Sixteen years ago, I started All Nation Restoration from the ground up in Austin, Texas. I didn’t have a blueprint, a mentor, or a stack of capital. What I did have was a firm belief that success would come from a handful of non-negotiables: quality, dependability, honesty, hard work, and cleanliness.
I didn’t set out to build a brand at least not in the traditional sense. I set out to do good work.
But as the years went on, I realized that people weren’t just buying our services they were buying me. The way I showed up. The way I spoke. The way I carried myself. The values I represented. So I made a decision: I would brand myself as clearly as I branded the company.
Early in my career, I saw a lot of young business owners talking big, inflating their image, and running on fumes. “Fake it till you make it” was the mantra of the day. Flashy suits. Big claims. Shiny websites that promised the moon but delivered very little.
That wasn’t me. That never felt like me.
All Nation Restoration wasn’t built on hype. It was born out of necessity, backed by integrity. From day one, I was in the trenches getting my hands dirty, solving real problems, and showing up for people when disaster struck.
I knew I had to stand out, but not through ego. I wanted to be remembered for the right reasons.
I grew up in Central Texas, surrounded by agriculture, small-town values, and the country lifestyle. Ironically, when I was a teenager, I rejected everything that reminded me of that world. I turned away from anything Western, conservative, or traditional…partly out of rebellion, partly out of pain tied to my religious upbringing.
But over time, as I worked my way through the chaos of the restoration industry, reconnected with my faith, and started growing into the man I wanted to be and I found myself circling back. Back to the morals, the integrity, the attention to detail, and the pride of a job done right. Back to the values that had been planted in me long ago.
And that’s when I made a decision:
I’m going to wear a white cowboy hat.
There’s an old saying: “You can always trust a cowboy in a white hat.”
For me, that wasn’t just a style choice, it was a mission statement.
The white hat became a symbol:
I didn’t want to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I didn’t need to impress anyone with five-piece suits or hyper savvy Instagram posts. I wanted to be remembered for the right reasons because I could be trusted.
And let’s be real: not everyone agrees with my beliefs or my values. That’s okay. In a city like Austin, standing out as a Western, Christian, Conservative (looking) business owner isn’t always popular.
But it’s real. And it’s unforgettable.
You can’t fake authenticity. You can’t mass-market character.
If you want your personal brand to matter, you have to start with your beliefs—and then let those beliefs show up in how you dress, how you walk, how you talk, how you lead, and how you serve.
“I want people to look at me and know exactly who I am:
A man of his word. A man of faith. A man who will show up when your house floods, your ceiling collapses, or your life turns upside down and get the job done with care, respect, and excellence.”
That’s the brand. That’s the man. That’s All Nation Restoration.
Stay strong. Stay focused. Stay in business.
