Head Heart & Boots

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.

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.

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.

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.

I’m Chris, and in this episode Brandon and I talk about what year-end planning really looks like when you stop chasing perfect dashboards and start leading with purpose. We unpack what worked for Floodlight this year, how we intentionally ran lean to leap ahead, and why your team’s buy-in depends on more than KPIs. What We Cover [00:01:12] Planning Q4 like an investor and how we turned red months into green growth [00:05:11] Why most leaders undervalue strategic planning and treat it like a checklist [00:08:57] Mission before metrics and how to build KPIs that actually drive vision [00:14:25] The “100 Point Week” system for sales reps and why simple wins [00:20:06] How C-suite dashboards actually work with 3 to 4 key metrics [00:31:38] Aligning sales and operations around customer experience, not just numbers [00:53:36] Tommy Mello’s story about building a dream big enough for others to fit inside it Key Takeaways Plan on purpose, not by habit. Use fewer, clearer KPIs. Simplify tracking so reps can sell, not babysit CRMs. Make your mission about people, not profit. Audit your own leadership because culture is the real KPI. If you’re leading a restoration or home-service company and planning for next year, this episode is your field guide for making 2026 different.   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.

In this episode, Brandon and I wrestle with a tough reality: what happens when disagreement turns into dehumanization, and free speech no longer feels safe? I share how one of my posts spiraled into thousands of views and heated comments, leaving me questioning how we’ve arrived at a place where words can provoke violence, and why leaders often stay silent. Brandon brings a veteran’s perspective on what’s at stake when we forget the sacrifice that secured our ability to speak freely. This isn’t about politics-it’s about leadership, humanity, and protecting the freedom to have hard conversations. -Chris 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.

Dive into the secrets of staying fit and alert in high-stress jobs. Explore the benefits of morning workouts for peak performance. Discover how creatine can enhance both muscle strength and brain energy during long shifts. Learn about innovative sleep tech to boost recovery and optimize wake-up routines. Enjoy a flexible diet approach that balances healthy eating with guilt-free indulgences. Finally, uncover the low-T treatment options and invigorating effects of exogenous ketones for sustained focus.

Brandon and I get real about extreme ownership in leadership - not theory, but the daily behaviors that drive results. We cover how to move a struggling team member without micromanaging, why cadence beats intention, and how sales management tools like PDI and golden hours create momentum. If you lead in restoration, construction, or home services, this is your playbook for execution. WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN: [00:01:52] Extreme ownership - own outcomes, not just standards [00:04:44] Check-ins that work - midweek nudges and fast feedback loops [00:07:15] What you walk past - quick correction prevents drift [00:10:23] Cadence - EOS rhythms plus mid-cycle verification [00:12:26] Sales example - coach golden hours and first-rep awkwardness [00:16:58] PDI - daily interaction builds momentum and confidence [00:21:09] Force multipliers - promote leaders and give bandwidth to lead hope you enjoy, Chris 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.

What’s up, friends! This week Brandon and I are coming to you from our brand-new HHB studio: vaulted ceilings, windows to the world, and a backdrop so good it deserves a tattoo. And for our first show in this space, we went big. We sat down with David Gonzalez and Mark Mushlitz from K4K Construction, guys who are pioneering 3D printed concrete homes. Yes, literally printing houses. This isn’t sci-fi anymore. It’s happening now, and it has massive implications for construction, restoration, and how we think about the homes we live in. Thanks for listening, Chris Why You Should Listen: [00:04:41] 3D Printed Homes Explained – How concrete is layered to build faster, stronger walls. [00:06:56] Early Adoption – Texas leads the way with hundreds of 3D printed homes. [00:09:03] Economics – High upfront costs, but major labor and waste savings. [00:13:10] Speed – Walls in days, not months. [00:15:01] Commercial Use – Walmart already testing large-scale builds. [00:20:08] Design Freedom – Curves, arcs, and finishes beyond square boxes. [00:23:44] Durability – Fire, water, and pest resistance with better insulation. [00:32:04] Restoration Impact – Resilient rebuilds that ease client trauma. [00:39:16] AI + 3D Printing – Smarter programming, faster adoption. [00:43:36] Next Generation – Why trades and future builders should pay attention now.   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.

Nick D'Urbano, CRO and co-founder of Distance, brings a wealth of experience from e-commerce to transforming service industries with AI. He shares insights on how to fix revenue leaks in call intake processes and highlights the significance of AI in capturing leads effectively. The conversation dives into AI's evolution in customer service, emphasizing human-like interactions and proactive engagement strategies. D'Urbano also discusses using AI across multiple channels to truly connect with customers, enhancing their experience and boosting revenue.