When I first stepped into the glass and glazing business, the place was in turmoil. There was little to no leadership, no clear direction, and it showed. But instead of walking away, I saw an opportunity to rebuild it from the ground up and turn it into a thriving, successful business. With the help of a few close mentors and friends, a role I’m now passionate about playing for other business owners, I dissected the business piece by piece. I worked out what could be improved, what needed to change, and more importantly, I made sure the improvements were actually implemented.

After just 18 months of hard work, the owner of the business offered me the opportunity to buy it. The only problem? I didn’t have a dollar to my name. I’d spent the years before travelling the world and cleaning out my savings account in the process. But thanks to a bit of creative thinking and negotiating a vendor finance deal, I was lucky enough to make it happen.

When I asked the owner why he would offer me such an incredible opportunity, his answer was simple. He said, “Since the day you walked into this business, you’ve run it with all your heart. From the very first minute, you’ve treated it like it was your own. It’s time for me to enjoy my retirement, but I don’t want to close the doors. I want to reward you for your efforts and thank you for everything you’ve done. Your next adventure starts here.”