Who has not pondered their own existence and purpose in this world? Allow us to rewind two decades to a young man who was experiencing just that sort of internal debate. Enter Justin Strong, the protagonist in this story, young and full of that youthful ambition. Mr. Strong does not have a rag to riches story, he has something much more valuable and relatable. He has carved out his own life, on his own terms and found something the majority of us are searching for..and that is a deep and profound sense of purpose.
Early Years:
Mr. Strong was destined to be an outlier. The type of child that would find pretty rocks on the ground to sell to strangers and shovel his neighbor’s snow for coins. As is the case with most ambitious souls they do not thrive in stifling environments that build someone else’s dream and delay (or forego) their own. In his early teens, his friends were playing video games and flying kites while Justin was already hard at work with his driveway sealing company. Mr. Strong had to live up to his name, as is the case with all self-made men, he had to sacrifice early on to achieve what he truly desired. Freedom. The entrepreneurial spirit within refused to work for someone else.
Paternal Influence & Crisis:
One advantage that Justin leveraged was a father who worked for himself and supported him in his contrarian path. Mr. Strong Senior operated his own heating and cooling company that Justin eventually converted into his current business buffet consisting of JP Strong Enterprises Inc, J Strong Real Estate Holdings, Strong Bros General Contracting, Seaway Construction & Management, and more recently the pandemic insulated Social Giveaways.
Growing up in the middle class, rural Canada it isn’t customary to worry about your basic needs. Justin is extremely grateful for being born Canadian with loving parents and attests a large amount of his success to the foundation they laid. When your thoughts of the future keep you up at night and the concept of settling becomes a catalyst for depression. This is the existential crisis that has driven Justin to scale multiple million-dollar companies at the ripe age of 32.
Dealing with Fear & Failure:
There is no path that does not have ups and downs. Justin at 25 had already tasted success and decided to start a telecommunications company, in Saudi Arabia. Operating in a foreign country that adheres to Sharia law is a big undertaking by any standard. He brought over four workers, three Canadian, one American, his expenses, contracts, time zone differences, and overall logistics became problematic. Suffice it to say he was forced to shut down shop and reevaluate his trajectory. This loss serves Justin as a reminder that taking chances is necessary and the failure does not define you. It is important to allow the universe to humble you and provide a much-needed perspective. With no risk comes no reward, with no failure there is no lesson, Justin is a strong purveyor of this ideology (pun most definitely intended).