 Hey, GovCon Giants family, your host here, Eric Coffey. In today's episode of Making the Giant, we are interviewing LaSeth Vales. LaSeth's company actually does construction. She started out in the military doing HVAC, which gave her some background and fundamentals of knowing the industry and then moved off to starting her own business where she originally began by flipping homes. Today her company is doing both state and federal contracts in the government arena and we're gonna hear all of that and more in today's episode of Making the Giant with two of my favorite students, Maria Martinez and LaSeth Vales. Stay tuned. If you like what you hear, make sure to subscribe. Give us a thumbs up, like it, comment, tell us how you love this episode and how you wanna hear much more like them. So thank you guys today for watching. Enjoy this episode of Making a Giant. So we're here today with LaSeth. She's our next Making a Giant podcast guest and we're super excited because we actually met LaSeth about two years ago here in Broward, but she's not actually from the Florida area. So her story and how much she's grown in these last two years is amazing. So LaSeth is part of LJV Development. She's the owner and it's out of the Boston area and she's also a veteran, both Army and Air Force. So I just wanted to welcome you today and thank you for being part of this. Thank you, thank you, Maria. Can you believe this? It's crazy. Because I remember it was May 4th because it was the day right before my birthday and it was raining and you had a boot on. I'm good with dates. That's funny. Yeah, I just got ankle surgery so it was fun, but hey, the universe put us together. Yes, because you are actually here on vacation and you're at like a conference out of all places in the cold rain. Yeah, no, and that was vacation for me, believe it or not. I was happy to be there. Okay, all right. It sounds like one of Eric's vacations, like go and do me ingredients and he calls it vacation, but all it is it's work in between. Yeah, that's pretty well done. I just wanted to go back and let us know like a little bit about who you are and what your company is and what you guys are doing. Yes, so LaSeth Files, founder and CEO of LJD Development. Right now we are a general contractor and we basically service the whole New England area. We're doing Pennsylvania, New Jersey and upstate New York and growing. I have about six employees now and we pretty much specialize in the project management and the contract management and really understanding like the contracting process. I'm primarily focused on federal contracting and right now we're doing about 90 federal, 10% private. So if I can get it to a hundred, that'd be ideal. Okay, that's awesome. And I always want to give people a sense of how you started. And a lot of people started with an idea of what they wanted to do at the beginning. Did you ever think you would be in the position you are today? Growing? No, the shortest is no. Okay, and being the teacher in me always likes to know what did you want to be when you grew up? With little LaSeth running around, where did you grow up first of all? Did you grow up? At what age? So I came to this country when I was seven years old from Columbia and so I ended up moving to Lowell, Massachusetts from Massachusetts, knows where that is. And I don't know, growing up, so growing up I just really wanted to be in the military, to be honest with you, that's the one thing I really wanted to do, I was super patriotic. Did any of your family were in the military? No, no, I mean in the first generation here. So it was just, I don't know, my mother was in the, my mother was in the police force actually in Columbia. So I think that was part of it. And she always, she was just always for it. Like that was the one thing that she was like, join the military, join the military. And so I don't know, I just, I did ROTC and for the longest time I just thought I was gonna join the military. I was National Guard and just retire. And that was my life. Oh, so you went straight from high school to the military? Yeah, well I was ROTC high school and then I took about two years off and then I went right into the military. So you went into Woodbridge? So then I went into the Army, Army National Guard as a 80 mic truck driver. A truck driver. Oh, wow. I know, I know. I just guess it gets better and better. Okay, so you were a truck driver in the Army? Yeah, yeah. So yeah, you know, so at the time to be completely honest with you at the time, you know, I suddenly had a green card at the time and you know, the Army was basically like, hey, you could do two jobs. You could be personnel, you know, you could do, you could be a truck driver, I think actually, or cook, so three options. And so my options were limited at the time. And so actually a friend of mine, he's like, hey, when you're driving, you're free. You could do whatever you want. At least nobody's up, you know, you're riding a car. And it just kind of related to my, like who I am. And so I was like, you know what? The one thing I didn't know is that I wanted to join the military. So I was like, I'm willing to take any job and I joined. And that was it. Oh wow. So you were there about two years. Yep. So I joined 2011 and about early 2012, I was like, you know what? Because I did Air Force RTC. So I actually always wanted, I knew I wanted to be in the Air Force. But you know, the circumstances, I ended up in the Army first. And I talked to a recruiter. He's like, hey, you know what? You could do a conditional release, come to the Air Force. And we have, you know, these jobs available. And that's how I got into construction actually. I joined the HVAC shop. And part of the HVAC shop is our civil engineering squadron. So we had electricians, plumbers. So I got exposed to a lot of different trades. And I liked it. And it kind of just went from there. And that was in the Air Force when you started getting those to the construction field. And then where were you stationed? And so because I was prior to service, I didn't have to do basic training anymore. So I went straight to Shepard Air Force Base to do HVAC school. So it's about five months-ish. And so it was fun. You know, I stayed in a hotel, like typical Air Force people. I've never heard that before. It was an upgrade. It was like a cool upgrade. No barracks. No barracks. No cots. No like weirds. No MREs. It was amazing. So I was living it at the time. I was having a blast. And I was just learning something new. And so- So you did HVAC in the Air Force. Yeah. And how long were you doing that? For six years. Yeah. Oh, wow. Six years, right up to like, I left. I left. But you know, so you're, yeah, you're HVAC, but when you're in C, you could be doing anything. You know, they teach you a lot of these other traits or you get at least exposed to it. So it's not like, hey, you're just doing this. Like you might be, I don't know, putting a door up or painting just because you're here. Just because you're part of the unit. Exactly. And then when did you leave? I left December of 2018. Oh, recently. Yes, yes. Oh, wow. But when you left, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do after you got out? Well, I started my idea actually with LJV. So LJV was founded in April of 2018. And so I was still in the National Guard when it was kind of happening. And we got exposed to a lot of like the SBA, small Boots to Business kind of classes. And, you know, I was already doing residential stuff, you know, like flips and stuff like that. So I was like, you know what? I like this entrepreneur stuff. I want to learn more about it. And I just started learning about like the business plans and like the first things that it takes to start a business and just kind of the nippets. And I opened up the LLC at the time. I was also like, you know, flipping a house. And then, you know, because I had all this experience, Lord and behold, I can get my GC license. And, you know, that's kind of where the kind of the floodgates open. And now your possibilities become bigger. And so that's kind of how it happened that I started getting more into construction and more into, I was like, when I did the flip, I was like, okay, I can put people together. I'm like, this makes sense. This is not like, you know, complete rocket science. And so I love people. I love human resources. Okay. So I do like the idea of, you know, as a GC and you know this being in construction, you're putting the right team together. You're putting the right people. And, you know, this person might be right for this job, but maybe they're right for now, you know, who knows. So, but we like to look at every company that we, you know, pre-qualify. We're basically like, okay, let me see you holistically and see if maybe you don't fit in a federal project, but you can come and help us out in this private stuff. Oh yeah. And that's how the idea of being a GC was sold to me too. It was just like, oh, you just take people and put it together and they put it together. And I was like, that can't be that hard. I had that idea. I'm like, how hard can it be until I went to GC school because I went to the class just to learn how to take the test. And I'm like, and I remember I called Eric and I was like, what am I doing here? Like, I have no clue what a rebar is. I remember raising, I asked the guys, I'm like, what is that? I'm like, I don't get this. They're like performing and this and that. I'm like, I don't get it. I'm like, what's that? So things like that. And then I'll ask you this question because I remember going into some of the federal facilities or some places and people were like, you're a GC. And I'm like, yes. And do you get that question a lot being a woman in construction? I would say that at the job sites, not really. I do get it more in events sometimes. I'll get like, sometimes they'll be like, hey, does your brother own the company? Because I have two brothers that work for me. And so they'll say something along those lines. But yeah, it's still different. You're definitely like, I had a job site the other day. And it was as simple as the fact that there was like 20, like literally like 20 people there. And I was the only female. And so you're like, OK, you know, but I was I was excited because I was like, you know, well, we're breaking barriers and we're, I guess, making moves and changing the status. And they'll remember you now. Oh, yeah, it definitely is. So yeah, it actually works to your favorite in terms of being remembered. People will remember you. Yeah. So when you got out, you did the Boots to Business and did the whole your business plan, setting up your business plan. And did you know then you wanted to go into the federal space or did you just think you were just going to flip houses? Oh, no, I knew I wanted to go. So I knew about the federal space. I want to say I'm like one of those like mouse, like data mouses, I call myself sometimes because, you know, I'm trying to I want to know all of the information. When I when I get myself into something, I need to know everything there is to know. And so by June, I was already getting to know the whole SBA process. And because I was already going through the state stuff, like the state certifications too. So I already knew like that was part of it. I mean, to be honest with you, that's part of the reason why I even got into construction heavy because I don't think there would have ever been a chance for me in the public sector had it not been for these programs. So it was like, okay, there's an actual chance for someone that, you know, it's not usually the person getting the contracts to get the contracts. So, you know, I went after it. And then at that time, after you got out, you started doing just the flips and residential projects? No, no. So, hey, you know, what they don't tell you business is that, hey, you know, I'm a sole proprietor. So I, you know, I kind of was going with what I had and I was just trying, I was trying to figure out as much as I could before I started getting people into this because for some reason I was like, if it fails, at least I failed and I didn't bring anybody into this. I just, I know, you know, I'm one of those people that if I tell you I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it. And so it just kind of, so you got to pivot. You got to try to do different things. And so at the time I was actually, I was working for, cause I was National Guard Air Force. So my full-time employment for probably like five years was in liquor sales, which, you know, comes in very handy when it comes to federal contracting, but it was in liquor sales. So I was working for a distributor and basically I was just managing the Bacardi portfolio. I was working for Corporate America. And that's why when I was developing LJV, I mean, I was already, I was doing so many different kind of corporate meetings that, you know, I already knew like, okay, you got to have a really good mission. You got to have a really good vision. You got to have all these like different foundations. And ultimately, I mean, I opened up LJV because I was like, look, I want to work, I want to work for a place that I want to work for. Like I want to open up this place that, you know, because I was just, it just came to be that, you know, I needed to have a bigger purpose than what I was doing at the time. And this kind of like made it happen. So. So you were doing both at the same time. Oh yeah. For I actually quit. So funny because it's so in liquor sales is very similar to in a weird way because it's all about relationships, right? I mean, you have all these restaurants or your accounts, you're talking to all these different people and you have all these competitors too because everybody's trying to sell their product. And it's about creating that relationship with your customer and, you know, and do it in following through. I mean, a lot of sometimes, you know, I will have my manager like, okay, what's the best practices? So I'm like, why don't you just keep up with your word? Or, you know, I don't know, just don't, don't promise people something you can't deliver. Like just start there and you're winning. Or like small things like following up, you know, it's like not, this not complete rocket science. So I quit my full-time job like finally after working for Sincoro Tequila, which is a brand that's, you can look it up later, but it's a brand owned by some NBA owners. And I was like, you know what? I need to, I need to better myself. And I quit in January of 2020. Like last year, like a year ago. Yes, yes. I was like, you know, and mind you, I had no clue. I mean, we saw each other at National Park Service. Right? Yeah. That time I had just like, I had just gone like fully, full, full, full, full-time. Like just LJV, like it's going to make it or it's going to make it. That's your option. Yeah, yeah, like it was, I mean, I had already invested all this because I literally with LJV is not just a company. It's like, it's trying to build a culture. It's trying to build a vision. It's trying to like, I don't know, we're really trying to just do things above and beyond. And I don't know, just do it good. Do a really great job at what you're doing is what we're trying to do. So yeah, I knew I had to just, I had to put all my thoughts into it. And as much as you want to do, and you know, I feel you with, and you're doing school and doing this, there gets to a point, and you're going to know a point, like you're going to feel it because your workload is just too much and you just can't bear things anymore. Or you're going to have to just do it, just jump. And you know, there is a reason why the ADA doesn't let like people that are not full-time employees become, you know. And it makes sense now. It totally makes sense. Yeah, like it's a lot of work to do this. Yes. And it's crazy because I quit and then you can just totally see like the difference. And actually things progressing and then moving. But then COVID hit. So it was also like, this is great, this is fun, you know. Like everything's new with COVID. So it's like you're learning, but everybody else is learning as well. So it's not a bad thing, right? Yeah, yeah, no. We're not in the same playing field when COVID hit. Yeah, no, there was a lot of silver linings. I mean, I can like, yeah. So from 2018, when you started everything, how long, and then you started learning, you took in everything that you could because you wanted to know every single detail of how everything works. Where did you get all the information from? What were your experiences that you had? Well, hello, girl, I'm a giant person for most. Yeah, I mean, look, Eric, I'll tell you how I started listening to you guys because it was actually kind of funny. I was, as you said earlier, I was in a boot. I was like in half a boot by the time I saw you guys, but I had just got ankle surgery and I had it in February and then I was just recovering when I ended up going to Miami. And that was like, but between those few months, I was still working for Bacardi, but because I was working from home, I was able to watch a lot more YouTube videos and do a lot of more, just research. And then I found Eric Coffee and I was like, oh, okay, this is cool, I did the free course. And then it tells you, okay, you can upgrade and do the premium course. And I was like, no, I'm not getting it because actually I had just got scammed by another federal supposedly peak person. And it was about $3,000 and ever since then, I was like, I'm never gonna pick up the phone for anyone. I'm like, if it's not free, I don't wanna see it. And so after that experience, I was just kind of like, well, I learned what I learned, that's it. I'm just gonna go figure everything else out on my own. And so funny enough, the day I met you guys, I'm like, I'm with the, so let me back up real quick. I was on my way to Miami and I wanted to invent Bright and I'm like, okay, well, is there any convention? Is there anything I can do that's productive that I don't feel like I'm completely like, you know, not being productive? And I found this event and so I signed up for it randomly. I guess it actually sold out, apparently, right? Yeah, so I met the convention and all of a sudden I see Eric and I'm like, that kind of looks familiar. I'm like, I don't know where I'm from. And then as I had my brother look at his videos as well, I took a picture of him and I'm like, bro, is this the right one? And then I ended up coming up to him and I even asked him for a selfie. Like, hey, I'm like, this is so good. I just, it was so crazy like that, you know, I was randomly watching his videos and then I randomly ended up going like about 15 minutes north of Miami from where I was actually at. And then I run into you guys. So I don't know, I'm a spiritual person. So I believe in that things are meant to be because they're meant to be. I think we can all say it's true. Oh yeah, like everything, and I'm a big believer on that. Like everything is set to be how it's supposed to be. Like the stars align in certain ways to make things happen. Yeah, exactly. So what happened after May when you met him? Oh, so, and so then he called, he actually, so he called me because he was doing consulting for some people up here. So he was already doing work here. In between that time, we ended up actually ended up meeting the company and, you know, we're talking about possibly you've been to protege, but this is, I mean, if I think back at that time, and you know, you guys talk about being like contract ready and all that stuff. It's like, I wasn't contract ready. I didn't, there was no way I didn't have my constant system set up and payroll running. Like I would have literally, I would have got a contract and I probably would have, probably would have failed at it because I didn't have it. I didn't know what I was doing. Like, you don't know what you don't know. And people don't- And that's what I was gonna ask you at the time where you met him and you started doing all these joint venture talks and stuff. Like, did you have any like bigger contracts under you? No, no, not necessarily. I mean, we were picking up like commercial jobs still. But no federal. Yeah, but nothing federal. And so then I ended up going to Miami one time and it's funny because then I would ask him like random questions, how everybody does. And though, you know, he's always like, did you look at the video? And so at this point, I still haven't paid for the premium version. So after that day, when he came and met, so he ended up meeting me. And after that day, I was like, you know what? Because I was asking him questions that were in the videos. And after that day, I was like, oh my God, this is so silly. Like I didn't remember just going home and just paying for it. I mean, this is, this is silly, you know? So yeah, it was, that's pretty much how it ended up going ahead. But, you know, outside of Gulfcon giant, I would say that, you know, the SBA has so many resources. Luckily by the time that I started taking a 7J, they had opened it up for SCV OSBs and like economically disadvantaged. Which it wasn't a thing before. No, it was strictly just A&A before. Yeah, so I started taking, I was just, again, I was finding as much information as I could and just not like, just, yeah, like talking to everybody and not understanding like everybody's perspective because I'm like one of those people, I just gotta get all the information and then okay, then I can put the puzzle together and execute. And that's good because a lot of people just think that it's just gonna happen. That I'm gonna sign up, I'm just gonna open up a business and things just happen. A lot of people don't understand and that's why we're doing these shows is because people just see you and see that you want a contract. They don't know everything in between. And I think that's the most important part is that you did go to all these trainings. You did attend webinars. You came out of your way to go to a conference and things like that. And you went and saw the videos. You had to pick somebody else's brain. You wanted everybody's perspective. Like you had to take the time to learn this. It's not just like you open up a business and poof, it just grows. No, and be willing to like constantly learn, right? Because I mean, when we first had this conversation I'm telling you, like I'm still very small and you're like, oh, really small? Yeah, but I mean, yeah, well we have six employees and we're trying to operate a multi-million dollar GC company. I know I'm, I know I don't have the resources in place but I'm constantly trying to find more information and make what I can with what I have. Because you, I mean, unless you come from like, you know, your trust fund baby or, I don't know. Your dad just gave you his company that's a million dollars. Yeah, yeah, like, you know, stuff like that. But, you know, for the most part, I think, you know, a lot of us immigrants, like, you know, we don't, you know, if anything we got to take care of our parents. Yes. So you have to just make with what you have. And I never, I think like, I think COVID kind of made that happen a lot more. And just, I mean, I've always had an open mind, but this kind of like amplified that even more. Cause I'm like, I just need to, yeah, consistently not know what's going to happen and just go with what's, you know, what's in front of me. And maybe there's another way. What did your parents think when you were, just after the military, you open up a company and you want, you're saying you're going to do construction? Actually, it was very, no, nobody, nobody really said anything. Nobody was surprised. I grew up with four boys and I've been like, the one to like join the military, do weird stuff. I just always, I think, been like this. I, you know, I think Eric always asks people like, did you, did you sell newspaper? I sold newspapers. You know, I was, yeah, like I was that person. And, you know, I don't know, looking back at my family and just my family structure is like I do come from a long line of just women that are entrepreneurs and just, they, you know, they sell t-shirts. My mother has a retail store in Columbia. Like I never even, you know, started off work with men, right? Like, yeah, but you're just constantly exposed by it. And when you're a business owner, you are going to find that, yes, you have to, in order for me to be successful, you have to pivot, you have to learn just how to be fluid with everything that you do, because you can't be like, I'm going to open and this is going to happen here. I'm going to do this and it's going to happen here. Like it just, it doesn't work like that, you know? And then, and then it doesn't happen. And then people get upset, they get discouraged. And so, I don't know. I guess I'm kind of like, you know, God, can I give me anything I can't handle and I'm just going to go with the flow and whatever I can do, we can do. And if we can do it, let's just have a, just a transparent conversation when we just can't do it. So now that you've got the resources, not that you were able to get all the information that you think you needed to keep going on this track, how did you go and pursue your first federal contract? My first federal, I mean, I was doing everything. I was doing the source saw, I was doing, you know, making my capability statement better, especially when you're going through all these classes, you're kind of like going back to your business and be like, okay, I need to do this and that. So I was tweaking, tweaking, tweaking. And no, I kind of ran into a, not a simple product position, but it was the one that's the lower threshold. That's like- Micro-purchase? Yeah, it was like other 25K. And it was a fencing job. And I went into LinkedIn and I was like, am I, this is my, this is my secret sauce. A lot of people do this, so it's not just mine. But I went into LinkedIn and I was like, okay, well I need a fencing guy. Let me find out what fencing companies are all here. And if there's anyone active. And I ended up finding, I think he was a distributor of manufacturer of fences. And he's like, well, we can't install it, but I can definitely give you our top installers and Lauren we hold. At the time I had like this great software too that you could just like send everything out and it would compare all of their kind of estimates. And I got their estimates back and I was able to put a poll together. And we won like May 7th, like I get an email. And I remember like, it was so funny. Cause I know, wait, go ahead, ask me. No, I was gonna say May 7th, it's just crazy. Cause like I told you the conference was May 4th. Yeah. So a year almost to the day. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You can't make this up. Your stars are aligning. You can't make it up. Yeah. And you know, and I just, I remember like looking at the, and it was 20, so it was 25K, like two some change. I just started crying. I ended up calling like my, you know, we, so we outsource our HR and a bookkeeping to one company and we outsource like our marketing. So we have also, we use, we use employees and we outsource them. Okay. So we can keep like the cash flow, the cash flow. Oh, okay. You know, and I remember I just got, I think we were using like WebEx at the time and I was like, I called everybody. I still have recording actually. And I just remember like feeling so relieved because it was like, oh my God, I got a contract. Like in, I don't know, just becoming being a veteran and like knowing and seeing all those military forms and just seeing like my name and then, you know, the United States of America. It was like, I'm here. Like I'm where I need to be. Like this is, this is it. Oh yes. It like, it just made everything really make sense right there and then. And I'm thankful for it because it really gave us, I mean, it was two months into COVID, you know, all the yoga and meditation in the world, you're still feeling anxious about the future of your company. I had people that I needed to employ. I didn't even know how I was going to do it. So it was just, it did give me that extra, okay, a little bit of energy I needed to get through the summer and till now. Yeah. And a lot of people said, a lot of people's businesses failed, a lot of people's businesses didn't do great. And a lot of people say it's because of COVID, but you got your first contract in the crazy parts of COVID. So like, this is when- With the core engineers. Oh, I was going to ask, who was it with? And it's- Yeah, with the core engineers. So the cores of engineers see what don't realize. It's one of the hardest people to get a contract with. And then on top of that, it's just the paperwork that goes with it. It's not that they're just gonna hand you a contract and okay, go do it and we'll pay you right away. So what was that process? Cause I know we could get very excited very quickly. And I know that sense of relief of like, oh my God, I did it. Like, I did it, but then reality hits and it's time to go. Like you said, you called and now you have to employ all these people and things like that. So what now? What happened May 8th? May 8th, I know, you know what? Hey, this is the new thing here. When you do your homework and when you're ready, then you're ready. Then things don't, they're not a fire drill. And one of the things that, I've seen it in so many companies, I'm not gonna say which ones, but you gotta be proactive in life. You have to stay ready. And so I had my CPA, my safety officer, my back office, like they were already ready. And it was almost like, here's the contract that's coming from the Corps of Engineers. And then it's going over to my CPA, my insurance, my back office, well, the safety support. And then my PM is managing that. And then it was, I mean, it was like- You were already? Oh, I was, you had it off that already. It's costly, but it was definitely the, it was worth like the, you know, just, I, yeah, like I just knew like, okay, who to call. Just the fact that I knew who to call, I think it was just like huge. And it relieves some like anxiety, I'm sure. Like you had all the players already set to go. It's not like, okay, who do I call first? What am I supposed to do now? Exactly, who's gonna do it? Yeah, and like I said, the submittal process with the Corps of Engineers, it's not, it really is no joke. Like we were, it was a fencing job. We were replacing a chain link fence, four foot. I mean, it was, I don't know, 423 leaning your feet. Like, it was not a big, it was not, this is not big. This is very simple. Well, you have to do an activity hazard analysis that has every little step. And, you know, if you're using some man, you need to have safety data sheets for that. If you're using, you know, so this is like onion, and then you gotta start peeling it and figuring out, okay, well, what is it that I need for this? And so it just, it becomes a lot more, but because our safety director was a ISO 9000 auditor, who is, he still is our safety director, I'm very proud of it. He, you know, it was, it was pretty, it's fairly simple. It was like, okay, we were, our safety plans were already kind of set up for that. So it's just, you know, you gotta find like the happy space, especially as a small business. And mind you, you know, you might just be starting out and maybe you're a sole proprietor, you don't have a lot of resources, you know, have like maybe experts here, but then, you know, some, just you gotta balance those two, the people that are learning and then the people that are experts. So when did you, you got everything in place and then you guys actually started the fence itself. It's not like you just get the contract and you go and start digging holes and ripping stuff out. Which is actually a good thing. You know, it gives you, it gives you like a little buffer to kind of, you know, panning for a little bit. So, yeah. When did you guys finish the fence? We ended up finishing it like late summer. Like, I think it was, it was within our timeframe. Okay, so did you have any like things go wrong in between? Oh, so there was one thing that was wrong. We were, when, when they showed us the fence, we were supposed to leave a little gap and we did it. So we had to go back. It was something small. It didn't cause us any extra thing, God. But it did give us, you know, one thing that we do in all of our projects, even if we don't win them, we always do like after action reports, like the military. But the whole point is like, hey, like it's not pointing fingers. It's almost like, hey, let's go back and see, you know, what went wrong, what we could do better. And, you know, this is something that we're, we're getting better at and we, we're trying to do it as much as we can. But again, it's like so many hours, so many days, so many people. So that was your first one and that was May of last year. Yes. What happened after that? Cause now I'm sure you have the confidence. Like you won your first one, you got one, you finished it, now you have to be ready. Now you, your confidence level had to go up. Oh, my confidence level was up. And then, and then what made it even higher is that I won another contract. This one was with the Army, Fencing Jog 2, and it was 165. So I was like, okay, we're getting over 150 is a good time. And then this is like, the thing too is that it was August. So I'm thinking like, oh, the flood, September is around the corner, the floodgates are gonna open. Well, let me tell you, and it didn't happen like that. We ended up bidding on so many projects and losing so many, you know, and a lot of it is the simplified acquisition plans. Like they, and it's almost like the rat race to the bottom and people are coming in really, really low. And, you know, if you have more resources, your prices come down. Oh, the LPTA ones. Yes, the LPTA is just brutally like, I feel like we got bulldozed over. And you know, like we ended up actually hiring a consultant company and making sure that all of our rates were right and our indirect rates were right. And yes, there was some, there was a degree of like our rates maybe not being right, but then there was also all these other factors. So it was a great learning experience. You know, I think that September of 2020 was probably one of those times where the projects that were given out were pretty like they had to be, like they had to happen. And then I think that the contract officer needed to have like a really high level of relationship with this firm, you know, for them to start, you know, sole source and stuff. And we just weren't there. You know, we just, we had one, yeah, yeah, these two small projects, but we weren't, we're not at the point where they know us by name or, you know, stuff like that. So, you know, looking back at the whole thing, you know, I kind of understand why it happened and we basically, okay, let's see what's, let's diagnose the situation and then go from there and see how we can do it better. So. So as of today, do you only have that, those two fence ones? No, so well, soon we are, we're in the process of negotiating this one. It's a small project, but it's actually worth it. Wait, what's small for you? No, it's like, it's like 5K right now. So it's, I mean, but I mean, so excited about it because it's with the VA. So it'll be like, and as being a CVSBs, it's just like the starting foundation with a relationship with a, with a, you know, somebody from the VA and the VA is one of those agencies that we really wanted to work for. So, and then we picked up, you know, some private stuff and then we're doing a state job in Connecticut. So we have some little things going on, but we do have like a lot of just movement in terms of now people want us to do like subcontracting agreements, just a lot of just movement. Like right now we're busy, busy, busy, busy. So it's exciting, it's exciting because it's January 26th, right? I think January 23rd is when I quit my job and to, you know, we're in a complete different place and we're so much more prepared than we were last year. So, if you think about it, that's true. Your business has only been up and running, what, two years? Two years? Yeah, two years. And then you quit your job and made it full time barely a year ago. So for that time period, you've moved, you've grown because a lot of people have had their business for three years and it's just steady. But I think a lot of it goes into, I think that you did the research, you did everything you needed to have in place to make it work. Yeah, cause I mean, and you can go to all these classes but you've got to implement these things. You've got to put them into play. And so yeah, I mean, I pretty much said, you know what, this is it, this is, is either we're going to do it or not but we're all in, we're all in and we have a great team. I'm so thankful for my team because they're just go-getters and they're willing to put on different hats. You know, if you have my, I have a three-part liaison, she puts on the marketing hat and then, you know, my controller, she puts on the HR hat and you know, it's that willingness and that culture of, you know, that environment that I'm trying to just continue to grow. Where did you find them? Oh, I found them, I kind of found them just by kind of luck. Let's just keep it at that. It was referrals and people. And again, I like to think of myself like I'm a good sixth sense of person and I'm very clear, like I'm kind of like, I'm one of those people, I don't like to micromanage people. I, you know, I'm very, hey, like it's just, I want to go to sleep at night, like happily like a baby. And so I, you know, I'd like to tell them, like, hey, we got to just communicate, transparency, everything's kind of like an open book. A lot of business owners sometimes get caught up and you know, my employee's going to leave me or they're going to go, you know, you can never be me and I can never be you. It's just, there's so much you can, you can mirror, right? And you see it with, with Gulfcon, right? I mean, Eric has all of the information yet how many people actually go around with it? Yeah. And that's what I said for you. Two years, not even two years, let's say one year, you've got up and hit the floor running. Like not many people out there could say within a few months they got their first contract and that fencing job led you to what triple? No, five times what the first one was basically. So that's just the beginning of it all. And it's with two major agencies. If you think about it, you're not doing jobs or if you name an agency, a lot of people don't even recognize it. Like you did it for two big agencies and now you did the relationship part for the VA to start a small project, but we all know a small project could lead into how many more, not so small projects. Exactly, exactly. And I think at the end of the day, the agencies are looking for people they can trust and that are willing to, that are gonna do what they say they're gonna do. And what I really like about it too, is that for me, it's like almost like I'm going back to the military without actually having to join it. So I don't know, this is my playground. I'm very excited. We have, I have one employee that was deployed with me in my same unit. And so we're hiring veterans or hiring just good people that maybe you don't know this by heart, but you're willing to learn. Yes, and that's why I asked, where did you find these people? Because my name people to work with you and for personalities to match and for everyone to have that same vision and goal in mind, it's very hard right, especially right now. It's very hard just in general, just cause we all had jobs and we're like, oh, like really? Like you said, you want LJV to be a place that you want to work in, not just to, just to have something. And that's very important. So what's, you said 2021 is the year, other than the VA, what's in the goals? Cause if you're very organized, I'm sure you have very specific goals in mind. No, 2021 is, okay, it started off great. I'll show you this huge, I'll show you my new knowledge book. It's probably, and I have a virtual background, but it's pretty big. I mean, you can try to see how thick it is. I mean, okay. It's almost eight or five inch binders. That's a what? A knowledge book? No, so funny enough, you see, the universe has a way of doing things and there's this program, it's called Veterans Institute of Procurement. And it got canceled because of COVID. So in mind, last year, I didn't even know this existed. So the fact that it got canceled and I ended up finding out about it, well, I applied, I got approved. And it's a great program. They basically go through a lot more of like the deep business and deep contract thing. So it's so cool and plus the network, it's like you'll be part of an alumni. So anyone who's a veteran, I highly recommend you look into VIP. It's a great, great network. So for 2021, I am continuously renewing myself. And we're looking at possibly some mentor-frotage agreements happening. So that will definitely, it's a pretty big deal. So that's kind of the one that's up there. And we have a lot of sources of notices that are out there. So a lot of more people know we're here. And we're also looking to pick up part of a $750 million to $1 billion job. So, and I don't have to bond it, that's not me. Yeah. Yeah, so it will be a self-contracting. Any small part of that big prize money is great. Like just give me a sliver of like a billion dollars. How many, how can you cut a billion dollars and not be a bigger project? And the fact that, you know, they're not, you can have a prime and that's gonna kind of show you the ropes. Cause I mean, I've been a prime in these last projects, but it definitely, it goes both ways. Like you gotta be like nimble in your relationships like some people are like, I just wanna be prime. So I'm gonna be sub like, no, you might be a prime. You might be a sub. Recently, I'm helping out one of my subs when a project as a prime and I'm helping her with a proposal. We're not a proposal services, but you know what? That's something that we have to do for us. So, and we know how to do it. So let's help them out and pivot and just make a little bit of money while you're at it. Because, you know, one thing that and a lot of owners are gonna tell you is if you didn't have your paperwork together in 2020 or 2019, you didn't get anything. And I mean, I had my paperwork together but I didn't have any payroll. But it's like, I couldn't have any payroll cause I didn't really have any lot of money to suffice my payroll. And so, you know, I found myself in this weird pocket but having your paperwork, even though I haven't got a lot but I've managed to at least get a little bit of help but I had not had any paperwork or any of my financial statements on my bank reconciliation. I wouldn't have got anything. So everything's just the full circle. And if one part of your foundation is crippled, it's just gonna come down. Yeah, and we hear it a lot. It's not just you're gonna go out into the work. It's like a lot that goes into it. A lot. And like you said, the paperwork is major. Major part of foundation is that paperwork. Yeah, cause I mean, can you imagine if you don't get paid, yourself doesn't get paid. I mean, then your sub, I mean, you take it even further. You're something that I wanted to work for you. I mean, I know a GC here in Boston, I'm not gonna say her name, but nobody wants to work for them. Why not? Because they don't pay or they do things that are just, that all happens. Like that's all very, it's stuff that happens within our industry. So you gotta learn how to navigate through that. And also like one thing that I've learned in this last like, I'll say like few weeks, especially like in January, it's just like you gotta advocate for yourself. And you gotta know the, you know, know the rules and understand that your contracting officer might think one way and the SBA might think a different way. And you need to be the minimum of those two viewpoints and they all think they're equally right. And yeah, it's kinda like you're not, and then you're the business owner. So you gotta navigate. But at the end of the day, if you're the responsible party and you're signing that contract, you're the one that's responsible for. So I don't know. I would say that if I had to give any advice to any, you know, business owners or people that wanna have their own business, look at your life, look at, you know, your situation and see if it makes sense. You know, understand that being a business owner is all this risk, is all this, you know, it's time. It's, you don't know when you're gonna get that contract. And so are you willing to go through those? You know, I mean, if you're older, are you willing to put your kids tuition money into your business or your house, you know, for a bond or, you know, are you willing to do those things? If you're not, then you might wanna think about maybe being a executive for one of those businesses or, you know, doing some consulting, stuff like that. But definitely, I guess, have an open mind and see what you have and what you want and then go from there. There you go. Well, that was my last question, was what you guys did at all. Thank you very much for everything. I think you inspire a lot of people just because they see you. And that's another reason we're doing this. It's like people could relate. Like how many women in constructions are out there? How many veterans are trying to do this? How many people want to give back and are doing it for a different ways, different. So a lot of people need to see everything that goes into it and learn from people that are starting out. And a lot of people are starting out, but a lot of people are not nowhere near where you are. And that's why when we were starting the conversation, I'm like, you still consider yourself small? And I get it, but for me, it's like how much you've grown and so quickly it's a lot of people could look up to you and like, now it's time for them to pick your brain. I'm always, I'm always open to it. You know, the more the merrier, we definitely, especially the small business community, we just need to work together more. I mean, I know Eric says this all the time, so I'm not gonna say what he says, but you do. You have to think as your competitors that it's maybe con-friendlies or whatever you wanna call them because it might take a few different parts for you to put that puzzle together. But if you're like, I don't wanna know, I don't wanna, if you're not willing to learn, then you're not there. Alrighty, thank you very, very much. I feel like with everything, let us know the next win. Yes. Because it's coming soon. We can just feel it. And thank you so much. Thank you. Bye.