this episode, we dismantle the most dangerous myths about scaling your restoration business—and show you a smarter path to growth. From bloated payrolls to zero-margin companies, we share real stories and give you a proven roadmap: Structure → Systems → Scale. You’ll learn: ✅ Why chasing revenue...

🎙️ Welcome to My Favorite Podcast This Week – Where Great People Shine! Join us this week on My Favorite Guest of the Week as we are joined by Scott Rutkowski with Restoration HQ! Scott was so generous to open up on the adventure of moving his family across the country to chase a dream, what he misses and what he looks forward to. Scott has climbed and clawed in this industry and is now working wi...

Struggles of a Family Business | Disaster Podcaster Running a restoration company is hard. Running one with family? That’s next-level. In this episode of Disaster Podcaster, Klark and Toby pull back the curtain on the unique challenges—and hidden blessings—of building a family business in the disaster restoration world. From blurred boundaries and generational clashes to deep-rooted trust and lega...

🎙️ Welcome to My Favorite Podcast This Week – Where Great People Shine! Join us this week on My Favorite Guest of the Week as we sit down with the incredible Travis Chancey! Travis is known for his engaging personality, wealth of knowledge, and inspiring insights. In this episode, we dive deep into his personal journey, uncovering the stories, strategies, and wisdom that have made him a standout i...

"Why the Right 100 Jobs Beat the Wrong 500 Every Time" Ever feel like you're chasing jobs instead of profits? In this episode, we break down why choosing the right projects matters more than sheer volume. Discover how doing fewer high-value jobs can transform your disaster restoration business, boost profitability, reduce stress, and create happier clients and teams. Stop working harder—start work...

Leadership Failures on Restoration Projects: Are You Setting the Standard? In this episode of Disaster Podcaster, we tackle leadership in restoration projects—where accountability and leading by example make all the difference. Are you modeling the standards you expect from your team? Strong leadership isn’t just about giving direction; it’s about demonstrating the mindset, work ethic, and account...

🎙️ Welcome to My Favorite Podcast This Week – Where Great People Shine! This week, we’re bringing you an incredible conversation with Tommy Richardson, one of our favorite guests yet! 🌟 While Disaster Podcaster dives deep into the world of restoration and disasters, this podcast takes a different approach—spotlighting amazing individuals who inspire through their character, actions, and stories....

**Are You Running Your Restoration Business or Just Working in It?** In this episode of *Disaster Podcaster*, we dive into the mindset differences between restoration company owners. Are you a tech- or PM-minded owner focused on the work, or do you approach this as a true business leader? Could your mindset be holding you—or your team—back? We explore key frameworks and strategies to align your te...

🎙️ Welcome to My Favorite Podcast This Week – Where Great People Shine! This week, we’re bringing you an incredible conversation with Nick Lambert, one of our favorite guests yet! 🌟 While Disaster Podcaster dives deep into the world of restoration and disasters, this podcast takes a different approach—spotlighting amazing individuals who inspire through their character, actions, and stories. We’r...

As we launch season 5 of Disaster Podcaster, we start by helping everyone do a reset from 2024. A year we would like to all keep behind us. In today's episode, Toby and Klark explore some of the big issues we witnessed, some opinions and facts that contributed, and hopefully some good ideas on how to move to make a great 2025. We witnessed some that did not have the same results, so we shared thos...

Our new episode of the industry's best podcast. Today we discuss some always popular Hurricane chats. We talk about the theme of Giving. We discuss USDR. Find the link here: https://unitedsurvivorsrelief.org/ You can join RBA- Restoration Business Academy here: https://www.restorationadvisers.com/RBA-Academy And please register for this great training: https://www.restorationadvisers.com/pl/214858...

Welcome back to the exciting second part of an exciting series. In 2010, I was part of a group of people who were asked and hired to help with the recovery and response to some of the BP Oil Spill Cleanup. In part 1, we begin to lay out how we came about being involved and some of the early staging and structure of the event. We also share another unexpected event that changed our plans quickly (w...

Welcome to the exciting first part of an exciting series. In 2010, I was part of a group of people who were asked and hired to help with the recovery and response to some of the BP Oil Spill Cleanup. In part 1, we begin to lay out how we came about being involved and some of the early staging and structure of the event. We also share another unexpected event that changed our plans quickly (welcome...

In this week's episode, we browse through discussions about a few of the international jobs that I worked on. The challenges and rewards of these types of experiences last a lifetime. While they are different, they remind us that most of what we do is the same. Japan (Fukashima/ Naraha) Oman France Germany Columbia The men and women who sacrificed and joined me on these adventures forever have my...

We are making the theme of our Podcast about projects and everything that goes into them. Big and small jobs. Today on S2: E2 we will go back to 2008 and discuss what ended up being a complicated, fun, and profitable project that we never saw coming. We hope you enjoy the series and stick around with us. A few promised links: CATx Waiting List http://www.catxteam.com Home Page: https://www.restora...