On this day 11 Years ago!

Wow! 11 Years already! Can that be right?!?!? As they say, time flies when you're having fun!

So, on this day 11 Years ago Dean Morgan (my friend and colleague back then, now business partner and friend) and myself resigned from our significant roles with a global Elevator manufacturer.

I just wanted to reshare a previous post of mine, with some added thoughts and comments, if I may.

So, the approximate backstory and journey goes something like this…

11 years ago, I had myself a significant role, working in the modernisation department of a global Elevator manufacturer, which I actually really enjoyed and was thankful for, as it allowed me to provide for my young family and predictably paid me a wage on a monthly basis.

Back then, Dean, my now business partner, was also in a similar situation, albeit his kids were a little older. He was a highly regarded long-term member of the industry and was working as a National Business Development Manager within the same organisation, at that point in time.

So, here we were, 11 years ago, Dean and myself, sheepishly enroute to the Managing Director's office, about to jointly tender our resignations.

Then, 11 years ago + 1 day, both Dean and I went from being single income housholds, to becoming "zero" income households, and I know that I for one had a voice in the back of my head questioning just how I would be able to support my wife and 3 kids, pay the mortgage, as well as meet all the other financial commitments?!?! I know Dean had similar concerns at the time as well.

That "questioning voice" was rather loud and distracting initially and I had to learn to drown it out over time with the "other voice" in my head, the one that initially convinced me that I, and we, can actually "do this".

Truth be known, it was, and of course still is, bloody hard work! It involved (and still does) long, long, long hours, days with no time to eat, sleepless nights where you find yourself leaping out of bed thinking about projects, reports and "whether I responded to that email?"... I'm sure there are many people who can relate to this.

Throughout the course of the journey, the process has always involved trying to somehow (the best way possible) balance work commitments with family commitments and trying to be a good Dad and husband. During the running around of kids on weekends (much smaller back then, still doing it though) you were still aware that at some point in time there'd likely be the need to "log in" and finish work stuff, after everyone goes to bed, because “your day doesn't always finish”.

Knowing now, what I didn't know then, had you have asked me if I could do it again.... well, I'm not actually even sure from where exactly I found the energy required! But moving forward from that point to today, I definitely still have that same fire in my belly, the desire to truly make a difference, wanting to do things differently (and hopefully better than the way the others do it, or have done it in the past). I also still enjoy the challenge, the fact that there are new things learnt each and every day, whilst still attempting to try and be the best role model I possibly can to my children, as well as the obvious one... the fulfilment of assisting our Clients and providing them with the best possible service and access to some amazingly, talented (and really nice) people.

I'm ever so thankful to have found Dean to share this journey and experience with and couldn't have gone through it alone, and nor would I want to. We've laughed, on occasion cried, hugged it out, and also needed to administer the occasionally ale to drown out the emotion after a long week. Dean and I understand one another and how full on this gig can actually get at times... we've never had an argument, or disagreement in 11 years (and actually longer than that). We love what we do!!!

Happy to say that I never gave up on myself... life always has a habit of throwing some of those moments in our directions.

Blessed to have developed such an amazing team of kind humans... highly dedicated and motivated, and just really good people that look out for one another!

In amongst our team of Consultants, there's a serious amount of technical 'hands-on' expertise and real know-how! The LML team of Consultants now bring together a combined 475+ years of industry experience! These guys are the real deal "Lifties" that have never done anything other than Vertical Transportation!?In addition, we also have some Mechanical Engineers in the mix and Design Practitioners, with all of us extremely well supported by an amazing national Administration Team, who just keep going above and beyond!

Now, 11 years into the journey and LML are the largest single discipline specialist Lift Consultants in Australia, and we've achieved some cool stuff in 11 years...

- Implementation of Apps and various other technologies (site and office based), - Continuous improvement of documents ('live' documents), - Interactive documents, faster delivery of Reports, - Cloud based data / photographic records, - Implementation of interactive Vertical Ambition Training Centre, with a number of Destination Control System (DCS) simulators (Schindler PORT, OTIS Compass 360 Plus, KONE Polaris), Pixel Technologies displays, various emergency communication systems (EmPhone, 2N), operating door systems (Wittur, Langer & Laumann), fully functioning Wittur Lift system, operating mini-MRL, speed governors, controller etc. etc. etc. - Various training courses developed for Apprentices, Facilities Managers, Owner's Corporation Managers, Work Experience Students, Salespeople or staff new to the industry. - Elevator museum, - Client Portal, - Independent Management of VT portfolio services, - Attendance at InterLift, World Elevator Expo, other Expos, as well as various test towers around the world (Dubai, Singapore, China, Germany, Switzerland) to be across latest advancements in technologies, - Annual safety days / team bonding days / 'improvement' sessions.

We are on a constant journey, always on the look-out for ways in which we improve what we do, what we deliver, and how to make life better for our Clients (in the VT sense).

So many thanks to our ever-growing list of Australasian Clients, and for giving us the opportunity, for believing in us and in what we do!

We thank-you!

Bring on the next 11 Years and watch this space!

Stay well and stay safe and be kind to yourselves and one another!