When you think of successful entrepreneurs, you often hear about their dreams. The stories about these “dreams” are big, dramatic, and incredibly movie-worthy. However, for Ben Haugh, owner of All Nation Restoration, his words as a business owner aren’t always the most common and often take people by surprise. He states regularly, “It’s not about dreaming—it’s about having a plan.” For Ben, success isn’t about chasing lofty dreams but about the hard work, careful planning, and commitment to seeing a vision through. He believes that growth comes from consistently taking action and refining your approach, no matter the obstacles along the way.
This is the mantra that has guided him through the highs and lows of his journey in the restoration industry. Ben adds, “Dreams are great, but many times, the dream just sits there, ferments until it ‘might’ actually happen, and then goes away, forgotten and never acted upon.” The priority really needs to be making a plan, which is the key to ensuring your business plans get executed. Far too often, Ben says, small business owners get excited by the highs of their company and forget to plan. Blueprint planning, as a regular piece of your strategy, isn’t just huge—it’s necessary. It’s the actual “genie in the bottle.”
Ben has always had a deep interest in building and architecture, a passion that has shaped his career. As a child, he was fascinated by the intricacies of home design, the beauty of interior composition, and the rich cultural history embedded within different spaces. Growing up in poverty, he says, “Getting the chance to view new places as a child created even more interest in every nuance of a home. Each corner of a high-end home or a historical building—the detail jumped out at me. I loved the art and creative expression in it.”
This early fascination with design and structure laid the foundation for his career in restoration. Today, Ben’s business focuses on water, fire, mold, and trauma cleanup, but his work goes beyond simply fixing damaged homes. When responding to a tragedy, his goal is to preserve the intricate details of each space, if possible, while offering comfort to his clients. To Ben, a home isn’t just a structure—it’s a reflection of the family’s history and a piece of art.
Working in restoration has allowed Ben to merge his passion for design with his skills in construction. His expertise and careful attention to detail set his company apart from others in the remediation and restoration industry. Ben takes pride in finding ways to save the elements of a home that others might consider lost—whether it’s walls, doors, or flooring—even if it means sacrificing potential profits. For him, ethics, integrity, and a commitment to preserving the heart of a home define All Nation Restoration in Austin, Texas, and distinguish it from its competitors.
He explains that when you enter a home during a crisis, you’re seeing it exactly as the homeowner left it at that time in their life. The state of the home, whether pristine or chaotic, tells you something about the people living there. Walking into a flooded home, seeing photos destroyed, a child’s favorite blanket covered in sewage, or the old antique rocking chair now rendered unusable, the story starts to be told about each family. Tragedy doesn’t discriminate based on income, race, or gender; whether a home is worth millions or just a few thousand dollars, the emotional impact of a disaster is the same.
For Ben Haugh, these moments are not only about fixing things but about helping people. He was always good with his hands, and that talent made him well-suited to the technical side of the restoration business. Though years ago Ben found himself in this line of work by chance, he quickly realized that the restoration industry fit him perfectly. He loves the one-on-one interactions with people, the ability to provide relief, and the satisfaction of knowing that he is making a difference. It isn’t just the physical work of restoring homes that keeps him coming back; it’s the human aspect and the positive impact he has on other lives.
Through it all, Ben never lost sight of the importance of having a plan. “Plans are where things happen,” he says. Ben’s success didn’t come from chasing a dream—it came from a well-thought-out plan. While dreams may be important, they are nothing without the strategy to bring them to life. For Ben, having a plan was the backbone to turning aspirations into reality.
Over the years, Ben’s business, All Nation Restoration, has grown because he has always kept his focus on the plan. Whiteboards surround his offices, and it is common to find him at the table, discussing the future. Through challenges, successes, and everything in between, his commitment to the process has been unwavering. He has proven that with the right plan and a desire to learn and grow, anything is possible. And for Ben, that’s the real key to success.
Stay Driven, Stay Focused and Stay in Business
-Benjamin Haugh
