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Books by property restoration professionals for skilled trades, carpet cleaning, and insurance claims professionals, The DYOJO Podcast suggested reading list for January to keep your momentum for 2021. The key to becoming an Intentional Restorer is to train your mindset and your habits daily; this is The DYOJO Way. Thankfully we have so many great resources, including these titles from professionals within our industry as well as podcasts for and by property restoration entrepreneurs. The ServiceMaster Story by Albert M. Erisman Al does a masterful job of walking the reader through the early years of the development of the ServiceMaster company as an organization built on core principles lived out by five generations of leaders. Mr. Erisman's work is enlightening for any business leader who desires to build a company that is profitable while still grounded in their principles. I thought found two key principles that would benefit modern restorers: 1) the shingle principle of leadership, where managers understand their role as complimenting those who come before as well as after them; 2) having new leaders work in the field with their team members prior to assuming their executive roles. This is something we talk about in Be Intentional: Culture as well with regards to Ted McCarthy and the resurrection of Gibson Guitars. Erisman discusses how those in a position of leadership at ServiceMaster were able to navigate The Tension Between People and Profit.
We Did It Their Way by Wm. F. Bane Wm. F. (Bill) Bane tells the story of his family’s rise from obscurity to a position of prominence in the cleaning industry and how the family parlayed a twenty-dollar investment into a multi-million dollar business. This book is a compendium of some of his life’s adventures including thirty-five years in the cleaning profession. It is a step-by-step diagram of the path followed by the organization of the family business and the development of a unique cleaning system. The trials and tribulations associated with a new business are outlined in a sometimes humorous, but always realistic and truthful way. When Words Collide by Bill Wilson Bill Wilson presents the process for resolving insurance coverage claims and disputes. He emphasizes understanding the policy as the authority and encourages the commitment of all parities to finding a reasonable resolution. David Princeton joined The DYOJO Podcast to co-host our discussion with Mr. Wilson. As David wisely encouraged our audience, learn to effectively communicate your "because" when outlining your recommendations to the insured and the carrier. Understanding the policy and properly interpreting the policy, as it relates to unique claims situations, has been the career long passion of author Bill Wilson. In the book and our discussion, all professionals are reminded to "RTFP" which includes knowing what you are selling, being clear with your communications, and being reasonable with your interpretations.
The DYOJO Podcast is the weekly podcast of The DYOJO Way for Intentional Restorers. Helping property restoration professionals to shorten their DANG learning curve by developing the mindset and habits for achieving their goals.
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Books by property restoration professionals for skilled trades and insurance claims professionals, The DYOJO Podcast suggested reading list to close 2020 out strong and start 2021 off on the right foot. The key to becoming an Intentional Restorer is to train your mindset and your habits daily; this is The DYOJO Way. Thankfully we have so many great resources, including these titles from professionals within our industry as well as podcasts for and by property restoration entrepreneurs. The 24HR Tech by Andrew McCabe Mr. McCabe has created a Step By Step Manual To Increase Mitigation Profits And Reduce Training Time To Just ONE DAY. This short and easy to read book is intended as a complete training manual for new Water Damage Technicians who wish to quickly learn how to properly document insurance losses involving water damage. Andy developed this process over years of water damage claims experience. He still uses it today in his consulting practice – Claims Delegates.
Get Out of the Truck by Idan Shpizear Idan shares his own story as a means to help entrepreneurs to Build The Business You Always Dreamed About. The book is a quick read. It was designed to either be read from cover-to-cover or as a resource that can be referred to as a business person goes about their process. Idan also speaks as a leader to other people in a position of leadership, distributing the lessons that he has learned as he built and scaled his property restoration business. Whether you are starting out or taking your organization to the next level, Idan shares, “As you work towards growing your company, don’t lose sight of the numbers. But don’t lose sight of these less tangible objectives either.”
Unqualified Success by Rachel Stewart Are you ready to be an unqualified success? Rachel has composed one of the best personal development books that I have read, Her story is proof of concept that you can venture out into something new and bridge The Gap Between Where You Are Now And Where You Want To Be To Achieve Massive Success. If you dare to read this book, you will find that your excuses melt and your obstacles become opportunities. You should feel unqualified but that should in no way stop you from pursing success. “When we are willing to trade in our need to win or succeed for a need to simply learn and grown instead, we open another world of possibility for achievement (p.186).” You are not alone, you have resources and a tribe of fellow unqualified successes rooting for you.
Independent Adjuster's Playbook by Chris Stanley Would you like to own your own business in a recession proof industry? Chris Stanley has created a career map that will take you from having zero experience to getting claims as fast as possible... without the frustration, heartache, and the dreaded waiting. In this conversational and action-oriented book, Chris presents a proven solution and underground playbook that will take from zero experience to working independent adjuster in as little as 30 days. This book is the Step By Step Guide & Roadmap To Becoming A Successful Independent Adjuster.
See the video below which aired as a segment in The DYOJO Podcast Episode 44 with Kevin Hussey of United Fire and Water Damage out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The DYOJO Podcast - helping professionals in the skilled trades shorten their DANG learning curve. South Sound Connection (SSC) LIVE - Episode 011 SSC LIVE is brought to you by The DYOJO Podcast (thedyojo.com) and All American Restoration Services (Tacoma, WA - allamericanres.com). Tuesday, February 2, 2021 9am PST - LIVE www.youtube.com/thedyojo Guest 1 Tom Steffens, The Drake Cafe, Seattle, WA Etaane, Little Orchid Annie, Seattle, WA The world’s first coffee + plant subscription box is here! The Drake Cafe has partnered with Little Orchid Annies to create an affordable, eco-friendly subscription box perfect for plant and coffee enthusiasts alike! Love coffee and plants? This is the subscription box for you! Featuring Seattle coffee from a rotation of local roasters, a 2" mystery houseplant, and one 7" Bee's Wrap, an eco-friendly alternative for food storage. This box comes with a plant care instruction card and a Roaster spotlight card for that month's partnered local Seattle small business. Get your hands on unique plants and delicious coffee and help support small businesses! Order at littleorchidannie.com Learn more at thedrakecafe.com Join us every Tuesday for SSC LIVE 9am PST - thedyojo.com/ssc Early Air Mover Wars - Claude Blackburn's Dri Eaz vs. Lloyd Weaver's Porta Dryer As a carpet cleaner in the 1970’s, Claude Blackburn noticed a negative trend with his fellow professionals, “Twenty percent of our industry is going out of business every year.” He wanted to find a way to help entrepreneurs like himself to keep themselves working in the slow season. Claude’s first invention was the foam EZ Block which he mailed from his operations center (his garage) for $27 a sheet to cleaners replacing the wood blocks that were common in the industry. Claude Blackburn attended a water damage seminar taught by the second face on “Mount Restoration”, Lloyd Weaver. The “Industry Watchdog” Pete Consigli writing for C&R Magazine in 2007 noted, “Lloyd introduced the first specialty designed Porta Dryer for on-location wet carpet drying. While that might not seem like much in today’s sophisticated world, 35 years ago Lloyd’s methodology challenged the rug cleaning establishment and its in-plant wet carpet service.” Shortly afterwards Claude experimented with his own metal carpet dryer and eventually produced ten units, sent out 24,000 expensive mailers to advertise the product, and only sold four. He was contemplating abandoning the idea. Claude shares an interesting story about the device that would become the flagship of his company and an interaction with Mr. Weaver. At an industry trade show in Vancouver, Washington, Lloyd didn’t take kindly to Claude’s creations and publicly challenged him. While he physically shook the meek mannered innovator from Mt. Vernon, he also rattled his entrepreneurial spirit and only deepened Claude’s commitment to making his then fledgling invention work. With the arrival of an unlikely partner, Harlan Wright, Mr. Blackburn developed the first fiberglass molded air mover for the carpet cleaning and water damage restoration industry in the early 1980’s. As Claude innovated products, he also developed methods for training contractors to utilize these evolving water damage tools in a manner that could be repeated across the country. Consigli recounts, “Claude was sometimes mocked for pricing his seminars under $100. But he knew exactly what he was doing; he consistently played to packed rooms, while the attendance of others’ seminars dropped off.” Claude wanted to help his fellow professionals to shorten their DANG learning curve and offered water damage training courses at pricing significantly lower than his competitors. Mr. Blackburn also wrote the Carpet Cleaner’s Guide to Water Damage Restoration which he marketed via a dual sided mailer which promoted the popular EZ Blocks on the other side. Both sold really well, enabling Claude to further invest in innovation. Our industry is full of stories of trial and error and Claude was no stranger to this process. He shared on IAQ Radio Episode 473 that he ran his company by the 51% rule, “As long as I was right 51% of the time, we had a shot at staying in business.” When Claude sold Dri-Eaz in 2006 it had:
Hear the rest of Claude Blackburn on The DYOJO Podcast Episode 47 “The Found of Dri Eaz Life Before, During, and After Property Restoration.” The term “Founding Father” comes from the March 2007 cover of Cleaning & Restoration Magazine. Pete Consigli wrote an article titled The Four Faces on Mount Restoration wherein he said this about Claude’s entrance into the carpet cleaning profession, “In the mid to late 1970s, Claude was a struggling young father and carpet cleaner with two little mouths to feed. With only $35 dollars in the bank, he moved his family to Skagit County, Wash., about 60 miles north of Seattle. After paying $27 (of the $35) for a partial rent payment on his apartment, he had $8 to fill the refrigerator. He had no choice but to get out and knock on some doors; he needed money and he got it by cleaning carpets.” His story reinforces the truth that there are no substitutes for hard work in this industry which has been built up by people both willing to try something new and willing to share what they have learned by trial and error. Mr. Blackburn’s first invention, a high density foam block that he would mail to cleaners nationwide and thereby founding Dri Eaz from his basement. Out of fear of being copied by others he set out to create his first air mover. Claude shares an interesting story about the device that would become the flagship of his company that would grow into the industry leader for water damage restoration equipment. The man credited with creating the first air mover, Lloyd Weaver, publicly challenged Mr. Blackburn which only deepened his commitment to making his then fledgling invention work. Pete writes of Lloyd, the second face on Mount Restoration, “Lloyd introduced the first specialty designed Porta Dryer for on-location wet carpet drying. While that might not seem like much in today’s sophisticated world, 35 years ago Lloyd’s methodology challenged the rug cleaning establishment and its in-plant wet carpet service.” With the help of Harlan Wright their plastic mold prototype was developed in the early 80’s. Claude noticed a negative trend with carpet cleaners, “Twenty percent of our industry is going out of business every year,” and wanted to find a way to keep entrepreneurs like himself working in the slow season. As he innovated products, he also developed methods for training contractors to utilize the tools in a manner that could be repeated. Consigli notes, “Claude was sometimes mocked for pricing his seminars under $100. But he knew exactly what he was doing; he consistently played to packed rooms, while the attendance of others’ seminars dropped off.” Claude wanted to help his fellow professionals to shorten their DANG learning curve. In addition to providing greater details about his journey in water damage restoration, Claude shared some interesting principles that transformed his business while a guest on IAQ Radio (Episode 473). Mr. Blackburn and a third member of the Founding Fathers Quartet, Cliff “The Z Man” Zlotnik discuss the evolution of the industry. Claude discussed the benefits of profit sharing, “That decision made me the most money of anything I ever did. Most other business owners are afraid to share the financials, I made more money in the five years after implementation than in all the years before.” When Claude sold Dri-Eaz in 2006 it had:
The opening segment of The DYOJO Podcast goes into some depth regarding Claude’s post retirement activities which include efforts to elevate pickleball to an Olympic sport. A local paper dubbed him The Pickleball Philanthropist. South Sound Connection (SSC) LIVE - Episode 008 - Part B SSC LIVE is brought to you by The DYOJO Podcast (thedyojo.com) and All American Restoration Services (Tacoma, WA - allamericanres.com). Tuesday, January 12, 2021 9am PST - LIVE www.youtube.com/thedyojo Guest 2 Korbett Mosesly - Creator of Success Factors and Founder of Mosesly Consulting (Tacoma, WA) Korbett was our inaugural guest and returns to tell us how his game Success Factors is doing now that copies are being distributed. We will also discuss what 2021 looks like for Tacoma Publishing. tacomapublishing.com Korbett shares his thoughts on:
You can tell Success Factors was designed by a father who wants to pass his knowledge and curiosity on to his sons as it does a wonderful job of drawing out discussions related to life, career, goals, and financial literacy:
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AuthorJon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is an 18 year veteran of the property restoration industry and a business coach through his organization The DYOJO. Archives
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