Tommy Golczynski is co-founder of Assured Flow Solutions, an oil/gas engineering consultancy that operates in two different cities. He began Assured Flow Solutions after a successful career building/overseeing nine international engineering offices. Recently named to Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40,” Tommy is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Michigan. He has published numerous technical papers and spends time giving back to the chemical engineering department at Michigan, where he served on the Alumni Board.
Who is your hero?
My hero is my father. As I’ve gotten older and become a father myself, I understand the sacrifices he made for my family, and how his work ethic has rubbed off on me. He’s a hard-working man who is more interested in getting the job done and done right than in getting recognition. He did whatever it took to put hours in at work (he worked at a concrete block factory) in order to be there for my childhood events, even if that meant little or no sleep along the way. He even went back to school at night to get his college degree, all while trying to help our family and still be there for my mother and siblings. Chasing around three boys on the baseball field while preparing for a college final, and waking up early the next morning for work, is not easy. But his sacrifice instilled in me a “do whatever it takes” mentality that every new business owner needs in order to get through the daily grind.
What’s the single best piece of business advice that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?
You should never wonder “what if.” While it sounds like the tag line for an energy drink — someone screaming “no regrets” as they plunge off of a cliff — this simple call to action has driven me to find clarity. I’m OK failing and failing often, but I will not accept idle wondering and fear over trying something new. In our business we’ve adopted the practice of quick yet educated decision-making in order to keep moving forward. At times we may move sideways or backwards, but the goal is to find an answer, good or bad, so we can look ahead.
What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?
Not marketing was our biggest mistake. We were fortunate enough to have early success in project engagements, so there wasn’t a shortage of work. We put our heads down, worked to execute these jobs and didn’t come up for air until we finished. When we emerged several years later, we found that as those projects completed, the next projects were yet to be defined. We worked under the mantra of keeping our existing clients happy — which is indeed the right thing to do — but we didn’t plan for success and/or completion of our current work. Key client relationships, which take time to cultivate, were starting well-behind our competition. Perhaps we were victims of our own success, but there’s a need to both keep focused on the task at hand while also looking for what’s next.
What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?
My business day starts when I wake up each morning at 3:30 a.m. I start my day by quickly scanning my smartphone and then hitting the gym. Aside from the endorphin boost, I’ve found that a morning workout unlocks the brain to wander, often into areas I couldn’t break into the day before at the office. I’ll even bring a notebook with me to jot down ideas or to-do lists. At the end of this, I have either a clear priority list or a quick summary of new ideas to discuss with my team during the upcoming day. I’ve also then knocked out a workout, which allows me to get through my day without worrying how I’m going to fit one in later. This is easily the most productive hour of my day.
What’s your best financial/cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?
I highly recommend planning ahead. We were fortunate enough to start with early engagements for work. So we were busy (and billable) from nearly the start, and assumed that cash flow was not going to be an issue. But when it came time to invoice and collect, we realized that the people asking us for work were not the people paying us. We needed twice as much cash as we’d estimated, not due to missing expenses, but due to under-estimating receivables. As a small company we were at the end of the food chain, so collecting in a timely manner was an unforeseen challenge. I suggest that staying engaged throughout all levels of the organization that you are working for. Build those relationships throughout to ensure you can focus on your work product rather than on collections.
What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?
Get a partner. Find either a cohort or a colleague in your business, a financial or a banking alliance, or even another business owner. I always thought I could everything on my own. However, the reality is that there’s too much to do and too much to think about to go it alone and still do everything well. So rather than having your work be only all right, having a partner allows you to slam the door on your competition in key areas that will elevate your business. It’s OK to be greedy and want it all, but you can also get help along the way.
What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?
I don’t have a definition of success and I don’t want one. This is a conscious decision to never settle. I hope we never feel like we’re successful, because that’s when you take your foot off the gas and someone else passes you by. But beyond that, the definition of success will change over time. In the three years, “success” has meant overcoming technical challenges, achieving a target profitability, and having work-life flexibility. So I also think it is important to take the time to evaluate your priorities, as they are sure to evolve.
