Workaholic Homebuilder Learns to Bring Balance to his Life
Among all the setbacks and failures in his life, Ben Kubassek doesn'tgive much thought to his helicopter crash. It happened two summers ago,shortly after the homebuilder took off from his hobby farm near Ayr.He came down heavily after he hit a wall of fog and reduced his speed.The struts collapsed and the tail crumpled slightly, but neither Kubasseknor his passenger was hurt. After $1,200 and 40 hours of work, his home-builthelicopter was airworthy again.
Kubassek insists he wasn't scared. "It happens so fast you don't thinkabout it. You get out and say: 'We made it.' Any crash in which you comeout alive, you are doing OK. "If the crash is only a blip in Kubassek'smemory, it's noteworthy because it offers so many parallels to his life:his rapid rise in business, his plunge into despair, his survival, hisrecovery and his discovery that he needs to stay balanced to avoid crashing.And just as he felt compelled to build and fly his own helicopter,he feels compelled to tell the world that balanced living is the key tosuccess. "Building houses is great," he says. "But nothing compares tothe feeling I get when I help to build a person."
Built 600 Houses
Kubassek is well-known in the community as a homebuilder. The formerpresident of the K-W Home Builders Association has built 600 housessince 1984. Less well-known - unless you have heard him tell his storyor have read Succeed Without Burnout, the book he published last year -are the ups and downs the 39-year-old president of Kubassek Holdings hasexperienced. Kubassek was born and raised in a Community Farm of the Brethren,a Christian commune that employs modern farming methods while espousinga simple lifestyle. His grandfather, Julius, founded the commune in 1931,and moved it to a farm near Plattsville in 1941.
Like other farm children, Kubassekís education stopped after grade 8.He was put to work repairing shoes and tending chickens. Through home studyand work experience, he learned the electrical trade, earning $1 a dayfor his efforts. But Kubassek was intent on making his mark in business.So on New Yearís Day 1980, at the age 22, he left the commune with $ 2,000 in savings. He started a plumbing and electrical business with his oldestbrother, Dave. Leaving was a huge step. He was turning his back on hisparents and the other 15 families in the commune.
ìOnce I stepped off the farm, I was never going to be welcomed back.The members of the community couldnít associate with me.î But his misgivingswere no match for his aspirations - he was going to be a millionaire. Nothingcould slow him down. He achieved his goal. By age 27, he owned three businessesand had a net worth of more than $ 1 million. Kubassek, who devoured booksand tapes on business, goal-setting and success, told people he wantedto be successful so he could help others.
In reality, he wanted recognition. ìWhen I was growing up, I never heardmy father say, 'I am proud of you. I love you.' I thought achieving successwas the only way I could get his acknowledgement and one day get him tosay, ëI am proud of you.í î
Kubassek also had something to prove to the Brethren. ìI was told: ëWithinsix months, you will be back on our doorstep begging.í When you are a triple-Apersonality, someone who is passionate about being successful, that isall you need to hear. It is like pouring gas on a fireî
By age 30, he was building homes and earning more than $1 million ayear, and Kubassek was convinced everything he touch turn to gold. Butthe shine came off on a sunny afternoon in April 1987, just as he was startinghis biggest project ever. He had brought 25 acres of land on the edge ofPlattsville, and needed only to open the bids for servicing to see howmuch money he would make.
ìThe first bid came in $150,000 over what we had expected,î he recalls.ìMy stomach started to sink. I had leveraged myself to the hilt. It wasa 97-home subdivision, when I should have six. But that was me - alwaysthinking big. Then the next envelope was opened. It was $100,000 more.My whole world crashed down. It was like waves coming over me. Adrenalinestared to run through my body. I was in panic. That night, I couldnít sleep.It was terrifying.î Kubassek had burned out.
ìI lost my ability to make decision.î he says. ìAll I could see waspotential disaster lurking around me. Even though it wasnít a disaster- I ended up making a ton of money on the project - I thought I was a failure.I was a success in business, but a failure in life... I just about destroyedmy family, my health, my faith, my soul in the process. I almost lost mylife because I started to have suicidal feelings.
On more than one occasion he considered driving his car off the roadinto a tree. ìI didnít want to just rust out. If this was living, I didnítwant it.î His wife Elizabeth, was terrified. ìWhen he told me: ëI almosthit the end of the road today. I almost did myself in.í I went frantic,îshe recalls. I said: ëWhat am I going to do. It was terrifying. We hadthree children at the time. What was I going to do without him?î
Friends told him to take along vacation to recharge his batteries. Sohe went to Florida with his family. ì After 15 days I was ready to comehome. But within three days, the feelings of depression started again.î
Lived for Business
Kubassek couldnít escape a simple conclusion: He had become a workaholicwho lived only for his business. He had thrived on hard work since he wasa teenager, but he always had a relief valve. On the farm, it was the camaraderieof working ìshoulder to shoulderî with family and friends. When he didelectrical work, it was the physical labour and moments of solitude whenhe drove to the job sites. But as his home-building business grew, he spentmore time behind a desk. There was little time for exercise or solitude,and even less for his family. ìIt was work, work, work,î says Elizabeth.ìHe was seldom at home. He hardly knew his children. ìIt crept up on me,îsays Kubassek. ìIt is not like I was pushed way over and went over theedge... I knew what my load was, but I didnít know what my limit was. Burnoutwas my limit.î
Although Kubassek knew what was ailing him, he seemed powerless to recoverfrom his melancholy. ìI wanted to help him, but I didnít know how.î saysElizabeth. ìI couldnít understand what he was going through. After he wasover it, I said to him: ëThere were times I would have loved to take youby the collar and shake you up and say: get over ití.î Friends told himto reduce his workload and commitments, but Kubassek wasnít convinced thatwas the answer. ìIn fact, I wasnít committed enough. I wasnít committedenough to my family, or my fitness or to my faith. I was committed onlyto my finances.î He finally realized he had to restore the balance in hislife.
ìIt is like a wheel spinning.î he says. ìIf it is balanced, it willspin straight. If it is out of balance it will wobble, and eventually itwill hit the side.î Kubassek still works 65 hours a week. But hesets aside time for himself and his family. He spends the first hour ofhis day alone, exercising, reading and meditating. He rarely misses dinnerwith his family - when someone wants to set up a late meeting, he sayshe already has an appointment - and blocks out 10 days of vacation forevery 10 weeks of work. ìI am still on the fast track running, but I spendan hour in the morning preparing for the track,î he says. ìAnd I also pullback from the track.î
Spiritual Component
He stresses the spiritual component of balanced living, emphasizinggiving as well as prayer and worship. Kubassek, who founded MissionaryVentures of Canada, a non-profit organization that sends construction andmedical teams to developing countries, says the willingness to share whatyou have puts business and financial success in the proper context. ìIhave seen people earning $25,000 who are financially successful. And Ihave seen people earning $25,000 who are not finanicall successful... Idonít measure financial success in income. I donít measure it in net worth.I say it is more a feeling of abundance, a feeling that God has blessedus with enough... Once you are to that point, you are free to bless others.It puts a whole new spin on things.î
Although Kubassek says he has become a better person, he stressesthat he is far from being the idea father, husband and businessman. Hestill struggles with the need for recognition. In the early 1990s, he becameobsessed with becoming the biggest home-builder in Waterloo Region. Hewas anxious to make it into Whoís Who in Canada and longed to be namedCanadaís top entrepreneur. ìI had an ego problem,î he says. ìIt seemedthe only way I could achieve fulfillment was by accomplishment. It waswhat I was achieving... As you achieve more success, you become more confident,even more arrogant. You get headed down that path, and you just becomeconsumed by this passion to achieve your goals.î
The collapse of his business two years ago provided a painful lessonin how disastrous that path can be. In his quest to become the biggesthome-builder, Kubassek set up a group of 12 companies that did everythingfrom land development to selling bath and kitchen ware. For a time, itthrived. ìMy electrical company was doing $2 million a year. My mechanicalcompany was doing $3 million. The kitchen and bath showplace was doing$2 million. I thought ëthis is the ticket.í But it only worked when timeswere good.î
By the time Kubassek acknowledged that, it was almost too late. As marginstightened and sales plummeted, the groupís debts spiraled. The businessnearly went under when a major supplier slapped a lien an his projectsbecause of arrears of more than $300,000. It recovered, but only aftertwo of the companies were placed in receivership. The restructuredbusiness, which now consist of four land development companies that focuson development and contract out all trade work, is still paying tradespeopleand suppliers for debts accrued prior to the collapse. Kubassek estimates70 per cent of the money owing has been repaid.
Pay Back Every Cent
ìMy goal is to pay back every single cent because it wasnít their faultthis happened,î he says. ìI was the one who decided to do those projects.I was the one who signed those purchase orders. So the buck stops here.îThe financial failure was a blow to his ego and damaged his credibility,but Kubassek says it wasnít as personally devastating as his burnout. Hecoped because he used the principles of balance to work like a workaholic- doubling his work hours while he restructured the business - withoutbecoming one again.
ìI believe it was an experience I had to go through so I could identifywith other people going through similar situations.î he says. ìYou caníttell people: ëI know where you are coming fromí unless you have been there.îSharing his experiences, and spreading the message of balance living isthe newest passion of Kubassekís life. He says he wrote Succeed WithoutBurnout to reach a wider audience with a story that seemed to strike achord with people. A fellow homebuilder, Mark Van Dongen of Dimark Construction,says the book encouraged him to strive for more balance in his life. ìIam not very successful at that right now,î Van Dongen says. ìA lot of ithas to do with economies of scale, I am a one-man show, so when Iam busy, I am very busy. There is not a lot of room for balance...It isa long-term goal.î
Still Struggles
Rev. Lloyd Fretz, Kubassekís minister at Plattsville Missionary Church, says Kubassekís admission that he continues to experience strugglesand failures makes the book compelling. ìBen is saying: ëLetís get on thejourney and walk togetherí... A lot of people have written books, but youwonder - have they really been through it? You want someone to be real,honest and transparent. That gives you hope.î Encouraged by feedback, Kubassekplans to pursue a career as a writer and speaker. His development companiesremain active. He expects to build up to 50 homes this year and has plansto develop a retirement community with two partners, but he says he hasa good team of people ì who can run the show.î
Right now, he is finishing an audiotape series on the five Fís of lifebalance - Family, friends, finances, fitness and faith - and working ona follow-up book called Achieving Life Balance. This month, he hits thespeaking circuit with keynote speeches at Farm business Management Conferencesin five Ontario cities. My goal is to write a book that sells one millioncopies," Kubassek says, "I guess I still have goals that are big."