Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to J.R. Kramer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
J.R., appreciate you joining us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?
early on is starting my business I worked 70 to 80 hours and didn’t have a team in place. I thought I needed to do everything. I would take off a few days here and there and maybe a week at the most. as I matured as a business owner I realized I needed The Who and not how strategy as well as time off. this time off is needed to recharge, spend time with my family and create memories, and think to grow and development myself and my businesses. in 2022 I had over 100 free days, 112 buffer days and 153 focus days. in 2023 I’m hoping to flip this to 153 free days (including one six week vacation).
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
being raised in rural north east Ohio where the rolling meadows and woods, cultivated fields, and industrialized urban areas have influenced my understanding and appreciation of the natural and built environments. After leaving Ohio in 1992, I served my country in the United States Air Force. I was stationed in Charleston, SC where I fell in love with the gardens of the Lowcountry and realized my calling to Landscape Architecture. After completing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia, I moved back to Charleston. My professional background includes working for a small design firm focused on sustainable design for high end residential projects, public and private projects at a multi-discipline Engineering/ Landscape Architecture firm, and as a project manager for a large Landscape Architecture firm. I gained invaluable experience while working in such diverse environments, including site planning, master planning, native planting design, construction documents, and construction observation on a wide range of projects. Along with my wife (Holly) and partner, I. founded REMARK in fall of 2007 as a Landscape Architectural Studio focused on sustainable design by collaborating closely with clients, architects, engineers, and contractors to achieve successful design solutions for their projects.
REMARK is now a 15 year old award winning design firm and so many valuable lessons have been learned along the way. We survived the great recession and a global pandemic. We’re very proud that during the pandemic we did not let anyone go or reduce salaries. REMARK is a 10 person firm focused on high level design, that is site specific, and merges the architecture, the site and the client’s goals into a cohesive design. There is a great diversity of projects on the drawings boards such as small courtyards gardens, 100 acre family compound, high end residential projects on Kiawah Island, urban design project that encompasses an entire city block in Rock Hill, SC. All of these project are designed with the company’s core values of Inovation, Collaboration and Stewardship and we are commitment to each project and client with these values.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
The book that catapulted me on my entrepreneurial journey is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki which I didn’t read until November of 2017. After that I changed my mindset, how I thought about my business, and developed my team. Since that one purple book I have read over two hundred book on real estate, business, and entrepreneurship as well have listened to thousands of hours of podcasts, joined a master mind and paid for coaching. Now I’m teaching my kids and friends in my close circle all have learned.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
2010 was my difficult in my business. I was still solo with no employees and had a family I was supporting (my wife and two you children, 2 and 4). In September of 2010 I was preparing to write my tithe check and realized I had just enough money in my checking account to write the check. This brought me to tears…I was working long hours trying to survive as a small business during the most turbulent financial time of my lifetime. I had faith and wrote that check and that month was my best invoicing month to date. That day when I wrote the check I decided that was not business but my Heavenly Father’s! since that day I have walked in that faith and he has already provided all I needed and the desires of my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.remarkstudiollc.com
- Instagram: remarkstudiola
- Facebook: REMARK
Image Credits
on photo