TCEP 186: The Secret to Building a Not So Average Civil Engineering Firm

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Ryan Getz, P.E, Managing Partner at WGA Consulting Engineers, about how he grew his civil engineering firm from seven to 50 people, and the role that your staff plays in building a business. Ryan also gets into the importance of reinventing yourself and how it affects the success of your firm.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Ryan:

What motivated you and your partner to start WGA?

How are you building WGA that sets it apart from other companies in the industry?

How do you develop the soft skills needed to run an effective business?

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in the industry throughout your career?

What does it take to scale a company as opposed to just keeping it small?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Building a Not So Average Civil Engineering Firm:

I recognized that I wasn’t happy in both my personal and professional life, and decided to start my own firm where I could be my own boss. Sometimes when you are young, you don’t know enough to be nervous enough about transitioning in your career and you don’t have a lot to risk, making it easier to make the transition.

WGA focuses on service and the way we win most of our clients is by returning a phone call and caring for our clients in a way you would want to be cared for. Most clients are just looking for honesty and authenticity. Our core values are accountability, respect, and empowerment for our staff as well as our clients.

One thing that makes us different from other companies is that we really reinforce soft skills with our employees and focus on running toward, and not away from, conflict.

To be successful in any company, you must be able to reinvent yourself, be able to listen, and have great mentors who can help you along the way. Be loyal to yourself and trust your instincts with the decisions you make.

Being uncomfortable in your career causes pain, which makes you reinvent yourself to be a better version where there is less pain.

The biggest changes I have seen in the industry are all workforce-related. Unlike before, the workforce is equally balanced between women and men, and it’s very diverse culturally. Business is more than just a profit organization. Conscious capitalism and the ability to have emotional intelligence matter a lot these days, and you must be able to communicate well, to both sides of the workforce.

A lot of people think that they are going to start a business and that they are going to get a lot of clients, but what they don’t always realize is that getting clients is not the hard part. The hard part is delivering a product on time and on budget.

Your real skill as a leader is what you can get others to do for you within your core values. Outbound sales to the client are not what’s important. Inward leadership toward your team and creating servant leadership where you are serving your staff are what build a great team. If you build a great team and a great culture, clients will come to you.

To scale a company, you must start by having a company goal and accept that you are not going to have much money for two to three years. Every single dollar that you are going to bring in is going to go back into the business. You also might not have the best employees and clients when you start to scale a company; you must work up to that as the best employee who is out there might not always go to a startup firm.

More Details in This Episode…

About Ryan Getz, P.E.

Ryan has 19 years of experience in engineering design and consulting. In 2007, he co-founded WGA Consulting Engineers with a mission to break the model of other engineering companies. As a strong leader,