We recently connected with Joe McKinzie and have shared our conversation below.
Joe, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I want to build a legacy that I am proud of, my family is proud of, and my clients are proud of. Having quality construction that will last for years and generations to come. We want to use quality materials that will stand the test of time. Profit is great but if it doesn’t last then it’s not worth it to me. In 50 years I want to be able to drive by a house and say “it looks as good as the day we completed it.” I want people to say I was honest, I worked hard, and I had integrity in everything I did. I hope people remember that I was a good person and I did what was right no matter what.
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.
As a new high school graduate I needed a job and my uncle owned a drywall company. He hired me and taught me everything about drywall, texture, and painting. It was all old school ways that made it possible to not depend on technology. I enjoyed what we did so much that I stayed with it for years. After he passed away I went out on my own and learned from others in various trades to be able to add more items to what we could do and build it into what we are today. Now we can provide full service remodels of your kitchen, bath, and full home. We offer additions to your home and even building brand new construction. We solve space problems for clients by making rooms bigger and homes bigger. We also take their inspiration pictures and ideas and make it reality. I think we try to be more honest and if we can’t do something we say that and then we try and find someone who can. Also we try and make sure our communication throughout the process stays a high priority and walk you through every step. We are most proud of the fact that we built our business from scratch and did everything ourselves. We didn’t have family to help us or investors for money and if we failed we took the hit. We want clients to know that we stand behind our work and our name means something. McKinzie is more than a word we picked, it’s real people who work hard to make sure that you are happy in the end and if you need us we are there.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2009 while in college and working 2 jobs I received a call one morning stating my mom had been in a motorcycle wreck. Thankfully she survived but she was in a coma for a while and had 2 broken knees that took months to figure out. During her pre-op to get her knees fixed they found out she had stage 4 lung cancer. I quit college for a while and quit 1 job, and took over all of her care. 2 weeks after my mom’s accident I was fortunate enough to meet my now wife, she stayed by our side and helped take care of my mom. In 2012 right before getting married we found out my mom’s cancer had spread to her brain. 2 weeks after our honeymoon she moved into our house and started hospice care. Then 2 months to the day after getting married she died peacefully in our home. As 23 year old kids we were still trying to figure out life and enjoy being newlyweds. In September 2013 we welcomed our child and knew that life would be different. We continued to learn and grow as much as we could. 2016 is when it all changed again. My uncle got sick and I started running the business. By then I had been working in construction for 9 years and wasn’t sure what we would happen. He passed away about a month or so later and we had to figure out our next steps, so we started our own company. In August of that same year about a month or 2 after starting the company we were kicked out of our rent house with 10 days to decide where to go. We were fortunate to have friends let us stay with them while we made it work. We were able to buy a house a few months later. In December I had another uncle pass away and our family had been shattered again. After growing our business for many years at this point we realized that we needed to do more and where we lived we would never be able to continue to grow to our full dreams. So in 2021 we packed up and moved to Texas and started the business over again from scratch. We could never imagine 15 years ago that we would be here after everything we have gone through but we are glad it has worked out so far.
Have you ever had to pivot?
When I started college I had a dream of being a game warden. I love the outdoors, hunting, fishing, etc and I felt it was my calling. I am passionate about preserving nature and keeping it taken care of for generations to come. Once my mom got sick and I quit college for a little while I realized I enjoyed construction. Being creative and working with my hands. It was supporting my family through difficult times and it allowed me flexibility to take off and do what I had to do. I eventually went back to college and finished my associates degree but having to pivot to take care of somebody else made me appreciate what I had in the moment. I wanted to continue that and continue to make people happy with the things that I made.
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