The American Dream (it's still alive...)

These days it’s hard to know what to believe. On top of that it’s hard to find much that’s encouraging. I thought I’d share some good news with a world that desperately needs it and hopefully provide an encouraging word to those struggling building business in these difficult days.

Three years ago, I had a dream. That dream involved building ADV Integrity, Inc., an engineering and business strategy consulting firm, to serve clients in the energy space, including pipeline operators and technology companies. I wanted the company to be different. Within 18 months of starting the company Cory Duncan, Wendy Courtright, Chantz Denowh, Zack Hurst, and Jon Rickert joined me and we leased a 17,000 square foot building in Waller, Texas with a handful of equipment to pressure cycle and blow up pipe samples. How fun is that?!

We recently took a company photo that includes 20 people shown above. It might not make front page news, but with all that’s happened in 2020 it’s really quite amazing. I’ll be the first to recognize God and His critical role in what we’ve done. Several of the men in the above photo are part of Cory’s ADV Fabworks company that is growing at an amazing rate.

In our first three years in business, I’ve learned a few things about building business I I’d like to share with you.

People are the most important part of business. Period! Over the years I’ve heard corporate leaders say, “our people are our most important asset”, but for many leaders it seems to be little more than nice words on a company brochure. I told Wendy when we first started that as president I can’t have a “bad day” (I’ll admit, some days are better than others!). On my drive to work every morning I think about the men and women who work at ADV Integrity and the families they represent. I want them to know I care deeply about them. Without them we don’t have a company.

Work needs to be fun. One of my favorite parts of every day is listening to laughter around the building, whether it’s the engineers on the second floor or our technicians out in the lab. When we’re laughing hard and working hard, we’re unstoppable. As much time as we spend working together, we need to enjoy being together!

Clients need to know we’re there for them. As a consulting and service company, the client needs must come first. One reason we work hard is we recognize clients depend on our expertise, experience, and the services we provide. We serve them because we care about them. We also do our best to let them know how much we appreciate them and the privilege it is to work with and serve them.

Be prepared for opposition. Unfortunately, business is tough. This year has been difficult beyond description. 2020 has resulted in the demise of more companies than any year in my 25-year career. If you own a business, be prepared for difficult times. The good news is difficulties and challenges eventually come to an end. Ironically, as a leader the greater the challenge, the tougher you get!

There is no substitute for optimism. In addition to having great people, the key for building successful companies is optimism. When leaders in a company are optimistic, they contribute to building a culture where employees feel valued with an entrepreneurial spirit that fosters innovation and creativity. Unfortunately, if a company’s management lacks optimism the company is in serious trouble. As Marcus Buckingham, management expert and author of First, Break All the Rules, states (emphasis added),

The necessity for leaders to possess optimism and ego serves to answer the age-old question: Are leaders born or are they made? They are born. A leader is born with an optimistic disposition or they are not. If they are not, then no amount of 'optimism training' is going to make them view the world in an overwhelmingly positive, opportunistic light.

Be grateful. Finally, and most importantly, be grateful. Specifically, be grateful to God. It’s amazing what an “attitude of gratitude” can do in an organization. For some reason many in our nation have become hostile towards anything involving God, especially Christianity. As a nation, we seem to be a people who have forgotten where we’ve come from and the principles on which we were founded. As a follower of Jesus, I realize the success ADV has experienced is because of His Hand on our work. There is no other explanation for the rapid growth we’ve experienced. I’m not saying being a Christian guarantees success. God blesses people in ways He chooses; sometimes those ways might not align with what we want! I am concerned when I see the leaders of companies (and governments) who seem hostile towards the things of God. Ingratitude and entitlement are dangerous attitudes.

I know we’re all hoping for a better year in 2021. Unfortunately, we can’t control what happens in the future, but we can control how we respond. Those of us at ADV Integrity are excited about the days ahead and the opportunities to continue serving clients by using our growing staff and ever-expanding skill sets to serve them. We're looking forward to great things in 2021!