

Head Heart & Boots
Floodlight Consulting Group, LLC
Want to grow your business, change lives and leave behind a legacy you can be proud of? Join us as we discuss the strategies and actionable-concepts that will equip you and your teams to do just that. You can expect weekly episodes ranging from guest focused interviews to tactical strategy sessions all focused on giving our listeners the tools they need to push the limits. https://www.floodlightgrp.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 20, 2026 • 20min
Ep 195 - "The Leadership Equation: Focus, Faith, Effort"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I dig into a simple but surprisingly powerful framework that has been shaping how we think about performance, leadership, and execution. We unpack the equation of focus, faith, and effort, and why missing any one of those variables quietly sabotages outcomes in business, leadership, and personal growth.
We explore how leaders often overestimate readiness, underestimate cost, or lose confidence midstream, and how each of those breakdowns shows up differently inside teams. From imposter syndrome and emotional decision-making to role misalignment and unrealistic expectations, this conversation offers a practical lens for diagnosing why plans stall and people struggle.
This episode is less about motivation and more about clarity. It is a tool for slowing down, asking better questions, and helping yourself and your team understand what is truly required to win before committing to the outcome.
Hope you enjoy.
Chris
Why You Should Listen
[00:01:24] A simple three-part equation that explains why capable people still fail to execute
[00:04:33] How confidence, focus, and effort must work together and why overestimating any one of them breaks the outcome
[00:08:07] Why leaders often fail to count the true cost of success and how that creates burnout, frustration, and stalled growth
[00:11:01] How misalignment shows up in hiring, promotions, and role expectations when effort does not match responsibility
[00:14:33] A practical coaching framework leaders can use to diagnose performance issues without defaulting to emotion or blame
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.
Jan 13, 2026 • 37min
Ep 194 - "Keep Your Cool: Leading Under Pressure"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I wrestle with one of the most difficult leadership disciplines to master: staying emotionally grounded when everything around you feels chaotic. We talk candidly about the emotional whiplash of entrepreneurship, how quickly even the best intentions and plans can get derailed by fires, and why reactivity quietly destroys momentum inside growing companies.
Brandon shares his commitment to becoming a more stoic, stabilizing force for his teams - not by ignoring problems, but by slowing down, asking better questions, and anchoring decisions to a clear plan instead of emotion. We unpack how leaders unintentionally drag their teams through emotional cycles, why delayed gratification makes strategic work so hard to stick with, and how confidence is built by returning to the plan when pressure rises.
This conversation is practical, uncomfortable, and deeply relatable for anyone leading people, managing clients, or trying to grow a business without burning themselves - or their team - to the ground.
Hope you enjoy.
Chris
Why You Should Listen
[00:02:17] Why emotional volatility - not lack of intelligence or effort - derails more leaders than bad strategy
[00:04:53] How even well-thought-out plans collapse when leaders default to reaction instead of discipline
[00:07:20] Why delayed gratification is one of the hardest skills in entrepreneurship - and how to stay committed long enough to see results
[00:15:25] How slowing down, asking better questions, and refusing to emotionally “side up” can defuse client and team chaos
[00:21:13] Why being a calm, steady presence builds trust, confidence, and long-term momentum inside your organization
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.
Jan 8, 2026 • 42min
Ep 193 - "Fungus, Focus & Emotional Resilience"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I have one of our most personal and vulnerable conversations to date. We step into a topic that’s often misunderstood, stigmatized, or avoided altogether - alternative medicine and the role psilocybin has played in my own mental, emotional, and relational health. I share my background growing up in a deeply religious environment, my initial skepticism, and the long road that led me to explore psilocybin in a clinical, intentional setting. We talk openly about emotional reactivity, anxiety, ADD, anger, self-criticism, and the hidden cost many high-performing leaders carry as they chase growth, success, and legacy. This isn’t about escapism or chasing an experience - it’s about healing, stability, and building emotional margin so we can show up better for our families, our teams, and ourselves. This conversation isn’t prescriptive or promotional. It’s an honest exploration of curiosity, research, personal experience, and the growing body of evidence showing how some leaders are finding lasting change by addressing the battle between their ears - not just their to-do lists.
Hope you enjoy,
Chris
Why You Should Listen:
[00:02:44] Why emotional stability - not motivation or discipline - may be the missing piece for leaders stuck in anxiety, anger, or burnout
[00:06:45] How psilocybin therapy moved from military PTSD research into the lives of high-performing professionals seeking lasting mental health
[00:11:24] What a single therapeutic experience can reveal about self-criticism, reactivity, and the hidden narratives shaping your behavior
[00:22:00] How increased emotional margin can transform relationships with spouses, kids, and teams, not just productivity
[00:31:37] Why intention, environment, and facilitation matter, and how misuse versus medicine creates radically different outcomes
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.
Jan 1, 2026 • 37min
Ep 192 - "The Silent Killer of Restoration Company Growth: Poor Client Experience"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I dig into one of the most overlooked drivers of growth in service businesses: the client experience. Sparked by a frustrating real-world story, we unpack how even well-intentioned teams can slowly erode trust through poor communication, missed expectations, and a lack of follow-through - and why those failures compound over time. We talk candidly about how competition in restoration and home services is changing, why today’s customers are more informed and more skeptical than ever, and how growth, PE-backed operators, and higher deductibles are raising the bar for professionalism across the industry. From engineering a client experience instead of relying on heroics, to setting expectations early, owning the hard parts of the process, and designing workflows that protect trust, this episode is a practical reminder that growth doesn’t come from doing more work - it comes from doing the work better. If you’re a business owner or leader trying to scale without sacrificing reputation, referrals, or sanity, this conversation is a must-listen.
Hope you enjoy.
Chris
Why You Should Listen
[00:02:45] How a single bad customer experience exposed the quiet ways service quality erodes - even inside well-run companies
[00:06:09] Why growth, higher deductibles, and more sophisticated competitors are forcing service businesses to rethink how they win and retain clients
[00:09:45] How poor communication and unmanaged expectations turn customers into project managers - and destroy trust in the process
[00:18:08] Why engineering a client experience beats relying on individual heroics — and how workflows protect both customers and teams
[00:29:27] How setting expectations early, telling clients the hard truths, and embracing friction can actually become your biggest competitive advantage
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.
Dec 23, 2025 • 45min
Ep 191 - "Rabbit Trails: The Last 60 Days"
Dive into a candid discussion about the whirlwind of the past 60 days managing two fast-growing companies. The hosts share insights on battling negative momentum and the critical need to celebrate wins, even during exhaustion. They explore how pressure can erode routines, the challenges of constant context-shifting, and the paradox of feeling both drained yet fulfilled. Plus, discover unique techniques like fasting and the potential of psychedelic therapy as tools for emotional resets.
Dec 16, 2025 • 1h 11min
Ep 190 - "From Guitars to Plumbing Franchises"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I sit down with Claire Carreras, a musician, comedian, fashion entrepreneur, and now co-owner of 1-Tom Plumber Austin to unpack one of the most unexpected and compelling career journeys we’ve ever featured. Claire opens up about a childhood marked by constant relocation across multiple countries, how creativity and performance became her anchor, and how those early experiences shaped the grit and resourcefulness she now brings to building service businesses.
We explore the rise and collapse of her fashion brands, the financial devastation of COVID, and what it took to rebuild her life from scratch in a new country. Claire shares the mindset shifts that helped her scale restoration and plumbing operations, the leadership lessons she brought from stages and tour vans, and her refreshingly honest view on managing people, burnout, and generational differences inside a 24/7 business.
If you’re drawn to real entrepreneurial stories, the raw ones, with bruises, resilience, and reinvention; this conversation is worth every minute.
Hope you enjoy.
Chris
Why You Should Listen...
[00:05:15] How a turbulent childhood, constant relocation, and exposure to wildly different cultures forged Claire’s resilience and leadership instincts
[00:13:03] How acting, stand-up comedy, and 15 years of international touring built the confidence, grit, and communication skills she now uses to scale home-service companies
[00:20:27] What three failed fashion businesses taught her about timing, financial risk, market collapse, and how to recover when everything falls apart
[00:28:14] Why she jumped into One-Tom Plumber after COVID wiped out her income, and how she built a 5-truck operation in months by leaning into clarity, systems, and urgency
[00:45:06] How Claire motivates teams through uncertainty, connects personally without lowering standards, and navigates generational differences around pressure and mental health
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.
Dec 9, 2025 • 55min
Ep 189 - "From Feeding the 5000 to PuroClean and Plumbing"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, I sit down with Nilo Quiroz and John Villon to unpack their unlikely path from oil-and-gas engineers to running one of the fastest-growing PuroClean and 1-Tom Plumber operations in the country.
We get into how early failures shaped their mindset, why putting ego aside became the key to their partnership, and how saying yes—long before they felt ready—helped them accelerate past the typical startup grind. From feeding thousands of hurricane responders to tearing out their first flooded home with support from the franchise network, their journey is a masterclass in hustle, humility, and learning fast.
Hope you enjoy.
Chris
Why You Should Listen
[00:07:36] How two radically different personalities learned to set ego aside and build a partnership that actually works under pressure
[00:18:36] Why saying “yes” to unfamiliar work (and figuring it out later) became their biggest accelerator in the early years
[00:24:45] What their first hurricane deployment taught them about learning fast, asking for help, and leveraging a franchise network
[00:33:00] How diversification—contents, reconstruction, bio, plumbing—kept their business alive when mitigation slowed down
[00:43:45] Why they see business as a marathon, not a sprint, and how that mindset helped them survive failures and grow multiple companies
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.
Dec 2, 2025 • 50min
Ep 188 - "Tap Out or Level Up - Leadership Lessons from the Mats"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I sit down with Alejandro to unpack what ten years inside one of the toughest jiu jitsu cultures in the country can teach us about leadership, loyalty, and personal growth. We dig into how a broken season in his life led him to a mentor who changed everything, why the Daisy Fresh laundromat became a proving ground for world class competitors, and how the same principles that shape great fighters also shape great teams.
Hope you enjoy
Chris
Why You Should Listen
[00:02:36] How one mentor’s belief and availability created lifelong loyalty and a culture people wanted to be part of
[00:11:03] What living and training in an old laundromat taught fighters about discipline, discomfort, and eliminating excuses
[00:21:00] The long, unglamorous process behind becoming a world class grappler and why consistency beats talent over time
[00:25:39] How wrestling and jiu jitsu build confidence, emotional control, and character in kids and adults alike
[00:36:05] How Alejandro revived a dead high school program by applying the same leadership principles that shaped him on the mat
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.
Nov 11, 2025 • 41min
Ep 187 - "Radical Candor"
In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I dive into what Netflix got right about radical candor and how restoration leaders can use it to build healthier, faster-growing teams. We pull insights from No Rules Rules, share how we’re applying those same principles inside FP Restoration, and talk about how fear of feedback quietly kills trust, growth, and leadership potential.
hope you enjoy - Chris
Why You Should Listen
[00:03:40] How Netflix built a culture of radical candor and why it became a competitive edge
[00:10:00] What happens when leaders reward truth instead of politics
[00:18:00] How we’re using radical candor inside FP Restoration to drive real growth
[00:27:00] Creating safety and structure so your team can speak up with honesty
[00:38:00] Why someone has to go first if you want a culture built on trust
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.
Oct 14, 2025 • 54min
Ep 186 - "From Chaos to Cash Flow, With Jim Emerich"
In this engaging discussion, Jim Emerich, founder of Backbone CFO and a fractional CFO expert, sheds light on transforming financial chaos into clarity for business owners. He reveals the importance of mastering cash flow to scale efficiently and why finance should be seen as a growth engine rather than a chore. Jim shares insights on designing effective incentive compensation that truly motivates teams and critiques common pitfalls like the owner's draw trap. Listeners will learn the essential differences between lifestyle businesses and those with enterprise value.


