Visiting restoration companies is one of my very favorite parts of my job. Every one I’ve visited has been unique in its own way, and has practices in place that really help brand the company.

In a market where labor is in short supply for all departments, it’s the production side of the house that needs some focused attention. The attention I’m referring to doesn’t mean tossing a few dollars at any of the online job boards, as helpful as they may be.

Stories get better the more often they are told. You'll hear tons of stories at industry events, especially stories about how busy their company is.

In an era of record low unemployment, it is hard to imagine having a serious discussion about building depth of talent at any level, in any organization—especially the direct labor force. 

I’ve always been drawn to roles where I could be the hero. I grew up on comic books, superhero movies, and sci fi TV series. This heroic recognition addiction is what drove me to join the Airborne Infantry, specifically the history-rich 82nd Airborne Division.

These words were given to my dad in the early 80’s after going from job to job of trying to build a career in food route sales.