The days are long, but the years are short.

Gretchen Rubin

It’s been a while since I’ve written here.

Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because the last couple of years have been full. Full of growth, full of challenge, and full of adjustments. The kind of years where you look up and realize time moved faster than you expected.

I have a little hobby of making maple syrup. One of the great aspects of it is that it requires a lot of time outdoors, doing things from cutting and splitting wood to just hanging out in a sugar shack, giving me time to reflect on the past few years, and I often thought about this this:

Leadership for me has become less about growth metrics and more about experience. The strange thing is, I’ve been driven more by the experience of those around me, and less for me personally. This can be good, but finding balance as a leader can be difficult.

What kind of experience are we creating for our team and for the people who choose to work with Buechel Stone? That question has shaped a lot of discussions and decisions lately.

We’re Not Just Shipping Stone

It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget in the day-to-day.

Our clients don’t call us because they need stone in a box or on a pallet. They call because they’re trying to bring something to life. A home. A space. A vision they’ve likely been thinking about for months, maybe even a lifetime.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve tried to remind myself and our team that we’re stepping into someone else’s project – often midstream. There’s pressure. There are deadlines. There are expectations tied to that specification. So if we can remove stress instead of adding to it, that matters.

Clear answers.
Honest timelines.
No surprises.
Follow-through.

None of that is flashy. But it’s what people remember and why we come to works each day.

Responsiveness Is Respect

One thing that’s become clearer to me is that responsiveness is really a form of respect. When someone reaches out, whether it’s for samples, a quote, or help solving an installation issue, they’re trusting us with their time and reputation. We explain on the front end that their problems are ours as well, and they hold us to that, where others would not dream of that level of commitment.

I’ve told our rockstars many times: speed matters, but thoughtfulness matters more. If we say we’re going to get something by Friday, we get it there by Friday. If there’s a delay, we communicate early. If something isn’t right, we don’t hide from it.

It sounds simple. It isn’t always easy. But consistency builds trust faster than anything else.

Culture Isn’t Internal — It Shows Up on the Jobsite

I’ve always believed in building a strong internal culture. The “Rockstar” mindset isn’t just a slogan for us — it’s about ownership. Every time I go into the production area I’m greeted with smiles. Not forced smiles, a genuine look of people happy to see me.

What the last couple of years reinforced is whatever we build internally will show up externally. If our quarry team takes pride in what they’re pulling from the earth, that quality carries through. If our production team double-checks details, the salesperson doesn’t get a call from a frustrated installer. If our customer service team feels empowered to solve problems, issues get handled instead of escalated. You can’t separate internal culture from external experience. They’re directly connected. One cool conversation I heard recently was from a new Rolling Rockstar Transit driver, Will. Everyone he talked with reenforced the same point, and he noticed. “Everyone keeps reminding me I’m the last point of contact, so make sure everything is right.”

That’s when you know people believe when it is more than just words. As a leader, there is nothing better than hearing of a problem fixed, or a problem avoided all together.

When Things Go Wrong, That’s the Real Test

Natural stone is, well, natural of course. There are variations. Quarries can change, be it ever so slightly. Project timelines change. Trucks run late. Humans make mistakes. We are in the business of uncertainty.

The last couple of years have helped solidify that perfection isn’t realistic — but ownership is.

When things go wrong, my first thought is inevitably, “We’re going to make this right.” I’m proud of that sentence. When I feel it most is when I’m not the one saying it.

Because long-term relationships aren’t built when everything goes smoothly. They’re built when something doesn’t — and you lean in instead of stepping back.

That’s something I care deeply about protecting.

Legacy Feels Different the Longer You Lead

Being part of a third-generation business has always meant something to me. But as the years go by, that responsibility feels heavier — in a good way.

I’m not just thinking about next quarter. I’m thinking about what kind of company we’re building ten years from now.

Are we easy to work with?
Are we trusted?
Do people feel confident specifying us?
Does our team feel proud of where they work?

Growth matters. Innovation matters. But reputation — earned slowly, over years — matters more.

What I Keep Coming Back To

If I strip it all down, here’s what the last couple of years have reinforced:

Show up.
Be honest.
Communicate clearly.
Own mistakes.
Take care of your people.
Take care of those who take care of us.

The stone will do what stone has always done — it will stand the test of time.

Our job is to make the experience of working with us just as solid.

To everyone who’s trusted Buechel Stone on a project recently — thank you. We’re still learning. Still improving. Still pushing ourselves to be better.

And I’m looking forward to writing more consistently again.