From The Desk of Toby Clem (No AI tools were used to write this piece, but we did have a good conversation) 

AI is part of our future. As individuals. As business people. As companies. As a society. 

I thought it would be interesting to hear from ChatGPT about what it meant to run an efficient restoration business. 

It was certainly interesting. And it prompted some questions that I have never hesitated to ask a human, so I certainly challenged the artificial intelligence machine.

Here is how it went. 

Word for word. 

Running an efficient mitigation business is crucial to ensure that your clients receive the best service possible. Whether you are dealing with water damage, fire damage, or mold remediation, the following tips will help you streamline your business operations and provide top-notch service.

1. Invest in training and certification for your team: Make sure that your team members are properly trained and certified in their respective...

By Klark Brown  (no AI used in this writing)

We called it Paradise……

We can almost kiss it goodbye. 

“They call it paradise

I don't know why

You call someplace paradise

Kiss it goodbye”

Wrapping up our MUSIC SERIES this week, I wanted to share a musing I had as I traveled up I-85 in North Carolina a few weeks ago.

Don Henley and The Eagles wrote more than a lot of classics. The quality of music that practically any generation at least recognizes the melody.

Their most popular and best-selling album was Hotel California. Among the almost endless number of gems on that album was Last Resort.

The song itself has a very important message about the degradation of our native land. The overconsumption of The United States' beautiful resources for the sake of growth and expansion. 

The Curse of MORE. 

What I got from the message was our industry.
If you look at the quote above, which is near the end of the song, I think...

By Klark Brown  (no AI used in this writing)

WHO KNEW STING DEPLOYS ACCOUNTABILITY

Every move you make and every vow you break

Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you

Every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you

“What in the absolute HELL do The Police have to do with anything?”

Give me 6 minutes and I’ll share it with you. I think it will be worth it. 

Every Breath You Take (link to the song on YouTube) is by far the most popular song ever written by the British Trio named The Police. The Lead singer/ songwriter is Sting ( birth name Gordon Sumner).
If you want to know how he got the name Sting, reach out to me and I will share that story as well. My useless music knowledge rivals Wikipedia. 

Released in 1983, it shot to the stratosphere of the music charts thanks to the introduction of MTV (yes, they once played music videos). 

The dark and sinister lyrics...

By Klark Brown  (no AI used in this writing)

A modern nostalgic tale

A quick sideways smile appeared as I read what an actual person in 2023 wrote in a professional (somewhat) forum. 

With a teaspoon of amusement, a dash of dismay, and a gallon of continued frustration, I watched the comment appear, and develop a large audience around the words in true social media fashion.

Before diving into my visions of Bugsy Siegel, Al Capone, and Tony Soprano, allow me to fill you in on the context. 

This is about yet another online post about Asbestos Testing, the laws and the standards surrounding the requirements.  

What many do not know (because I find no reason to announce it) is I made a PROMISE to do my part to help educate an entire industry. 

Being a hard-headed, ADHD, sometimes hectic industry about this important misunderstood law is affecting too many unknowing and helpless workers. 

But enough about that, I have written scores of...

People in this industry avoid real sensitive topics. But we’re not afraid to touch those. 

This is Part 4 of the series where we talk about what it means to be a professional restorer. 

If it’s your first time reading this blog or listening to our podcast,  you can always visit our previous blog posts and podcast episodes and catch up before we start Season 3 at Jan 27th 2023. 

Here are also the links below to the podcast episodes for the three parts that we have already discussed:

S2:E19 Professional Series Part 1 - Technically Qualified

S2:EP20 Professional Series Part 2 - Leadership & Culture

S2:EP21 Professional Series Part 3 - Being Structured

You can also check out this week's episode of Disaster Podcaster:

S2:E22 Professional Series Part 4 - Being the EXAMPLE

When we talk about what makes a professional restorer or professional specialist in any field or trade, it could probably take 47 or more blogs to get everything covered. But for...