I was apprehensive and excited as I put on my brand new steel-toed boots and drove, in the dark, to our Rockville Quarry.  The colorful sunrise that I witnessed as I walked from my car to the scale house eased me just a little but walking in and meeting the men who make this company run was inspiring and energizing.  Their stories were the ones that have built Luck Companies to be the organization it is today and in the short week of my experience I gained a strong respect for the men, the job, and the culture Luck Companies has created on every level.

Each day allowed me the opportunity to experience different aspects of working at a crushed stone plant.  I had the opportunity to ride in different trucks with the men, observe a water truck being repaired, sit through finance meetings, participate in safety meetings, observe the stone lab, and work the jaw.  One day we had just finished repairing one of the belts and walked into the control room to warm up, check the computers, and take a breather before changing screens for the production line.  This room, full of electrical controls is equipped with a small table, some chairs, a refrigerator and, off in the corner, a white board. There were the typical notes on it- dictating schedules and scribbled reminders, but it was the bottom of the board that caught my eye:

“Never had a bad day, some days are just better than others.”

The sentence was written across the board and stood out from the rest.  I was so moved by this sentiment. How powerful.  For a company that values making conscious choices every day, to choose to have to good days, to choose to ignite human potential in ones self and others, this quote truly resonates with me and aligns so strongly with Luck Companies.  Here, in this control room was a constant reminder to make that positive, healthy choice.

After a bit of prodding, I discovered that quote has been up on that board for over two years!  A dear friend of some of the men had passed away and this quote was his mantra for life.  The guys had put it up there, one day after his death, when they were struggling with balancing grief and their daily tasks.  No one ever erased it and now, even if you tried, it is permanently affixed to their board, a constant reminder in their daily routine.

Through my short time living in our values based culture, many questions regarding the permeation of the message to all members of our environment have been asked.  It is now, with pride, I am able to truly express how deep this message of Values Based Leadership resonates, and how I personally have had the honor to see it played out on the front line.