The Art of Metered Growth
The Art of Metered Growth
What are some barriers beginning entrepreneurs face?
I think that analysis paralysis and the desire for perfection are common challenges. For example, I remember giving up playing guitar for years because I wasn’t Eddie Van Halen right out of the gate. I was surrounded by prodigies, and it made me feel like I couldn’t measure up. But the truth is, what definitely won’t get you there is quitting.
Managing expectations is crucial. Just like in business or health and fitness, you can’t expect immediate results. You’re not going to start running and suddenly be an ultramarathoner. It doesn’t work that way. When I was younger, I wanted immediate gratification and perfection right from the start. Now, I’m okay with being the white belt, understanding that to become a black belt, it takes time. It’s a labor of love. There are some areas where your natural abilities will accelerate growth, but in others, you just have to put in the hours.
How can maintaining integrity in all aspects of business lead to long-term success?
Integrity is crucial. If you can wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror, and go to bed at night knowing you did good work, then success will follow. It’s essential to be true to yourself and the work you're doing, regardless of the task. Whether it’s a significant project or something as simple as cleaning your sink, don’t cut corners. If you half-step it, you’ll still have a dirty sink after five minutes. It’s your choice how to spend that time. For me, what has worked is focusing on doing good work first, and then success, money, and everything else will follow as a byproduct.
What should a business owner do when faced with a challenge outside of their offerings?
About 10 or 11 years ago, I had a residential project where the client wanted a seamless 10-by-11-foot panel for a basement media room. It had to be seamless, which presented a challenge since a piece of artwork that size would require knocking down walls—you can’t pre-fabricate something like that. At that time, we mostly worked with pre-fabricated materials.
Instead of saying no right away, I did some research and realized we’d need to learn a new trade and bring in a different type of system. I talked to the architect and the client, explained the timeline required, and got their approval. I brought in another project manager and carpenter, found the right products and fabrics, got everything approved, and did some acoustical analysis of the space. We even trained on this new system by doing a demo installation in our shop before going to the site.
Fast forward 10 or 11 years, and that site-built system now accounts for around 20-25% of our sales. Instead of approaching it with an immediate no or letting ego get in the way by thinking, “We don’t do this,” I saw it as an opportunity to open new doors and add versatility to our offerings. We aim to be like a Swiss army knife of soundproofing and acoustics, and this project helped round out our capabilities.
For others tuning in, consider looking at new angles, products, or services you can offer. It’s not about replacing what you’re doing but adding to it. For us, this approach opened up a lot of doors and led to significant success.
What is the importance of clear processes when implementing new tools or strategies?
Every bad decision we’ve made started with good intentions, but the breaking point was not having a system in place to adapt.
One example that stands out is when we invested in a project database tool for design-build projects. We wanted to get more involved in projects, especially those where buildings didn’t yet exist. So, we signed up for a service with all the bells and whistles and made a significant investment. Initially, it was everyone’s job to use it, which meant it was no one’s job. We didn’t build a process for using the tool effectively. It was like buying a fancy gym membership—paying for the year but never going. We started pointing fingers, asking why we weren’t seeing results, but the reality was that we simply weren’t using it.
Luckily, we pivoted quickly. Within the first quarter, we realized we had to put in the work. We made it part of our weekly or bi-monthly meetings to follow up and create an accountability stream: whose projects are these, where are we assigning them, and what’s the process? Initially, it was a disaster, but it all boiled down to not having a process in place.
What is the most important KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for your business?
For us, it’s all about lead generation and conversion. While there’s some housekeeping involved, getting in front of new clients and telling our story is what has really helped maintain steady growth.
What does entrepreneurship mean for you?
For me, entrepreneurship is about freedom. Having grown up in a family of serial entrepreneurs, I’ve learned that managing the balance between work and life is crucial. Entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money; it’s also about having the freedom to do things like taking your kids to school. Time is our most valuable resource. Money can create comfort, but time is what truly matters. It’s important to value time and maintain an attitude of gratitude. Staying humble and thankful for what you have is essential. In our household, we always appreciate the time we get to spend together.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
