Why Do I Need to Hire Someone When I Already Do Their Job? | Angelica Valdivia and José Villeda

We finally said, no, we have to do it. It's time for us to do it. Because we were growing so quick and we're feeling that we can manage it. Like literally. We said, look, we want to size it now because at this phase, we're not going to be able to control it. We're not going to be able to manage it. I was at the point that it's just, that's enough for me. I just don't want to keep growing. I want to stay small. I know what I want to do. I can control this, this small company. That's enough.

Hey everybody, this is Mark C. Winners, co author of Rocket Fuel and expert EOS implementer. Welcome to the Rocket Fuel Podcast where visionary and integrator duos from entrepreneurial companies share a behind the scenes look at their relationship. These amazing leaders blend their unique skills to create what we call rocket fuel. Today, I'm thrilled to welcome my two guests to the show, Angelic Valdevia and Jose Vieira of JLV Construction. Their company provides high quality craftsmanship and products to homeowners in the greater New Orleans area. The pair have built a professional relationship founded on trust, communication and clear division of roles. They started their journey as an EOS visionary integrator duo about six months ago. In this episode, Jose and Angelica share how working together as visionary and integrator has pushed them to dream big and discover that the work life balance they've.

Hoped for for is possible.

Also, I want to note that the audio in this interview is not the best as we were having trouble with some of the guest connections. However, I think the content is still worth your time. Jose and Angelica's story offers both inspiration and tangible action steps that you can.

Apply to your business.

Today we're going to begin the show where Jose describes how he started the business. Let's dive in.

First of all, thanks for given us opportunity to use this platform to reach some people and to share our history. As you say, my name is Jose Villera from JLB construction. We start 2010. Before I keep going, I just want to say something that I haven't heard.

Please.

I just want to thank this country really. To us it's been a land of opportunities. We are probably the reason why so many people want to came and leave everything behind in pursuit of their dreams. In the 17 plus years that we've been here, I've been seeing how a lot of people that was born with everything. It's kind of easy to take for granted everything that they have. We as immigrants can Quickly see and really appreciate all the opportunities that this country has to offer to everybody. We both, Angelica and myself, we came here about a little bit over 17 years ago, empty handed, literally no money, no formal education, no business experience. To be honest, not even speaking the language. Which by the way, guilty. I still don't speak English, but working on it.

You're doing great.

So, you know, I want to take this platform to share our history and I hope that some people get benefit to our history and get a little bit of inspiration, especially to the Latino community and they are thinking or wanting to start a small business.

I love that.

Let us do what is possible. And I just want to say that before I start everything else, we start 2010. Actually a little bit before than that I was started doing construction. I didn't have any experience in the construction industry. I just didn't have much options. Like when I came here with no experience at all, it was just either work on a restaurant or work on a construction industry. At that time, construction was better paid. So that's why I decided, okay, let's do construction. So I started in construction, learn how to do it. And that's how I start kind of liking it. I started doing it myself and I started seeing a little bit easy. Feels natural for me. And you know, I learned one trade and then another one and then another one. Finally I decided to start my own business. 2010, and that's how everything started.

So the Katrina was in 2010. What year was the hurricane?

Well, Katrina was 2005 actually.

Okay, 2005, yes, but you were here then. So you guys were here when relative to the hurricane, did you actually get to the states?

Well, I came to the States in 2005. Like August 15th, Katrina hits August 30, 29.

Wow.

But I went to Texas. I didn't come to New Orleans, so I went to Texas. So I worked over there for a couple months. And then a guy that I met there, his name is John Mora, he has some experience in construction. So he decided to come here to New Orleans to do some construction business and he invited me to come here. Like I said at that time, I didn't have family here. I didn't have nothing to no tides in Austin, Texas. That was the first place that I went. So I decided to come here to New Orleans.

So lots of work obviously then in the aftermath of the hurricane. Right, lots to do. So you spent about, well, I guess five years in New Orleans working with him. Yeah. Before you started your business?

Mm, that's correct.

So I mean, what Was kind of the big observation, the big lesson that you learned. I'm sure you got lots of experience in all the different facets of construction and just kind of seeing how that community had to respond to the devastation of the hurricane and all of that. What was it that really said, hey, I think it's time for me to go do this on my own?

I think it was two parts of that first part. After the first couple of years, I started doing little jobs for people like they were hiring me to do, you know, painting the house, doing some tile work, doing some drywall repairs. As I was going into these jobs, I started working on really low income families. At that time, I started seeing how bad these people were treated. Like a lot of people after Katrina, everybody become a contractor, everybody was general contractor. And they really didn't know what to do or they didn't care about what we're doing. They were just going there for the quick money. And sometimes they were taking money away from people or they were just doing anything just to get a check and then disappear. So homeowners stay with this pain, with this, you know, have work done. I was kind of high at the beginning just to correct work that somebody else was done already. So to me, it was really sad to see that on people. It's like, why, why it should be like this. You know, that shouldn't happen. You know, when you commit to something, you should go and see it through and be there for your customers. That's when we open job reconstruction just because we want to create a different company. Some companies that really care about the customer, that they really care about doing good work and, you know, not being there just for the quick money, just, you know, do it because it's what you love to do. So that's one of the main things that pushed me to open job reconstruction. That was probably the first moment that kind of fixed me. And then the next Moment was probably 2014. Joby was existing already. And at that time I had the privilege and the opportunity for the first time in my life to own a house. So that's when I bought my first house. Of course, doing what I do, I get a house, the horrible house, you know, everything. I was kind of saying, no, I want to fix it, I want to do it. And on the process, because I didn't have much money, I had to do a lot of the work myself. So I was kind of going to work on the day and then after 4 or 5 o', clock, I was kind of heading to the house to start Kind of doing few things myself. And one time I was just sitting looking about everything that I want to do in the house. Something really happened that day. I was sitting on the floors and that area is where the kitchen supposed to go. And then I start dreaming, like literally seeing myself on the house, doing what I want to do, like inviting friends over, having some drinks, cooking and having fun. And then I work on the outside where the new pilot was going to be. And I see myself learning with my dogs. At that time, I didn't have kids. I just had two dogs that were like my kids. And I used to see myself playing with them. And then it's like something hit me. It's like, this is what people pay me for. This is the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing. This is the huge responsibility. It's like, oh, my God. That's when hits me. So I think that those moments were the ones who defined the trajectory of JLP construction. Give us our mission, our purpose, and the passion, why we're doing what we're doing.

Right?

So.

So you saw that people deserved better than what they were getting, right? And then you saw the impact that a house, a nice quality house can have on their ability to spend time with friends and family and make those memories and all the stuff that people appreciate about the opportunity to own a home. Right?

And now that you mentioned that, that's part of what we said. We don't believe that we are building homes. We are thinking that we are fulfilled people's dreams because that's what is going to happen. A house is a place where life.

Is going to happen.

Good moments, bad moments, everything. That's what we are doing. Right?

So. All right, so let's bring Angie into the story here. So, you know, 2010, you start the company. 2014, you know, you get your first house. So how do you get connected with Angie? And Angie, maybe you tell me that story from your perspective.

I've been meeting Jose for a long time. I will say 2012, being friends. And it was one time I will never forget. In my demo, actual job, I was going to lunch and I crossed the street. When I crossed the street, he was passing by. He was like, hey, how are you? Oh, this is where you work? And I was like, yeah, by the way, I'm looking for another job or something. He was like, well, actually, yes. Look, I mean, I have my own construction company as you know, and looking someone to help me out with the applicants. I'm doing everything by myself in that moment. I say yeah, let's talk about it for sure. And we got together, made for lunch to talk about, you know, what is the position about. At that moment, he was completely honest. He told me, look, I know I need someone. I just don't know for what. And I was like, well, I take a risk. I see the vision that he has. And I was like, okay, I want to be part of this. So I started with him. When I started with him, he didn't even have an office space.

So what year Was this again?

2015.

2015. Gotcha.

Okay.

Didn't even have an office at that point.

Didn't have an office the first two, three weeks I worked on his basement with a little computer. And he came to me like, look, this is my finance and my notebook. I don't know exactly what I need you for, but I need you. So that's how everything is. Starting a relationship with business, relationship with him.

Right. Okay, so 2015, so we don't have an office yet. So you're still, you know, just kind of slowly pulling it together, getting clear on where you're trying to go, building the team. So Angie's your. I mean, how many people did you have when Angie came on board, Jose?

Well, we have, because at that time we were actually doing all the work. So we have at that time probably about seven full time employees and myself. But it was just few people, you know, it wasn't not management, it was just me doing everything. So. And I actually, I give it to her. I never thought that she would say, yes, I want to work with you, because one I say, look, I don't even know if I want to be able to have your full time. It's like, I will try my best, but I can promise that because, you know, for some time I was scared about, you know, doing the next step, like hiring people. And, you know, it's like with a few guys, it was not a commitment. You know, we work anytime that we have work, but, you know, when it slows down, you know, they go and find something else. You know, with Andy, it was a little bit different. It was like a compromise. Like, okay, I want to have you 40 hours and I want to be able to pay you. And so I gave it to her. So she took a big, big risk.

Yes. So, yeah, so business is growing. You know, you bring. This is your first real employee hire, Right. That's not just kind of a job or project specific hire. And so it continues to grow from there. So 2015 on. So talk to me. When did EOS come into the mix. How did you find out about eos? That whole process start.

EOS actually happens about a year and a half ago. Okay. No, two years. Actually two years ago. We were taking some coaching from a firm that we're paying them monthly basis to kind of give us ideas and coaching us how to do business. They were specialized on residential construction. And we stayed with them for a year. We learned a lot, actually. And then he. Paul actually was Paul and Ed, who says, look, here's this book. I recommend you to read the book. And it was the eos. So that's the first time that we hear about eos, and we. I read the book and then I give to Angie. At that time, we're already having all these frustrations, all these pains and, you know, like, accountability issues and management and, you know, all the things that he was focused on fixing. So. And it was like, we need something. We need to do something if we want to keep growing. By that time, we were better organized. We got an office. Actually, 2016, actually, a year after Angelica joined the company, I took a class called 10,000 business, which is a program that helps small business to get better. So I applied for the classes, I got accepted. I took classes. And that was probably the first time that I have some structure that when I start kind of saying that, oh, I need this, I'm. That I need a business plan, I need, like, a lot of things that probably many people start with. Since the beginning, I kind of learned halfway in business. But then we start taking some other classes, and then finally when we read the book, we want to do it, but we feel that we didn't have the people in place to be able to do the system.

Implementation.

Yeah, implementation, yeah.

So how many people did you have at that point in time?

At that time, we have. It was Angie, and we just had Shelley, about four people on the administration side, and we still got a lot of people in the field.

Right, okay. So you got four people, you've read the book, you want to do it. Not sure you've got the people in place yet to do it. So where'd you go from there?

Well, after that, we kind of were thinking and talking internally, and then finally the beginning of this year, end of the last year, we finally said, no, we have to do it. It's time for us to do it. Because we were growing so quick and we're feeling that we can manage. Like, literally. We said, look, we want to size it now because at this space, we're not going to be able to Control it. We're not going to be able to manage it. I was at the point that it's just, that's enough for me. I just don't want to keep growing. I want to stay small. I know what I what to do. I can control this small company. That's enough. But Andy was kind of pushing, oh, we can do better. We don't have the tools in place. Let's do EOs. And then finally we start calling implementers to see who can take us and teach us everything about us.

So is that really the first time that you learned about the idea of the visionary and the integrator was when you, I mean, obviously you read it a little bit in traction, but then you. I'm guessing that when you started to work with an implementer, they really helped you make that real. Is that accurate? Is that kind of when that. In that focus day when you did the accountability chart, that's when it kind.

Of got real, probably a little bit earlier, just because, you know, we read all of the books, we read what hex EOS attraction, and then I'm sure Rockefeller was border. But at that time we got a good idea and then we did some research online to see what EOS was and kind of we started getting an idea of the visionary and the implementer, but I'm not completely sure who was who.

All right, so you build your accountability chart. You define the visionary seat and the integrator seat. And Angie, was it clear to you that you were the integrator? Was that just the obvious answer?

Yes, to me. Did the ha ha moment when I read the Rockefeller by Gino. So when I started from the beginning, because on the beginning of the books, started talking about visionarity. Oh, how the visionary act. And I was like, that is Jose big time. And then when they start talking about Instagram, I just feeling myself in a lot of this thought. So it's like, yeah, that sounds like more like me, what I been doing already, the job that I've been doing.

So that made sense to you to step into that role and kind of take that on. Did you have trouble defining the two seats? Did you have trouble saying, okay, for us, this is what the visionary is going to do and this is what the integrator is going to do. Was that challenging or was that. How did you figure out the definition of those two roles for your company?

It was pretty challenging just because it was us running everything. So we overlapped our responsibility. Sometimes we both were doing the same thing. I was being on the sales Side and on the field side, Angelica was more like controlling the office and billing and all of that. But there was a lot of things that we were overlapping, so be able to separate those areas was a little bit tricky at the beginning. And then, of course, when we are bringing more people, make people accountable, that was also a little bit challenging. And I'm not good about that.

Yeah, it's not your natural gift, right?

No, no, no. So, I mean, Angelica was more like mean.

Mean. Wow, Angie, he just said you're mean.

Mean in the good way.

In a good way. Somebody has to be mean, right? Somebody has to be direct. Somebody has to call it like it is.

Exactly.

So, Angie, is that easy for you to kind of tell people how it is?

I think it's not easy to manage with people, but I think it's hard when you know what you need to do and what responsibilities are. So the challenge for me is more like once you define what is sufficient hours responsibilities into your responsibilities to keep on track on them. Like, you don't get on my bubble. I don't get too bubble. I mean, you do your job, I do my job. But as a visionary, I think it's also really hard because of the way in doing everything on our own for so long. It's also really hard to let it go things.

So was it easy as you defined the differences, defined the different seats, Was it easy to stay out of each other's lane, or was that it take a while to kind of figure out, okay, I gotta stop getting into that, let her handle that, or let him handle that. Was there a learning curve there?

I think that it wasn't a still is. I think, to me, one of the biggest problems or struggles that I'm having is that it's easy for me to give the answers to everybody. So when somebody has a problem, it's like, I know the answer. I know the answer. But, you know, trying to make them figure it out on their own, to me, that's been the biggest challenge, but it's been with everybody else. With Angie, no, because we've been working together for so long, we get that chemistry. And I know that I can be tough with her and she will be okay. You know, when she comes to me, it's like, okay, I want to play the role, right? You know, what would you want to do? You know, in this case, what is the best? And I asked her to give me the answers, and she knows that. So she just, like, go back mad with me and just go. I don't answer some you know, leave you alone and please go back to her office and her to me, it's really easy to do it.

Right.

But sometimes with everybody else, a little bit of struggle. I don't know, I trust everybody on the team. But again, sometimes it's easy to be in a branch.

So how many people are on the team now? How many?

Oh, direct employees? 16.

Direct employees.

16.

Yes.

And then you got subcontractors, I mean.

And like a hundred.

Yeah, so you got tons of people in the field, but you got 16 full time employees or employees in the office or however that structure is. So it's grown a lot, right. I mean, from Jose and you know, slowly over time. So how do you stay on the same page? How do you proactively make sure that you're staying in alignment and do what you can to, you know, minimize the friction or the surprising each other? However you want to think about. How do you guys stay on the same page?

Look, that one is tricky. We do have monthly same page meetings and usually it takes about four hours.

Good.

But the problem is that, you know, we run the company, but we also are on a personal relationship. So that makes it a little bit harder because we are talking to these issues all the time. So for us, it's not just that, you know, you go home and you're still talking about business. You know, we do things at home and then we do things at work and it's really hard for us to separate. And you know, we haven't been able to figure out that no business at home or no business when we are relaxing. But it's just not, you know, we haven't been able to find a good moment. We also do have extended meetings, which helps a lot with decision.

So, Angie, you feel the same way. It's hard to find that balance. It's hard to find a way to sort of draw the line between, you know, home and work. You know, when you're together in both places.

Yeah, it's very hard. And we, I think we trying to work it out right now where it's like, okay, right now, work time inside. Write it down. Don't forget about it. Just write it down. For our same page meeting, another thing that I was really thinking about it, maybe the same page meeting, instead of doing once a month or four hours, maybe we do it bi weekly where we can be more connected, where I.

Can talk about everything that we need.

To talk about business.

Why the main thing we want to see in the same page meeting is at least once a month for as Long as it needs to be. But if you find that you're, you know, getting off the same page, then, hey, never hurts to do it more frequently, you know, at least sometimes you kind of have a chunk of things that you're trying to get aligned on. And if you need some more time to spend to kind of work through that stuff, it's okay to do that more often. Yeah, I'll be curious.

Don't you know that?

Say again?

No. It's kind of hard because you got these ideas all the time and it's like, I want to tell you, I want to tell you, I want to tell you. And it's like, wait until the. I don't forget about it. Just like, let me tell you.

Sometimes when we go to have lunch or something, I told him, like, I feel like I need to have my notebook all the time with you to kind of write down your ideas and all that. But even that is hard to keep him on track. Like, I will never forget when we have our, we finalize our vision, our 10 year target, our core balance. And we were ready to present all this to the whole company to have our sale company meeting. And two days before, he was changing his mind, he was changing the decision, he was changing. I was like, oh my God, if everyone knows about this, the whole company will freak out. I was like, calm down. I was like, I know this is something new. We have never, I mean we always have a target for, for a year or maybe five years. We'll never have a big vision plan for 10 years. So I think it was a little scary over mounted, you know, the first time. So he was like all around and I was like, he was like, think about it, to change it and do this outside. I don't have anything to think about it. I was like, no, we're going to keep on trying. We're going to do it, we're going to make it happen. So volume was like all over the place trying to shame everything. So it's not easy. An integrator life is not easy.

Yeah, it's, you know, visionaries, there's a lot going on up there, right. And you know, one of the things I see a lot of integrators do to kind of help that because Jose, you said it. I don't want to forget it. Right. I've got this idea, I don't want to lose it. I want to talk about it right now. Right. And so a lot of integrators will find, you know, a place, you know, a way to kind of put. Capture that stuff. Not that we have to get into it right now, but a place to put it, you know, a way for their visionary to kind of capture those ideas easily and quickly. And then it puts them in there so that when we're ready and we have that dedicated time to come back and talk to them, think about them and kind of hash them out and kind of figure out what we're going to do with it, they're there. We haven't lost anything. There's a big power in the visionary being confident that all these great ideas and of course they think they're all great. Right, Jose? They're all great ideas, every one of them. Right. And so we don't want to lose any of them. And so let's hold on to those until we can kind of work them through and then likewise, though, you know, for the visionaries, it's a real commitment to not. Not surprise your integrator, you know, so, you know, particularly not to surprise your leadership team and come in and you know, Angie, to like that scenario where it's like we're going to turn a whole different direction here or change something. You know, it's really important that you slow down at least long enough for the two of you, the vision and integrator really get on the same page about that. That really helps the team, you know, be confident and thorough. And then they're going to be able to be as helpful and contribute as much as you need them to, you know, whatever direction it is that you're heading. I'll be curious to see how you work out this kind of life balance thing, though. So it's not totally blended. I talk to a lot of visionaries and integrators that are spouses or family members or best friends and spend a lot of time together. And everybody, every pair seems like they have to kind of figure out their own answer to that puzzle. So what have you tried?

Because we just start with eos. Like we are six months, seven months from the eos. So we are gonna.

Pretty early.

Yeah, it's kind of early. So we are starting noticing this issue because we start having the same patient meetings three months ago. Yeah, so it wasn't like the first one was like, okay, this is kind of new, and then the second one, and then now it's like we need to do something because we are. Like the balance is not there.

Right.

But also it's not like it bothers. Well, I want to talk to. For myself. It's not like it bothers me. I'M really passionate about what we're doing. And to me, talk about business, sometimes it's not that bad, but sometimes when we get as a discussion, it gets a little bit intense. But yeah, we will have to figure it out. We haven't done it like she says.

Yeah, I expect eventually you will. Like you said, you're early on in the process. I hope eventually you'll find a way to put some guardrails on that, some boundaries for where you can have that. What do you guys like to do for fun, you know, away from work? What's fun to do?

Myself, I like to read, so that's something that I like to do a lot. I like to spend time at home, like really, you know, enjoy the house and be on the patio and just. Just relax.

What do you like to do together?

I would say travel, spend time with family, with the kids. We love to dance. That's something that really passion us.

We haven't done much. We love to, but we've been so busy that it's just like, just last week that we had the opportunity to go to a conference together and take some time off. We finally went to dance on a Cuban place and we're like, oh my God, it's been so long that we haven't been, you know, dancing and having this fun. So, yeah, that's something that we love to do. It's just like, you know, thanks to the US we are feeling like we're getting to the point where we gonna have a life again. Something that, like, I've been in this business for 12 years and I've been just putting everything that I have, all my time, like it's time for work and then, you know, before we have kids was friends and family, but now with the kids, it's working kids, that's about it. So we're kind of hoping, and I think that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the EOs that we don't have people in the right seats or the right people in the right seat that they can help us to work more like normal hours.

Yeah, that's the idea, right? It's the EOS life that we talk about. And like I said, you're pretty early in the process here with eos, but that's some of the big payoff that I certainly hope you'll be able to enjoy as you. As you continue the journey and you solve some of this stuff along the way and continue to grow and experience the benefits that are there for you.

Actually, like, I was saying, when we start at JLV, our revenue was $250,000. You know, year one, that's how much we make on sales. We are this year probably going to close about $12 million. And then our goals for the next year is about 60. And, you know, in three years, we'll have to be at $25 million. So to be able to achieve that, you know, we need the uas. We need to really learn and improve on all the six areas. To be able to manage that many, like, for us with not much experience, that would be huge. And last year, I would say, no, I'm crazy, I'm not doing it. But now, because we feel like we have the tools and the confidence that the system that we are creating is going to help us to manage all of that, we feel much better. And actually it's less stress.

So that's great. That's good. Well, you got some aggressive growth that you're doing and some aggressive growth in front of you. So that's going to be key to stay focused. Stay focused on those foundational tools of EOS and the five rules and the five tools of rocket fuel and make that visionary integrator duo that you've got, you know, set the environment, set the direction so that you guys can go and execute and make that happen and have time to go travel and dance, right? In addition to all the other cool stuff that you're doing. Well, hey, I really appreciate you taking some time to spend with us today and spend with the folks that listen. Lots of visionaries and integrators listening to you, hearing, you know, your story, your experience, you know, hopefully that'll help them move along their own journey, you know, maybe a little bit faster, maybe with avoiding a little bit of pain along the way. So I'm very grateful to you for that. If our listeners want to find out more about your company or more or get in touch with you guys, what's the best way for them to do that?

I think that the best way is just go to our website. This is www.jlb-construction.com. there is all the links over there for the social media that they can reach out to us.

Perfect. That sounds great. Well, to our listeners, thanks for listening. I hope you've enjoyed this episode and we'll tune in for the next one as well. And so until next time, go rock it.

Thanks so much for joining me today. I really hope you were inspired by our guests. If you're interested to discover how your current visionary integrator relationship compares to the relationship you'd like. I invite you to go visit rocketfueluniversity.com and take our free Crystallizer assessment. You'll get both your Visionary and Integrator Indicator scores and that's going to help you figure out your next step. Frustrated by the complexities of running a business? EOS1 is the simple to use software that brings your foundational business tools together in one place. It helps you run meetings people actually look forward to, creates a space for uniting your team around a shared vision, and gives you what you need to build a more trusting and accountable culture. Begin your 30 day free trial today at eos1.com.