It seems as though no one wants to hear the truth these days. Maybe it has always been this way.  I was given advice from one of my mentors that companies do not inherently want to change, and I have found that people fall into that same pattern. I believe the only way to break the pattern is to learn to listen to the advice of people who know.

Building a birdhouse is relatively easy. The tools required are few, and the skill set is pretty basic. Given the popularity of DIY shows on TV and the sensationalization of “flipping houses,” the construction market was suddenly filled with experts. All of these experts nearly drove me crazy.

Contracts come in many forms and most of us are so numb to them we sign without reading the details.  I was exposed to the elaborate nature of contracts while working in South America back in my O&G days.  When things are going well we never need to worry about those details; it is when things turn south that the details matter. 

Never start at the tail end, or you will likely get crapped on. The analogy of eating an elephant has been used for years. It is supposed to teach us things such as, one step at a time, etc. What this analogy does not tell us is how TO eat an elephant, or should we even be eating elephants. Even worse, what do we do with all the meat should we successfully slay an elephant. 

I was thrust back into construction in 2017 through the urging of my mentor.  I had just finished a charity event in New Orleans where I donated a piece of furniture. While in New Orleans, I watched my city of Houston feel the wrath of Hurricane Harvey.  As I sat and watched, thoughts of how I was going to get back home overwhelmed me.  I left New Orleans and went to the place of my childhood, the farm. It was there that the “calling “ came. 

It was December of 2000 when I got my first chance. I was hired by one of the big 3 O&G service companies.  The operations manager gave me that chance. His words to me were basically: we hire engineers and geologists, you are a business major, not normally what we hire.  Once the background and screenings were done, I was off to the rigs. Coming from South Louisiana, the only way to make money in the state was on the rigs, and I loved it!  Fast forward 23 years, I still look back at those days with gratitude for all that I learned.  

In 2017 I was laid off from the Oil Field, the industry was not hiring and I had a family to support. I went on a mission trip to Honduras and re-centered. The question I wrestled with was as follows: What can I do to support my family and make an impact in my community, state, country, world?