What ever happened to the unspoken promise of a handshake?

In the past it actually meant something. These days it seems like integrity plays second fiddle to a sea of signed documents.

My father ran a construction company during my teenage years, which gave me the opportunity to have an after school job.

It was during those back breaking hours spent lifting a shovel and sweeping floors where I developed my love for the industry. My passion didn’t come from any specific task – it came from the shared respect and pride I witnessed between my father and his customers.

I was taught, at an early age, by my father to “say what you mean, and mean what you say”. It’s a pretty simple philosophy and one that I like to think has served me pretty well over the years.

I’m a huge champion of clarity and transparency – from start to finish in any project. It’s just that I don’t get excited with the prospect of initialing and signing contracts, legal documents or paperwork in general. It’s simply a reflection of the world we live in today. It’s necessary.

What really excites me is when I look in the eye of a prospective customer and see a shared sense of respect.

The handshake that follows is the promise.

A promise that says – whatever happens, we trust each other to do what’s right.