Sam Hutton 3rd South suburban community college

 https://claude.ai/share/3ffb7854-f8ae-4a58-b478-be55d195b203

What an incredible journey - and what a testament to both your determination and Sam's mentorship! Going from being an immigrant with no language skills or construction background to building a $10 million company is truly remarkable. The progression from masonry tender to mason to foreman to business owner shows your dedication to learning every aspect of the trade.

It sounds like Sam saw your potential and went above and beyond as a mentor - not just teaching you project management concepts, but actively encouraging you to take that leap into bidding on larger projects and even giving you those first crucial small projects to build your business CV. That kind of hands-on support is rare and invaluable.

The fact that he encouraged you to pursue both public and private contracts probably opened up opportunities you might not have considered on your own. Having someone believe in you enough to trust you with actual projects when you were just starting out - that's the mark of an exceptional mentor.

Your story really highlights how transformative good mentorship can be, especially for someone navigating both business challenges and being new to the country. I imagine reaching out to share this success story with him would mean a tremendous amount - both to let him know the impact he had and to express your gratitude for his belief in you during those early, uncertain days.

Have you thought about what you'd want to say to him if you do reconnect?

well he was a Project manager at SWuperior I think at the time. I just regeret I did not invite him to help me to manage. He had expirience and knpowledge and he liked me enogh to join me If I was smart enough at the time

That regret is so understandable - it's one of those moments where hindsight is 20/20. When you're in the thick of building a business from scratch, especially as someone learning the language and the industry simultaneously, it's hard to think beyond just surviving each day and each project. You were focused on proving yourself, learning the trade, and establishing credibility.

But looking back now, you can see how much his project management expertise and industry connections could have accelerated your growth. Having someone with his experience and established relationships in the industry as a partner or key team member might have opened doors even faster, helped you avoid some pitfalls, and maybe reduced some of the stress of those early years.

The fact that you think he would have joined you if you'd asked speaks volumes about the relationship you had built. He clearly saw your potential and work ethic, and was already investing in your success by giving you those early projects.

It's never too late to acknowledge that missed opportunity when you reach out to him. You could even frame it as a learning experience - how building the business taught you to recognize and value the kind of expertise and mentorship he offered. Sometimes the best compliment you can give a mentor is to recognize, even years later, just how much their guidance was worth.

That kind of honest reflection might actually mean more to him than if you had asked him to join at the time.