I wonder how many of you reading this magazine would have drawn your current job on your career goal poster in elementary school. Mine was a beautifully crafted, colored-penciled depiction along with internet-printed photos showing myself as the host of an outdoor television show focused on fishing.
Even through college I could not have predicted my current position. But I’ve always tried to make the best of the opportunities put in front of me, so even though I had little to no experience, when the chance to join the COLE team became available, I took it.
I hear stories similar to mine from pumpers quite often, except they are taking a much bigger leap of faith. My decision didn’t pose too much risk. If I failed, I would find another job and be OK. Those stepping into the unknown as business owners are taking on stakes that I’m not sure I would have the courage to.
A prime example
This month’s profile is an incredible illustration of someone taking chances and not accepting failure throughout their entire life. Emigrating from Poland at the age of 17, Sebastian Czaplicki landed in California. After a series of part-time employment, he found himself with a huge decision to make when the owners of a septic service company he worked for wanted to retire. No stranger to hard work and taking on challenges, Czaplicki bought the company and entered a world completely foreign to him.
Czaplicki’s story, like so many others that come through the pages of Pumper, got me thinking about entrepreneurship. For some people, business ownership is the only option. Entrepreneurs seek opportunities and aren’t content unless they are in the driver’s seat of a company. For others, it seems to fall into their laps when they least expect it. No matter the path, once you are there, you will be busy and the action you take will set the course of your business.
The right foot forward
Setting your business on the right course starts with taking a leap of faith, but navigation after that stems from making education decisions. For Czaplicki, lessons in leadership came through a couple of avenues.
The first was a mentor. An individual who actually pushed him to take over the business and then proceeded to guide him through the hurdles of ownership. For those of you lucky enough to have someone who has been successful in the industry or similar trade that you can lean on and trust, take advantage of it. Ask them questions, listen to their experiences and learn from their failures as much as their successes.
The second was self-guided research Czaplicki found wisdom through reading, focusing on books that taught leadership lessons and how to recruit and maintain a strong team.
And lastly, don’t become complacent. Some people say, “Opportunity only knocks once,” but I don’t buy that. I think opportunity is constantly knocking. It’s just a matter of how you look at the possibilities in front of you. So, don’t be afraid to keep betting on yourself, take leaps of faith and make efforts to better yourself and the business.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!
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