Need an implementer to execute your vision?

Back when I was growing my construction company, the thing that I wanted more than anything, was someone to be a right hand—my second in command. Hell, maybe someone to take over the company if I ever wanted or needed to get out.  I was never able to find that person—but that maybe I would have had I had known a proper construction recruiter.

All too often I talk with guys in a very similar situation. Case in point—last week I interviewed Mark who for 15 years had run a small remodeling company. His wife did the books and he ran the field. He sold the jobs and then mostly did the installs himself along with a couple of helpers. Their work was mostly exterior: additions, sunrooms, decks, family rooms, garages, windows, doors, roofing and siding.

Mark isn’t really looking for a job as a carpenter—he wants something more. It would be nice if I were able to recommend a Superintendent position. The trouble is that most of his experience is residential and you won’t find many residential superintendent jobs in Buffalo. By the end of our hour long meeting we had decided that what he really needs is to be a partner with someone who can run a company while he runs the field. I say “partner” but he could just as easily be a W2 employee.

Mark is just an example for the sake of discussion—but to my original point; I talk with so many entrepreneurs and senior level managers who, if only they could find each other, could do some amazing things! Obviously that’s where I come in. My job as an intermediary is to find that situation and help connect the dots.

Another example is a commercial project manager I recently talked with who when he is not running a $20M job at the Medical Campus is kind of ad hoc running his own side business doing residential remodeling.

Sal runs a concrete business for the last 24 years and is thinking about simply turning out the lights because his back and knees can’t take it.

So my thought is how to pair you guys up? How do I connect the visionary with the implementer? If I can play matchmaker for some folks, can they build a business between them?

Just thinking out loud right now… of course many of the folks that I see often have the ability but not the immediate means to make a business happen. So maybe someone just hires them as a key employee. There are infinite possibilities to be sure.

So here’s my call to action. If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, a visionary, or a guy like Mark who implements visions, let’s have a conversation…you just never know.