5 min read

March 12, 2025

What you’re reading is a copy of an email newsletter sent by Stephen Simmons, Owner + Primary Mitigator at Umpire. This is an archive, so some links may be missing or expired.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox!

Business lessons from my dad

Built on trust, not transactions

My father started a water damage restoration business in 1962:

Stephen's father, Bob, dressed in a white suit, sits at a table outside with his hands clasped in his lap. Behind him are trees and blooming flowers. — *Here's Dad in the mid-1960s - he would've been about 30 years old here. His 8 siblings knew him as Bobby, but everyone else called him Bob.*

That meant my weekends and summers as a kid were spent helping him on job sites.

I didn’t just learn about water damage and restoration; I learned what it meant to truly help people.

I’ve never been a corporate salesperson, but working with people is something that’s always made sense to me.

Here are 2 big lessons I learned early on from my dad - lessons that, 30 years later, are the driving force of Umpire:

🌟 1. Trust is everything

You shouldn’t have to wait days for someone to respond, feel left in the dark about the mitigation plan, or worry you’ll be overcharged. Home damage is already tough enough without feeling like you can’t trust your mitigation team.

Everything we do at Umpire is built on trust.

🌟 2. Relationships matter

At Umpire, our purpose is people. Sometimes you want to DIY and need to make sure you’re doing things right. Or maybe you had another company clean up the water and want to make sure they are following industry standards.

Whatever the case, when you have questions but don’t need a service, you can always call us, day or night. We’re happy to help.

So what does all this mean for you?

Glad you asked.

It means you’ve officially got a “water guy.”

(You know what I’m talking about - you’ve probably got a “tax guy” or a “finance guy.” Maybe you’ve got a “yard guy.” You’ve probably got a “bug guy.”

With me, you’ve got a “water guy.” A “mitigation and restoration guy,” if you will. A “call-him-anytime-and-he’ll-help-you-out guy.” That last one feels a little long, but however you want to save me to your contacts is your business.)

If you ever need to call us, here’s what you can count on:

✅ You’ll always get an actual person on the phone (not a complicated, corporate phone menu without any humans on the other side)

✅ We’ll respond quickly - your emergency is our emergency

✅ Your home will be treated with the same care and respect we’d show our own

✅ You’ll know what’s happening every step of the way. No wondering, no worrying, and absolutely no surprises.

I learned a lot from my dad growing up. And those things he taught me still guide my business today.

If you ever have questions, I’m just an email (or a phone call) away.

Take good care,

Stephen

Reader’s Water Guy and Owner of Umpire Mitigation

Call or text 24/7 at (703) 665-1129