In this Real Stories in Restoration episode, Nasutsa Mabwa, owner and president of ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons, shares her unique voyage from social work to restoration, being selective with service offerings, and keeping her business small and agile to stay closely connected to customers. Mabwa also discusses avoiding burnout, working with fellow franchisees and providing COVID-19 disinfection services since early 2020.  

Leighton Healey, CEO of KnowHow, shares his firm’s findings from a large-scale study on why employees leave the restoration business and what contractors can do to keep them.

Ashley Taylor, executive officer of Content Recovery Specialists, shares why she started a franchise company for entrepreneurs looking to get into content restoration.

Nicholas Hopikins, historic restoration foreman at EverGreene Architecture, discusses his experience as a rising leader in the restoration business. 

Jessica Wicks, president of Ductz, shares her experience as a female executive in the restoration industry. 

Charlie Horn, president of Paul Davis of Louisville, experienced a kitchen fire that sent him to hospital and left his family outside of their home for weeks. The incident made him rethink his approach to dealing with homeowners.

Larry Cooper, executive director of the Experience, shares what to expect at this year’s event, taking place Sept. 7-9 at the Caesar’s Forum Conference Center. Cooper explains why the Experience is more than catchy name. It reflects the convention’s educational philosophy.