FOUNDERS STORY
Yet, that was my reality…fall of 1992, my freshman year at Madison High School. Even though I was fast, no amount of wind at my back seemed to blow away the lingering evidence of my Boston Market employment status. I had one pair of shoes which I had to wear to school, track, and to my closing shift at the BM.
I was the oldest of four siblings, son to immigrant parents, who only a few months prior arrived from Latvia with little to no resources. If each of us kids had two pairs of shoes, that was eight pairs beyond their budgetary constraints. My father ran a lucrative construction business in Latvia, yet now found himself humbly hoping for new opportunities in a completely new place. He had to do the hard work of starting over, having to do what he actually did best… build.
No teenager wants to show up to track practice with tennis shoes that smell like
rotisserie chickens...
My Dad modeled for me hard work, grit, determination, integrity and faith. I have him, in large part to thank, that my laps around the track, or time spent overseeing chickens rotating on a spit, did not result in some illusory career as an Olympian or as a passionless purveyor of poultry. Instead, after high school graduation, I set my intention to train to become an architect at the University of Virginia.
bus driver
The elitist allure of Jefferson's intoxicating esthetic is nearly irresistible. I tempered the draw with my next episode of gainful employment serving as a rubber meets the road transportation leader. And by transportation leader I mean....
Believe it or not, I really liked my proletarian position. For one, it ensured I stayed on the straight and narrow with 4 am start times, and mandatory sobriety checks. For two, I was making the cash I needed to cover the cost of my astronomically expensive architectural art supplies…that marker costs how much?!
My route around grounds may have been monotonous, but the people who boarded the bus were remarkable. For example, I once gave a ride to Lech Walesa, the founder of Poland’s Solidarity movement and former Polish head of state. He visited UVA in October of 1998 to inaugurate the Kosciusko Chair in Polish studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs. At other times, I witnessed the Dali Lama, CEO of Netscape, Katie Couric, and others making their way to some very important meetings. Be it a dignitary or a drunk sorority girl, each and every ride was always a trip.
After graduation, I had the unique privilege to work on the interior of one the ugliest exterior structures to sully the skyline of Washington, D.C. It’s near the Key Bridge. If you know, you know. I can only hope to have a star on my chart in heaven, as no one receives honors for drafting drawings to bring 300 hotel bathrooms into ADA compliance. Needless to say, it did not take me long to discern that form is as important as function, and that beautiful buildings are worth the effort. Working for a large architectural firm was not for me.
Having spent my childhood years in the former Soviet Union, the idea of entrepreneurship seemed a propitious path to take. I certainly found the prospect of unfettered opportunity and economic emancipation compelling. Long story short, I have owned and operated several Design Build companies for over 25 years. I’ve been sued twice. I lost once.
They say there is a first time for everything, but I have made darn sure that that first lost case would be my last. No one brags about being sued. However, I can confidently say that looking back, being sued was a blessing, and the benefits to the health of my business long term has reaped dividends.
Simply put, there are no substitutes for time and experience, in business or in life. There are however, smart and strategic short-cuts on the pathway to success that only seasoned guides know about. People who know the way like the back of their hand, who can navigate through any conditions, who know the scenic route, the long way, the hard way and the quickest way to get there.
No matter where you are on your journey in life or in business, the path to success is always in front of you. You can take that next step alone, or you can benefit from the well worn wisdom of those who’ve gone before. Granddaddy Dovgalyuk at your service!
The best is yet to come!