Life & Work with Beau West of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Beau West

Hi Beau, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Nashville in 2005 from Oregon with my wife Melanie. I had worked in concrete construction to put myself through college in Oregon. When I moved to Nashville in my pursuit of a music career, I needed to make ends meet, so I started in construction again. I worked in structural concrete as I had in Oregon, but soon found the trim and cabinet world to be interesting. I began working with a small crew that trimmed out houses. After the first year flew by, I had so many side jobs that I decided to go out on my own. My first business was Beau West Home Improvement and Carpentry…BWHIC…which was a horrible name! After a long battle with myself of being a great carpenter but a sub-par business man, the grass appeared greener elsewhere so I went to work as a manager for other contractors. One of the companies I worked for installed handicap (ADA) applications in homes; we installed accessible showers, wheel chair ramps, grab bars, etc. After that I went to work for a large home remodeler and new home builder, which proved to be very stressful. I realized then that if I was going to have this much stress, I would like to be the owner of the construction company instead of the manager. In 2016 I started Montcalm Construction, LLC. The unusal name is from my grandfather’s middle name, Montcalm. He was a carpenter and one of my best friends. From the meager beginnings of small renovations, we currently have four employees and jobs that range from $250,000 renovations to a $1.3 million dollar new build. We are in the process of raising our monetary limit on our license to move into $500,000-$10 million dollar remodels and new builds and are also growing the employee base for Montcalm Construction.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been tough, and sometimes I feel like I should be further along then I am. I have been in this business since I was seventeen, and I have seen many contractors make huge mistakes. They may get big quick, then go bankrupt and loose their families and friends along the way. Being a contractor is not for the faint of heart! You can make a lot of money, but you can loose it just as fast. There are so many variables, especially with remodeling, and your clients and all their expectations have to be managed along with the money. Employees can be challenging as well, from not wanting to really work hard to slow walking the clock or stealing company tools, money, and materials. I am grateful for the experience of working with some dependable and also some unreliable people to get to the excellent team I have now.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I like listening to podcasts such as Joe Rogan and watching documentary films that tell stories of how people got to where they are. Those life stories help me realize that people have to have patience and faith to get through the hard parts in their lives and that sometimes even if they never get to the “success,” they become extrodinary people through the process. Reading the daily devotional from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, helps me remember to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and my heart directed toward loving others and sharing that love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://montcalmconstruction.com
• Instagram: @montcalmconstruction
• Facebook: Beau West