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Contractors Behaving Badly?

10/31/2022

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The DYOJO Podcast introduced a series of episodes covering the lawsuit between Robert Jordan (RJ) Construction and the Arlington Independent School District (AISD). According to RJC they brought suit for underpayment of a 2021 emergency response at Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas following the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri. We are diving into the court documents and internet content to draw out the lessons contractors can learn from this unfortunate experience. Is this an example of a contractor behaving badly? 
  • In episode 92, the DYOJO team and guests introduced the preceding events and the outline of the case currently being litigated in the court of appeals for the second district of Texas.
  • In episode 93 we will explore the backstory of Robert Jordan and his award-winning construction company 
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Whether contractors "chase storms" by responding to national catastrophes such as the devastation left by Hurricane Ian, or provide aid during a regional events such as the one we are talking about in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri (2021), or are simply working on projects where there are multiple representatives involved in the decision-making matrix, there are lessons to be learned from this unfortunate story. The DYOJO team has poured over the available court documents and a key component of this case centers around what constitutes a contractual agreement. 

As our guest Bebo Crain puts it, "It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over." With the benefit of hindsight, many contractors listening to the show will likely conclude that there are several ways in which this situation could have been avoided or better resolved, yet, we don't have all the facts and we weren't there when they were unfolding in real time. As a twenty-plus year skilled trades professional, I have to admit, there are many of the mistakes made in this story that I have committed myself. Two of the key ones being what Mr. Jordan says, "I thought (enter client name) could be trusted." as well as believing that a series of emails would hold up as confirmation of an agreement. 
Robert Jordan says that his company sprung into action, received letters of thanks for their services, but have yet to be paid for their work. According to RJC the school district is using sovereign immunity to say, "Screw you, we don't owe you a penny because we are the government." Many in our audience will resonate with the frustration of having performed the scope of work agreed-upon for the price agreed-upon only to find they are in some level of negotiation with a client, third-party consultants, insurance representatives, or another person in a position of authority, after the work has been completed. 
Contractors will resonate with the frustration of having performed the scope of work agreed-upon for the price agreed-upon only to find they are in some level of negotiation after the work has been completed. 
Topics to be addressed in this series inculde:
  • Lessons learned from RJC vs. AISD
  • Proper documentation of work during storm response 
  • Clarifying an agreement when there's more than one "customer" 
  • Working through the insurance process for disasters of any size 
  • Avoiding and preparing for a lawsuit 
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The Sweat & Grime Podcast

10/30/2022

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I had a lot of fun discussing my journey in the skilled trades with the fine gentlemen who constitute the tripart of the Sweat and Grime Podcast. These boys like to have fun but they also share a wealth of knowledge and experiences from the trenches. They too aim to inform whilst they also entertain (INFOtainment), "Sweat & Grime is a podcast that focuses on the skilled trades while keeping a fun atmosphere."
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Bryan, Rick, and Matt sit and discuss a variety of topics loosely based around the skilled trades. As guys that currently work in the skilled trades, we do our best to ask semi-intelligent questions to our guests to satisfy our curiosities about what they do. From business advice to glimpses into different industries, we try to cover a broad variety of topics to keep you entertained during your workday.
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SOCKTember 2022 Champions

10/27/2022

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  • In 2020, the first year of SOCKTember, four teams in Washington State raised over 5,500 pairs of socks and donated them to local charities. 
  • In 2021, the second year of SOCKTember, 39 teams in 2 countries raised over 66,000 pairs of socks and donated them to local charities. 
  • In 2021, On Side Restoration joined the competition to expand The DYOJO Podcast annual SOCKTember to an international event. 

Next year our goals are to:
  • Expand this event to Europe and Australia to increase our competitors at the international level
  • Increase the regional level competition - East, Mid, and West
  • Double the state-by-state competition by bringing back and adding several states 
  • Increase the team-by-team levels with local offices, franchises, and national organizations 
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SOCKTember fits well into the fall plans for those participating in Restoring Kindness as a means of team building as well as community involvement. Keep your eyes and ears open as The DYOJO and C&R Magazine will continue to share the plans for SOCKTember 2023. 
CONTACT The DYOJO about getting involved with SOCKTember 2023!

2022 SOCKTember Champions

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The winning team this year joined the competition in 2021 and raised a total of 36 pairs of NEW socks. This year, their team returned to the competition with their eyes on the prize and were able to raise a current record of 11,160 pairs of NEW socks. The team behind the Laval office of On Side Restoration are the 2022 SOCKTember Champions! Their record-breaking efforts bring the total quantity of NEW socks raised and donated to local charitable organizations throughout the United States and Canada to 57,791. 

The Top 5 Sock-Raising Teams of 2022

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Were those valiant Sisters for Socks able to three-peat? The answer is no. This back-to-back (2020 & 2021) winning team is led by Allstars Lindsey Ward (Reliable Contents Services) and Sarah Roberts (ServiceMaster of Tacoma). We know they will be back next year with a vengeance. 

​Rounding out the Top 5 for 2022 are:


  • Fifth place, with 4,968 pairs of NEW socks, The Best DANG Sock-Raising Team in Pierce County led by David Kean (Arken), Diane Salz (Seattle Contents), and Jon Isaacson (ARES Restoration)
  • Fourth place, with 6,394 pairs of NEW socks, On Side Restoration - Edmonton 
  • Third place, with 7,021 pairs of NEW socks, Sock Unicorns led by Pierce County realtors Kelsey Isaacson and Joe Vego  
  • Second place, with 8,144 pairs of NEW socks (nearly doubling their sock-haul from last year), On Side Restoration - Red Deer

The Top 10 Sock-Raising Teams of All Time

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In our third year of competitive sock-raising the leader board for most socks raised in a single season by a single team looks like this:
  1. On Side Restoration - Laval - 11,160 (2022)  
  2. Sisters for Socks - 8,506 (2021) 
  3. The Best DANG Sock-Raising Team in Pierce County - 8,502 (2021) 
  4. On Side Restoration - Red Deer - 8,144 (2022) 
  5. Sock Unicorns - 7,012 (2022) 
  6. Sock Unicorns - 5,974 (2021)
  7. The Best DANG Sock-Raising Team in Pierce County - 4,968 (2022) 
  8. Sisters for Socks - 4,666 (2021)
  9. On Side Restoration - Red Deer - 4,532 (2021)
  10. On Side Restoration - Edmonton - 4,520 (2021) 

Sock-Raising Leaders by Category

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  • In three years, SOCKTember has raised and donated 129,726 pairs of NEW socks to local charitable organizations
  • In the Nation vs. Nation battle, Canada has won the last two years against the United States, widening their margin of victory in 2022. We are looking forward to adding a nation or two next year (ie Europe and Australia) 
  • In the Region vs. Region battle, US-West has won the last two years against US-East. We look forward to expanding this segment. 
  • In the State vs. State battle, Washington has won the last three years. We are looking forward to several states returning and adding a few new states to the competition. ​
CONTACT The DYOJO about getting involved with SOCKTember 2023!

SOCKTember 2022 Champions Announcement

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Contractor Wasn't Paid for $1.2 Million Dollars of Storm Response Work

10/20/2022

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An unexpected winter vortex rips through Arlington, Texas in February 2021 causing incredible damage throughout the South. Contractor Erick Hernandez who works in the Houston area notes that in the days prior everything seemed normal. Like many Texans, Erick was scrambling to save his home from the effects of freezing conditions and widespread lack of power. ​
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Catastrophe Damage Response

RJ Construction (RJC), a local contractor, hears of damage sustained at Sam Houston High School. According to owner Robert Jordan, "My company sprung into action. Over the course of days, near round-the-clock work, Sam Houston was dried in and dehumidifier." Even though RJC says that certain school officials guaranteed that they would get the company paid and thanked them for their work, Jordan says that they have not been paid for their invoice totaling over $1.2 million dollars. 
It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over." - Bebo Crain 

Contractors Suing For Payment

RJC has sued the Arlington Independent School District (AISD). So, I invited Bebo Crain (Jonesboro, AR) to review the court documents with me so that we can extract as many lessons to help contractors shorten their DANG learning curve as possible. As Bebo says, "It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over," but we will do our best to share the many lessons that can be learned from this case.

​This upcoming series of episodes on The DYOJO Podcast will reveal information that will help contractors respond to everyday insurance claims, regional damage events (such as Winter Storm Uri from 2021), and catastrophe responses (such as Hurricane Ian in 2022).
​
IN THIS EPISODE: 
​

0:00 Episode 92 
1:50 Customer used contractors estimate to hire someone cheaper 
3:20 A new series - RJC vs. AISD 
5:55 RJC's YouTube video received over 33,000 views 
9:06 Winter Storm Uri timeline 
12:04 Input from Houston contractor Erick Hernandez 
15:13 "It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over" - Bebo Crain 
18:05 Breaking down the response with Bebo 
22:51 Questions about insurance coverage during storm response

​Thursdays are for The DYOJO Podcast - helping contractors shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. 
​
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Contractor lawsuit review

10/17/2022

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If you are one of the 33,000 plus viewers of a video from a contractor in Arlington Texas released in September of 2021, you may already have an opinion about the situation we are going to discuss in this article and upcoming episodes of The DYOJO Podcast. We would like to invite you to dig into a water damage emergency project that descended to litigation to unearth lessons that will help contractors shorten their DANG learning curve.

READ MORE in the Cleaning and Restoration Magazine (C&R) Article 


Subscribe and listen to upcoming episodes of The DYOJO Podcast on lessons learned from RJC vs. AISD following a 2021 winter storm response at Sam Houston High School. 
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Securing payment during disaster response

10/15/2022

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It should not be a surprise that responding to a catastrophic loss is not the same as getting paid for rendering services. While many look at our industry and think there is ‘easy money’ to be made, there is no such thing as easy money in general, especially when working with insurance companies and handling catastrophic events. Contractors who want to ensure they get paid for the good work that they do will want to tune in for the story we are about to tell on The DYOJO Podcast.

READ MORE in the Cleanfax Article 

Watch the introduction video for The DYOJO Podcast series reviewing the RJC vs. AISD case from Winter Storm Uri (2021) 
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    The DYOJO - helping contractors shorten
    ​their DANG learning curve


    Book #4 - AVAILABLE NOW - How To Suck Less  At Estimating. Habits for better project outcomes. 

    Book #4 - AVAILABLE NOW as a TRAINING COURSE through our friends at Restoration Technical Institute

    Book #3 - So, You Want To Be A Project Manager? is designed to help contractors with the mindset and habits for success in this role. 

    Book #2 - Be Intentional: Culture, is a collaborative publication discussing how the small things enhance or undermine your efforts to build a thriving culture. 

    Book #1 - Be Intentional Estimating, is the 5 star rated book that helps estimators produce more consistent outcomes in the insurance claims process. 

    ​Jon is the host of The DYOJO Podcast, helping the skilled trades to shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. 

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  • HOME
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    • SOCKTEMBER