Jeff Dudan

And if the resources weren't there for me, they really weren't there for him. And he was stuck. He was washing cars at Schaumburg Toyota outside of Chicago and going to that junior college. So, you know, I also had an obligation to stand up a household and be able to help them with tuition and get them through school. So this guy calls and he says, hey, this hurricane just hit South Florida.

You guys are aggressive. We need all the help we can. They basically said, call everybody you know and see anybody who wants to work. And so we went down there and cut our teeth in the insurance restoration business for 18 months. Then in 94, moved up to Central Florida to start a business with three partners that I would ultimately over the next 10 years, buy them all out,

You guys are aggressive. We need all the help we can. They basically said, call everybody you know and see anybody who wants to work. And so we went down there and cut our teeth in the insurance restoration business for 18 months. Then in 94, moved up to Central Florida to start a business with three partners that I would ultimately over the next 10 years, buy them all out,

We became a national and international government contractor, disaster restoration. We had offices in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina. And I bought my last partner out in 2004 and decided to franchise the business. So we sold all of our company stores under the franchise model in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

We became a national and international government contractor, disaster restoration. We had offices in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina. And I bought my last partner out in 2004 and decided to franchise the business. So we sold all of our company stores under the franchise model in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Launched the business in 2009 to the market, and we ended up with 240 locations, and I sold the business in 2019.

Launched the business in 2009 to the market, and we ended up with 240 locations, and I sold the business in 2019.

What I would say is my observation of it is my dad was working seven days a week. I was proud of him actually at the time.

What I would say is my observation of it is my dad was working seven days a week. I was proud of him actually at the time.

But when I look at it in hindsight and I realized that on client days that he would make me put on a sport coat and go sit in a cube to act like he had employees, I'm looking at it and they were a little overprotective over that snack box that you were supposed to put money in. I mean, if something got gone,

But when I look at it in hindsight and I realized that on client days that he would make me put on a sport coat and go sit in a cube to act like he had employees, I'm looking at it and they were a little overprotective over that snack box that you were supposed to put money in. I mean, if something got gone,

Somebody was in trouble and I was a kid and I was hungry, but I didn't really realize in a way it was a failure, but in the other way, him and his partner ran that business for probably a decade. or longer. And then when he closed the business down, he did work for the clients from home. So he was still an independent contractor.

Somebody was in trouble and I was a kid and I was hungry, but I didn't really realize in a way it was a failure, but in the other way, him and his partner ran that business for probably a decade. or longer. And then when he closed the business down, he did work for the clients from home. So he was still an independent contractor.

And then ultimately he took a job with a big company to get benefits and pension and whatever. And that's where he finished his career. But I didn't look at it at the time as a failure. I just knew that he was in business for himself.

And then ultimately he took a job with a big company to get benefits and pension and whatever. And that's where he finished his career. But I didn't look at it at the time as a failure. I just knew that he was in business for himself.

Look, I wasn't a good partner. I didn't understand what partnership was. Good agreements upfront head off bad disagreements down the road. And you need to understand when you enter into a partnership, are you an investor, an advisor? Are you the operator? Are you going to sign an employment agreement? Are you going to run this business?

Look, I wasn't a good partner. I didn't understand what partnership was. Good agreements upfront head off bad disagreements down the road. And you need to understand when you enter into a partnership, are you an investor, an advisor? Are you the operator? Are you going to sign an employment agreement? Are you going to run this business?

You have to get absolute clarity around how things are going to go. And I think we went into this business and we started it up and there was a real interesting negotiation when we started it where these two guys were University of Florida graduates. They were older than us by a decade or more. They had a lot of experience and we were kind of the young kids

You have to get absolute clarity around how things are going to go. And I think we went into this business and we started it up and there was a real interesting negotiation when we started it where these two guys were University of Florida graduates. They were older than us by a decade or more. They had a lot of experience and we were kind of the young kids

rising stars or whatever in the in the field and they wanted 51 of the business and my sense of it was we shouldn't do that because we're going to lose control so i said look it's a 50 50 business it's 25 four ways and we'll let you brand the company in the florida gator colors So I traded that for that 1%.