NEVER SETTLE! A Chat with Carlos Linares and His Very Own: Linares Construction & Landscaping...

Intro: Welcome to Construction Business TV. You’re in for a good time. I’m your local reporter from Atlanta, Georgia on behalf of Quality Trades and today we’re having a good time with Carlos Linares and Linares Construction. This is Good Times with Tonia. Come on in Carlos! We’re so excited to have you today!

Reporter: So let’s get started, can you share with me why you decided to start your own company? 

Carlos: Hmm. I guess it just made sense for me because I come from a construction background. My dad has done it for over 25-30 years, and I guess I was just born into it. 

Reporter: I gotcha. Now tell us a little bit about what you do. What services does your company provide and any other details. 

Carlos: We provide the basics-- painting, repairs, flooring, landscaping, and hardscaping. And we contract more services in that area as well.

Reporter: So when did your company start? Like what year? And when did things get off the ground?

Carlos: So technically, it would have started in 2016. 2016-- that’s when I started contracting. And really, to take off the ground, I would say right now is when it’s really taking off in the big sense. 

Reporter: Now, with your company taking off in this pandemic that we are going through. What are some things you had to deal with in regards to COVID-19? Has your company experienced any setbacks? Tell us a little bit about that. 

Carlos: Yea, definitely. As soon as COVID-19 started, it was immediate, the clientele was way low, way lower than it is right now. People didn’t want to go outside and people didn’t want us coming over. They didn’t really want to communicate. They basically said give us another month or two and then we will start our process of whatever we need done. And that definitely set us back big time. But it really just needed adjustment. We had to adjust our marketing. 

Reporter: What are some things you’re hoping to see the rest of this year, 2020, with your company?

Carlos: I would like to see goals that I haven’t put there. I would like to see us break through with a clientele base. Bring on more workers, bringing on more employees--so that we can grow and so that we can scale larger.

Reporter: What has your company taught you? Any tips or pointers or something that your company has taught you just from working with other people...personal growth?

Carlos: The biggest thing that I have learned from my company is that you get what you put in. If you put in the hours, if you put in the work that nobody else is putting in, you’re going to see those results. Now, if you want to see smaller results you will do the bare minimum. But if you want to see something bigger than you can imagine, then you’re going to work harder than you can imagine.

Reporter: I like that. I like that alot. Now, speaking of personal growth, I know that you want to spread the message and help your community especially the hispanic community. Can you tell me a little about what you would like to see in your community in terms of growth?

Carlos: You know, I love my community and I know that one thing that people see when they look in my community is that we're hard workers. We're willing to put in that work to make above ends meet so I just want my people to really realize that technology is something that we do have to get closer to--that we have to work harder with and use it to our advantage because if we're just using it for social media and this and that to communicate with people and have fun and laugh... that's fun and all but we could really be using that at a higher level to grow ourselves and grow our businesses. 

Reporter: That's great. What do you hope to leave behind as a person who cares for his community?

Carlos: I want to leave behind, somebody that truly cares about our community um somebody that can bring us together because some people don't know, but in the hispanic community there's like, there's like, how do you say like ‘animosity’ between different central american countries and there's no reason for that. So, really just bringing us together and doing something bigger together.
 
Reporter: I like that I really do. How do you plan on keeping this message alive?
 
Carlos: I think that I just have to work harder with my company Linares Construction and also with my personal persona in the community and in social media-- just show that you know we have to continue without falling and just being mature about it. Social media you know showing things that grow that show growth and that that you know brings back down.
 
Reporter: Did you start this company on your own or were/are there other people involved?
 
Carlos: Yeah, I started this company basically on my own. I guess you could say my dad isinvolved because you know he's given me all the knowledge necessary to be able to scale the company, but as far as actually scaling it and putting in the work, for marketing and learning marketing, yeah it's just been always me learning that alone.
 
Reporter: That's good, so what is the best part about it? 
 
Carlos: I guess the best part is just the results. Um, you're learning how to communicate with people because it doesn't matter if you're in construction or any type of path like if you're communicating with your customer correctly and you know how to work your way and sell things then you're going to be successful in any path. 
 
Reporter: Now, we know that like in life there's always ups and downs. What is a challenge that you had to face with your company and how were you able to overcome that?
 
Carlos: Yeah, I was literally thinking this on the ride here home. I was thinking about that,  it's probably been being a very uh a very instant act within instincts like instinctual. I’m very emotional so if somebody disrespects me or I see disrespect I don't-like I quickly will respond in the same way but learning in this company I learned that you know a customer might disrespect you one day but he might have been having a bad day and in the future that could lead to other open doors if you just care for them differently not in the same way they're treating you. Treat them better. 

Reporter: I like that, I really do. From doing your company, from working everyday life. What can you, like give us a little bit of insight of what your everyday life looks like.

Carlos: My schedule is just jam-packed so yeah it could be starting off the day with the estimate or starting off a day with picking up a customer or dropping them off at a project, then heading to the estimate--maybe heading back to that customer, grabbing materials, yeah just hectic!

Reporter: Gotcha, makes sense. You look very young, is there something that really motivated you to want to start at the age you are now to get your company off the ground? And what advice do you have for someone else who may want to start a contracting company and they just feel like they're not capable because of their age?

Carlos: Um yeah definitely. So like about, about to be two years, I've been married with my wife for about-- almost two years now and almost a year ago, we had our son Luca.

Reporter: Congratulations! 
Carlos: Thank you, definitely that is a motivation that can't be explained um that definitely has pushed me forward and that will be my motivation to not stop. And my father, I love my father, and yeah so, he pushes me forward.

Reporter: So what advice do you have for someone else who may feel like their age or the time period that they're in right now, may be hindering them from wanting to get started on anything, any goal or any dream?

Carlos: I used to be very like that like I'm so young. I need more knowledge. “I can't do this, I can't do that” because I don't have enough knowledge. But we have an advantage as young people because we're hungry. We want that knowledge. We want it. So we just need to calm our minds down, and just slow that down a little bit. And just take baby steps to learning what we need to learn. Meeting the right people really helps, and just learning communication--communication skills.

Reporter: I like that a lot. Is there anything else that you would like to share in terms of just things, other things that you've learned through your time of growing with your company and also personal growth?

Carlos: Yeah, definitely. I would love to just-- not stress enough that technology, you know, social media--we can use it as leverage in some many ways for marketing, for communicating, for networking. And just like, people go out and start their company they think they need to go and pay for the service of different companies to provide you with work and leads and it's just not true. You can start from zero, with no money. Just go to Facebook, go to Instagram, join the right groups, use the right hashtags, and you can get connected with the right customers.

Reporter: Now, I know that I told you through our messages back and forth that Construction Business TV is fairly new. So, I would just like to know from your view point, what sparked the interest in you even wanting to communicate further and just say “Hey, what’s this interview all about?” Just curious.

Carlos: I was also literally just thinking about this. I was telling myself, you never know what can open the doors to something bigger. And I know I’m hungry, and I know there are other people out there that are hungry, and you probably are yourself-- very, hungry. So if you keep putting as much effort out there into your company, as I do to mine, then there’s no reason that we both, you know, that this can’t be good for my future, for your future, for our futures.  

Reporter: Well, we really appreciate you just believing in, you know, Construction Business TV. Because I told you, it's new as well, but like you said. We're just so grateful for the opportunity just to have someone that was willing to share their time and spend this time with us, and just speak about some things that a lot of people don't have the opportunity to speak on an everyday basis. So we really do appreciate you just coming on here with us today, and we can't wait to post this. I'll make sure that I contact you and send you all the links to all the videos and footage. It was such a pleasure speaking with you Carlos, and I wish you the best with your company. Linares Construction is going up from here! And I'm always, just so thankful for this opportunity and praying for you and your family continue to just continue to grow and all. Thank you so much!

Please connect with Linares Construction and Landscaping:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Linares-Cons...

Phone Number: 404.421.8956

E-mail: [email protected]