J.J. Levenske

In college, I'd done a year over there as a foreign exchange student type thing. So they felt that I understood the British mentality and all those kind of things. So anyway, I got thrown into the wolves with that and I loved every minute of it.

In college, I'd done a year over there as a foreign exchange student type thing. So they felt that I understood the British mentality and all those kind of things. So anyway, I got thrown into the wolves with that and I loved every minute of it.

But what I found was I was sitting around the table and I understood construction, but I felt stupid because I was sitting with major CEOs and high profile people in these... big industrial and food primary. Think of like General Mills, Pillsbury, ConAgra, you know, those kinds of corporate giants. And I'm sitting there telling these people that are my age now what to do.

But what I found was I was sitting around the table and I understood construction, but I felt stupid because I was sitting with major CEOs and high profile people in these... big industrial and food primary. Think of like General Mills, Pillsbury, ConAgra, you know, those kinds of corporate giants. And I'm sitting there telling these people that are my age now what to do.

And I'm like, this is stupid. I'm a 20 some year old. I'm advising them. And I don't know shit from apple butter about this stuff. So I decided to go back at night school and doing my MBA. And it was there that I found Tommy that I finally learned how to learn. And I said, you can resonate with this. It's like, you go through stages of life and you finally, you like, you fake it to make it.

And I'm like, this is stupid. I'm a 20 some year old. I'm advising them. And I don't know shit from apple butter about this stuff. So I decided to go back at night school and doing my MBA. And it was there that I found Tommy that I finally learned how to learn. And I said, you can resonate with this. It's like, you go through stages of life and you finally, you like, you fake it to make it.

And that is when I could finally figure out how to learn again. And it got me excited about construction again. So, and this was pre-internet of things. So it was, I had to go to night school at the Mall of America in these back rooms in Minneapolis and stuff. So it really excited me. Then I would, to hit fast forward, kind of went through what I call that

And that is when I could finally figure out how to learn again. And it got me excited about construction again. So, and this was pre-internet of things. So it was, I had to go to night school at the Mall of America in these back rooms in Minneapolis and stuff. So it really excited me. Then I would, to hit fast forward, kind of went through what I call that

10 to 15 years of just checking the box type stuff. Got married, had kids, and just worked my way up like project manager. And pretty soon, you know, I'm Neil Hefe. I was in a different part of Minnesota and kind of the president or the go-to C-suite guy in these organizations. Small family office type stuff. But we still did pretty good revenue. But basically, it was general contracting.

10 to 15 years of just checking the box type stuff. Got married, had kids, and just worked my way up like project manager. And pretty soon, you know, I'm Neil Hefe. I was in a different part of Minnesota and kind of the president or the go-to C-suite guy in these organizations. Small family office type stuff. But we still did pretty good revenue. But basically, it was general contracting.

There were some spinoffs where we had a damage restoration company, things like that. So I got exposed to, I think, your world of home services. It fast forward, my wife and I were kind of bored with the Midwest, you know, winter kind of kills you up there.

There were some spinoffs where we had a damage restoration company, things like that. So I got exposed to, I think, your world of home services. It fast forward, my wife and I were kind of bored with the Midwest, you know, winter kind of kills you up there.

And the other thing was we were at that midlife crisis kind of moment of we saw all of our friends getting divorced and it kind of turned into the battle of the Joneses, you know, like who's got the bigger boat, who's got the bigger house. We're like, maybe it's time that we look at opportunities. So that's when we decided to move to Arizona between 2012 and 2013. Came down here, walked away.

And the other thing was we were at that midlife crisis kind of moment of we saw all of our friends getting divorced and it kind of turned into the battle of the Joneses, you know, like who's got the bigger boat, who's got the bigger house. We're like, maybe it's time that we look at opportunities. So that's when we decided to move to Arizona between 2012 and 2013. Came down here, walked away.

Mind you, I walked away from the president of a very successful organization. I didn't have equity, but my partners did at the time. And that was a hard move because we had built something very special. I always told people during that tenure, Tommy, that we had the ability...

Mind you, I walked away from the president of a very successful organization. I didn't have equity, but my partners did at the time. And that was a hard move because we had built something very special. I always told people during that tenure, Tommy, that we had the ability...

We were like the black sheep or the antichrist of the community at the time because we'd come out of the great recession and we were growing. And we were growing because we were doing things nobody else was doing. And I'll never forget because the competition was saying, you guys are ruining it for the rest of us. Because remember, when you're an outlier, they scored you first.

We were like the black sheep or the antichrist of the community at the time because we'd come out of the great recession and we were growing. And we were growing because we were doing things nobody else was doing. And I'll never forget because the competition was saying, you guys are ruining it for the rest of us. Because remember, when you're an outlier, they scored you first.

Then they try to copy you once they realize successful, and then they try to emulate you at a whole nother level. So it was weird because when you see it, you don't really as it's happening in real time, you don't realize what's happening. But then kind of post facto, you look and go, we were onto something that taste.

Then they try to copy you once they realize successful, and then they try to emulate you at a whole nother level. So it was weird because when you see it, you don't really as it's happening in real time, you don't realize what's happening. But then kind of post facto, you look and go, we were onto something that taste.