To All Who Participated,

One of my colleagues said it best when he stated, “this has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life while at the same time one of the most rewarding.” I couldn't put it any better.

When I first heard Connie's story, I knew that this was a worthwhile endeavor, not only because of the family's desperate need but also because I admired her will and tenacity. When things looked to be at their worst, when the obstacles before her appeared insurmountable, she rose to the occasion and succeeded. Not only did she not quit, she was always quick to help others even when she had little herself. That is the type of person we should all strive to be.

Before the day that we knocked on the door, hundreds of man-hours were spent preparing for this enormous undertaking – to demo a house, pool and garage and replace all three elements (even bigger and better) in one week. This entailed getting plans drawn and engineered, calling hundreds of subs and suppliers to solicit their help, assembling a schedule that was unbelievably aggressive, and working out a multitude of details with the city. A few days before the build, we reviewed our plan several times and convinced ourselves we had covered all the bases.

In hindsight, I would now have to say that no one can fully predict or plan for all contingencies when doing a project of this caliber at his pace for the first time. In addition, small mishaps like inclement weather, missing materials, or unforeseen delays become major issues when a single hour represents almost 1% of your entire schedule. As those obstacles started to materialize, we quickly found ourselves in crisis management mode. It was all we could do to not succumb to the stress and to find solutions on the fly in order to keep moving forward. My hat is off to my leadership team. Without their patience, persistence and ability to innovate we could not have succeeded.

But perhaps more so my hat is off to all of you. Every one of you whether a professional trades person or a neighbor from down the street took on this project as if you were building a house for a member of your own family. The energy and intensity I witnessed from all who participated was unprecedented and proved to me just what can be accomplished when people come together for a common goal. For the remainder of my life, I will never underestimate what a group of individuals can accomplish when working together as a team. We accomplished a major feat and the words “Thank You” seem immensely inadequate.

My life has changed from this experience and I hope that yours has too. If we continue to band together as neighbors, as an industry, as a community, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. You forever have my gratitude for your involvement and for allowing me to see the greatest side of human nature.

Sincerely,

Daimon Doyle
Doyle Custom Homes, Inc.