Problems could be documented.
Then repaired.
Or removed.
My supervisor, a man named Calvin Brooks, noticed that I was constantly asking questions.
Why had one wall failed while another survived?
Why did some insurance claims get approved immediately while others sat for weeks?
Why did one contractor photograph every stage while another didn’t?
Instead of being annoyed, Calvin started teaching me.
Estimating.
Moisture readings.
Insurance documentation.
Structural drying.
Commercial remediation.
Emergency board-up work.
Eventually, he put me in charge of small projects.
By twenty-seven, I had saved enough money to leave and start my own company.
Carter Property Recovery.
One used cargo van.
A rented garage.
Three commercial dehumidifiers.
Two subcontractors.
One laptop with a cracked corner.
The first year, I nearly failed.
The second year, I broke even.
The third year, a line of severe storms hit southern Ohio.
Our phones started ringing at 5:30 one morning and barely stopped for two months.
