217 | The Sky’s The Limit: A Client Case Study With Michael Costantino

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Client Case Study:

As a business owner, sometimes we fall short of our goals.

Sometimes we overshoot our shot. Other times a change in circumstances or resources prevents us from hitting our goals or we simply don’t put in the required effort. Still, other times the opposite of falling short happens and we crush our goals in record timing. That’s what happened to Michael Costantino, the Co-Owner, President, and Principal Architect for Montebello Architecture & Design. Shortly after growing his team, he became a goal-crushing machine. His entrepreneurial journey didn’t exactly start out like that though…

After starting his business in 2018, Michael hired his first employee and felt like he was stumbling through figuring out how to lead a team. On the design side, he found it difficult to delegate tasks and decide which portions of projects he could pass off. On the leadership side, it was hard finding time to train his growing team while also navigating the many other challenges of being a business owner. Michael was also hellbent on providing exceptional service to his clients so he was making himself available all day long. That meant he allowed every buzz, beep, and click to distract him from what he was doing and therefore didn’t have enough focused design time. Michael was working long weekends to compensate and while his wife was fully supportive, he didn’t want to be away so much and miss out on quality time with her and his daughter. Michael sought support from business podcasts and stumbled upon my Productivity Straight Talk podcast. A year later, he took a leap of faith and hired me to be his coach.

After working together for some time, Michael and I set realistic revenue goals based on his previous year. We were optimistic he’d hit them but midway through February he had already surpassed all of the goals he had set for the entire year! That’s when we really ramped up what was possible and dreamed even bigger. Ever since, Michael has had to keep upleveling his goals as his team and business have grown.

So what had changed? Well, Michael had started running his business with a growth mindset, a better stocked tool belt, a great deal of intentionality, and a coach who supported him through building a team of three employees plus contractors and navigating tremendous growth in a short amount of time. 

During our time working together, Michael specifically learned:

  • He can ask for help in both his business and personal life which gave him greater balance
  • How to time block effectively which helped him manage his time better and stay focused for longer periods
  • How to trust his team and delegate more to them which freed up his time
  • A new task management system that enabled him to keep up with the growth
  • How to create SOPs and dummy proof their hiring process which minimized hiccups during scaling
  • How to invest his best time into his best activities so he could continue achieving at a high level without constantly feeling out of balance and overwhelmed

Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to not feel overwhelmed all the time in your business. Sometimes a decision just needs to be made, a system created, a process documented, a workflow shifted, boundaries maintained, or you simply need to stop overcommitting yourself to tasks and activities that don’t align with your goals. 

Once we partnered up, I dove into Michael’s business, asked the tough questions, pinpointed what projects and tasks should be focused on, and helped him identify solutions that could work to overcome his challenges. 

Asking for help is not a weakness. It’s giving yourself the opportunity to grow.

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I sit down for an entrepreneurial case study with Michael to learn about his business, discuss the lessons he’s learned as it’s grown, and dive into the leadership strategies he uses to crush his goals.

What You'll Discover In This Episode:

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I sit down for an entrepreneurial case study with Michael to learn about his business, discuss the lessons he’s learned as it’s grown, and dive into the leadership strategies he uses to crush his goals.

  • The Challenges Experienced When He Grew His Team
  • How He Minimized Hiccups During Tremendous Growth
  • What He Learned From Auditing His Team Members’ Time
  • How He Overcame The Biggest Struggle He Faced As An Entrepreneur
  •  The Role Coaching As An Extension Of His Business 
  • So Much More!

Episode Links & Resources:

Client Case Study:

About Guest:

Michael is the owner, president, and Principal Architect for Montebello Architecture & Design. He has worked in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in this field for 18 years. As a licensed architect he has the ability to work on, and design, a variety of projects, however his main focus is Residential Architecture. Since starting Montebello in 2018, his team has experienced significant growth, going from an office of 1 to a team of 7 full time and contract members. While based in the DFW metroplex, Montebello currently has projects all over the state of Texas, as well as Missouri, Colorado, & California. When not busy designing his clients next dream project, Michael is enjoying time at home with his wife and two daughters.

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Amber De La Garza

About the author

Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber helps small business owners maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most by improving their time management and elevating their productivity! Amber is a sought after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Small Business Straight Talk Podcast, and creator of Leverage Lab®.

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