We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mason Whitcanack & Lindzey Griffin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mason Whitcanack & below.
Hi Mason Whitcanack &, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Mason: You know, I think that being resilient is something that is engrained in people. A foundation is set when you are young, watching how your family reacts to tough times, or how those you admire bounce back in the face of adversity. Then as we grow up, we develop skills to cope with the difficulties that life puts in our way. That being said, I have to admit that I have always been one to learn things the hard way. So I think I kind of conditioned myself to be resilient. The way I see it I became more resilient because the other option would be quitting, and I have never been very good at that!
Lindzey: I definitely agree with Mason, seeing good habits modeled by my parents played a big role. They have run a small business since I was young and I have seen them go through feast and famine. Through the years they have experienced many ups and downs—hits from a bad economy, clients who took advantage or never paid, et al. Through it all, they never lost their optimism or their faith in themselves (and people!), even if it sometimes faltered. That being said, you never know how you’re going to respond when it happens to you. Learning to operate a small business is a constant challenge, there is always something you don’t know waiting just around the corner. When we take hits or struggle through processes that are new to us we absolutely rely on each other, and work to remind ourselves that if we take it one step at a time we’ll get through it. I do think having a teammate, a mentor or a strong support system in your friends and family is essential. Whether it’s getting through really long stretches of working nights and weekends, or though the anxiety of pushing ourselves and our team outside our comfort zone, I try to only worry about one step at a time, one deep breath at a time. And honestly, it can be easier said than done, but if you just remind yourself to holdfast, you get through it in the end.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Mason: We are company that will take on projects large and small. We do everything we can to make sure that we are just as accessible to a client who may just want to install a small garden bed, as we are to somebody who wants to do a full landscape overhaul & remodel. We have a no project too small mentality, and we understand that a lot of people want to upgrade their home, but may have to do it one small step at a time. We work with clients to find products and services that will fit their budget, and can break large projects down into smaller steps, in order to help make our services more accessible to everyone.
Lindzey: This year we get to expand our company and bring on new team members. We are so excited to teach and to learn. Growing our team brings new perspectives, new approaches to trouble-shooting projects, and allows us to help more clients achieve their goals. We truly believe that you can’t do it all, you have to surround yourself with like-minded people who have complementary skills and knowledge to offer. Only by working together can we build our dreams and theirs.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Mason: Three things that have been impactful in our journey, hm? First off, guts. Be willing to try. When we started our company, it was scary. We quit full time jobs that were very secure, and went all in on ourselves. It was hard to do, but we realized that if we didn’t try, we would never know. Second, I’d say, customer service. In our industry this is something that often gets put to the side, because people have the technical skill to complete the job. I think that remembering that we are providing a service to our client, and acting accordingly by communicating clearly, providing service in a professional manner, holding ourselves and our team to quality standards, and just being kind go a long way! Third, always striving to learn more. Taking the time to look at things from a different angle, or to see if there is more than one way to get the job done. Then basing your final decision on what is best for all.
Lindzey: First, I’ll double-down on guts, or bravery. Owning and operating a small business is scary, every day. Through our experiences I’ve learned not to try to avoid being scared, but to press on anyway. Second, I think honesty and transparency have served us well thus far. We are constantly battling the poor reputation contractors have—and for good reason! We try to be as open and honest with our clients as we can, understanding that we are all people, and that any relationship, exchange or transaction requires trust. Third, I think knowing yourself is important. Knowing what you want and knowing who you are, including your own skills and limitations. By taking honest assessment of yourself you can better see where you want to go, and most importantly, know when you need help from someone or something else to get there.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Mason: I think that since we do so many different things within our company, one has to invest time into improving weaknesses. Whether that is by taking time to practice a skill, or finding somebody who is better than you and trying to learn from them, or researching new tools or technology that can help achieve a desired result. I believe that we should always be trying to improve in one way or another. I feel like Lindzey and I are constantly looking at projects we have done in the past and trying to learn how to do it more efficiently, or improve on one aspect or another, or how we can improve our process to make a difficult task easier.
Lindzey: I agree with Mason. While playing to your strengths is part of the approach, you can’t just ignore areas where you are lacking. Today’s world requires constant learning and improvement. We try to do this personally, and are also excited to bring on people who can expand the abilities of our team as a whole. It is also important to recognize when a skill is too much for you to take on and to find someone who specializes in that skill to partner with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bad-at-it.com/
- Instagram: @bad_at_it
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Badatitdesigns/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bad-at-it-round-rock
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