We were lucky to catch up with Darius Heads recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Darius, thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

The best thing that I have seen, and that I try to do myself, to show, not just to a customer, but to people in general that they are appreciated, is to treat them the way that I would like to be treated. This is one of those old sayings that we have all heard at least a dozen times, and still remains a universal truth. In doing so, we exhibit love at it’s highest form; what better way to express appreciation than by extending the love of one self to another by way of recognizing you in them? This simple act goes a long way, for love reigns supreme above all; I believe we should all be so lucky to have the opportunity.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As cliche as it sounds, I was actually born into architecture and construction. My dad is a master carpenter/builder; design and construction has been something that my family has done for at least 4 generations. Some of my earliest memories from childhood involved watching my dad stand at his drafting table in the small corner office of our home, working on blueprints, or visiting him on a construction site on a Saturday afternoon, after my little league games. For as long as I can remember, I have always been sort of mechanically inclined/handy/design oriented. As a child I would build things out of left over materials from one of my dad’s construction projects, sketch out my favorite cartoon characters, and take a part my old bb gun to see how it works. Architecture and construction has been a very integral part of my life, and has always been something that has not only fascinated me, but provided a since of fulfillment.

I provide turnkey, architectural design and construction services; mainly residential and some light commercial. My company helps clients realize their ideas, whether that be in the form of a kitchen, bathroom, or whole house remodel, addition to their residence, or helping them create their dream home. We help bring those ideas into realization through design, and then we go build it!

What I think sets me a part from other designers or builders is that I not only have the ability to do both, but I have a background that has allowed me to acquire and master a number of skilled trades. It is not uncommon that when awarded a construction project, my team and I self perform some if not all of the skilled trades involved in completing the project. Some of these trades include framing, siding/cornice, roofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drywall, finish carpentry, cabinetry, doors/windows, painting, fencing, landscaping, flooring, etc. And I love every bit of it, just as much, if not more than the design process! I really enjoy working with my hands; and being able to physically be involved in the construction process allows me to not just see my ideas materialize; it allows me to be involved and immersed into the process. Such an experience provides me with such a fulfillment that I can’t fully put it into words; if I had to sum it all up, the one word that I would use to describe it is “purpose”. I believe that this gives me a bit of an advantage in that the designs that I create have a practical/constructibility approach to them which in turn results in a more efficient and cost effective construction process.

What are the main things that I want potential clients to know about me? I’m just a man, just Darius, just me. Not really all that different from them; especially when you strip away the subtle things that sets us a part from one another. That I am ultimately here to serve, provide a satisfactory experience, and hopefully have a positive and lasting impact on them that enriches their lives in some way.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I lost my wife a couple of years ago in a very sudden and tragic way. This was and still is one of the hardest things that I have faced in my entire life. It literally feels as though a part of me has been stripped away and there are some moments when I feel incomplete, inadequate and just not myself. Every area of my life has been impacted and I am still navigating my way through the “new normal”. She was literally my biggest cheerleader, very supportive and a big part of me starting my business. When I had first started thinking about going into business for myself, without hesitation, she would encourage me to do it and tell me how successful I would be in it, how much I could help people, and push me into doing so when I needed it the most. These memories push me even more in my day to day to strive for excellence, persevere, and keep going. I know that is what she would want me to do.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

My side hustle definitely turned into my full time business. I had been working for an architectural for a year or so back in 2013/2014 and out of the necessity of needing additional cashflow, I decided to start moonlighting on the side, doing small residential additions/remodels here and there, redlines for a colleague, and even some as-built, drawing existing structures. I got my first few clients from networking and referrals, and after about a year or so, I had almost doubled my salary. I was laid off in late 2015, which couldn’t have come at the absolutely worse time (as if there is a good time to be laid off) because I had just started construction on a new house for me and my family. It was at this point that I made the decision to take a leap of faith and work for myself full time as opposed to searching for a new job. This allowed me the time to be more hands on with the build of my home which in turn allowed for me to acquire a lot of the skills that I mentioned earlier. After completing construction in mid 2016 I decided that I could incorporate construction into my business model and I felt confident having built an entire house in combination with my past experience as a project manager for construction and architectural firms, as well as working at my father’s construction company as a kid. Fast forward to today, I now provide turnkey design/build services and have completed well over 300 projects that range from smaller residential remodels to ground up, new construction.

Contact Info:

• Website: hcbdesigns.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/hcbdesigns_build/
• Facebook: facebook.com/HCBDesignsLLC
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dariusheads/
• Yelp: yelp.com/biz/hcb-designs-houston