20 Year Journey From State Employee to Construction Company President

Every entrepreneur recognizes the challenges involved when starting a business—funding, workforce, looking for the right niche, and many more! This is why getting a business running requires that leap of faith, patience, and a whole lot of support. It usually takes several years to build a business from the ground up and construction startups may find it especially difficult to be competitive since most of their competition in the industry are already deeply rooted in the community. However, by choosing the right people to work with, the right niche, and proper financing, you can bump up your company's growth. In this week's Construction Genius episode, we have Walt Stahl, company president of The Stahl Companies, to inspire us with his entrepreneurial journey from being a State employee to being a president of a prestigious company. Tune in to this episode.  What's Discussed in This Episode: Why Walt Stahl decided to leave a secure job with the State of California and how he started his own business [02:54] The challenges in starting a business [05:30] Transitioning from a secure state government job to an independent consultancy [08:22] Why you should treat your employees right [11:03] The challenges in project management [12:39] The importance of support and investing in people [14:57] How to pick the right niche, and the benefits and effect of niche focus [16:22] Why hunger, being smart, and humility are essential attributes for your team [19:36] How to look for hunger and the importance of the hiring process [21:34] The relationship between culture and hunger [22:18] Why humility is an essential asset in construction [23:35] What is 'being smart' and why is it important in a construction setting? [26:46] How construction consultants bridge the gap between owners and general contractors [29:41] Choose the right clients and walk away from bad ones [34:53] Things that Walt would have done differently [36:20] Three useful advice for construction startups [38:46] About the Guest: Walt Stahl is a leader in the construction management business. Starting as a Chief Compliance Officer for California's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), he is now the president of The Stahl Companies, one of the leading construction and project management companies for the healthcare industry in Sacramento, California. With 20 years of being in business, Walt Stahl has mastered the ins and outs of the construction management business. Resources:  The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues (https://amzn.to/2T5Zyll)  Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Thank you for tuning in!