The Restoration Playbook Podcast

Ben Looper: The biggest thing that I, that I see that is, has been prevalent for as long as I've been in the industry and is probably prevalent in most industries is that people are living in the current and, and not in the future. And, and thinking about the work that they need to be doing today in order to be successful tomorrow.

So putting, um, you know, programs in place, trainings in place, things That are developing the next generation of leadership, whether it be in your organization or in the industry or wherever it is, but making that investment early on because tomorrow's gonna happen, whether you're ready for it or not.

it or not So, having the vision and being able to understand that the investment now is going to pay off in the future.

Leighton Healey: Welcome everyone to the Restoration Playbook Podcast. I'm Leighton Healey, CEO of KnowHow, and today I have Travis Martin. He's here to kick off a brand new season of the Restoration Playbook Podcast. Travis is a huge part of the team here at KnowHow. He's the man behind the howdy, as we say.

You may have seen him on our YouTube channel, introducing all the killer features that we introduce into the market. But, uh, beyond the howdy, there's someone who, uh, leads huge components of the team. Travis is the vice president of product, vice president of marketing. And, and he tows an enormous amount of, uh, the big initiatives that we have here.

Travis, you're going to be the host of this next season. Tell us about that!

Travis Martin: That's right. I'm super excited. Actually, almost excited, as excited as I am about this idea that you gave me for my memoir, Travis Martin, Beyond the Howdy. But yeah, this season is going to be incredible. We've, uh, we spent the last few months chatting with some of the, um, just highest quality leaders. In the restoration industry, uh, learning about how did they think about not just being a leader themselves, but building that next generation of leader.

So we're talking to people like Ben Looper, Mark Springer, Holly Murry, Jim Kowalski, Julie Johnson. The list goes on and we took a lot of their expertise and wisdom and distilled it into a book that's coming up very soon that I'll, I'll talk about in just a second, but in this season of the Restoration Playbook Podcast, we'll be diving deep into those long form interviews with each one of those leaders.

And so if you've ever wanted to sit down with some of those people and get 25, 30, 35 minutes of their time, uh, we. Found some time in their schedule and we did that. And so we're really excited to dive into those long form interviews. But like I said, all of this leads up to the book Building Leaders that we are launching on October 7th.

Uh, and you can join the wait list right now to pre register it and get your copy for free on October 7th. We'll email it to you at buildingleadersbook. com. Or if you're like me and you like to highlight and make notes, you can get a hard copy. It'll be available on Amazon when we launch as well. This book is really exciting.

This season of the Restoration Playbook podcast, I think is going to be super impactful.

But Leighton, actually, I want to throw it back to you. You were one of the leaders that we interviewed for this book. Obviously, uh, helped under, you know, understand you've been building leaders for decades now. You've had the opportunity to present on this book already a few times. What are some of the things that you're most excited about with this book. And why is now the right time for a book like this in the restoration industry?

Leighton Healey: So the topic of leadership resonates with most people, uh, especially individuals who run these companies that we serve, they tend to deeply resonate with the topic of leadership and a lot has been written on leadership. I think that, uh, there's been a lot that has, uh, been written to motivate people to be a good leader, you know, whatever that means.

This book is focused on leader building, which is the work of how within the hustle and bustle of the day to day operations that so easily consume every, you know, waking moment of our days, how do we make space to build leaders within our organization? And, uh, and do that, do so very intentionally. People powered industries as a whole are going through tremendous change. at an accelerated rate. And so that change is being accelerated by the rise of new technologies and capabilities. The change is being driven by the change in, in a, I would say just the overall wiring of the workers who are coming into the industry,

and then it's also being driven by the change of the guard. Meaning that a lot of individuals who are fundamental in building the industry as it is today, are beginning to transition out. And so within all of that change, anytime you're navigating change, you need, you need leaders. You need leaders who, who can, who can understand and lean in to the future and can paint a picture, can describe a path forward, but also can be able to deal with the change management.

And let's call it just the, and just the human dynamic of getting people on board. So that's leadership. And what we've observed is that there's been such a pattern of people just, I would say, working operationally heads down in the organization, without giving too much thought or attention to, How do I make time in my day, to, to think intentionally around what's going on.

Building leaders within my organization who will carry on the vision, who carry on the torch. When you talk to people in the industry and you say, Hey, I, I aspire to be a great leader in this organization, but I lack a mentor. And so we, we said, well, who would you like to mentor you? And when you ask that question enough times, you start to identify.

Individuals in the industry who are really seen as great builders of leaders. And so, um, we're very fortunate to have been able to enlist the generous help of many of those individuals who contributed, um, their lived knowledge, their lived wisdom to this, to this effort. So it's, um, It's an exciting book.

I think it's a very well timed book, and I've been able to present it several times so far this fall. And, uh, and each time coming off stage, you know, met with individuals who said this is one of the most urgent things that we need to address. And, um, We need a playbook.

Travis Martin: Awesome. I'm going to grab this. If this sounds too good to be true, let me, let me, this is what it looks like. This is what you're looking at here. The building leaders book coming out October 7th. If you are one of those individuals, that says, this is exactly what we need right now. Make sure to go to buildingleadersbook. com, pre register, subscribe to this podcast because there's going to be a ton of insights and stay tuned for what's to come.

Cause we're really excited to walk through what's going to be a really incredible season of the Restoration Playbook podcast that is super well timed.

Leighton Healey: Awesome. And thanks everyone who joined us for the first two seasons of the Restoration Playbook podcast. I'm happy to say you're in very good hands as Travis, uh, hosts this next season as we kick things off with Ben Looper.

So Ben's here to introduce himself. So why don't we jump right in.

Ben Looper: Hi, my name is Ben Looper, CEO of Southeast Restoration Group, current RIA president, and this is how I think about building leaders.

Travis Martin: Thank you very much for joining us for a conversation today. I'm really excited to dive into your perspective. on building leaders, but specifically this area around how do you build that next generation of leaders?

And I think especially the emotional intelligence side, I think sometimes can be forgotten in the restoration industry. It's not uncommon for someone to have a lot of hard skills and get promoted because of those hard skills. only to find that the soft skills required to be an excellent leader they haven't yet been trained up on.

And so I'm really excited to dive into that topic. But to get started, Ben, could you just walk us through quickly your, your background? How did you get into restoration and into the position you're at today?

Ben Looper: Yeah, absolutely. Uh, fortunately, um, I fell into it. I was in college and a, a friend of mine that I'd went to high school with, I had got not gone to college and gotten into the industry.

And, um, had moved to Florida, learned the business, got licensed, and then, uh, moved back, uh, to be with his fiancee, future wife, and, and get married. She wasn't going to move to Florida, so he moved back to Georgia and started. His own, uh, business. And, uh, I ran into him a couple of times. I had been in the construction industry, um, for several years.

And, you know, he mentioned this opportunity. I didn't know what restoration was, uh, wasn't even familiar with it. And he shared it with me. Um, love the concept cause it was something different every day. And, uh, that was 30 years ago that, uh, that I joined him in the industry. And so it's been a, been a fun ride before, before there was really an industry around restoration.

I fell into it. I was very blessed and fell into it at the right time.

Travis Martin: So walk me through that journey from your finding out about restoration, you're like, okay, there's something here, there's something here to, to where you're at today, current president of the RIA, um, leading the helm at Southeast Restoration.

Like what, what was that journey like?

Ben Looper: Yeah, it's been fun, you know, having to learn the, Industry and, you know, uh, technology has changed everything. When I started in the industry, there was no cell phones. Um, there was literally pay phones and, um, map books that you had to, to get to from one location to another.

Relationships were, uh, you know, different in where you were getting work from. So, um, you know, so many things have continued to evolve and change. Uh, to where it is today. And then, like I said, 30 years later, uh, we're, we're fortunate, uh, to have built, uh, a company with, you know, over 260 team members and, uh, eight locations, um, that is, you know, service in the Southeast region.

Travis Martin: That's awesome. Well, speaking of growing and evolving, the big thing that we want to talk about today is how Restoration companies need to continue to grow and evolve and especially invest into that next generation of leaders. I'm curious from your perspective, how, what are some of the mistakes that you see restoration companies making when it comes to building up that next generation of leaders?

Ben Looper: Yeah, I think the The biggest thing that I, that I see that is, has been prevalent for as long as I've been in the industry and is probably prevalent in most industries is that people are living in the current and, and not in the future. And, and thinking about the work that they need to be doing today in order to be successful tomorrow.

So putting, um, you know, programs in place, trainings in place, things That are developing the next generation of leadership, whether it be in your organization or in the industry or wherever it is, but making that investment early on because tomorrow's gonna happen, whether you're ready for it or not.

it or not So, having the vision and being able to understand that the investment now is going to pay off in the future.

Travis Martin: And it makes sense. Right? This is by nature, it's a reactive industry, right? You, the storms come in, the hurricanes come, and you have to spring into action and so it often feels like you're There's a personality type that's really well suited to just responding.

That forward level of planning sometimes may not come as naturally. Uh, so imagine you're, you're chatting with a leader who they say, Ah, I think I've got 10, 15 years left. Like this is not an emergency yet, but I want to set up my company for success. What are some of those questions they should be asking themselves?

today in preparation for that, like, how do I continue to build and grow that next generation of leaders?

Ben Looper: I think it's, uh, first it's having the, you know, uh, vision to be able to take the time, um, to look that far ahead because so many people are just looking, you know, to today and what's right in front of them.

And so literally having the, you know, vision and, and scheduling and taking some time. Um, to think about, you know, what those next steps should be and who it should be with. So I think if, when, you know, visionaries that are capable of, of doing that can, can spend some focus time in that area. Um, it helps, you know, prepare them.

We, we utilize the term, you know, You're either going to react or respond. And when you're not prepared, when you don't do the work on the front end, you react, which usually creates additional problems. And you are not able to service either the customer or your team members or whoever it is, the way that you could, if you would have taken the time on the front end to prepare for it.

Accordingly, which gives you the opportunity to respond. So, you know, and first responders, and I'll use the, uh, you know, police force or the fire departments, they do, they train all the time because, uh, they have to respond to emergencies. Well, we're in an industry where we, we respond to emergencies and, uh, if we, if we're not training, then we're reacting as opposed to responding to those emergencies.

Travis Martin: What I hear you saying is there is, there is groundwork that needs to be done to put you in a position where you can respond to those emergencies, those crises, um, not flat footed, but actually ready and, and to, to handle what's going to come. The thing that we see a lot of leaders neglect when they're looking for that next generation of leaders is asking themselves the question, Am I leading myself well first?

And do I have those principles internally before I go and try to instill them in the next generation of leaders in my company? What are some of those principles that you would say you as a leader have to have first? Before you can successfully start to cultivate new leaders in your company.

Ben Looper: Sure. Yeah, I think, uh, you know, it all begins with character, loyalty, and, you know, integrity.

Uh, but, you know, also things like preparedness, um. And, uh, the willingness to change, um, when things, when things aren't going well, being willing to, you know, change. So, you know, knowing and being able to see and ask yourself the, the hard questions and knowing the timing on what you should be doing, when you should be doing it, and then, uh, being able to look, you know, into the future with, you know, your visionary work and spending that time on that.

Travis Martin: So help me understand how. These principles of character and loyalty. Manifest themselves into the culture of Southeast Restoration.

Ben Looper: Yeah, it's, it's, it's kind of a non negotiable, not kind of, it is a non negotiable. Uh, you know, we, we have what we consider the goat culture, greatest of all time. So culture is so important to our organization.

Uh, it's the bedrock or the foundation. Uh, we're a people first organization. A lot of leaders and motivators are motivated financially, uh, fortunately or unfortunately, I am not, uh, you know, the financial, uh, aspect of the equation was not my primary motivation, uh, the people, uh, growth and development, uh, of our organization.

And I think it's paid off well, the leaders that I studied and followed, uh, were the same and focused on the people in the organization and being able to grow them as future leaders and, you know, put them in spots where they could be successful as opposed, and the money took care of itself. So, you know, I think, I think that's most important, but when, you know, When you have, um, a situation where character or integrity, uh, is, is broken, then, you know, trust takes a long time to, to gain back.

So you have to make the right decisions day after day, even, even when they're hard, uh, especially when they're hard. So when those hard decisions come, making the right decisions, and it will cost you, you know, some time and some money in certain situations, uh, but in the long run, making the right decisions will always pay off.

Help you get to where you want to go.

Travis Martin: I wonder if you could ground that in an example for us. I see anonymized, whatever needs to be anonymized, but like, it's, it's that rubber hits the road. We were talking about this, like the difference between giving a kind of like high minded principle. Like I think everyone would say, I value integrity.

Sure. Right? It's one, it's another thing when you're in a situation where it might cost you, Thousands. Sure. If not far beyond that.

Ben Looper: Sure. Yeah. The, the most recent that comes to mind is, uh, we had a, a deep freeze in the south, uh, last year and we had a large church project, um, that we were working on. And, uh, our guys went in and started the demo demolition and doing the work that needed to be done in there.

Um, but there was one step they missed, and that was with some, uh, asbestos testing. And, uh, the reality is, uh, the. Church and the leadership and the, you know, um, facilities group at the church. would have never known, um, but we knew, uh, after the fact, uh, and looking at the time frame and the, and the dates, we knew that it was an issue and, and we had missed a step.

And so, uh, we self penalized, uh, ourself to the tune, uh, of about 80 to a hundred thousand dollars that we had to go back and fix on our own dime. Which was essentially all, and then some of the profits that we would've made on that project. So we worked the, the, that part of the project and the remainder of the project essentially for nothing.

Um, but, uh, we called ourselves out on it to the, to the church, to the adjuster and told 'em what had happened and what had done, and we fixed. Uh, on our own, um, you know, uh, because, uh, I like to sleep well at night and, um, I wouldn't have been able to do that if, if we would've known that we missed that integral step in the process and, and didn't do the right thing.

And the greatest part of that, you know, uh, story is I didn't know about it till after the fact. Um, my team, uh, had had the character to make that decision. And, and you know, it cost the all, everybody involved. Um, along the way it cost all of us, you know, in the, at the end of the day, but they had the character to make that decision knowing it was the right thing to do.

Travis Martin: Wow. That's an incredible story. I've heard that you only truly find out what you value once it costs you. Yeah. Something. That's a great example. And I think the fact that this was not just Ben saying, Hey, at the top, I'm going to demonstrate this, but it had so saturated the culture that your team felt comfortable proceeding.

Ben Looper: I think that was, that was the most gratifying, you know, it was a hard situation and it was hard to take. Um, but knowing that that decision was made without my input, um, you know, was the most satisfactory, satisfying thing of the whole equation.

Travis Martin: So I'm curious, some of these qualities, such as character and integrity, loyalty, some of the ones that you mentioned, are those things that you think, in the right environment and in a willingness to learn, someone can grow those?

So, I imagine, hey, you've got a technician that's got some hard skills, maybe you see some management potential, but you also see If not red flags, some like concerns with how much do they live out this value of loyalty or integrity? To what degree, in your experience, has just the right environment with the right people around them and the right values from the top been able to fill those gaps?

Or is there just kind of like a fundamental misalignment and it's, it's not going to work?

Ben Looper: Yeah, I think, I think everybody is born with a innate, uh, You know, percentage of that, but I do believe it, you know, that it can be and is taught and learned, you know, who you surround yourself with, uh, what you're looking at, what you're reading, what you're doing, um, and then having the courage to make those right decisions as they come along.

Travis Martin: Can you give me an example? And again, let's make it anonymous if necessary, but where you saw someone who had The hard skills that you thought would be helpful to bring into management, but they just needed support on the relational human to human side. I know, I know people that are excellent workers.

They're very process oriented. But just how to show a team member that you care for them is something that requires a little bit of intention.

Ben Looper: Yeah, we're all, we're all wired differently. Um, and you know, we've got, uh, several members on our leadership team who are process, you know, systems driven individuals that have to work harder, um, you know, at the people side of the equation.

Fortunately, the people side of the equation, uh, it comes naturally, you know, easier for me. And I have to work harder on the processes and systems side of the equation. So, uh, surrounding, uh, myself and, and our team, you know, with a good mix of that is important. And then, you know, those that are wired one way being able to work with and share with those maybe who are not wired as equal, you know, on the other side, I think is, is beneficial.

If we're all wired the same way, working together, it would make it very difficult.

Travis Martin: Go into like awareness of the way each person is wired and the strengths and weaknesses they have. Like, how do you acknowledge you're really strong in this area and I want to see you grow in this area? What are, what are the cadences or systems that you guys have in place to help round out and strengthen employees?

Ben Looper: We do. We've, uh, over the years, we've. Uh, you know, we use the DISC profile, we use the Myers Briggs, we use the Colby, uh, profile. Um, there's a working genius now that Patrick Lencioni has come out with. So, we actually, uh, have taken all those assessments and keep records of those and, and act, make visuals, uh, of those to keep in front of us to remind us who we're working with and, and what we're doing, uh, because again, some people have strengths that I need and, and that vice versa, I have strengths that benefit them.

You know, and their leadership growth as well.

Travis Martin: And so just to make this tangible, are you saying that like on people's desks, you can see their desk profile and Myers Briggs and stuff like that?

Ben Looper: We don't have it. on their desk, but we do have them electronically that we share, you know, in, in particular meetings or planning sessions and so forth to remind ourselves.

Uh, we've got, we've got some big boards and magnets that, um, you know, and the specific planning meetings that we'll go ahead and acknowledge and put those, uh, you know, magnets and dots in the certain places. So everybody's aware of, you know, who's, who's, who's what and who scores high in these areas. Who doesn't score as high in other areas.

So when we're, you know, completing the strategic planning process, you know, that's in front of us and you know, who needs to be working with you. Huh?

Travis Martin: Ah, that's so, actually, I've never heard of a company that just lays it out that way, where you can see on like two by two chart where everyone's slotted and stuff like that.

And it sounds like, you know, I know some people that might say, don't put me in a box, but I know other people would say it's so helpful. Sure. to understand myself better and understand the personalities of the people around better. So it sounds like that latter category is really where you're at.

Ben Looper: Yeah, those, those assessments are all different.

Um, you know, they're often painful to take and, you know, take a lot of time, but it's remarkable, um, you know, if people answer them genuinely, you know, uh, how much they can shed light on and, and how well they can define, you know, Uh, one aspect or the other of, of who someone is.

Travis Martin: That's awesome. Uh, I wanna talk about, uh, strategic decision making in this strategic planning a little bit more.

Like you, like we both said, you know, there's, it's tempting to just wait for jobs to come in and and react. How have you built that muscle internally? to be forward looking at Southeast Restoration.

Ben Looper: Yeah, it's, it's, it's very strategic and we plan, uh, over a year in advance. We're, I'm working on, uh, 2025 and 2026 calendars now, uh, because we have to, uh, with an organization of our size, um, we have to coordinate schedules and calendars and, um, you know, be strategic about when we're meeting, what we're talking about.

And what we're doing, and we have to do it ahead of time. We can't do it in the moment. It's got to be ahead of time. So, you know, we're literally scheduling, um, next year's calendar now. Uh, and then we, unless something changes, we kind of evolve and move that. And then when we see, you know, things that aren't working and that need to be updated or change, we can do that.

But. This is the preparation, staying in front of it, um, knowing because, you know, if I needed to, if there was a meeting that needed to be scheduled and I waited till this week to schedule it for next week, chances are half the people are going to be, you know, uh, busy or out on, you know, PTO or somewhere and not be able to attend, so it would not be as, as productive.

But if I can see it on my calendar, quarter by quarter, going into the next quarter and strategically plan, Uh, accordingly for whatever the meetings and the agendas are, then, you know, it makes it a whole lot easier to be successful and, you know, productive in those meetings.

Travis Martin: I picture a restoration leader saying, I totally want us to become more forward thinking.

But always something comes up, right? There's always, there's always a storm or some sort of crisis that we have to deal with. And what I would hear in that is, Maybe you, as the person at the top, have not successfully made the case for why it's so important, and you're allowing the priorities of the day to change.

So, I think that there's probably a vision and leadership piece that also has to be necessary before a company can really start to develop that muscle. Is that, is that fair?

Ben Looper: It is fair. Yeah. You know, personally, there's things that are in people's desire zone and things that are in their drudgery zone or strengths and weaknesses, whatever it is.

And again, I think it's building a team. that can help and work off of each other's strengths and weaknesses and be able to do that. Because there's other executives in our organization that aren't strong in the planning, in the calendaring, you know, sector of our business. And they rely on me to make sure that part of the business is getting done.

And again, going back to the systems and processes, the integral details of the systems and processes is not in my desire zone, um, and is a weakness of mine. And knowing that, making sure that we've got the right people in the right place to focus on, you know, those things. Um, but being able to, you know, my, my role and being able to stay ahead of the curve and make sure that we're talking about the things that we need to be talking about today, knowing that it's going to affect what happens tomorrow.

Travis Martin: And so if someone at the top, like, like an owner or leader, um, They just are maybe not naturally wired to think about the like, five, ten years, where are we going? And so they can see the fruit of that, which is they have a team that's reactive, but not necessarily thinking strategically more than the next season.

What would your counsel or advice to them be?

Ben Looper: First piece of advice would be to Go to find someone, um, that can help them, they can recognize, uh, and that can help take that pressure off of them, but knowing that it's a necessity. Uh, to move the, the organization forward. You know, find, find the person that, where they're weak, um, to help the organization become stronger and, and recognize how important that is, because you used the word, you know, they're reactive and they would prefer to be responsive.

Yes. And in order to be able to be, to be responsive. responsive and you know, to do things, um, more productively, more profitably. Um, they're going to need that person to do that. So, so, uh, being willing and humble enough to recognize that if that's a weakness, to find the right person, uh, to come in and, and take those, you know, responsibilities and, and, and giving them the reins to do so.

Travis Martin: And I think that there's probably this. archetype that maybe some people have of, Oh, I'm the leader. I have to do it all. I have to be the vision caster and the top executor. And what I hear you saying is if you're going to be a good leader, you have to have some humility to acknowledge. where you're weak and bring in other people to support you.

Ben Looper: Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, again, we're, we're all wired, you know, God wired us all a specific way and we're all wired a specific way. And as hard as you can work to be better in certain areas, um, you, it will become frustrating. Uh, if you, you know, try too hard, that doesn't mean you can't get better at it. Um, but recognizing that.

You know, it's not a strength and it could be a weakness, but recognizing that it's not a strength and putting the right people in the right places to be able to accomplish what, what you're looking to do, you know, overall.

Travis Martin: Awesome. I have just, uh, a few rapid fire questions. I want to fire your way and then we'll wrap up here.

Uh, so first one is, I wonder if there are any like principles or timeless truths that have really stuck with you as you've formed your idea of what a good leader is.

Ben Looper: You know, people first. I mentioned that earlier. Uh, you know, I've studied, uh, Chick fil A's founder, Truett Cathy, early on. Um, and, you know, Think I'm wired and he was wired, or he was people first and not as financially, you know, motivated.

And again, that took care of itself. Um, excellence and cleanliness, uh, is something that, you know, is, is critical. Um, I believe in, in setting the right tone, um, and setting the team up, you know, for success. Um, and so I, I do believe that that's something that, uh, separates, you know, Um, you know, the normal, you know, from those who, who can excel and be, uh, even top performers in their industry or, or whatever, you know, wherever they're at.

Uh, and then again, going back to the, um, loyalty, the trust, integrity, you know, piece of it, um, is something that is important. So Zig Ziglar, um, you know, says you can have anything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want. So, that's been a, um, a quote that I've held on to, uh, for a long time and that is important, uh, to me because, uh, when I get myself out of the way and, uh, I don't try to do things for myself, but I'm making others successful, um, uh, it, it tends to make me successful in whatever areas, you know, that I'm interested in.

Travis Martin: Last question, very similar theme. I am wondering if there is any Leadership lessons or feedback that you've received from a leader in your life that has stuck with you.

Ben Looper: You know, I watch a lot of, uh, you know, podcasts or webinars from, from leadership coaches. I'm a, I'm a sports guy. So, um, you know, one of the principals from a football coach over in Clemson, South Carolina, Dabo Sweeney, uh, said, I will do what I can, when I can.

So I will not wish I would have when I could have. Um, and so I, I, I take that to heart. And, uh, it's something that I, that I, that I live by making, making sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing when I can, because I don't want any regrets on the back end.

Travis Martin: Some of you may have heard that just a few weeks ago, we launched the inaugural RIA Cost of Doing Business Report, powered by KnowHow. I just want to take a few minutes to talk about this report and the impact that it's already having in the industry.

Ben Looper: Ben, why is it important for restoration leaders and owners to get their hands on, on this one of a kind report? Yeah, I believe, I believe this cost of doing business survey, uh, is a tool that the industry has needed for at least the 30 years that, that I've been in the industry, and if not longer, because, uh, there has been a lot of assuming and guessing on, um, you know, what the accurate, you know, numbers are, and there's really never been Uh, a survey that has, to this depth, uh, that have asked the right questions to be able to get the industry knowledge that, that we need.

So, as this survey comes out, um, I know there's over a hundred companies that, you know, have, have filled this out. It's a, it's a detailed, in depth, uh, survey asking, You know, difficult questions around financials and other things that, uh, is going to give us feedback and knowledge, um, as a pool that we've never had in the industry.

And so I'm excited about, um, where this, uh, Cost of Doing Business Survey is, you know, what it's going to show, how it's going to reflect, uh, the industry trends and, uh, potentially some of the things that we need to be addressing moving forward.

Travis Martin: Ben, one thing that a lot of. Restoration companies tend to get surprised by is this this idea of succession planning and that it's not But it's not it's not something you can just fix in a year or two years.

It requires long term focus. Where have you seen restoration companies and owners Uh, go wrong when thinking about succession planning, and I'm curious, where have you seen them go right and do it really well?

Ben Looper: Uh, well fortunately or unfortunately, um, I haven't seen too many right examples of succession planning.

Um, uh, I think the trend, and it's not only the restoration industry, but it's really all industries, um, you across the board, uh, if they, people had one regret, it was they waited too long to start the conversations, um, and, and making some of those decisions. And, you know, I've worked, I'm working with professionals now and I have been, um, I'm a planner by nature.

And, you know, because of that, uh, I saw these things and, uh, people who are a different generation and further Along than I was and, um, you know, I'm just glad I started now. And then the professionals that I'm working with, corporate attorneys, CPAs, um, you know, uh, wealth management advisors, all of these people, you know, have complimented.

Uh, us on starting the succession plan and as early as we have because they say way too often, it's not until a decision has to be made and then it's really too late to do so. So, I don't think you can start too early. You may not have all the answers, uh, but you can start laying the foundational blocks, uh, you know, as soon as, as soon as you can to make sure that, you know, whatever those next steps are, because they're different for everybody.

So, laying the next steps, uh, those next blocks for the foundation of what the succession plan is going to be.

Travis Martin: So,

so Ben, just following up on that then, I'm curious if someone has said, I have not taken this seriously enough up to this point, but I need to start. What are those first two, three questions they should ask themselves just to kickstart that discussion around succession planning?

Ben Looper: Yeah, I think, uh, for me it's, you know, finding the professionals that, you know, can help you ask the right questions. Um, you, you, You're likely not going to have the answers, but you've got to start with the right questions and having people that work around succession planning on a consistent basis. So corporate attorneys, CPAs, wealth management advisors, you know, having people that work Uh, insurance professionals, you know, having those, the people that can help answer, uh, ask you the right questions, whether it be around, uh, the legal aspect of it, whether it be around the tax implications of some of it, but asking the right questions on the front end.

Travis Martin: And would you, would you give a timeline where you say like, Hey, I, I don't think you should start thinking about it less than this amount of time before you want to move on to whatever's

Ben Looper: Yeah, I'm, I don't think, I mean, I think it's a, at least a five or 10 year process. Um, and I think it's going to change.

But, but again, if you've got the foundation blocks built, the changes are much easier. Um, if you don't, And then you have to rush into succession planning and making decisions. It's going to cost you money and frustrations, um, you know, and having to make decisions, uh, on the spot and, you know, without that timely, you know, planning, because if you give yourself the runway that's necessary to do it correctly, uh, you will, you'll be able to, to lay that roadmap out like you want to.

Travis Martin: That's really helpful. I appreciate that, Ben.

Hey, Travis here. I want to thank Ben Looper for sharing his expertise and experience and wisdom with everyone today. If you want to learn more about Ben's approach, first, head to Restoration and Remediation's website, randrmagonline.

com, where you can read a case study about how Ben thinks about leadership and the impact it's having at Southeast Restoration. Additionally, you can head to buildingleadersbook. com to pre register for When Building Leaders -the new book by KnowHow- launches on October 7th. There is going to be a ton of never before seen insight in that book.

We've released early copies already, and it's already getting rave reviews. People are very excited. And like Leighton said at the top of this episode, super, super timely, super, super impactful. So head to buildandleadersbook. com to pre register for your free copy of the ebook. You can also head to costofrestoration.

com to download your free copy of the Cost of Doing Business Report. That's available to you for free. And I would ask if you're listening to this podcast and it's been valuable, subscribe. Wherever you get your podcasts, we're going to have more episodes coming, in the future, interviews with Mark Springer, Julie Johnson, Holly Murry, Marcy Richardson, Steve Glozik, tons of super impactful leaders that have thought deeply about leadership, not only how to become the leader that you want to be, but how to build that next generation of leaders at your company.

All right. Thanks everyone for tuning in and we'll see you next time.