In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, I sit down with Nilo Quiroz and John Villon to unpack their unlikely path from oil-and-gas engineers to running one of the fastest-growing PuroClean and 1-Tom Plumber operations in the country.

We get into how early failures shaped their mindset, why putting ego aside became the key to their partnership, and how saying yes—long before they felt ready—helped them accelerate past the typical startup grind. From feeding thousands of hurricane responders to tearing out their first flooded home with support from the franchise network, their journey is a masterclass in hustle, humility, and learning fast.

Hope you enjoy.

Chris

Why You Should Listen

[00:07:36] How two radically different personalities learned to set ego aside and build a partnership that actually works under pressure

[00:18:36] Why saying “yes” to unfamiliar work (and figuring it out later) became their biggest accelerator in the early years

[00:24:45] What their first hurricane deployment taught them about learning fast, asking for help, and leveraging a franchise network

[00:33:00] How diversification—contents, reconstruction, bio, plumbing—kept their business alive when mitigation slowed down

[00:43:45] Why they see business as a marathon, not a sprint, and how that mindset helped them survive failures and grow multiple companies

Did you know...

Only 30% of businesses listed for sale actually find a buyer? Even more striking, just 10% of those sell for the price their owners anticipated or higher, meaning only 3% of all business owners achieve their desired sale price. By focusing on understanding and enhancing your enterprise value, you can significantly boost your chances of joining that successful 3%.

Business Health & Value Assessment

Start Assessment Know Your Enterprise Value. See Your Potential Gaps.

Complete this assessment in less than 15 minutes and receive a free assessment for your business that includes:

A Lite Valuation Of Your Business
Your Value Multiplier Per Your Industry
Health Assessment Per Our PYB Methodology
Business Value & Growth Roadmap Tailored For You
Value Acceleration Strategies

Spotlight on Floodlight: Your Secret Weapon for Sales & Scaling

This isn’t a paid plug. It’s real talk from the front lines. If you’ve ever thought, “How do I get a VP-level sales leader or even a sales team without hiring full-time?” Floodlight has the answer.

Fractional Sales Leadership

They act as your outsourced VP of Sales, taking full responsibility for training, managing, and growing your sales team. No six-figure hire needed.
Clients often close 20 to 50 percent more deals within six months, thanks to data-driven coaching, CRM setup, scripts, and performance reviews.
More at floodlightgrp.com/sales

Commercial Sales MasterCourse

A self-paced, video-driven B2B sales course designed specifically for restoration teams. Perfect for building commercial revenue and getting free from TPA handcuffs.
Covers mindset, prospecting, pipeline building, LinkedIn lead generation, and includes a $250 discount with code SALESBOOST.
Details at floodlightgrp.com/courses

Tailored Consulting & Coaching

Floodlight’s Propel Your Business methodology offers a full-circle roadmap: financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, productivity. All built for contractors.
These aren’t “life coaches.” They’re former restoration owners who’ve lived the chaos and know how to scale out of it.
Explore more at floodlightgrp.com

Live Training, Tools & Strategic Partnerships

Floodlight also delivers live onsite and virtual training, keynote speaking, and leadership tracks covering operations, project management, and strategic growth.
Bonus: They’ve vetted tools like Xcelerate, Liftify, and Sureti. Floodlight clients get access to exclusive discounts on tech that actually moves the needle.
See all partnerships at floodlightgrp.com/partners

Why it matters for you as a listener

You don’t need to figure this stuff out alone.
If you’re serious about sales growth, operational clarity, exit readiness, or leadership development, Floodlight is already helping folks like you scale smarter.
And you get it from industry insiders. People who’ve sat in your chair, survived the fires, and built systems that actually work.

Ep 189 - "From Feeding the 5000 to PuroClean and Plumbing"