Ep 190 - "From Guitars to Plumbing Franchises"

In this episode of Head, Heart, and Boots, Brandon and I sit down with Claire Carreras, a musician, comedian, fashion entrepreneur, and now co-owner of 1-Tom Plumber Austin to unpack one of the most unexpected and compelling career journeys we’ve ever featured. Claire opens up about a childhood marked by constant relocation across multiple countries, how creativity and performance became her anchor, and how those early experiences shaped the grit and resourcefulness she now brings to building service businesses. We explore the rise and collapse of her fashion brands, the financial devastation of COVID, and what it took to rebuild her life from scratch in a new country. Claire shares the mindset shifts that helped her scale restoration and plumbing operations, the leadership lessons she brought from stages and tour vans, and her refreshingly honest view on managing people, burnout, and generational differences inside a 24/7 business. If you’re drawn to real entrepreneurial stories, the raw ones, with bruises, resilience, and reinvention; this conversation is worth every minute. Hope you enjoy. Chris Why You Should Listen... [00:05:15] How a turbulent childhood, constant relocation, and exposure to wildly different cultures forged Claire’s resilience and leadership instincts [00:13:03] How acting, stand-up comedy, and 15 years of international touring built the confidence, grit, and communication skills she now uses to scale home-service companies [00:20:27] What three failed fashion businesses taught her about timing, financial risk, market collapse, and how to recover when everything falls apart [00:28:14] Why she jumped into One-Tom Plumber after COVID wiped out her income, and how she built a 5-truck operation in months by leaning into clarity, systems, and urgency [00:45:06] How Claire motivates teams through uncertainty, connects personally without lowering standards, and navigates generational differences around pressure and mental health 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.