When I started All Nation Restoration at 18 years old, it wasn’t out of rebellion.
It wasn’t about chasing freedom, prestige, or even passion.
It was about necessity.
I didn’t launch my company with the dream of being a CEO. I wasn’t looking to “be my own boss” or flip the finger at an employer. In fact, the lack of rebellion in my decision to start All Nation is one of the greatest reasons I believe it worked. I didn’t fight against anyone—I simply followed the path in front of me, armed with humility and a desire to keep working.
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Before I was a business owner, I was a remediation technician. The work—water, fire, and mold cleanup—felt natural. I loved working with my hands, solving problems, staying detail-oriented, and taking pride in craftsmanship. That came easy. It made sense with how I was raised and how I viewed the world.
I worked for a small yellow-page-based company, and I gave it my all. I didn’t dream of “getting out” or “doing it better.” I genuinely saw the company as mine—not in an arrogant way, but in a deeply respectful, loyal way. I took care of our customers, protected the brand, and treated every job like it mattered, because it did.
When I found out the company was going under, I was crushed. I applied at a few other companies, but nothing felt right. Starting over wasn’t in me. And that’s when Chris Moreno, a colleague from the same company, encouraged me to do something radical:
Start my own.
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There were no investors.
There was no glamorous launch.
Just raw grit.
I sold everything I owned—every collectible, every comfort, every item that held sentimental value. I used the money to buy a very rundown 26-foot bumper-pull camper. I parked it in a rough campground in deep East Austin and moved in with Chris and another friend in recovery. We split the rent three ways.
While other people my age were driving nice trucks and chasing comfort, I drove a beat-up box truck and reinvested every dollar I had into dehumidifiers, air movers, and gear. Instead of vacations, I bought tools. Instead of titles, I listed myself on business cards as “Certified Remediation Technician.” Not CEO. Not Founder. Not Owner.
Just someone willing to work.
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Today, I see a lot of young people starting businesses with lifestyle in mind.
They imagine the freedom, the income, the prestige. And I get it—those things sound great. But I’m here to tell you: if lifestyle is your goal, your business will suffer.
What you need is:
• Humility over hype
• Drive over dreams
• Service over status
Success in business isn’t about skipping steps. It’s about earning every inch—through sacrifice, commitment, and brutal honesty with yourself.
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1. Don’t start out of rebellion. Start because there’s a need. Start because you’re ready to work.
2. Keep your expectations low and your standards high. Expect long days, thankless tasks, and setbacks. But hold your work to a higher standard than anyone else.
3. Stay humble. Humility opens doors. Entitlement slams them shut.
4. Forget the title. Put your name last. Put the work first.
5. Reinvest before you reward yourself. Growth comes from planting, not picking.
If you’re dreaming of starting a business, I’m cheering for you. But don’t do it out of pride, and don’t do it for the lifestyle. Do it because you’re willing to work harder than anyone else—without recognition—until the work itself becomes the reward.
And above all:
Stay strong.
Stay focused.
Stay in business.
