Ellie Kassner Owns A Third Generation Family-Owned Miscellaneous Metal Construction Company
My name is Ellie Kassner and I am the third generation business owner of W.H. Kassner, Inc., a miscellaneous metal construction company. We custom fabricate stairs, railings, platforms, canopies and more on large scale public works projects - mainly wastewater and water treatment plant projects. We've worked on projects at the Tappan Zee Bridge Reconstruction, the Brooklyn Navy Yard and more. I am a 2022 Tory Burch Fellow, a Cohort 4 Good Work Fellow, and a library advocate.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted?
I took over a third generation family business, but it wasn't something I always knew I'd do. My senior year in college my dad visited me at school and over lunch told me it "wasn't my job to take over the company but I had to at least consider it." After reflection I realized I wanted to be an expert at something and this was something I've grown up with my whole life.
When did you consider yourself a success? Did you ever have to deal with the imposter syndrome? How do you overcome the imposter syndrome?
When I took over WHK in 2013, our clientele was under a major transition. We used to work in the major pharmaceutical industry and those businesses were leaving the Northeast. So, when I took over, I chose to transition the business fully back to the public works sector. The year the major pharmaceutical companies left in 2015, we had a break even year as we unfortunately watched many companies we had worked with go out of business. That's when I realized that I was an integral part of the continuum of my business,
I used to doubt myself, just like anyone. But, one day, I realized, the only way that taking over my family business, while working in a fully male dominated industry could be harder was by constantly undermining myself internally. And like a switch I decided to turn that off because it's not fair and it's not a way I would treat anyone and that should include myself.
Part of that was the full acceptance that it is never my job to know everything, even in a specialty trade, niche business. It is my job to make connections and know how I would go about problem solving. And that plays into my strongest skills.
What is the most important when it comes to goal setting? Do you have any goal setting hacks?
I like to consider my tasks in three levels : daily / short term, mid term, long term. Daily goals are self explanatory but that means coming in early, staying late or both depending on that workload. I have this amazing little kitchen timer that helps me visualize time management that I highly recommend.
Mid term goals can't be left on hold for any longer than one month because otherwise your business will be stagnant and, as hard as change can be, stagnation is problematic. As a third generation business owner of a company that's been around for over 60 years, I know what those stagnant times look like and why they weren't good for WHK. It's a perspective that not all business owners have.
For long term goals you have to set aside time to only look at the macro parts of your business. It's hard to put the day to day aside, but there is no one who can set and pursue the long term goals of your company besides you.
Essential to pursuing the long term goals of your business is to take vacations! Whether that be a long weekend, or digital detox, or a couple weeks, all your hard work does not evaporate in that time. In order to remain creative, nimble and resilient, you have to take breaks. You, or your business, will not regret it.
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