As it turns out, we all have gaps in our lives — blindspots in our viewpoints and holes in our understanding. And, for each of us, those gaps are a little different. 

A couple of years ago, I got two phone calls from two different men who owned companies in the same industry. (We’ll call them Jack and George, but those aren’t their real names.) Both of them were brilliant leaders, but they also had gaps in their viewpoints.

Jack was a fast-moving hustler who could convince Taylor Swift to buy her album. George, on the other hand, had none of Jack’s sales swagger, but he had all the things Jack was missing: he was an organizational fiend whose company ran like clockwork. His problem was that he didn’t have any new sales coming in. 

You see, Jack and George both had gaps. Both were frustrated, nearly ready to throw in the towel on what eventually became multi-million-dollar businesses. Luckily, after talking with them and guiding them for a few months, Jack and George each had their own “aha!” moments that enlightened them to new ways of thinking that unlocked personal (and business!) growth. They found a way to fill their gaps. 

Luckily, I had the same thing in my own life — my father (and others) have held up a mirror to me and my life so I could see where my gaps were.

This Is My Story...

I’m the kind of guy who enjoys getting his hands dirty. As a teen, I’d been helping a local businessman set up his website for his commercial snow removal company. He ended up with a ton of leads from the site, but a lot of them were for smaller jobs. I asked if he minded if I took those, and not only did he say sure, but he also loaned me a small truck and plow. Before I knew it, I had half a dozen other teens from my high school working for me. Whenever there was a big overnight snow, we’d wake up early in the morning, shovel half of Chicago (at least it felt like it!), and then sneak into the back of biology class to try to stay awake. At seventeen, I felt like a king with a mini-business empire.

Well, that lasted for a couple of snow seasons, and even though my little company was doing well for a teenager, it was a relatively weather-dependent line of work, and after high school, I was looking for a better move.

My father, a successful businessman in Romania before my family won the US immigration lottery, was struggling. He’d had to build his life amid the tumultuous rise and fall of Communism, then rebuild it again under Romania’s new free market, then rebuild it again in America after we immigrated.

By the time I was eighteen, he was more risk-averse, perhaps a little wiser, and made slower (but smarter) decisions. After a few false starts in business in America, he’d taken a job as a construction subcontractor at a few restoration companies. Still, I knew he secretly wanted to get back into the game of entrepreneurism. Simultaneously, I was a brash eighteen-year-old who thought he could take on the world, so my father and I linked up and founded Romexterra, a home restoration company.

Our differing personalities turned out to be precisely what quickly built Romexterra into the premier restoration company in the Chicagoland area. My father was able to point out all the ways I was moving too fast or help me see why certain moves, though bold, weren’t wise ones. Conversely, I helped him move quickly, take risks, and push the business forward with increased sales and revenue.

Along the way, of course, even with our combined personalities, work ethics, expertise, and knowledge, there were gaps in our collective perspective. That’s where podcasts, mentors, and books, such as Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell and EOS by Gino Wickman, came in. Through trial and error, mentorship, and knowledge transfer, I was able to continue to grow personally and professionally.

Our entire industry had gaps, too. One in particular was the technological gap — while every industry, from healthcare to banking, seemed to have technological resources, there wasn’t much digital innovation in the trades. So, after about a decade of growing Romexterra, I jumped into a new business, founding the venture-backed Albiware with my best friend, Shamoil.

At Albi, we’re filling in the technology gaps for founders and teams inside the trade industries (such as construction and restoration). And let me tell you, it’s a challenge, but we’re well on our way!

As Romexterra grew, more and more founders and leaders started coming to me with questions about their company and leadership. While I benefited from my father, mentors, and other resources, some business leaders simply never find the time to utilize these learning opportunities until something makes them stop and feel the music. So, as Romexterra grew, more and more business leaders came to me for advice. At Albiware, this only increased — I had to limit the amount of coaching I could do, but you know what?

I love it. I enjoy nothing more than watching someone change from the inside out — it’s like the restoration industry, but instead of a home, you’re getting a front-row seat to seeing someone’s entire life improve. Plus, I’m proud that I’ve been able to pass on all the wisdom that my father and other mentors have passed on to me. I’m happy to help fill gaps like others have taken the time to help me fill my own.

And that’s what we all have in common:

Gaps in our understanding. Blindspots in our perspectives. I’m Alex Duta. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m ready for us to make some big moves together.

Today, I’m still growing myself, but I’ve helped hundreds and thousands of leaders like Jack, George, and others in between find the resources they need to grow and expand their capabilities at home, at work, and in their lives.

Let’s get our hands dirty.