grew up on a very old-fashioned family farm with very little modern conveniences. My parents were not very well-off, but I think we had a lot more awareness of the things around us. The old-fashioned values they taught us, you know, you’re only as good as your word, and hard work and determination always pays off. Just a real old-fashioned upbringing. A lot of manual labor. I wish everybody had the opportunity to grow up on a farm. It’s just a different perspective about what to do with your free time. We were never bored. There was never a day that went by that we didn’t have something we wanted to do.

I’m a happy guy. Just getting up in the morning and going about my day is easy. It starts with values. Who you are is what you are inside. And I’ve learned that my greatest value is doing things for other people, make a difference in someone else’s life. That’s what makes me tick. It motivates me to do what I have to do, and help make a difference. Just seeing the results is probably the biggest rush.

I try to understand other people by looking at things from more than one perspective. Not just having a vision and driving over everybody. I try to incorporate everybody together, to bring ideas together. I’ve got this philosophy—if two people or a group truly communicate with each other, then they completely respect each other. In other words, we may differ, but I respect that. We’ve communicated that and then no conflict exists in that world for me.

I never expect something of someone else that I wouldn’t myself. Lead by example. Show people, train people, and share with them the mistakes you’ve made. Maybe they can learn from that so they don’t go down the same path I have. Maybe someone I’ve helped achieves something that they didn’t think they could achieve. Hopefully, somewhere along the line I’ve made someone’s life better because I’ve been here.

Stories from the Field