[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-9-five-stars-and-a-full-on-emotional-whiplash\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-9-five-stars-and-a-full-on-emotional-whiplash\/","headline":"Week 9 \u2013 Five Stars and a Full-On Emotional Whiplash","name":"Week 9 \u2013 Five Stars and a Full-On Emotional Whiplash","description":"Week 9 \u2013 Five Stars and a Full-On Emotional Whiplash The day I realized I might actually be good at this: This week I got my first Google review. And I won\u2019t lie\u2014I checked the page about 15 times before it posted. I had convinced myself they were going to mention everything I did wrong, every awkward pause, every time I looked unsure or double-checked a feature in the app. But instead? They said I was professional. Detailed. Kind. Helpful. Five stars. I honestly sat back in my chair and exhaled like I\u2019d been holding my breath for three days. It was one of those rare business moments where you go, \u201cOkay\u2026 maybe I can do this.\u201d What I thought I blew (but actually nailed): During the inspection, I kept second-guessing myself. Was I taking too long? Talking too much? Not explaining enough? It turns out, all those moments of \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m doing this right\u201d were actually me slowing down, observing, and being thorough. And the client noticed. I was surprised by how much I actually knew\u2014and how much I could talk through clearly. I wasn\u2019t guessing. I was observing, explaining, documenting. The training and ride-alongs were starting to pay off. I still have miles to go, but this week gave me proof I\u2019m on the path. The new habit that\u2019s leveling me up fast: I\u2019ve started doing a \u201cpre-brief\u201d and \u201cde-brief\u201d before and after every inspection, every coffee meeting, every phone call. Just five minutes of intention-setting beforehand\u2014\u201cWhat\u2019s the goal here?\u201d\u2014and five minutes after\u2014\u201cWhat worked? What didn\u2019t?\u201d It\u2019s helping me improve faster than I expected. I can see patterns: where I stumble, what lands well, what I forget. It\u2019s not about beating myself up\u2014it\u2019s about capturing the lessons while they\u2019re fresh. I feel like I\u2019m compounding experience instead of just going through the motions. Why that first review felt like a billboard: In this business, reputation is everything. One review turns into social proof. It makes people feel safer clicking \u201cschedule.\u201d And it\u2019s not just about stars\u2014it\u2019s about *words*. Their review described exactly the experience I want every client to have. That felt like a win beyond stars. It felt like I\u2019m building something real. Support from the system I leaned on this week: The report structure made a huge difference. I didn\u2019t have to invent how to explain things\u2014the templates gave me the right language. And the franchise coaching around client interaction helped me know what to say and what not to say. \u201cEducate, don\u2019t alarm\u201d was on repeat in my head the whole time. Curt also told me early on that your first 10 clients shape your whole reputation. That voice was in my head when I was printing the report and triple-checking my summaries. And I\u2019m glad it was. Next mission: replicate the experience, not just the outcome Now that I know what a \u201cgreat\u201d inspection feels like\u2014for both me and the client\u2014I want to create that feeling again. And again. That means more pre-briefs, more honest debriefs, and never letting confidence turn into complacency. I\u2019ve seen what good looks like. Now I want to build it into muscle memory. What I\u2019ll absolutely keep doing: Following every interaction with a short reflection. It\u2019s simple, but it\u2019s sharpening my instincts. I don\u2019t want to repeat the same mistakes\u2014or miss the stuff I got right. Every coffee, every inspection, every follow-up is a chance to improve. That mindset is working, and I\u2019m sticking with it. \u2192 Next: Week 10: My Schedule is Filling Up \u2014 and I Feel Behind \u2190 Catch the first time I got awkward with software: Week 8: My First Inspection! What I Got Right \u2014 and Totally Messed Up Curious what it\u2019s like to build your own home inspection franchise from the ground up?","datePublished":"2025-06-27","dateModified":"2025-06-27","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/author\/curtis\/#Person","name":"Kloc Curtis","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/author\/curtis\/","identifier":6,"description":"Curtis Kloc is a U.S. Navy veteran and seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in business development, inspections, and technical systems. He has built and sold multiple six- and seven-figure home inspection and environmental services companies, including HERO Inspections & Environmental and Elite Analysis. Curtis is the founder of Inspections Over Coffee, a nationally expanding franchise known for its white-glove service, inspector training systems, and streamlined operational workflows.\r\n\r\nWith deep roots in nuclear engineering from his time as a Machinist Mate and Engineering Laboratory Technician aboard two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, Curtis brings unmatched precision and discipline to every business he runs. He is certified and licensed in home inspection, mold assessment, asbestos inspection, and environmental testing, and is a member of NACHI since 2006. Curtis now leads AI automation initiatives through Nexation.ai, helping businesses eliminate busywork and refocus on what matters most\u2014client relationships, growth, and results.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1630069397452.webp","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1630069397452.webp","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Person","name":"Curtis Kloc","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/site-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/site-logo.png","width":512,"height":512}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/week-9-home-inspection-franchisee-journey.png","url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/week-9-home-inspection-franchisee-journey.png","height":736,"width":1312},"url":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-9-five-stars-and-a-full-on-emotional-whiplash\/","about":["Uncategorized"],"wordCount":661,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWeek 9 \u2013 Five Stars and a Full-On Emotional WhiplashThe day I realized I might actually be good at this:This week I got my first Google review. And I won\u2019t lie\u2014I checked the page about 15 times before it posted. I had convinced myself they were going to mention everything I did wrong, every awkward pause, every time I looked unsure or double-checked a feature in the app. But instead? They said I was professional. Detailed. Kind. Helpful. Five stars.I honestly sat back in my chair and exhaled like I\u2019d been holding my breath for three days. It was one of those rare business moments where you go, \u201cOkay\u2026 maybe I can do this.\u201dWhat I thought I blew (but actually nailed):During the inspection, I kept second-guessing myself. Was I taking too long? Talking too much? Not explaining enough? It turns out, all those moments of \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m doing this right\u201d were actually me slowing down, observing, and being thorough. And the client noticed.I was surprised by how much I actually knew\u2014and how much I could talk through clearly. I wasn\u2019t guessing. I was observing, explaining, documenting. The training and ride-alongs were starting to pay off. I still have miles to go, but this week gave me proof I\u2019m on the path.The new habit that\u2019s leveling me up fast:I\u2019ve started doing a \u201cpre-brief\u201d and \u201cde-brief\u201d before and after every inspection, every coffee meeting, every phone call. Just five minutes of intention-setting beforehand\u2014\u201cWhat\u2019s the goal here?\u201d\u2014and five minutes after\u2014\u201cWhat worked? What didn\u2019t?\u201dIt\u2019s helping me improve faster than I expected. I can see patterns: where I stumble, what lands well, what I forget. It\u2019s not about beating myself up\u2014it\u2019s about capturing the lessons while they\u2019re fresh. I feel like I\u2019m compounding experience instead of just going through the motions.Why that first review felt like a billboard:In this business, reputation is everything. One review turns into social proof. It makes people feel safer clicking \u201cschedule.\u201d And it\u2019s not just about stars\u2014it\u2019s about *words*. Their review described exactly the experience I want every client to have. That felt like a win beyond stars. It felt like I\u2019m building something real.Support from the system I leaned on this week:The report structure made a huge difference. I didn\u2019t have to invent how to explain things\u2014the templates gave me the right language. And the franchise coaching around client interaction helped me know what to say and what not to say. \u201cEducate, don\u2019t alarm\u201d was on repeat in my head the whole time.Curt also told me early on that your first 10 clients shape your whole reputation. That voice was in my head when I was printing the report and triple-checking my summaries. And I\u2019m glad it was.Next mission: replicate the experience, not just the outcomeNow that I know what a \u201cgreat\u201d inspection feels like\u2014for both me and the client\u2014I want to create that feeling again. And again. That means more pre-briefs, more honest debriefs, and never letting confidence turn into complacency. I\u2019ve seen what good looks like. Now I want to build it into muscle memory.What I\u2019ll absolutely keep doing:Following every interaction with a short reflection. It\u2019s simple, but it\u2019s sharpening my instincts. I don\u2019t want to repeat the same mistakes\u2014or miss the stuff I got right. Every coffee, every inspection, every follow-up is a chance to improve. That mindset is working, and I\u2019m sticking with it.\u2192 Next: Week 10: My Schedule is Filling Up \u2014 and I Feel Behind\u2190 Catch the first time I got awkward with software: Week 8: My First Inspection! What I Got Right \u2014 and Totally Messed UpCurious what it\u2019s like to build your own home inspection franchise from the ground up?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Week 9 \u2013 Five Stars and a Full-On Emotional Whiplash","item":"https:\/\/homeinspectionsovercoffee.com\/week-9-five-stars-and-a-full-on-emotional-whiplash\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]