NICOLE HUMBER, CEO
A little about Nicole’s role
As a young CEO of a company, it is kind of hard to put into words what my responsibilities are as my hands are in a little bit of everything and anything to do with Bravo (can’t even help it if I tried). At the end of the day, my true responsibility is to provide the energy for the company, steer the ship to our future vision, lift roadblocks, and drive revenue. I like to think I am a force to be reckoned with, in the best possible ways. I am driven, competitive, open-minded, and always looking to learn and improve. I embrace that I am a young, female restoration company owner and am proud of who I am.
Greatest professional accomplishment?
It is not easy to pinpoint my greatest professional accomplishment when there are so many days where I feel that the simple fact of surviving every day as a business owner in California and in a very male-dominated field is an accomplishment on its own. If I had to choose the one specific accomplishment it would be going with my intuition and buying this company, going against all naysayers, and really believing in the “what if”. No matter what happens to me or to Bravo I can proudly say I have never nor will I have regret that moment.
Greatest professional challenge?
When I purchased the company back in 2016, I was naive in the world of business, all I knew was that I wanted to save the current employees jobs and prove that a young woman can be in a male-dominated industry without her father giving her the business or her husband being a part-owner. I purchased the company in July 2016, by December 2016 the company had a net loss of $800K, numerous negative yelp complaints (from the whole year), unhappy subcontractors, bad culture, and pending lawsuits / Contractor State License Board (CSLB) complaints. I had no idea what I purchased and when I hired a lawyer and a business consultant, I was advised to get out of the deal immediately. I knew right away that wasn’t an option and needed to figure out how to clean the house and fix the issues I had purchased. It was the hardest challenge I had ever been through and believe it or not I overcame that challenge. We are a profitable company, so many 5 star reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp, subcontractors who get paid and love working with us, employees who are part of a high talent density team, and all around clean-up of our reputation.
What important event stands out in your professional life so far?
I am very awkward with sharing accomplishments, as it always feels undeserved even if it is. This last year I was the first-ever winner of the nationwide Restoration & remediation Ladder Award 2020 (under age 35). The award celebrates leaders climbing the ladder of success in the restoration industry. In early 2020, the R&R team launched the Ladder Award with the goal of recognizing rising young professionals in restoration, who are blazing new trails with innovative leadership, ideas, and technological advancements. Ladder Award nominees can come from any level as long as they have had an impact within their company. Each nominee is expected to exhibit qualities such as leadership, career progress, community involvement, and a clear passion for the industry. Most importantly, nominees should exhibit evidence of high character, integrity, and care for their colleagues and clients. I was the only female in the top 5 and it was truly an overall awesome experience and was immensely proud of myself.
