John has a way of helping me think differently. I tell him about the things I want to do and why they can’t happen. He tells me why they can, and to get off my butt and make them happen!
I first hired John about 13 years ago and worked with him for a couple years. He taught us a lot of things and we had the knowledge to do what we needed to do and we kept progressing and grew the company exponentially.
Recently, I wanted to move in another direction, and felt I wasn’t finding a clear path to get there. So, I rehired him. I’m at the stage in my business right now where I want to start transitioning out of the office.
I needed some help to get the business more systematized and running in a consistent, efficient manner.
We have some great people here and I wanted to make sure that things are running the way they should be. I also wanted to feel like we were in control and had measures in place so that we could monitor everything.
I'd been thinking the same thing for four or five years, but I needed some direction to help me make it happen.
John helps me sort out what to do, so it's not just a big blur.
He breaks things down into the steps that need to be taken, and then suggests people and other resources to help to get there. Then we get started and follow up with our progress the next week. He keeps me accountable and on track.
He also provides outside perspective. When you're in your business, you're thinking about the day-to-day operation and you're buried in it. He's not. He's looking at it from the outside – from the viewpoint of somebody that knows many businesses.
I wasn’t 100% sure that John could help because he didn’t have a construction background.
“He worked for the liquor control board. He worked for Tip Top Tailors. How would he understand the challenges of construction? How is he going to help me in my business?”
John showed me that business is business.
I'd heard that said before, but I didn't believe it. Working with John has shown me why.
For example, I wanted to get some very expensive equipment at some point – maybe in 2 years if things went well. I talked to John about it and explained to him that it could do the work of two-and-a-half guys, four times as fast.
He helped me think about the cost of NOT getting it - paying salaries for the guys – and I understood that the sooner I get this, the better off I am! I considered getting a loan, but John suggested leasing. I didn’t think anyone would lease this kind of very specialized equipment, so I’d never thought of it.
Turns out there are companies out there that lease anything! They don't even know what it is, but they’ll lease it to you. They don't care. It's just a piece of equipment to them.
So, we got this equipment and brought it up from the States and within a month and a half we were using it!
John’s big thinking is moving us to the next level.
John doesn't want to do everything for you. He wants you to do it yourself, but he wants to help you see how to remove the barriers.
His methodology is like the old saying about teaching somebody to fish as opposed to giving them one. He gives you resources and examples of people that have done the things you want to do. He gives you the information that you need so that you're not reliant on him indefinitely.
John opens things up and makes you understand why, what makes sense and gives you some extra ideas about how to go about it. He’s helping us move to the next level because he can see, and helps us to see past the immediate limitations.
Chris McBurney
Summit Steel