Happy 5th Birthday Port X Logistics! And what an eventful five years it has been. From starting out with a few of us around a small conference room table to now having 59 employees, 8 locations, AND our own assets! Who would a thought?
It’s grow or die here at the X and we certainly chose to grow.
There were a lot of expected, and unexpected, challenges and experiences our team faced along the way to where we are now. Growth was a huge part of the journey. We grew as leaders, pushing for each other’s individual success every day along the way. We grew relationships, internally and with our customers and vendors. We all grew personally in our own lives.
We have overcome fear; fear of failure and fear of trying new things that won’t limit our experiences. We learned that no task is too big or too small, just get the job done. We learned to stay consistent and stay true to our “why”. We pushed through a global pandemic. We learned to write our own stories as well as the Port X Logistics story. Some of us even had to move locations to build our warehouses from the ground up!
Being owners of a company, we knew it would be difficult and that there were no longer comfort zones. We wanted to change lives, and we knew we would. It would take some time to get on the same page to start, but we knew it was going to happen.
Some of the hardest experiences we had were the ones we didn’t expect… But we soon came to learn that as leaders, there is no such thing as expected. We certainly didn’t expect to have this many employees, offices, warehouses, drivers, a marketing team, and specialized divisions by year 5! We didn’t expect the importance and responsibility of upholding our culture and story.
“There is no such thing as “expected” to me. Each day on the job or as a leader brings unexpected experiences” Tim Breier said.
We talk a lot about grow or die here at the X and we as a leadership team have certainly grown in the past 5 years. Like we said at the beginning of it all, we knew there was a better way. A way to not manage by spreadsheet, to make our employees feel at home and have a culture that seems as though you’re not doing work because it’s fun.
“I learned how to be a true leader! I started my career as a manager, and I lead by managing my team. At Port X Logistics, I lead by servicing the needs of my team” Tom Zeis explained.
As leaders, we learned to stay disciplined and trust that our team will get the job done. The hardest part of our growth was the ability to trust people to do what we did sitting in that tiny conference room 5 years ago.
“My biggest challenge was going from a “Do It All” business owner having only been a small amount of us starting out, to being able to trust others to take over and allow the leadership team to have the additional time to grow our business” said Jill Rice.
“For me it not about “show me you deserve it” but giving people the opportunities to succeed. The opportunity to try something new. We are a bunch of hard-working unassuming doers, and I think the hardest part of our leadership growth is simply trusting” Brian Kempisty added.
The most important thing that we collectively learned is how to be able to service the needs of our team instead of managing by spreadsheets. We learned to give them the opportunities to succeed individually which then led to company success. We learned to use our voices and past experiences in a positive way to benefit our team.
Above all, we took the time to learn about each individual member of our team. We listened to them and their personal stories to better understand them and lead them in the right direction. Last, but certainly not least, we learned that no matter the outcome to be and do your best.
“The past 5 years have been a journey of a lifetime, the first few years running with our heads on fire and the other two maneuverings through a global pandemic; all while maintaining the vision and values we stepped into this journey with. Regardless of the challenges, roadblocks, and ‘what now’ moments, we stuck through it together as a collective family and built what Port X Logistics is today 5 years later” Arshnoor Randhawa said.
To anyone out there trying to start a business, do not think that success is a guaranteed thing. You need to focus on staying disciplined, staying humble, and keep learning, especially from your teammates or employees. Ensuring the individual success of your team members will, in due time, lead to the overall success of the company. Putting yourself in the shoes of your employees or future employees will open your eyes to what needs to change and how you can service their needs which in turn leads to success.
“Do not approach lightly; do not think success is guaranteed. If you want to change your life for the better, you need to want to change everyone’s life involved for the better” Pat Morrison explained when asked about starting a business.
You need to be patient, grind hard, and listen. You should have no fear. If you do, outgrow it. The most important thing to remember is to make it fun and focus on customer and employee experience!
“The biggest challenge I have been faced with is FEAR. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of the unknown. I have been fortunate that with the help, guidance, and collaboration from my colleagues at Port X Logistics I have been able to overcome those fears and enjoy a singleness of purpose and that is to do and be my best regardless of how things turn out. If you’re going to be successful you must commence to outgrow fear” Adam Cunningham explained.
We would like to thank everyone in Port X Logistics past and present for their hard work and dedication. We would not be where we are today without our family!!
– The Leadership Team
