MORE THAN A STORY. A WAKE-UP CALL
by Klark Brown
The Fork in the Road
A Restopreneur™ Fable – Book One
Not every business owner burns out. But the ones who don’t? They chose a different road.
The Fork in the Road is a raw, fast-moving fable about Jack, a restoration business owner who did everything “right” and still ended up stuck.
He built the team. He bought the trucks. He showed up early and stayed late. But now he’s buried in chaos, addicted to control, and barely holding it together. The dream of owning a business has turned into a 24/7 job with a fancy title and no off switch.
Sound familiar?
Jack’s story is fiction—but it’s built from the very real, very common struggles of thousands of trades and service business owners who wake up one day and realize: this isn’t freedom. It’s a trap.
Through the course of one pivotal week, Jack is confronted with hard truths, unexpected mentors, and the brutal choice every Restopreneur™ must eventually face:
Keep being the hero—or build something that works without you.
This is Book One in the Restopreneur™ series, a collection of bold, story-driven books written for the elite 8% of business owners who are willing to step back, build with intention, and lead in a way that scales without sacrificing their sanity.
While Jack takes center stage here, he’s not the only one with a story to tell. In time, other characters you meet along the way will have their own backstories revealed, each one a lesson, a perspective, a piece of the puzzle.
But first, it’s Jack’s turn.
Because before you build an empire,
You’ve got to face the mirror.
“"Today, I let go of control, and the world didn't fall apart. Mistakes weren't the enemy. Chaos without structure is."”
Jack Carter (protagonist of this book)
“Klark Brown’s message is simple but powerful: stop being the technician and start being the CEO. Through the story of Jack, he outlines a new mindset, which he calls the “8%,” and breaks it down in a way that’s both practical and empowering. It’s not just about working smarter. It’s about building a business that runs without you and a life that feels like your own again.”
Mark Whatley
Every one of our short, powerful books is built on real wins—and real scars. You won’t find fluff here. Just straight truth from the trenches. You’ll see yourself in these pages. And when you do, you’ll walk away with clarity, conviction, and the guts to move past what’s been holding you back.
Klark Brown is a veteran restorer, business strategist, and co-founder of Restoration Advisers. With decades in the trenches, he’s helped hundreds of restoration owners break free from burnout, build real businesses, and take back control of their time and cash flow. Klark is known for cutting through the fluff and delivering straight-shooting strategies that work. He co-hosts The Disaster Podcast and leads the 8% Restopreneur™ movement—built for owners who want freedom, wealth, and a legacy. More at RestorationAdvisers.com