GENERATION YKNOT
Set Your Career In Concrete By Denis Skenderovic
I’m a concrete guy. That’s right, I co-own a local concrete company called Wincrete. Concrete has been a blessing for my family and I — not just because it provides us the means to build a life — but because it has provided me with some important lessons about work, character and being a good employer. Similar to concrete, a solid foundation requires some key ingredients, which I’d like to share with you. The start of my journey with concrete began by taking a chance. As a young man with a young family, I came to a crossroads in my life where I had more financial responsibility. I needed to supplement my income as a part-time paramedic. Having a background in construction and a passion for concrete, I migrated back to what I knew was a solid career. I took the initiative and posted an ad on Kijiji entitled “Looking to Learn about the Cement Industry.”
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After only an hour, I received a response from a local contractor who said, “I’ll give you a shot.” I started working the next day. CONCRETE LESSON #1: Don’t wait for things to form — create your own opportunities. During my work experience, I picked up patterns of successful leaders for whom I wanted to work hard. One day, I remember my boss grabbing the same hand shovel that all his workers were using. It didn’t matter what title he had, what mattered was that a job needed to be done. CONCRETE LESSON #2: Study the leadership habits of successful people, and lead by example. Concrete is a very demanding business. You only get one shot to do it right. Despite the challenges that come with the job, I love what I do. Concrete is craftsmanship, and it’s a neverending learning process. After every project,
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comes a sense of satisfaction and a bond that’s built with our customers. CONCRETE LESSON #3: If you love you what you do, you don’t work a day in your life. Being involved in growing a business, I’ve learned the importance of a strong team. I know I have my strengths and weaknesses and I know it’s important to trust your team, respect their strengths and learn from them. CONCRETE LESSON #4: Build a team of people who believe in the same vision and who will build you up — teaching you new things and how to do things right. Whether you have a love for concrete or love for law or nursing, you have to put in the time. Never be too proud to file documents or wash your team’s tools. Treat these as small tuition payments for the enormous education you receive. CONCRETE LESSON #5: Be humble. There’s a whole book of concrete lessons I could share with you. My son is nudging me to include the one about leaving your workboots in the mudroom when you come home. But, I’ll save that for the next column. Denis Skenderovic is a 28 year old Windsor, Ontario entrepreneur. He is the Co-Owner and Vice President of Operations of Wincrete (Wincrete. ca). His is also an active part-time paramedic with Chatham-Kent EMS and member of YKNOT Windsor-Essex (Facebook.com/yknotwe).