Justin Strong (@iamjustinstrong) set his mind on the idea of building an empire since he was as young as he could remember. This 32 year old Canadian knew that knowledge was power and took it upon himself to learn as much as he could about operating a business. As a teenager, he would stay in and write out business plans that he could picture himself using in the future. He would network with others in the business industry to gain some insight from experts. One of these experts was his own father who founded a business back in 1992.
He took a leap forward and “got his feet wet” as he started up his very first business, that unknowingly would be the first of many. With his business plans set in place, he figured he would start small. A driveway sealing company was perfect. It didn’t require too much. He bought himself a truck and trailer and was on his way to his first-ever business that he created from start to finish. This led to Justin taking over and renaming his father’s business in 2012 and building it up to a multi-million dollar company. The company name was changed to Strong Bros. General Contracting Ltd., a construction company.
As his father watched what the company had become, Justin wasn’t going to stop right there. He had bigger plans for even more companies to come in the following years. These companies include Strong Bros General Contracting Ltd., J P Strong Enterprises Inc., Seaway Construction & Management, J P Strong Real Estate Holdings Inc., Social Giveaways Inc. and two numbered companies. Don’t let all of these thriving companies fool you, Justin still believes that there is always something to learn, whether that be online or through networking. Your best bet is to find people in the industry, in which you are looking to start and ask questions. Knowledge is power and you can never know too much.
Does one failure mean that it’s never going to work out? No! Justin’s road to the businessman he is today didn’t always go as planned. In fact, quite a few things had to go wrong before they went right and he took it as a sign, believing that everything happens for a reason. He thanks his failures for without that, he probably wouldn’t have his successes of today. Imagine, Justin at 25 (after already having success in the past) decides to start a telecommunications company. It was the perfect idea, and he knows just where to locate it, Saudi Arabia. He brought over four workers. Three workers were from Canada and one was from the USA. The costs for the office spaces, flights and accommodations started to go up, but he was determined. After some time, the distance between where he lived and where his company was located came with some issues. The time zones were very different and contracts started not to line up. Justin realized that it wasn’t going to work out. That did not stop Justin, which inspired him to keep going to prove to himself that he can do it.
On the other end of that, Justin shared, “One of my biggest successes is the longevity of the people that have been a part of the different companies I run. Seeing the people start in these businesses stay with the companies and grow themselves in the company. It is important to see the team be happy.”
With determination, Justin started in his teenage years on his journey to become who he is today. A successful multi-million dollar entrepreneur. If Justin could do it, what’s stopping you? Learn what it takes to be on the road to success with Justin Strong @iamjustinstrong