Building lasting homes and strong relationships
Starting with little more than a willingness to take a chance, Jimmy’s journey began when he moved from Korea to Sydney in 2008. After learning English and pursuing an accounting degree, he pivoted to tiling. His experiences with unreliable builders drove him to start his own company, which has steadily grown thanks to his dedication to quality, communication, and building trust with clients.
Tell us about your career path. What led you to where you are now?
My older brother asked me to join him in Sydney to run a cleaning business back in 2008. That was my humble beginning. I had no idea about the future and didn’t speak English, but I came anyway because I wasn’t doing much back in Korea. After a year, I started enjoying life in Australia, completed an English course, and attended Macquarie University for two years to study accounting. However, I didn’t finish the degree as I needed to become a tiler to apply for a permanent residency visa. I moved to Canberra to work under an employer who could sponsor me for the visa. I worked as a tiler for a few years, then started working as a contractor, but got burnt by a few builders who didn’t pay me and disappeared. I ended up helping clients who had also been burnt by these builders and decided I should become a good builder myself, so no one needs to go through financial hardship because of someone else’s wrong intentions.
Tell us about your organisation and your role within it.
We specialise in renovations, extensions, and new builds for clients willing to invest their finances and time to achieve the desired outcome. We grew by word of mouth; happy clients referred to their families and friends, and that’s how we have been growing. The growth has been steady, and I have taken a conservative approach to ensure we do not outgrow our capacity to handle workload and cash flow. I hired my team members one by one and taught them how to get things done properly myself. Now, I oversee and manage a solid team. While a building/renovation company typically acts as a project coordinator, we have in-house resources for key tasks, including a carpenter, painter, tiler, and labourers. I’ve also built strong relationships with an electrician and plumber I’ve worked with since 2015, functioning as a cohesive team under one roof. Additionally, I operate a joinery factory to ensure reliable product delivery. I handle client meetings and communication with subcontractors to support my team, providing the necessary assistance to complete the work according to the project plan, if needed, I’m also hands-on with the tools.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Delivering a finished product that the client is happy with—the place where they start a family, grow a family, or prepare for retirement—is incredibly rewarding. No matter where they are in their life cycle, home is where most of our time and investment go, and I feel fulfilled when I can help them get the most out of the money they can afford. It’s also rewarding to see my staff building their own lives and to be able to provide them with continuous, stable jobs to support their families. Now that my kids are old enough to recognise what I do, I am also proud to show them the projects we completed, which gives them ideas for their careers.
What tactics have you found most effective for networking and building professional relationships?
Always do your best in all circumstances, share the most valuable knowledge you have, and be genuine in every relationship. Canberra is a small place, and in my opinion, the building and trades industry doesn’t require you to have two different personas because we work in our clients’ personal spaces. If you earn their trust, they will make referrals, and that’s how I’ve grown my business.
What advice do you have for those looking to advance their careers?
I’m a ‘can do’ person and have always believed that anything is possible if I put my mind to it. However, after becoming a dad, I realised the hardest part is finding the right balance that makes you happy. Everyone’s definition of happiness and success is different. Once you figure out where you want to be, making decisions to advance your career becomes much easier. As long as you manage your journey with disciplined cash flow — i.e., don’t rely on a credit account and don’t use surplus from one project for another — you will have no issues advancing your career.
What are the most important attributes for succeeding in the workforce?
Be reliable and communicate well. When I started working in this industry, the most common compliments I received were, ‘You are so reliable, I can trust you, and you always show up on time. If you’re running late, you always inform us.’ It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but not showing up on time or failing to deliver as promised is often expected in this industry. Things happen, but we just need to communicate clearly and keep everyone informed so that clients feel comfortable and reassured.
