What I have learned about myself in the past 5 yearsfeatured

Like everyone else in this world, I am a work in progress. I have truly enjoyed the journey I have embarked on with PDI Drywall. I would have never imagined that I would be sitting here where I am today. This journey was never easy but I wouldn’t have changed one thing about it. With that said, here is what I have learned about myself these past 5 years:

1) I am a more confident person
When you are constantly making decisions where no one is telling you what the best decision is, you learn to trust yourself. When I first started my business, it was tough. I had no one to guide me and no one to correct my mistakes. In my world, I had to just put myself out there and fall flat on my face. Eventually, I learned from my mistakes and started to make better decisions and adapt a lot quicker. I look back now and I am proud to see the fruits of my labor. It is definitely satisfying. Those years of refinement have allowed me to believe that I am capable of achieving greatness and I have the ability to even share that with others. 5 years ago I would have never accepted or offered to be the keynote speaker for the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce or to the members of The Queens Foundation.

2) Be myself – not everyone has to like me
As the boss, it’s my job to make the best decision for my company. I have learned that everyone has an opinion on how I should run my business. When I first started, I was more inclined to take everyone’s advice because I needed all the positive relationships I could get. However, over the years, I have learned that not all advice or opinions are helpful to me and my business. I had to start trusting myself and making decisions that might not be popular or “how they would do it.” As I stand today, I am completely okay with someone agreeing to disagree with me. I take full ownership of my decision and the consequences that come with it. It’s not my job to be the most popular person but to be the best leader I can be.

3) Treat work like a relationship
Working takes up the majority of my life. I am either physically or mentally working from 6am to 6pm almost every day. When I first started, I was under the impression that working longer meant working harder. Boy, was I wrong. I had to take a step back and realize, I need my time to relax and recharge. There are too many other great things in life to dedicate solely just to one thing. I have a husband, 2 dogs, charities I am involved in and new restaurants to dine at amongst other things. The best advice I can offer is to find your balance. Some people really enjoy putting in those long hours and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, for me it’s best if I allocate my time and energy to numerous things than just my business. I have found that by doing so I am a happier person and a better boss.

4) Mottos work
Everyone needs motivation in their life. We all get it differently and there is no right one way to get motivated. One of my main motto is to treat others as you would want to be treated. This has been the mission statement of my business and have lead me to make incredible relationships with my vendors and customers. It’s amazing how putting yourself in their shoes can go a long way. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t adapt these principles from day one. A lot of my jobs are purely from the relationships I built along the way.

5) Getting help doesn’t make me weak
When people hear that I own a business, they assume it’s all me. Don’t get me wrong, I have definitely poured a lot of time and energy into PDI Drywall but it’s success comes from more than just me. My upbringing bought this attitude of me against the world and I can do this on my own. I do believe you can definitely achieve a lot on your own but you can be even better with others. Today, I have a wonderful mentor, Mary Cantando who has guided me and my business. She is the one who recommended I join this leadership group called The Woman’s Advantage. These women have opened my eyes and enlightened me with a wealth of knowledge since I have joined. This group has even landed me an award with the Top 40 under 40 in the Triangle Business Journal. Truth be told, my experiences learning from these individuals have also helped my confidence to try public speaking. In regards to the day to day with PDI, I have a wonderful husband and partner in Hector. He handles everything from scheduling to payroll. In the past couple of years, I have also hired a Chief Financial Officer. He has not only freed a lot of my time but also helped us save tons in taxes, etc. Let’s just say there’s a lot for me to be thankful for and I am blessed with the people in my life.