How To Build A Legacy in the Restoration Industry Without Losing Your Mind Or Marriage

There’s a lie that runs deep in the restoration industry—maybe deeper than water in a flooded crawlspace.

It says:
"You’ve got to sacrifice everything now so your family can have it better later."

But let’s be honest.
For a lot of owners, “later” never comes.

You’re buried in projects.
Fighting insurance carriers.
Dealing with staff turnover.
Chasing AR.
Balancing payroll.
And trying to answer 17 texts from your team while missing your kid’s dance recital or ball game...again.

Meanwhile, you’re telling yourself,
"This is just a season..."
But if you’re not careful, seasons become decades. 

We've heard this story too many times. 

In the restoration world, we pride ourselves on being the first to show up when disaster strikes.
But when’s the last time you showed up—really showed up—for your own life?

The truth is, many owners are quietly burning out.
Their marriages are tense.
Their health is slipping.
Their legacy is unclear.

And here’s the worst part:

The business looks successful to everyone else.
But inside?
They’re exhausted, anxious, and wondering what this is all really for.

So let’s reframe the whole thing.

What if your business wasn’t the legacy?

What if you are?

That’s what this newsletter is about.

This is a new way to lead—one that helps you build a real legacy without losing your mind, your marriage, or your mission.

The Business Isn’t the Legacy—You Are

In the restoration industry, we’ve been taught to wear chaos like a badge of honor.

Late nights, broken weekends, reactive leadership—it’s all “part of the job,” right?

But Travis Chancey, owner of Abbotts in Colorado Springs, shared something powerful in a recent podcast:

“Success isn’t just about jobs coming in or techs showing up. It’s about how you feel on the inside—and whether that shows up in how you lead.”

That hits hard.

Because so many owners are winning on paper—and losing in real life.

Here’s the pattern:

• You start a business “for your family.”

• You grind endlessly to provide.

• But you’re never home.

• You’re distracted when you are.

• And somewhere along the line, the business became the family.

Let’s be blunt.

If your kids grow up remembering you as always stressed, always gone, and always glued to your phone—that’s not a legacy.

That’s a warning.

And that tension isn’t just at home. It shows up in the business, too:

• Leaders who burn out.

• Culture that lacks heart.

• Teams that don’t stay.

• Customers who feel like transactions instead of people.

That’s why Travis and other legacy-minded owners are building something different.

They’re stepping into what I call The Legacy Lens.

It’s a way of measuring success by how well you show up, not just what you scale up.

It’s the ability to:

• Slow down without falling behind.

• Lead with peace instead of pressure.

• Connect deeply with your family, your team, and your customers.

And get this:

It’s not just good for your soul.

It’s good for business.

Teams rally behind it.
Clients feel it.
And the culture becomes magnetic.

Travis has been in this industry for decades. He’s run large teams, faced personal tragedy, raised a child with special needs, and navigated the kind of stress most people would crumble under.

And yet—he shows up with presence, clarity, and peace.

Why?

Because he stopped trying to control everything and started building something that serves his life, not something that swallows it.

This is your invitation to do the same.

The 1% Legacy Blueprint

“Your legacy isn’t built in giant wins—it’s built in the 1% you give every day.”

Let’s make this real.

You don’t need to sell the company, move to Bali, or meditate on a mountaintop for six months.

You need a process that works inside the daily grind of running a restoration company.

Here’s the 1% Legacy Blueprint—a simple path that helps you build both your business and your life, one intentional step at a time.

🔹 Step 1: Legacy Moments Over Legacy Milestones

Milestones are seductive:
$1M revenue. 10 trucks. National contracts.

But moments are what matter:

• Sitting at dinner, not answering your phone.

• Showing up to the game before the first whistle.

• Putting your kid to bed and hearing about their day.

Start measuring these.
Because they’re the ones your family will remember.

🔹 Step 2: The Double Bottom Line Principle

P&Ls matter. But they’re not enough.

Start tracking:

• Team retention.

• Customer thank-you notes.

• Your own peace of mind at the end of the week.

This is your emotional ROI.

Legacy businesses don’t just make money—they make meaning.

🔹 Step 3: The Present CEO Method

Your team doesn’t need more direction—they need more of you.

That means:

• 10 minutes of prayer, meditation, or breathwork before the chaos starts.

• 1-on-1s where you actually listen.

• Morning huddles that connect, not just instruct.

Presence is power.

And it compounds.

🔹 Step 4: Replace Control With Trust Loops

Let go to grow.

Train your people well. Set clear expectations. Then let them run.

You don’t need to be the bottleneck.

You need to be the backbone.

Trust loops build confidence, loyalty, and leadership.

That is legacy.

🔹 Step 5: Build With Them, Not Just For Them

Stop building a business your family watches from the sidelines.

Let them in:

• Share the vision.

• Celebrate the wins.

• Tell the hard truths.

Legacy isn’t what you leave behind.
It’s what you build together.

You’re not just a business owner.

You’re a father or mother.
A husband or wife.
A friend.
A human.

And the restoration world needs more owners who remember that.

Because this industry—one full of burnout, turnover, and pressure—won’t change by chasing more revenue.

It’ll change when more people lead from a place of peace, presence, and purpose.

Let the legacy start now.