My name is Mike and I want to welcome you to the Highland and Harmony Project.
I graduated from the University of Maryland in the spring of 2008 with a degree in Economics.
I was working for a large construction and development firm at the time and the world was mine. The work was interesting, the salary was great, and my parents were off my back because I had the holy grail of corporate life – employer sponsored health care.
Looking back, I can say that I really had no idea how good life was. I was 23 and had been living the good life with my parents, and as a college student for my entire life up to that point.
To make matters worse, we were unknowingly walking straight in to the worst recession the United States had experienced in over 75 years.
By August 2009, not more than 15 months after graduating college, I had been laid-off from my dream job, was living in my parents basement, and was looking for work at the very bottom of the recession.
Making the Best of a Bad Situation
It was impossible to see at the time but getting laid off from that job was the single best thing that ever happened to me.
Within a few weeks, I got a call from my childhood best friend that would change my life forever.
He had just graduated from Drexel University in Philadelphia with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was looking to start a business.
We weren’t exactly sure what we would be doing but knew we wanted to make construction improvements to homes and buildings. We also knew that we wanted those improvements to focus on making the home more energy efficient and reducing the homeowners utility costs.
Needless to say — we had no idea what we were getting in to.
Learning to Enjoy the Journey
Looking back – I love being able to tell our story -but honestly, it is difficult to communicate how challenging life was in those early years.
Attics and crawl spaces can be some of the worst working environments imaginable there was never a shortage of obstacles to overcome. Some of the particularly enjoyable and memorable parts were included the:
- Low Headroom and Lack of a Solid Floor
- Working Heights up to 40′
- Extreme Heat in the Summer/Cold in the Winter
- Rodents/Pests/Wasps — I Hate Wasps!
- Itchy, Dirty, Dusty Fiberglass Insulation
The older I get, the more I am able to understand and appreciate how those challenges, and the stories they inevitably create, are really the most important part of living an interesting, fulfilling, and truly happy life.
I am proud to say that I learned pretty everything I know about perseverance, self-discipline, and leadership by taking the hard road and never giving up until it wasn’t so hard anymore.
Going Strong Ever Since!
Our little company has grown a lot since those early days. What started as just the two of us has grown to more than 30 employees and 15 trucks working across multiple divisions including administrative, sales, and installations.
The business has grown so much that I have the opportunity to take a step back from the day to day operations to focus on my next challenge — The Highland and Harmony Project.
I look forward to sharing the lessons I have learned over the years and helping others find true happiness through personal development and a positive mindset.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the Highland and Harmony Project.
Mike