Learn how to build a world-class construction firm through faith with Patricia Bonilla!

BACKGROUND

Growing up in Dominican Republic and being the eldest, Patricia Bonilla learned to be competitive. She joined different extracurricular activities such as swimming and ballet, and also helped her father with his business during summer or in her free time. 

Meanwhile, after working in the City of Fort Lauderdale as the Head of Construction Division, she decided to build Lunacon Construction Group, a Miami-based company providing different construction services, in 2007.

Currently, Lunacon has a bonding capacity of $15M single and $50 aggregate, as well as catering more than 300 clients worldwide in their five office locations, in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.

Apart from that, Bonilla has also been recognized as the 2014 SBA State of Florida Minority-Owned Small Business Person of the Year and in the Good to Great and ABC’s in Excellence, among others. 

“I’m very competitive. I don’t think I’ve measured myself by somebody else’s actions. I think I compete with myself. I would say I’m probably a crazy visionary. I see things and I want to get them done.”

LUNACON CONSTRUCTION GROUP

When Patricia Bonilla quit her job, a handful of people, including her brother, thought that she was crazy and that she’s not ready. However, she did what she had to do. 

“And you know what? It’s just the belief inside was stronger than any of those. The belief in what was possible was stronger than the fear that was trying, was being, that people was trying (to impose on me).” 

And because they’re mainly a start-up, she had to invest her time and money in marketing and networking, even though her partner was doubting the results of these activities. She just put everything into faith and waited for something to come. 

“I was proactive in the sense that I was traveling everywhere I could possibly go, to learn about it, to expose the company, brand the company with the federal government.”

Then, when she’s on the verge of giving up, a blessing comes in. Someone she had worked before called her for a  $23 million job.

“If we believe something is coming, what we need to be doing is not retreating from the direction we think we’re going to go, but to prepare for the floodgate to be able to receive what’s coming.”

However, building and managing Lunacon was not that easy. The only thing that helped her is being true with her words and that people believed in Lunacon’s story of a company that started in a garage. 

“And I believe people can see the transparency of the words. Sometimes, I think they can see through to the soul. So again, that doesn’t mean that we have not made a lot of mistakes. I have. And I’ve learned a lot.”

ADVICE FOR BUSINESS OWNERS 

1. Believe in yourself. 

Regardless if you are native to this country or not, you can do what Patricia Bonilla did. The only thing that you need is to believe in yourself and everything that you want to happen will happen. 

“If you were willing to work and work hard, because I think you have to work, go through the process, and be honest to the process, you can get to wherever you want to be. Everyone, including those that don’t look like you, will give you a chance if you have that desire. But just believe that you can do it. That’s the only job we have. Believe it!”

2. Learn to network yourself.

If you are not willing to take time and effort in communicating with other people in your industry, they will never know about you and your capabilities. 

Besides, even when you don’t get a contract, this is a way for you to build relationships and be with people who understand what you do. 

“Every time I go or support any of these institutions, I end up receiving a lot from the people I meet there. It’s a gathering for networking and I cannot tell you enough about networking. Even if you don’t get a contract when you go to a networking, you tend to meet people that are amazing. You know, some of them become really good friends of yours. You may not engage into a transactional relationship, but the gains are far beyond.”

3. Prove your capabilities. 

There might be a small number of women who build businesses but that doesn’t mean that men are at fault. It’s just that we need to catch up and be a motivation to other women. 

“Nobody’s responsible for your growth, but yourself.”

5. Hire diverse talents.

Not because you’re a Cuban-owned small business, then you will only hire employees that are Cuban. The same also goes with a company whose employees are all white. 

You should consider that talent is something that is not specific for one race, it comes from everywhere. And that’s the reason why big corporations hire diverse talent.

“You are preventing yourself from understanding other points of view, from bringing innovation from another side of the world that you might, you might be, what are you missing by not having a company that is diverse and includes all.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn how to build a world-class construction firm through faith with Patricia Bonilla, then be sure to click the resources below. You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

021: Patricia Bonilla – Building a world-class Construction firm on Faith

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/021-2/

Building a world class Construction firm on Faith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9rCFHvV76Y&list=PL6-jBNNcc98vTBvNhFYfUTeH0k-Vx2VBH&index=3