How do you know the exact creation date of something, as in a company or business? Was it when you had it officially registered in the city’s business directory?
More often than not, the starting date of a company or organization goes way before its anniversary. Many times, it started brewing slowly and gradually several years before that. However, let’s not confuse “conception” with “birth”.
Like in this story, the conception of a specific dream started really early and wasn’t “born” until thirty years later.
The Conception
Ian knew he wanted to become an architect since he was a child. He grew up watching his father, who is a construction foreman, and admiring his work.
However, what really kind of sealed the deal for him was his mother’s gentle yet constant nudges.
Sometimes, he would visit the site with his mom. Then, she would point at the structures and whisper to him, “When you grow up, you’ll get to create stuff like these, too, just like your dad – maybe better. Boy, you can be an architect someday.”
This is the part where the dream started brewing for him. And just as mom knew best, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University in Bacolor, Pampanga in 2014.
Ian earned his architectural license the following year and while working for various design firms, he dreamed of creating his own and making a name for himself.
Meanwhile, Donee only decided to study civil engineering during the summer before college enrolment. Later, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of San Agustin - Iloilo, in 2011 and got her license the following year.
In high school, Donee dreamed of becoming an architect herself, but somehow the universe talked her out of it. Turns out, it wanted her to marry one instead.
Like Ian, she wasn’t keen on staying an employee for long. Both of them had the same dream of setting up a design and build business.
Labor Pangs
Before having the name registered and working up the paperwork, the tandem was blessed with a few small projects. They were mostly design-only and the rest were house renovation and extension projects.
Ian took the free reign on design and construction while Donee did support work. She also stayed employed so that the finances had a safety net.
This kept on for over two years and like any good thing, the tag team had its ups and downs (well, mostly downs). They’ve had their share of misunderstandings, disagreements, losses, and a humbling bounce rate.
Besides the financial aspect, the company’s co-founders learned that finding the right people – as teammates, partners, or clients – is quite the challenge. To address this, they had to establish a clear purpose and a well-defined work culture.
From there, they started building the company’s branding and organizational structure. All the while improving the business processes and their individual skills.
Not a single step they took didn’t come with a lesson – and sometimes learned the hard way, too.
Looking Into the Future
It’s only been a month since the business was launched and the company’s co-founders and partners have nothing but high hopes for it.
Their families, as well as the clients who have patronized the company’s services even before anything was formalized, have been a great source of inspiration.
It’s still a long way toward the peak. But with our vision and mission in sight and the company's core values as our guide, JI Infante Architectural Services will stay committed to the success of every project entrusted to us.
So, now that we’ve filled up the first page, we look forward to writing the rest with you!
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