For the last two years, I’ve been blessed to work alongside the amazing teams at R&R, The Experience, and BNP Media, and boy, has it been one for the books. I’ve been challenged, I’ve learned, and most importantly, I’ve grown. Not just as a professional, but as a friend, a wife, and a mother.

And I wouldn't trade a single moment of it.

Two Years, Countless Memories, and One Incredible Industry

During my time here, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing countless industry professionals, vendor partners, and fellow media partners. Interviewing and sharing stories was something I always wanted to do, but I wasn't quite sure how I would make it my own.

Well, I figured it out along the way.

And man, did I learn a lot from every single person who took the time to share their knowledge, experiences, challenges, and successes with me. But here's the thing. Those conversations did more than help me create content for R&R. They helped me better understand what you wanted from us, what our industry needed, and what we could do differently.

They also helped me shape the educational content for The Experience and work toward bringing you the topics, conversations, and opportunities you were looking for, and hopefully a little more.

Looking back, I think I accomplished what I set out to do. I had the opportunity to give back to an industry in ways I honestly didn't think I'd experience for another 10 years or more.

But here we are. I did it. And I certainly didn't do it alone. I did it with my team, my peers, my mentors, my leadership, and every single restorer, inspector, cleaner, industrial hygienist, adjuster, and industry professional who supported me along the way.

Thank you for being the best support system a woman could ever ask for.

To My Team, Thank You

There aren't enough words to express how grateful I am for each of you.

From day one, you welcomed me with open arms, embraced my ideas (even the wild ones), and gave me the opportunity to grow into this role. You challenged me, supported me, and trusted me to try new things, even when I wasn't entirely sure how we were going to pull them off. And somehow, we always figured it out.

What makes this especially difficult is that I'm not just leaving a job. I'm stepping away from a team that has become such an important part of my life. We've shared long days, deadlines, events, challenges, laughter, and more memories than I could ever fit into one blog. 

Every single one of you has played a part in my growth, the success we've had together, and everything we've accomplished across R&R and The Experience.

 Sarah, Kyle, Carrie, Scott B., Scott W., Andrea, Randi, Lauren, Brianna, Julia, Hillary, Lyn, Devon, Denise, Andy, Harrison, Aziza, and everyone in between, thank you.

Thank you for believing in me, for putting up with my crazy ideas, for being there when I needed help, and for reminding me that the best things we accomplish are never accomplished alone. I'm incredibly proud of what we've built together, and even more grateful for the friendships I'll carry with me long after this chapter ends.

You all mean more to me than you’ll ever know.

So, What's Next?

At this point, I feel like I'm rambling, but I truly want every person reading this to know how much you've impacted me, both personally and professionally. Each of you has played a part in the success I've found here, and I know the relationships we've built will continue to grow in the next chapter of my career.

Now, I'm sure some of you are asking, where are you going? What are you doing? Are you leaving the industry?

The answer is simple: Absolutely not!

I'm staying right here in the industry I love. The industry that has provided for my family, given me opportunities I never imagined, and embraced me as one of its own.

I'm excited to share that I'm joining the PuroClean family as the SPAR Partner Manager! In my new role I will manage and strengthen PuroClean’s vendor partnership ecosystem. I will be the liaison between PuroClean, approved vendors partners, internal stakeholders, and Franchise Owners. 

For those of you wondering what SPAR is, let me explain. SPAR is a program that helps PuroClean identify, categorize, and manage vendor partner relationships. This program gives Franchise Owners access to tools, services, and products while maintaining high standards of professional conduct, compliance, security, and operational efficiency. For more information on this new program, you can go to https://www.puroclean.com/spar/. 

I'm excited for this next chapter, the opportunity to continue building relationships, and everything that comes with taking on a new role in an industry that means so much to me.

This Isn't Goodbye

You'll still see me on the road. You'll still hear from me, and most importantly, we'll still have opportunities to work together and move the industry forward.

And you haven't heard the last of me at R&R, either! While I'm stepping away from my role as Editor-in-Chief, I'll continue contributing to the magazine. So, this isn't really goodbye. It's more of an "I'll see you around."

If you've made it this far, thank you.

Thank you for two incredible years of laughter, memories, hard work, opportunities, and friendships. Thank you for trusting me to tell your stories, share your knowledge, and be part of the conversations that help move our industry forward. And most importantly, thank you for reminding me why I fell in love with this industry in the first place.

I'm walking away from this chapter with more knowledge, more friendships, and more gratitude than I could have ever imagined. I may be signing out as Editor-in-Chief, but I'm certainly not signing out of restoration.

Until we meet again, thank you for everything.

With Gratitude, and now on the move!

Kayla McGowan
Editor-in-Chief, Restoration & Remediation