About Training Hands Academy™

I was introduced to entrepreneurship at a very young age.  I challenged myself in a variety of business endeavors, from lawn care to massage therapy to woodworking. Eventually, I met my wife, moved to New England and found my way to construction.

True to form, I poured everything I had into creating a new business, and in 2004, founded Symphony Construction Inc..

Symphony Construction was passionate about designing and building healthy and energy efficient homes. Symphony also worked with clients who were remodeling and had smaller construction project needs.

I took aggressive steps in campaigning and marketing the idea of the first “green” spec house in the State of Maine. During construction, that project sold almost immediately, putting my name now firmly into the marketplace as a custom “green” homebuilder.

Soon after that project, I became a founding member of the Maine State USGBC. Within the next year, I was presented by the USGBC with the news that our current project was going to be the first LEED Gold rated house in all of New England.

This house had such a great impact on the community that I soon began to speak about it, which included the privilege to speak at the Chewonki Foundation in Maine.

In the winter of 2006, the most respected magazine in my industry, Fine Homebuilding, featured our project in their annual Houses Issue as one of the twenty-five most important houses in America. Then in February 2008, they featured us on the cover of their Energy-Smart Homes Issue.

Even though my career as a builder looked great in magazines, I had a growing frustration about the industry as a whole.  Looking back, I couldn’t pinpoint it on one particular thing. It was most likely a collection of frustrations all put together, but very well could have been from being burnt out.

With over 14,000 hours invested in a life as a general contractor (GC), I exited that business with the intention of never returning.

I spent the next six years trying different business ideas and had minimal success in all of them. But finally something shifted, and I came to realize that sometimes when you run from how God has gifted you, your gifts (and Him) will eventually catch up to you.

Sheepishly, I admitted to myself and friends that leaving the industry had more to do with my decisions, than it did with the industry itself. Over the last few years, my skills began taking a new look and value.

I started to learn that there were thousands of people who exited the business just like me, and never returned. Because of this truth, the current trades industry is struggling and desperately needs to be  re-built.

The hope, purpose and motivation behind Training Hands Academy™ is to help restore and reinforce an industry because I believe that the skilled trades is still one of the most satisfying and fulfilling careers.

Please consider DONATING TODAY so that we can continue to encourage you, and the next generation of skilled workers.