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Chris's friend Jared Thayer joined us this week, and this conversation covers more ground than almost any episode we've recorded. Jared is the owner of Thayer Design Build, a remodeling company he started in 2014, and his story starts with a hard childhood, a mom who disappeared into addiction, and a grandmother who became one of the aces in his deck of cards. From there he built a construction company from scratch, grew it to a ten person team, went through a divorce last year, and is now raising three boys as a single dad with a level of intentionality most of us talk about but never actually practice. We get into pricing and why undercharging is the silent killer of contractors everywhere, health as the foundation for everything else, faith, mountaineering, and the Tony Robbins incantation that Jared led a group of us through in the woods outside Sisters two years ago. He brought that same energy to close out this episode, right before our internet connection gave out mid recording. Some things you can't plan for. This one earns its runtime. Enjoy the show - Brandon Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping. If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, this show is for you. Why You Should Listen: [2:21] Jared's childhood: a mother lost to addiction and the grandmother who became his lifeline [9:37] Losing 90K in overnight billable work and rebuilding from zero [13:53] The divorce, raising three boys as a single dad, and why he calls it work life integration instead of balance [28:20] The morning routine and health discipline that fuels everything else [36:00] The incantation story: a windstorm in the woods outside Sisters and a moment none of us forgot [51:09] Charge enough money: the lesson that cost him a good employee and changed how he prices every job About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

I walked into this recording annoyed about studio cables, and somehow it turned into one of the most honest conversations Brandon and I have had on this show. We talk about the pressure in modern business culture to be always on and always awesome, and why the gurus only ever talk about their struggles in the past tense. Brandon brought in Arthur Brooks' framework of the three macronutrients of happiness: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. We use it to take a hard look at grind culture, the myth that more revenue leads to more happiness, and what we've seen after years of working with owners in the trades. Some of them hit every financial goal and still don't know what to do with themselves when they get home. Whether you run a restoration company, a roofing crew, or any trades business, if you've ever wondered why the win doesn't feel the way you thought it would, this one is for you. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping. If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, this show is for you. Hope you enjoy the show -Chris Why You Should Listen: [0:30] The pressure to be always on and always awesome, and why suppressing your emotions costs more than you think [8:36] Arthur Brooks' three macronutrients of happiness, and why chasing pleasure isn't the same as enjoyment [12:57] Satisfaction: why the reward comes from the struggle, not the prize [24:19] Financial success and happiness: what we've seen across years of client work [28:41] The owner who builds the business, installs the GM, and has no idea what to do with themselves at home [33:35] Why relationship is the superpower in a world of AI and automation [35:22] Meaning: what happens when you sell the company your identity is built on About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

Some guests walk in with a good story. JR Litehiser walked in with one of the most unbelievable stories we've ever heard on this show, and he made us laugh through the entire thing. JR is the owner of Pacific Northwest Epoxy Coatings and Supplies, PNW ECS, but before that he was a high school teacher, a police officer, and a decorative concrete contractor. In 2008, right as he was launching a materials distribution business, a chemical explosion left him with burns over 80 percent of his body. Eight weeks in a coma, eight months in the hospital, over 40 reconstructive surgeries, and he lost his right hand. He built the company anyway, from a hospital bed, with a laptop and a phone. First year, 60 grand in sales. Today PNW ECS runs two locations, more than a dozen employees, and is closing in on 6.5 million a year. We get into all of it: the accident itself, the group meeting that reframed his whole perspective, hiring family versus hiring strangers, the founder's syndrome of learning to let go, and the leadership style he now calls momentum buildup, his words, not ours. Fair warning, he's got a mouth on him and it is glorious. This conversation earns every bit of its runtime. Enjoy the show- Chris & Brandon Why You Should Listen: [2:12] The accident: a freak explosion, 80 percent burns, and the checklist he only half remembered [8:06] The group meeting that changed everything: sitting in a room with people who had it worse [19:23] The Ritz Carlton story that reframes what customer service actually means [24:02] Hiring family: the built-in trust, the blurred lines, and what he'd do differently [29:17] Founder's syndrome: the leadership retreat where his whole team told him his job no longer exists [45:32] The leadership style that built the business and nearly cost him everything else [55:54] The vision for PNW 4.0: a multi-jurisdictional brand, and the one thing standing in his own way About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

This month's money talk with Jim Emerich turned into one of the most useful conversations we've had on the show, so let's get right into it. Jim breaks down what he calls the four levels of business relationships: direct, individual, ecosystem, and structural. The higher you climb, the less you're grinding one-off sales and the more you're building an asset that owns a customer relationship for years. We get into service agreements as the on-ramp for trades businesses, whether that's HVAC, pest control, landscaping, or the fixed contract cleaning program Brandon and I built in restoration that turned into a one-to-one revenue engine for large loss work. Jim also unpacks quality of earnings and why buyers care so much about revenue predictability, plus a story about a $30 million HVAC company where 30 percent of their revenue on the cash flow forecast never moves, ever. If you're a business owner in the trades thinking about enterprise value, recurring revenue, or how to build something more sellable than a book of one-off jobs, this is your episode. Enjoy the show -chris Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping. If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, this show is for you. Why You Should Listen: [2:25] Why Jim's content has shifted toward the trades at large, and the pattern he's seeing in restoration right now [7:14] The four levels of business relationships: direct, individual, ecosystem, and structural, and why the top level is the pathway to real scale [16:57] Quality of earnings explained like you're 14: what buyers actually validate before they write a check [31:35] Service agreements 101: HVAC, pest control, landscaping, and the "if you have eyes, plagiarize" playbook [41:51] The fixed contract cleaning story: turning two big annual cleanings into monthly recurring revenue, and why it became our tip of the spear for large loss work [50:45] The 13-week cash flow forecast and the HVAC client with 30 percent of revenue that never moves About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

First live in-studio guest in the new space, and it had to be Freddie Bosquez. Freddie worked for me back in the ServPro days, starting around 2013, and watching who he's become since then is one of the privileges of my career. This conversation goes everywhere. A lower middle class kid who wouldn't ask his parents for sports money, so he sold his PlayStation for a pawnshop bass and started a punk band. A recession layoff and a Craigslist ad that led him to walk into a restoration shop looking for work. And then the part most people never hear about this industry: years of trauma scene cleanup, the weight our techs carry into homes on the worst day of a family's life, and how Freddie used work as the mask while alcohol did the quiet damage underneath. He talks about getting honest, what fatherhood cost him and gave him, and how he and his wife built Wolf, now in year 6, into a business worth fighting for, including the year of layoffs that nearly broke them right before everything paid off. Fair warning: the trauma scene portion of this conversation is heavy, and we don't dance around it. It's also some of the most important ground we've ever covered about what the people in this industry actually experience. Enjoy the show - Brandon Why You Should Listen: [2:30] Childhood Freddie: the middle child who filtered his own wants before his parents ever had to say no [6:42] A recession layoff, a Craigslist ad, and the walk-in interview that started a restoration career [9:53] "We're locked in until everybody says yes": the morning huddle every restoration shop should steal [16:16] The mask was work: after-hours calls, trauma scenes, and the drinking he wasn't ready to name [17:55] What a trauma instructor taught him about going home and talking about it [52:47] The catalysts: a daughter, a lost relationship with his son, and retiring old Freddie [56:13] Building Wolf with his wife: feeling alone in the business, the worst year, and the payoff About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

No guest this week, and I came in hot on a topic that's been rearranging my brain all summer: discipline. Here's the setup. This is my fourth year chasing elk with my bow, and for the first time my son is in the hobby with me. Between him and my buddy Olin, my prep this season looks completely different. Lift, run, shoot, every week, Cam Hanes style, with the three of us trading range photos and treadmill pics to keep each other honest. And somewhere in all those arrows downrange I realized my whole definition of discipline is shifting. I used to check the box no matter what. Do hard stuff, don't be a wuss. That version got me here, and I'm grateful for it. But at midlife the spirit of the thing is changing. Now it's about knowing exactly what I want to feel, in my guts, and putting in the work that earns it. Chris and I take that straight into business: the client conversations that repeat for years because someone won't execute, the courage to turn away good work to grab hold of the better thing, and the 500 grand in income we said no to so I could work on Floodlight instead of in it. If you've been circling the same problem in your company for months, this episode is the kick you've been avoiding. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping. If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, this show is for you. -Brandon Why You Should Listen: [3:33] Lift, run, shoot: my elk season prep, and the positive peer pressure making me do it on the days I don't want to [4:35] Check-the-box discipline vs the spirit of discipline, and why the difference matters at midlife [12:37] The consultant's truth: why owners talk about the same problem for years without fixing it [13:56] Chris on courage: turning down good things, short-term pain, and the client who asked if he should shut off his ads [16:30] The $500K no: what it actually cost us for me to work on the business instead of in it [18:10] From Dr. Angry to more tools in the kit: the discipline of changing how you lead people About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

No guest this week. Just a conversation Chris and I probably should have recorded years ago. We spend our days coaching business owners: diagnosing problems, building frameworks, holding people accountable. This episode is about the one area of life where neither of us gets to be the coach. Marriage. Chris and Kara are 25 years in. Janna and I hit 30 in December. And between his Alaska trip and a come-to-Jesus conversation on my own back porch, we got more honest than we ever have about what long-term marriage looks like behind the Instagram photos. The truth we kept circling: it gets better, but it never gets easier. We talk about why the couples doing the most work still hit mines, how ego hijacks hard conversations, why coaching hundreds of business owners doesn't automatically make you a better husband, and the one question from Jim Dethmer that can change your next fight: not "is this true," but "how is this true?" If you're pouring everything into the business while your marriage runs on leftovers, this one's for you. Also: the studio reboot is done, we're going video-first, and the YouTube channel is catching up fast. Come watch us over there. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping. If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, this show is for you. Why You Should Listen: [3:38] Why business owners' marriages are often the first thing to suffer, and why nobody talks about it. [7:15] The Alaska trip: 10 days, one glacier, and the vacation friction every couple knows but never posts [11:37] It gets better, not easier: the truth about deep connection after 25 years [13:47] 30 years in December, and the back porch conversation that caught me off guard [25:49] When the business coach gets coached at home: ego, objection handling, and learning to listen [34:05] Jim Dethmer's question that disarms your ego mid-argument: "How is this true?" About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

We say it all the time on this show: sales first. But sales without financial controls is a mess waiting to happen, and that's exactly why we're launching our monthly money talk with Jim Emerich, founder of Backbone Fractional CFO Consultants. Jim brought a story about a multigenerational contractor that doubled from 5 to 10 million and started losing money. Margins squeezed, line of credit maxed, wrong desk at the bank. The lesson for every business owner in the trades: scaling the top line without watching your pricing, cost structure, and cash flow is how good companies go under. We dig into the 13-week cash flow forecast, collecting receivables faster, and why the "real money is in commercial" mindset nearly bankrupts contractors who don't plan for those payment terms. This is practical financial management for blue-collar businesses, and it's a conversation I think every owner needs to hear. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping. If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, this show is for you. Hope you enjoy, Brandon and Chris Why You Should Listen [4:49] The ankle story: what pushing through pain costs you in your body and your business [9:20] How a contractor doubled revenue, lost money, and ended up sideways with their bank [14:28] The 13-week cash flow forecast: one weekly discipline that changes your decision making [30:49] Making restoration cash flow predictable: collection time, TPA terms, and job duration [34:05] Residential vs commercial: pricing for payment terms before they bury you Need a fractional CFO partner? Find Jim and his team at BackboneCFO.com. About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

Dude. No guest this week. Just Chris and me going somewhere we've honestly been afraid to go on this show. Chris opens up about something deeply personal: his experience with a legal, facilitated psilocybin ceremony here in Oregon, and what it surfaced about rest, presence, and the gaps between who he says he is and how he actually shows up. This is not a party story. This is a guy with a deep faith background doing serious, intentional work on himself, and what came out of it applies to every business owner listening. From there we get into the idea that gave this episode its name: alignment is leverage. When your priorities, decisions, and behavior all line up, you walk into every negotiation, partnership, and hard conversation holding all the cards. We talk about the integrity gaps nobody else can see, why quitting the things that quietly own you builds real confidence, and what I've learned watching my own son become a more aligned man over the last 18 months. Fair warning: this one gets raw. Keep an open mind and listen for the principle. It might be the most honest conversation we've ever put out. Enjoy the show - Brandon Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you. Why You Should Listen [4:17] Chris's backstory: how a men's group conversation started a years-long journey he's never shared publicly [15:31] The lie we call rest, and why scrolling your phone is not recharging your batteries [24:49] Incongruence: the small gaps between who you say you are and how you actually show up [27:37] Why Chris walked away from a nightly habit that was quietly costing him his self-respect [34:04] Alignment is leverage: the Joe Rogan negotiation story and what holding all the cards really takes [39:46] What watching my son taught me about conviction, priorities, and becoming a better man About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn't strategy, talent, or money... but the timeline you've accepted? In this episode, Brandon and I unpack one of the most impactful business books we've read recently, The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. We explore how using time as a tool forces better thinking, exposes bottlenecks, and helps leaders stop chasing incremental growth in favor of transformational change. We also discuss simplifying your business, identifying the few levers that truly matter, and why the companies that scale the fastest often do less, not more. If you're building a restoration, construction, or home service business, this conversation will challenge the way you think about growth forever. Enjoy the show - Chris Key Takeaways: [00:00:50] Time as a Tool - Compress timelines to unlock transformational thinking. [00:04:47] Think Bigger - Use constraints to clarify what actually matters. [00:06:46] Simplify to Scale - Focus on the 2-3 levers that drive the biggest results. [00:08:01] Build the Life You Want - Scale without sacrificing health, family, or relationships. [00:10:26] Get Out of Autopilot - Slow down to ask better questions before taking action. [00:13:10] Stop Incremental Thinking - More of the same rarely creates breakthrough growth. [00:15:08] Find What Breaks at Scale - Identify bottlenecks before they become problems. [00:20:53] Change the Strategy - Sometimes scaling requires an entirely different business model. [00:24:02] The One or Two Levers - Focus on what makes everything else easier. [00:28:36] Raise the Floor - Eliminate what no longer fits the business you're building. [00:34:08] Parkinson's Principle - Work expands to fill the time you give it. About the Show Head, Heart, & Boots is for the men and women who build things for a living. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue collar trade in between. Hosts Brandon Reece and Chris Nordyke built and scaled real companies in the restoration industry, and they have carried those hard-won lessons into every blue collar trade they work with today. Every week they dig into the head (strategy), the heart (culture and people), and the boots (execution) of running a business worth owning. This show is the front door to Floodlight Consulting Group, where Brandon, Chris, and the team help trades businesses find the money already sitting inside them and build companies worth far more than the day they started. Same people, same mission, whether you are listening or working with us directly. Ready to see what that looks like in your business? Start Here! Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you.

Some guests just drop bombs for an hour straight, and Griffin Brand is one of them. Griffin is a former 75th Ranger Regiment special operator who, at 26, found himself as the lone military advisor to the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, wrangling 20 different three-letter agencies into one room. Now he's in private equity with High Ground, working deals across the restoration industry. If you caught last week's episode with Griffin and his co-author Dan Casey on their book Bring Your Own Pencil, this is the deep dive into the man behind it. This conversation is loaded for anyone leading a business in the trades: restoration, roofing, HVAC, you name it. We get into General McChrystal's "fast and flat" philosophy and how to break down the silos killing your company's speed. Extreme ownership, owning the inputs so the outcomes take care of themselves, why veterans are the best hires in blue collar, and a story Griffin had never told before about an insider attack at the embassy and what it taught him about empathy and leadership. Trust me, you'll want a notebook. Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you. Why You Should Listen: [11:03] The third door: how Griffin got through every door he was told was closed, including Ranger Regiment [15:09] The leadership move that built instant trust with the highest-ego room on the planet [18:53] Fast and flat: McChrystal's team of teams, and one practical way to run it in your shop tomorrow [34:07] The insider attack story Griffin processes live for the first time, and the empathy lesson he took from it [52:39] Why veterans are the hire your business needs, and how to find them Grab Bring Your Own Pencil on Amazon, Audible, or bringyourownpencil.com. Did you know... Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%. Business Health & Value Assessment Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps. Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes: A Lite Valuation Of Your Business Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You Value Acceleration Strategies Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer. Fractional Sales Leadership They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed. Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews. More at floodlightgrp.com/sales Commercial Sales MasterCourse A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs. Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST. Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses Tailored Consulting & Coaching Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors. These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it. Explore more at floodlightgrp.com Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth. Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle. See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners Why it matters for you as a listener You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone. If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter. And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.

Every once in a while you record an episode and you know, before you even hit stop, that it's a top-tenner. This is that one. Chris and I sat down with Dan Casey and Griffin Brand - a football coach turned historian and an Army Ranger, to talk about their book Bring Your Own Pencil, the leadership playbook of the legendary Bill Walsh. But this isn't a football episode. It's a masterclass for anyone leading a crew or building a business in the trades - roofing, HVAC, restoration, you name it. How to hold a standard without becoming a tyrant. How Walsh turned betrayal into the greatest coaching tree in NFL history. Imposter syndrome, self-belief before the evidence shows up, and why you should never quit a hit show. Grab a notebook - and bring your own pencil. Owning a business in the trades can be the loneliest job there is. Head, Heart, & Boots exists to change that, because the best leaders don't go it alone, and neither should you. -Brandon Why You Should Listen [10:19] The Hacksaw Reynolds story behind the title — one sentence that set the standard for a dynasty [18:31] Holding standards without a toxic, maniacal culture (their answer punched me right in the face) [21:49] Bill Walsh's origin story is failure — and what he built from it [43:20] The four most powerful words a leader can say [54:53] Lightning round: the books and daily habits every leader should steal Did you know... Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%. Business Health & Value Assessment Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps. Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes: A Lite Valuation Of Your Business Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You Value Acceleration Strategies Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer. Fractional Sales Leadership They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed. Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews. More at floodlightgrp.com/sales Commercial Sales MasterCourse A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs. Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST. Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses Tailored Consulting & Coaching Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors. These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it. Explore more at floodlightgrp.com Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth. Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle. See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners Why it matters for you as a listener You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone. If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter. And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.

Family businesses come with incredible opportunities, but they also come with unique challenges. In this episode, I sit down with Keri Jones, whose family built Utah Disaster Kleanup into one of the most respected restoration companies in the country. We talk about what it was like growing up in the business, learning from industry pioneers, and eventually helping lead the company through rapid growth and a private equity acquisition. Keri shares lessons on leadership, developing people, building a strong company culture, and why creating systems for growth matters just as much as technical expertise. We also dive into what private equity really looks like from the inside, the mistakes they avoided, and the changes that helped the business scale from $22 million to $35 million. As Keri closes one chapter after spending her entire career with her family's company, she reflects on burnout, identity, and the courage it takes to pursue what's next. Whether you're building a family business, preparing for an exit, or simply trying to become a better leader, there's a lot to learn from her journey. Hope you enjoy. Chris Why You Should Listen: [00:06:20] Hear how Keri Jones grew up inside Utah Disaster Kleanup and the leadership lessons she learned from one of restoration's pioneering families. [00:20:30] Discover how UDK built a technician development program that transformed hiring, training, and career growth long before it became common in the industry. [00:30:15] Learn why diversifying sales channels and building intentional business development strategies created a stronger, more resilient restoration company. [00:39:55] Get an insider's perspective on selling to private equity, preparing a leadership team for acquisition, and what really changes after the deal closes. [00:55:10] Listen as Keri shares why she's leaving the only company she's ever worked for, what burnout taught her, and how leaders know when it's time for their next chapter. Did you know... Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%. Business Health & Value Assessment Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps. Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes: A Lite Valuation Of Your Business Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You Value Acceleration Strategies Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer. Fractional Sales Leadership They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed. Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews. More at floodlightgrp.com/sales Commercial Sales MasterCourse A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs. Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST. Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses Tailored Consulting & Coaching Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors. These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it. Explore more at floodlightgrp.com Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth. Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle. See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners Why it matters for you as a listener You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone. If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter. And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.

Mentorship gets talked about a lot in business, but what does it actually look like in practice? In this episode, Brandon and I unpack the difference between teaching, coaching, and true mentorship, and why most leaders struggle to develop people effectively. We explore the two ingredients every great mentor needs: experience and visibility. It's not enough to know what good looks like, you have to understand what’s actually happening in someone’s day-to-day work before you can help them improve. That conversation leads us into how technology is changing leadership, coaching, sales management, and technician development in ways we couldn't have imagined a few years ago. We also share lessons from our own families, the mentors who shaped us, and the responsibility leaders have to intentionally pass knowledge, perspective, and wisdom to the next generation. Whether you're leading a sales team, managing technicians, or raising kids, the principles are surprisingly similar. If you're trying to build stronger people, stronger teams, and a stronger culture, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership and mentorship. Hope you enjoy Chris Why You Should Listen: [00:08:01] Why entrepreneurial success often disappears by the second generation and what leaders can do to intentionally pass on mindset, not just resources [00:17:17] The difference between teaching, coaching, and true mentorship, and why visibility is the missing ingredient in developing people [00:29:42] What listening to 100 real customer conversations revealed about sales performance, close rates, and frontline leadership [00:39:28] How top organizations are using technology to create better accountability, faster learning, and more effective employee development [00:46:10] Why human connection, customer experience, and mentorship may become the most valuable skills in an AI-driven future Did you know... Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%. Business Health & Value Assessment Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps. Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes: A Lite Valuation Of Your Business Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You Value Acceleration Strategies Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer. Fractional Sales Leadership They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed. Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews. More at floodlightgrp.com/sales Commercial Sales MasterCourse A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs. Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST. Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses Tailored Consulting & Coaching Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors. These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it. Explore more at floodlightgrp.com Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth. Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle. See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners Why it matters for you as a listener You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone. If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter. And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.

In this episode, I sit down with former NCAA champion and Olympian Les Gutches for one of the most fascinating conversations we’ve had on the show. What started as a conversation about wrestling quickly turned into a masterclass on resilience, discipline, business, leadership, and life. Les shares stories from his childhood in Southern Oregon, growing up fast while helping care for his sick mother, and how those early experiences shaped his mindset forever. We dig into the relentless work ethic that carried him from local wrestling clubs all the way to undefeated NCAA championship seasons and the Olympics. Les talks about getting thrown into practices with older, tougher athletes from a young age, and how constantly being pushed beyond his comfort zone became one of the biggest advantages of his career. But what really surprised me was hearing how much of his success in business came from lessons learned off the mat. Les explains how working as a commercial lender taught him to read financials, recognize patterns, and learn directly from wealthy business owners. We also unpack his framework for successful partnerships, why every business needs a gas pedal, a brake pedal, and a transmission, plus some incredible stories from his real estate, gym, and liquor store ventures. We finish with a conversation about health, longevity, and discipline as a business owner. At 53, Les is still training consistently and thinking long-term, not just about money or success, but about having the energy and physical capacity to enjoy life decades from now. This episode is packed with practical wisdom and stories I know you’ll remember. Hope you enjoy -Chris Why You Should Listen: [00:05:00] Les shares the responsibility and pressure of helping care for his sick mother as a young child — and how those early experiences shaped his mindset [00:08:30] How constantly training with older, tougher wrestlers built the resilience that eventually carried him to NCAA and Olympic success [00:17:20] A powerful story about quitting wrestling, learning ownership, and the parenting lesson that changed his trajectory [00:27:45] Why real confidence comes from preparation — and how that applies in sports, business, and leadership [00:44:50] Les breaks down his “gas pedal, brake pedal, transmission” framework for business partnerships and why most entrepreneurs build teams the wrong way [01:00:20] A practical conversation on health, longevity, and why successful business owners can’t afford to neglect their physical fitness Did you know... Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%. Business Health & Value Assessment Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps. Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes: A Lite Valuation Of Your Business Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You Value Acceleration Strategies Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer. Fractional Sales Leadership They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed. Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews. More at floodlightgrp.com/sales Commercial Sales MasterCourse A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs. Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST. Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses Tailored Consulting & Coaching Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors. These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it. Explore more at floodlightgrp.com Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth. Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle. See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners Why it matters for you as a listener You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone. If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter. And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.