Head Heart & Boots
Empower Your Trade Business

Head Heart & Boots

If you build it, fix it, or maintain it, the Head Heart & Boots podcast is for you. Restoration, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and every blue-collar trade in between. If you own a service business and you have ever felt the weight of leading it, this show is for you.
Hosts Brandon Reece and ...

Ep 226 - "Listen to Win, with Nick D'Urbano"
Head Heart & Boots
Ep 226 - "Listen to Win, with Nick D'Urbano"

Recent Episodes

226
Nov. 10, 2026

Ep 226 - "Listen to Win, with Nick D'Urbano"

Nick D’Urbano is back on the show, Chief Revenue Officer of Distance and co-founder of Porter, runporter.com, and this conversation gets honest fast. Nick’s blunt framing early on stuck with us: if your conversion rate is sitting at 50 percent instead of 70, that gap isn’t bad luck or bad leads, it’s a skill gap, and it’s fixable. We dig into what almost 2,000 field recordings have taught Floodlight about why training doesn’t survive the field, the simple behavior shift that stops a homeowner fr
225
Nov. 3, 2026

Ep 225 - "Building Champions, with Clinton Tierney"

If you’ve ever wondered what makes a great consultant actually great, spend an hour with Clinton Tierney. Clinton has been in restoration for 21 years, worked literally every role in the industry from technician to VP of sales, and has been part of the Floodlight team for a year and a half now, bringing the same intensity to our clients that he brought to two companies he helped grow to 50 and 60 million dollars. In this episode we find out why. Clinton coaches his kids’ travel baseball and soft
224
Oct. 6, 2026

Ep 224 - "I Am the Voice, with Jared Thayer"

Chris's friend Jared Thayer joined us this week, and this conversation covers more ground than almost any episode we've recorded. Jared is the owner of Thayer Design Build, a remodeling company he started in 2014, and his story starts with a hard childhood, a mom who disappeared into addiction, and a grandmother who became one of the aces in his deck of cards. From there he built a construction company from scratch, grew it to a ten person team, went through a divorce last year, and is now raisi
223
Sept. 29, 2026

Ep 223 - "Always On, Never Satisfied"

I walked into this recording annoyed about studio cables, and somehow it turned into one of the most honest conversations Brandon and I have had on this show. We talk about the pressure in modern business culture to be always on and always awesome, and why the gurus only ever talk about their struggles in the past tense. Brandon brought in Arthur Brooks' framework of the three macronutrients of happiness: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. We use it to take a hard look at grind culture, the
222
Sept. 22, 2026

Ep 222 - "Show Up, Work Hard, Don't Be an Ass: JR Litehiser's Story"

Some guests walk in with a good story. JR Litehiser walked in with one of the most unbelievable stories we've ever heard on this show, and he made us laugh through the entire thing. JR is the owner of Pacific Northwest Epoxy Coatings and Supplies, PNW ECS, but before that he was a high school teacher, a police officer, and a decorative concrete contractor. In 2008, right as he was launching a materials distribution business, a chemical explosion left him with burns over 80 percent of his body.
221
Sept. 15, 2026

Ep 221 - "Building Recurring Revenue and Enterprise Value, with Jim Emerich"

This month's money talk with Jim Emerich turned into one of the most useful conversations we've had on the show, so let's get right into it. Jim breaks down what he calls the four levels of business relationships: direct, individual, ecosystem, and structural. The higher you climb, the less you're grinding one-off sales and the more you're building an asset that owns a customer relationship for years. We get into service agreements as the on-ramp for trades businesses, whether that's HVAC, pest

Recent Blog Posts

Nov. 3, 2026

Trades Training Lessons From a Coach Who Builds Champions

Most trades owners would never send a ball team onto the field without practice. Yet plenty of restoration, roofing, HVAC and plumbing companies send technicians into homeowners' houses every day with very little real preparation. In Episode 225 of …

About the Hosts

Brandon Reece Profile Photo
Brandon Reece

Co-Owner & CEO, Floodlight Consulting Group | Co-Host, Head Heart & Boots

Brandon Reece is a seasoned entrepreneur, visionary leader, and passionate advocate for personal and professional growth. As the CEO of Floodlight Consulting Group, he leads a dynamic consulting team dedicated to empowering organizations to navigate complexities and achieve sustainable success in the blue collar home service industry.

With over two decades of experience in Operational development, leadership, and consulting, Brandon brings a wealth of expertise to his role. His forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence have enabled Floodlight Consulting Group to become a trusted partner for clients seeking to thrive in today's rapidly changing business landscape.

In addition to his role at Floodlight Consulting Group, Brandon is also the Co-Host of the Head Heart and Boots podcast, where he explores topics at the intersection of leadership, personal development, and resilience. Through insightful conversations and practical experience, Brandon and Chris inspire owners across the trades to lead with authenticity and purpose.

Prior to founding Floodlight Consulting Group, Brandon held key leadership positions in the US Army, corporate firms, and regional disaster restoration entities, where he honed his expertise in strategic planning, organizational development, and change management. His passion for driving growth and fostering innovation has earned him recognition as a trusted advisor and thought leader in the industry.

Chris Nordyke Profile Photo
Chris Nordyke

Co-Owner & President, Floodlight Consulting Group | Co-Host, Head Heart & Boots

Chris Nordyke brings a robust background in entrepreneurship and sales leadership to his role as Co-owner and President at Floodlight Consulting. His journey began at age 19 when he entered the world of direct sales with Vector Marketing, where he quickly rose to prominence as a top sales leader and branch office manager in Los Angeles. During his tenure, he was instrumental in overseeing a team of over 40 sales representatives, spearheading initiatives in recruiting, training, and team development. This experience laid a strong foundation in entrepreneurship and sales leadership, which Chris continues to leverage today, particularly in the restoration industry.

His expertise in B2B sales was further honed during his time as a Contract Sales Representative for Cintas Corporation, a Fortune 500 company specializing in laundry services. Here, Chris mastered Requirements Based Selling (RBS), a strategy that underpins the Pain-Solution selling model he utilizes with clients today.

Before his current venture, Chris had a significant tenure at State Farm Companies, where he owned and operated a successful agency for five of his eight years with the company. In 2014, Chris transitioned to Summit Cleaning and Restoration, where he played a pivotal role on the leadership team. Until late 2019, he led the company's business development and marketing efforts, placing a special emphasis on customer experience, culture, and commercial sales operations.

Chris's diverse experience and proven leadership continue to drive success and innovation at Floodlight Consulting, where he remains dedicated to building resilient and high-performing teams.

Reviews

Incredibly Applicable

"Definitely worth the listen! Influential, applicable and easy to follow. Highly recommended!"

Bmorett | Aug. 5, 2021

Don't You Want To Know

"Good thought provoking podcast. The guys talk real life that can be used not just in a business setting but gives a perspective for working on one's self in building and establishing positive relati…"

Glon1 | Aug. 7, 2021

Enjoyable and Insightful

"Chris and Brandon have an easy going rapport that is fun and easy to listen to. I love the premise of the first episode … that our professional lives are a continuum of our everyday lives. Lessons re…"

tlf-j | Aug. 10, 2021

It’s a solid show

"Just putting some thought into it, a solid show captures what’s going on here. It’s educational, it’s informative, it’s fun, and I look forward to listening to it every week. There’s always something…"

Otto8238 | Jan. 12, 2022

My Favorite Podcast

"This has turned into my favorite podcast. Incredibly relevant content that is well delivered. Keep up the good work!"

C10chris | Sept. 14, 2022

Tons of value

"Love the podcast, definitely the best in the restoration space, especially for owners who are trying to keep up with an industry that's changing more rapidly than most people seem to realize. I'm con…"

Save bug | Nov. 22, 2022

An industry must listen

"Great hosts, important topics, top notch guests. Easy weekly listen to grow consistently"

kayakingsanta | April 9, 2024

Good Stuff

"I’ve listened to these guys for over a year now and really appreciate their content. They know their stuff and yet they are humble and willing to admit their weaknesses and also seek to understand a…"

Kevin Troyer | Oct. 9, 2024

Fun show, helpful content

"This show is really from the heart! I love the banter and also the transparency these guys show. Whoever edits does a great job! Great quality."

butterscotchbar | Oct. 16, 2024

Legends

"Not exaggerating… these guys are actually legendary. And not only is this show tactical and practical, but these guys make it fun. They are brilliant, articulate, hilarious, powerful, and effective. …"

TimothyRist | Dec. 2, 2024

Refreshing

"It’s nice to hear from people that talk like actual human beings and obviously see others that way. So many nuggets of knowledge, entertaining, and just helpful “life stuff.” Thanks guys!"

shotbysofiee | April 2, 2025