“Embrace failure and learn from it”

Armed with enthusiasm and a hunger for success, Anthony Guglielmi, President of Shenandoah General Construction, signifies that it is an infrastructure cleaning, inspection, and rehabilitation firm specializing in sanitary and stormwater infrastructure. The company also undertakes "specialty" projects, which include slip-lining, conventional dig and replace operations, and stormwater conveyance canal bank rehabilitation. Shenandoah takes pride in the fact that its own crews manage all operations. They feel this allows their clients to get the best possible service and product.

Anthony started his professional journey like many others, fresh out of college with a degree in construction management. He dove headfirst into the corporate world, took on entry-level positions, and worked his way up through the ranks. He always believed in the power of hard work, dedication, and continuous learning. He seized every opportunity to expand his skill set and knowledge base and took on challenging projects, volunteered for leadership roles, and sought out mentors who could guide him on his career path. This also led him to become a state-certified general contractor and a certified underground utility and excavation contractor.

Anthony's honesty about the road to becoming an organization's president wasn't precisely linear. It's not like he just woke up one day and declared, "He wants to be the president of a company!" He describes the journey as being full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and a lot of learning along the way. That is, he thinks, what makes life interesting.

Throughout his career, Anthony worked in many departments and functions. This broad experience gave Anthony a well-rounded view of the business and helped him grasp how different components of an organization work together. He prioritized self-improvement, earned more certificates, attended seminars and workshops, and challenged himself. He learned about adaptation, resilience, and embracing change. Anthony's hard work and dedication were eventually appreciated. He was given the opportunity to step into a role as COO and eventually had the honor of being president of the organization. Culminating years of experience, learning, and dedication to the company's success, he wants to show that being president isn't just about titles and corner offices; it requires great responsibility and accountability!

Anthony’s career journey wasn't a straight line, but it was full of significant experiences, incredible growth, and the satisfaction of knowing he had a meaningful impact. It was not easy for him to lead teams, make tough decisions, and move the organization forward. He emphasizes that every career is unique.

His method may not work for others, as many struggle to find the right recipe to improve and succeed. Focusing on being loyal to ourselves, he recommends the following: build skills, seize opportunities, seek mentorship, learn from mistakes, and embrace failure. Leaders should also focus on expanding their network, learning new technology, taking cautious risks, and developing leadership abilities.

In regards to the above, he explains "Embrace failure and learn from it". Failure is the catalyst for growth, so don't be discouraged or avoid taking a risk. Understanding risk allows for progress and new opportunities. Also, learn from your mistakes. According to Anthony, mistakes teach us life lessons and help us understand ourselves and our profession.

Anthony has a passion for what he does and respects his teammates. He also appreciates fresh challenges to stay involved and help the organization accomplish new milestones. He also gives a tremendous amount of credit to his family for their continued support along the way.In his POV, values vary by leader. He believes going above and beyond helps the organization succeed and develop. He helps any of the firms functions by strengthening culture and teamwork. He believes leaders offer value by understanding the company's goals and objectives, identifying opportunities for development, being a collaborative team player, seeking team feedback and acting on it, and being solution-oriented.

n tough times, Anthony draws inspiration from a few sources, one of which is his team. Realizing his amazing team supports each other through thick and thin. The goal and mission of a company is to expand and give customers the best products. Finally, remembering past triumphs helps him through trying times.

When it comes to promoting a successful culture and business, Anthony briefly highlights his key principles. While receiving and providing feedback, he values an open dialogue and attitude. Likewise, for effective communication, it is essential to be an active listener and to speak when the situation calls for it. This also contributes to effective decision-making and suggests always gathering pertinent information and evaluating options and risks.

Anthony also describes his company's inclusiveness, empowerment, and continuous learning culture. Their organization takes great pride in honesty, customer satisfaction, and their employees. Since improvement is always possible in organizations, they're trying to adapt as they expand rapidly and value productivity, engagement, and retention/turnover. Their motto at Shenandoah is "Can-Do," and that’s what their clients know. He believes success depends on maintaining basic values like client-first, talent development, adaptability, financial strength, and risk management.

Since 1976, Shenandoah has been trusted, reliable, and appreciated. Customers identify their brand with quality, innovation, and excellent service, and Shenandoah stands out with this trust. Anthony believes in keeping promises and outperforming his competitors.

Shenandoah continues to be successful in venturing into new product lines and technologies. As a consequence of this, the staff is continually learning and accumulating vital expertise for their clients. Shenandoah plans to strategically expand its footprint throughout Florida and the lower southeast US soon.