A little while back, I was invited to be a guest on a podcast with Madeleine MacRae. I wasn’t sure what to expect. But what ended up happening was something I didn’t realize I needed, it gave me a chance to reflect. Not just on the business, but on the journey behind it. The tough moments, the wins, and the lessons I learned (sometimes the hard way).
The conversation touched on everything from fear and pressure to culture and leadership, and I walked away from it genuinely uplifted. So, I wanted to share some of that story here—for anyone who’s ever felt the weight of building a family business, or trying to keep it all together once you do.
A Legacy I Was Proud to Continue
My father started Balkan Sewer and Water Main back in 1952. He was a WWII vet who left a secure job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to start something of his own—a bold move that raised a few eyebrows at the time. Turns out, the Navy Yard shut down not long after. So, you could say he had the right instincts.
When I joined the business in the early 1980s, I was proud to help carry that legacy forward. Back then, we had seven laborers and a part-time secretary. My brother and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Today, we’ve grown to over 110 employees and have been New York City’s largest house sewer and water service line contractor for nearly 40 years.
That didn’t happen by chance or by luck, as neither is sustainable. As I like to say, “Did you hear about the guy who fell to the top”? There is no such guy.
Leading With Fear vs. Leading With Purpose
In the early days, I wasn’t driven by success—I was terrified of failure. And when you lead from fear, you become a hammer looking for nails. That was me. Everything felt like a potential threat, and I treated it like one. It’s no way to live or lead. It created a ton of pressure and anxiety, both for myself and for my team.
But I’ve changed. Not overnight, not perfectly—but I’ve changed. I’ve learned to focus less on control and more on culture. These days, when I come into the office, I actually look forward to seeing the team. We’ve built a space where people enjoy working together. And honestly, in a world that often feels crazy, it’s a gift to have calm inside your own walls.
Culture Over Chaos: Making Mistakes a One-Off
We’ve built a culture where when something goes wrong—and it will—we don’t ask, “Who do we punish?” We ask, “How do we make sure it doesn’t happen again?” Unless it’s a major injury or something catastrophic, there’s almost nothing that can’t be fixed. That mindset matters.
We’re not perfect. But we’re committed to learning and getting better every day. One of the best things I did? I stopped trying to be responsible for everything and the best at everything. I don’t hire people to be worse than me—I hire people who are better than me at what they do. That shift in thinking changed everything. It made me a conductor, instead of a person trying to play all of the instruments.
It’s Not Just a Paycheck—It’s Responsibility
The end goal was never about the money for me or my brother. It was about being the best at what we do. Because when you’re great at what you do, the money follows.
We’ve got over 100 employees now. But when you factor in their families, spouses, kids—that’s probably 400, 500 people depending on us. That’s real responsibility. That’s success in my book.
Why I Said Yes to the Podcast
I didn’t go on the podcast to sell anything. I went on because I believe stories matter. I know what it’s like to feel alone trying to run a business. I know what it’s like to leave your family at night for a last-minute estimate, or wonder if you’re going to make payroll in a slow month. And I also know what it’s like to get through it—to build something real, and to build a team that has your back.
So if this episode helps one business owner feel a little less alone, a little more hopeful, or even just makes them think differently about how they lead, it was time well spent.
