Leap of Faith! !
Going into business for yourself is kind of a scary thought - look how many other
companies offer similar services… how or can I rise above the competition.... can I
survive in this industry, can I thrive in this industry....! !
My childhood dream was always to be a police officer. The older I got, the stronger the
desire became; but for one reason or another, I kept putting it on the back burner. I have
had many great job opportunities throughout the years. Some jobs were just jobs and
some jobs I loved, but there was always this desire to be a cop....! !
Throughout the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work with some great
friends and family in the carpentry trade. The more I learned about the trade, the more I
loved it. I used to help family and friends, every chance I got - evenings, weekends, it
did not matter... if there was work to be done, I was there and I loved every minute of it!
Throughout most of these years, I was working as a plant manager for a paper
converting facility. I learned a lot about business in the 6 years I worked there. The
general manager and the three owners took me under their figurative wings and taught
me how to manage the company as if it were my own. During this process, I began to
think how awesome it would be to have my own company one day. It felt like a pipe
dream. ! !
Long story short, in 2011, the paper converting company I worked for closed their doors.
All I felt left with was anger, stress and far-off childhood dreams at the age of 28. With a
wife and small child at home, the thought of where I could work, …should work, …
wanted to work, … just so we could get by, consumed me. Usually, I just did whatever I
wanted to do; but that hadn’t gotten me very far.! !
My family had pre planned a vacation to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee long
before all of this took place. I thought it would be a great idea to still go and just enjoy
the peace of the mountains for a week before I came back to reality. It was this
particular week where I believe the change in my decision-making process took place....
Every morning that week, I woke up early and went out to our balcony that over looked
the stunning Smoky mountains. (Really, pictures don’t do it justice; isn’t that often the
case.) I read my Bible and just talked to God. It was so relaxing just knowing that I had
a heavenly father who was always there for me and was always with me. That’s it..... my
whole life I had been doing what I wanted to do and not ever considering if there was a
calling for my life, something more than pleasing my own whims. I was reading through
Jeremiah at that point in my devotions and I came across a scripture that so many of us
know, but speaking for myself, I had never applied it. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the
thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare
and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” It was a revelation -
that God had plans for me, not last-minute thoughts or a desire to teach me a lesson out
of watching me fail, but plans for my welfare. I didn’t want to miss out on that!! !
When I got home from our family vacation, my wife challenged me to spend more time
with God, to see where I was missing the signals to what God wanted me to do. Well, if
He really did have plans for me, I didn’t see why He would keep them a secret. And let’s
just say that through this time is where God brought forth the beginnings of Timco
Group - a company that was built on humility and integrity, a company that would have
God at the center and not myself, a company that would always put people first. I
strongly believe that the ideas that I had as a young man of starting my own company
and the opportunity I had to learn skills in carpentry and business was no mistake. I
believe it was God putting together a master plan and just waiting for me to to take my
focus off of myself for one second and turn it towards Him so He could get my attention;
and boy did he ever!! !
Two years into the business, I can truly see God’s hand in everything I do - from the
contacts and supports surrounding my business to the wonderful clients that I get to
work with, even the materials that need to be purchased - God is faithful! The company
has already grown to include a kitchen division that is managed by one of the best
kitchen designers in the Niagara region, and he is also someone who pours insight and
wisdom into Timco Group. ! !
So that leap of faith that I took 2 years ago, that decision to follow a new
plan, to rely on God for work instead of an existing company, to put myself out there, it
was not so bad as I chose to focus on God and His plans! I am not saying it is a walk in
the park, but when God is the leader.... all things are possible!! !
That is my leap of faith and it continues everyday, never ceasing, never boring!