Straight Talk – an ISSA Podcast

Insurance has always been about managing risk, but many restoration professionals believe the claims process has become increasingly difficult to navigate. 

For decades, the restoration industry has played a critical role in helping property owners recover from water damage, fire losses, mold contamination, storm events, and other disasters. Yet despite its specialized expertise, restoration has never had its own dedicated federal industry classification. That may soon change.

Artificial intelligence isn't just changing how service companies operate. It's changing how customers buy. Companies that rely on outdated sales tactics or slow follow-up may lose business before they even know they were being considered.

Growth is exciting. More customers, more employees, more trucks on the road all look like success. But behind that growth, many building service contractors are discovering a harder truth: revenue doesn't automatically translate into profit.

As ISSA President, Laurie Sewell has had the opportunity to connect with professionals from every corner of the cleaning and facility solutions industry. 

AI is transforming the workplace, but is it also changing the way employees think?

At just 12 years old, Olivia Haynes accomplished something few people in the restoration industry can claim: She has earned dual IICRC certifications in Water Damage Restoration (WRT) and Applied Structural Drying (ASD). 

What does it take to build a cleaning company that thrives for more than 40 years? See how KB Building Services made it all work. 

Disaster preparedness doesn't begin when the storm arrives—it starts long before the first warning is issued.

In this episode, Allen Rathey, founder and executive director of the Indoor Exposure Index (INDEX), discusses why ISSA's leadership role within the Healthy Buildings Workgroup through WELL could help elevate the cleaning industry's influence in the broader conversation about occupant health, wellness, and building performance.

How much does your facility really spend on cleaning—and are you measuring real costs?

Can AI really help cleaning companies hire better employees—or is it just another overhyped technology?

What does it take to build a restoration company that stands the test of time?

What does it take to build a restoration company that scales across multiple states while maintaining a strong culture and family foundation?

Krystie Reeves, the owner of BioteamAZ, shares the story behind the company's growth from a family-owned startup to a statewide provider of biohazard remediation, trauma cleanup, and specialty restoration services. 

Artificial intelligence is no longer the shiny new toy it was a year or two ago. Most business owners have experimented with it, many use it daily, and some are already building AI-powered workflows into their operations. As adoption has matured, so have the mistakes.

But they won't save a business that doesn't know its numbers.

What does it take to keep one of the nation's largest university facilities and housing systems running smoothly? 

Most organizations invest significant time and effort into winning new customers, but far fewer focus on what happens after the contract is signed. 

America turns 250 years old this year, but according to today's guest, one thing hasn't changed: Small businesses still carry the water.

Experience can be a powerful advantage—but it can also become a liability when professionals stop adapting. 

The conversation about the labor shortage in cleaning and facility services usually sounds the same: “Nobody wants to work anymore.” Add to that, “Turnover is at an all-time high.” But what if the real issue is that cleaning companies are competing against entirely different industries, POWERFUL industries, for the same people—and losing? 

What does it take to prepare a cleaning company for long-term success? In this episode, Paul Greenland, CEO of Ikigai Management Consultants and an ISSA Consulting partner, discusses how organizations can strengthen leadership, improve operational performance, prepare for CIMS certification, and build systems that support sustainable growth. 

The future of facility management is becoming increasingly connected, automated, and data-driven. To help cleaning and facility professionals navigate this changing landscape, ISSA has partnered with Smart Building Bootcamp to provide practical education focused on smart buildings, artificial intelligence, robotics, workplace technologies, cybersecurity awareness, and more.

In this conversation, Derek Oliveira, ISSA's Associate Director of Education, Training, and Field Services, shares insights from a career dedicated to professional development, industry advancement, and supporting cleaning professionals at every stage of their journey.

As the world prepares for the largest FIFA World Cup in history, the focus extends far beyond the stadium gates. With 48 teams, millions of fans, and thousands of support personnel moving through hotels, airports, training facilities, transportation hubs, and public venues across North America, cleanliness, infection prevention, and operational resilience will be critical to the tournament's success.

Grassroots advocacy is no longer just a conversation happening in Washington—it's happening at the state level, and restoration professionals are being called to participate. 

Most companies believe they have a hiring problem. In reality, many have a hiring process problem.

Steve Ashkin, founder of The Ashkin Group, discusses the key themes from his article about advocacy and sustainability.  

Just how smart is artificial intelligence these days? It depends on whom you ask. And when it comes to resilient flooring, AI may not be as smart as some people think.

Autonomous cleaning is everywhere right now—but what actually works in the real world? In this episode, Chris Ford, EVP of Robotics and Innovation with KBS, shares a grounded, provider-side perspective on how robotics and AI are being deployed in cleaning operations today. 

Laurie Sewell, president of ISSA, shares insights and strategies for C-Suite professionals.

Most business owners have experimented with AI—but many walked away frustrated by generic answers, weak output, and complicated prompts. In this conversation, Dean Mercado explains why the problem usually isn't the AI tool itself. It's the missing foundation behind it.

A great proposal should build confidence—not confusion. In this conversation, we explore why clarity often outperforms complexity in cleaning and restoration proposals, how overloaded estimates can hurt sales, and what business owners can do to create proposals customers actually understand and trust. 

What does it take to develop effective enzymatic detergents for today's healthcare environments? In this episode, we explore how detergent manufacturers validate cleaning performance, differentiate their products, and support healthcare facilities searching for safer, smarter cleaning solutions.

Winning a contract is only half the battle—executing a smooth transition is where the real pressure begins. In this episode, Randy Burke and Jason Little at DCS Global break down one of the biggest hidden challenges in the cleaning and facility services industry: transition anxiety. 

What happens when a university engineering project turns into a global technology company helping major facility service organizations digitize operations? 

Biohazard incidents can happen anywhere—schools, offices, healthcare facilities, public spaces, transportation hubs, and commercial buildings. When cleaning professionals encounter blood, bodily fluids, infectious materials, or other potentially hazardous contaminants, the stakes climb well beyond routine cleaning. For ISSA members and the global cleaning and facility services industry, knowing how to properly respond to biohazard situations is about safety, risk reduction, worker protection, compliance, and public health.

A great-looking website doesn't always mean great results. In this episode, we explore why so many cleaning company websites fail to convert—and what you can do about it. 

Over 55% of cleaning industry new hires quit within the first 60 days—and many companies are asking the wrong question about why. In today's program, we explore what separates cleaners who stay from those who leave almost immediately. From onboarding breakdowns and poor communication to scheduling instability, training gaps, and workplace culture, this conversation uncovers the hidden reasons behind early employee churn in the cleaning industry.

Most business owners in the cleaning and facility solutions industry are good at what they do. They know how to run a crew, manage a job, and keep clients happy. What they're less comfortable with—and what could be costing them real money—is a deeper kind of client conversation. Not a check-in. Not a quick follow-up call. A strategic business review.

In this episode, we take a closer look at insurance fraud in the restoration industry—from every angle. 

Tim Miller has seen the inside of a lot of restoration companies. After more than 30 years in the cleaning and restoration industry—starting at a mom-and-pop janitorial supply house, moving through specialty chemicals, a decade at Jon-Don, a construction company in New Mexico, and eventually founding Business Development Associates (BDA)—he has developed what he calls a body of knowledge that keeps growing with every client. This is his story.

A new alliance between two well-known industry organizations is opening the door for home inspectors to expand into indoor air quality assessment—and the timing, both groups say, couldn't be better. NORMI (National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors) and InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) have formalized a partnership designed to bring together the disciplines of home inspection, indoor air quality science, and healthcare into a unified training and certification pathway.

If your sales team isn't hitting its numbers, the instinct is often to blame the people. But what if the real problem is the system they're operating in?

There's a growing movement in the restoration industry—one that says independent contractors don't need a franchise or a TPA to build a thriving business. Trusted Restorer has been making that case for years, and under its recently refreshed identity, the platform is reaching more contractors than ever with a simple but powerful message: you can scale, compete, and win on your own terms.

If your cleaning business feels harder to run right now, you're not imagining it. Rising costs, labor challenges, and constant uncertainty are putting pressure on every part of the operation. But what if the answer isn't working harder—it's working smarter with better data? In this episode, Steve Ashkin breaks down why sustainability reporting is no longer just a compliance exercise—it's a practical business tool. 

You had a great year. Revenue is up. The phone kept ringing. So when you call a broker and float the idea of selling, you expect excitement on the other end of the line. Here is why that may fall flat.

Growth should feel like progress—but for many businesses, it creates more problems than it solves. In this episode, we take a closer look at the leadership decisions that determine whether growth actually scales or simply adds stress, complexity, and constant fires. 

What does it take to lead—and succeed—at the highest levels of the cleaning industry? In this episode, we sit down with three dynamic women leaders in manufacturing and distribution to explore the real drivers behind their success.