Greetings and happy 2014 to everyone!
I am happy to report that we have made a great move forward after taking 3 years off to build the world's largest off the grid Earth Shelter. One of my original reasons for taking the earth shelter project was to transition out of building, that is a true statement. I had reached a point that I was disgusted with the way things were going, I was disgusted with myself, and I felt like I was not living out my purpose anymore. I started building again because I felt there is still a need for someone to think outside of the box. Too many others have took only one step and are doing well enough to be comfortable and complacent..in so many words, I packed up our camp and set off for the unknown once again! I salute any of your who wonder what's over the next hill and actually set out to see! SALUTE!!
With that said, I made it known to the world through the book I wrote, 'Build Green, Make Green, Save Green' that I had built several types of homes and that I wanted to share that information with the world. I did not even think about the fact that we would be in almost every library in Michigan and in libraries all over the country. This exposure open us up to a nation wide market! Wow. So, writing the book was a great idea not only for spreading the word about green building, but also for our business.
I decided that we would start installing our own ICFs, and that turned out to be a great idea. We did not have the problems associated with other companies installing our ICFs. That part of the process went very well for us. So much so, that I have decided to invest more this year into our ICF part of the business, more on that in coming months.
2013 was a great year for meeting new people and creating working relationships with them. My decision to start designing houses has re-invigorated me. I have always loved to draw houses, now I get to draw them then build them! The process is so much more fluid. I will be investing in upgraded CAD software this year so the end product is 'tighter'. I am working with people all over the country now, so even thou we can't build the houses in other states (some day we will), I can still draw the houses and help the homeowners find the right companies to help them out!
This is a short message, or better yet, a more to the point message. Hybrid Homes and our design business is growing rapidly once again. I have the help of several people who are helping me to make the correct decisions to ensure we have positive growth and less liabilities. We will be actively recruiting people to work with us and for us. I am hoping to add more team members in 2014 and to slowly increase our workload.
I have openly made the statement that I do not know how much longer I want to build. That is a true statement. I have always wanted to be part of something special, and when the day comes that I no longer feel that way, then I will have to go on to my other purposes in life. That is not in the foreseeable future, as we have multiple projects that we are working on that are amazing in every way!
The state of the state of Hybrid Homes is good and growing..and after the road we have traveled, that is something to be proud of! Here's to another great year!
Thank you everyone for the support and if you are looking for something special in your home and/or the design of your home, email me and lets talk!
All the best!
AB
