Almost Losing It All & Getting His Business Back
Almost Losing It All & Getting His Business Back
How can business owners boost productivity through delegation and networking?
I decided to stop visiting job sites and delegated the day-to-day supervision to my son. Realizing that my presence on the site—hauling trash and micromanaging workers who already knew their tasks—was not adding value, I shifted my focus to more impactful areas like paperwork, invoicing, managing different projects, and handling building permits. This shift has significantly improved my productivity and effectiveness.
Additionally, I've made a conscious effort to overcome my tendency to isolate myself and solve problems alone. I've started engaging more with others, particularly by participating in a mastermind group. This group includes construction and real estate friends who know me well and can offer valuable perspectives. This change in my approach to problem-solving and networking has been incredibly beneficial.
How can business owners effectively manage their teams from a distance?
Managing from a distance has been surprisingly smooth. My team has been performing exceptionally well, handling the business effectively, even in my absence. I frequently travel from Seattle, where I currently reside, back to California to check on our projects. Each time I return, I find everything is progressing well, which has been a pleasant surprise. The clients are very pleased with my son's management, and the team is competent and well-coordinated.
Initially, I struggled with the challenge of not micromanaging every aspect of the operations. It took several attempts for me to learn to trust my team and let go of the need to control every detail. My first visit back was frustrating; things were not as I expected. However, by my second visit, I noticed improvements and began to feel more at ease. Now, on my third visit since relocating, I see that everything is running smoothly, confirming that they don't require my constant oversight.
What steps can entrepreneurs take to improve personal financial management?
I've always earned a significant income and managed my own finances, but keeping track of everything has been challenging. Despite having the funds, I often incurred late fees and missed payments simply because I couldn't handle everything on my own. After years of my sister offering to help, I finally took her up on it at the beginning of this year. I received my first $20,000 check in January and immediately sent it to her along with all my bills, changing all billing addresses to hers.
She quickly pointed out that I had many financial matters to address. Since she started helping me, I've managed to have money left over at the end of each month. This change has significantly improved my financial management and stress levels.
How should business owners shift their mindset to prepare for success?
In any given situation, my focus shifts towards ensuring things align with my plans, though I acknowledge they may not always go exactly as intended. When projects start to progress favorably, and it seems like I'm winning, those are the scenarios I prepare for. Regarding the impact of our mindset, as discussed earlier about the subconscious, we can either feed ourselves positive or negative thoughts. It's not about ignoring potential problems or failing to plan for the worst-case scenarios; rather, it's about not letting pessimism dominate our thoughts. Constant worry about every possible issue, many of which are beyond our control, typically results in stress and anxiety—and possibly even causing some of those feared outcomes to come true.
What mindset shifts help business owners navigate financial stress?
In 2024, the weather in the Bay Area was so severe that we had to stop working a week before Christmas and couldn’t resume until the end of January. As a result, I ran out of money. I was incredibly frustrated—projects were finished, my crew couldn’t work, and income stopped.
In the past, I would’ve reacted out of panic, taking any job just to stay afloat, often making my situation worse. But this time, I made a different decision. I received a few job inquiries during that downtime, but instead of saying yes out of desperation, I doubled my prices. I had fewer jobs, but the ones I did land were profitable.
At the same time, I was trying to sell my house—which took forever—and raise about $6 million to cover everything I needed. While things were slow, I focused inward. I updated my resume, improved my LinkedIn profile, boosted my advertising efforts, and took daily action to work on myself.
Instead of spiraling, I leaned into my strengths. I focused on sharpening my skills, elevating my mindset, and becoming the version of myself I needed to be. Raising my prices and improving my personal brand helped me recover—without panic, just steady, intentional progress. That reset ended up being one of the best things that happened to me.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
