Today we’d like to introduce you to Sterling Wilson.
Hi Sterling, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The story of Sound of Work Construction follows the increasingly elusive promise of the American Dream. I’ve had the good fortune of watching a business I built from the ground up with my own hands grow into a scale that I couldn’t have imagined, propelling me to the top of some of the highest buildings in our skyline.
My career path has been anything but traditional. I grew up doing construction and remodel work in Las Vegas, swinging hammers since I was 16 years old. I did everything from roofing to tiling floors, and everything in between. I decided to dub my independent contracting persona ‘Sound of Work Construction’ because it felt like the perfect blend of my long history in construction and my even longer history as a musician.
I started playing in punk rock bands when I was 11 years old. By the time I was 12, I was playing gigs in downtown Las Vegas. I had the privilege of playing alongside some big names like The Killers and Against Me! when I was only 15-16.
In 2013, I made a visit to beautiful Austin, TX and fell in love with the city. By a stroke of luck, the company I was contracting with at the time decided they would move me here. Austin felt like the ultimate place to move—the ideal harmony of nature, music, and a booming construction market. This also meant a big bump in responsibility. I went from managing about 20 home acquisitions and renovations per month in Las Vegas to about 50 per month in Texas. Not only that, but I was the first person the company sent to be on the ground in Texas, so I had zero resources and had to find all the subcontractors and develop new systems for everything. When the company I was contracting with later merged with a larger corporation, their policies became more burdensome. The new department head had a formulaic approach that clashed with my desire to assess each house individually and tailor renovations to the community they were part of. I was feeling the burnout from doing a job that was increasingly unrewarding, and I wanted to do something authentic.
In 2015, I saw an opportunity to pursue music full-time, like I’d always imagined as a kid. I left the company, relied on savings to record a full-length album, and did a three-month tour on the West Coast. Coming home from tour, I knew going back to the corporate world wasn’t in alignment for me. I wanted a career where I could make a real, direct impact.
In 2016, I found a sense of purpose by simultaneously going back to school and forging my own path in business, contracting not for others but for myself. I got my GED, enrolled in full-time classes with a major in Psychology, and maintained a 4.2 GPA with honors while working full-time. I was wielding power tools and helping people build out Airbnb’s or remodel their kitchens. I was also researching undervalued markets in Texas and around the country and buying and fixing up homes in developing neighborhoods. Before long, I was spending most of my time behind a computer writing estimates and invoices and walking job sites to coordinate teams. This is when the vision for Sound of Work really started to take shape. I suddenly found myself without the time to keep up with my classes. My success was crowding out other ambitions, which I’ve always referred to as a “good problem”.
I was eventually connected with one of the partners of a local restaurant group and started working on some of the most beautiful restaurants in Austin. I met a prominent developer of high rises and was invited to start working on high-rise condos and eventually hotels. By word of mouth alone, my business would approximately double its revenue each year for the next several years, culminating in our largest project to date: the renovation of a prominent Downtown Austin hotel tower’s public spaces and rooms, where we worked as a subcontractor for a larger national construction company out of Nashville and handled a variety of trades alongside a fabulous team of other subcontractors.
That brings us up to present day, where Sound of Work is looking for the next big project, while we keep working on a steady stream of condos, restaurants, and homes. At the same time, my partner and I are putting together a tea trailer to sell tasty adaptogenic tea lattes. The ultimate vision has always been to create a community where music, art, and creativity can thrive. We plan to start with tea and eventually build a space where people can gather, dance, create, and connect. This is what Sound of Work Construction was designed to build.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I learned a great deal about how to handle adversity when someone I hired accidentally flooded a condo. I had to walk into a disaster zone, wading through a few inches of water, remain calm and collected, and find solutions. We were able to resolve the situation for all parties involved without anyone losing a dime. In fact, we earned the trust of the neighbors for the way we handled the situation and wound up with lots of additional work in the building. This was a great learning experience in how things can go wrong and it can actually be an opportunity to prove what you’re made of and win more trust from the community.
As is all too common in contracting, we have at times had to go many months without payment for work performed. Learning how to budget carefully to keep work flowing while clients are behind on their payment schedules has taught us how to stay afloat in even the most inhospitable of markets. This has only served to strengthen us as a business and galvanized our sustainability in the market.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Sound of Work Construction, we provide a comprehensive range of construction services, operating as both a subcontractor and a general contractor for diverse projects. Our portfolio includes everything from hotels and restaurants to condominiums, single-family homes, and fast-food chains. We’re known for offering competitive pricing for high-quality work across various disciplines, including painting, plumbing, HVAC, and much more.
We’ve developed a high level of comfort working at the very top of downtown Austin’s high-rises, having forged strong relationships with a number of our beloved towers. However, we’re just as comfortable working at ground level as we are in the sky, whether we’re helping with a small home remodel project or overseeing a large-scale renovation from 46 floors up.
What truly sets us apart is our deep commitment to client satisfaction and our ability to solve problems efficiently with a personalized approach. Contrary to larger corporate construction companies, we’re not interested in one-size-fits-all solutions. At Sound of Work, we pride ourselves on a genuine interest in our clients’ unique needs. We don’t just follow arbitrary policies; we believe in providing real, tailored solutions that prioritize integrity and transparency. My extensive background, from working hands-on in construction at 16 to managing complex projects from my early 20s, allows me to truly understand the nuances of each job and guide clients through the process with honest professional opinions and reliable estimates. This dedication to individualized attention and problem-solving is what makes our brand shine, and it’s why clients consistently refer us.
How do you think about luck?
This is something I’ve asked myself often: how much can I attribute my success in business to luck and how much of it is good old-fashioned hard work? I’ve concluded that it has to be a blend of both. There’s no doubt that I’ve put a ton of sweat equity into Sound of Work. But you also have to consider that some people work themselves to the bone their whole lives and never have the kind of meteoric rise that I’ve experienced over the last several years. There’s no doubt that the construction gods have smiled on me at least a few times. The good, of course, came along with the bad. I’ve had to deal with some truly unpleasant people and situations in the course of business, but at the same time I could not be more grateful for the opportunities Austin and its construction world have offered me.
I would never have gotten to where I am today without the combination of luck and hard work. For example, near the start of my career I was working on a small restaurant project when my contact was handed off to the real estate agent of one of the managers. The next thing I knew, I was working in a downtown high-rise condo. This unexpected expansion not only greatly expanded my workload but also gave me the chance to truly showcase what Sound of Work could do on a larger scale. That one client then referred me to a neighbor, who needed a condo renovation, and that led to another and another, and then I was being contacted by people in a variety of high-rise buildings downtown. Sometimes, luck really is just being in the right place at the right time, but it’s the hard work and follow-through that allows you to capitalize on those moments.
Pricing:
- Painting Special – $200 off full interior or exterior painting
- Plumbing Special – Bathroom faucet installation for $100
- Remodel Special – 5% off of a full kitchen or bathroom remodel
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soundofwork.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/soundofwork
Image Credits
Photo of me by Laela Hager of Laela’s Beauty Corner. Photo of the group by Titanium Syn. Photo of my desk by Leala Hager of Laela’s Beauty Corner. Photo of condo kitchen from Zillow. I have permission to use it from the homeowner. Photo of next condo kitchen from Zillow. I have permission to use it from the homeowner. Photo of remodeled and painted house I took myself. Photo of custom patio cover I took myself. Photo of remodeled kitchen I took myself. Photo of coffee bar. Creative Commons or similar. Photo of hotel restaurant bar. Creative Commons or similar. Photo of remodeled hotel restroom. Creative Commons or similar. Photo of remodeled hotel room. Creative Commons or similar. Photo of hotel restaurant. Creative Commons or similar. Photo of restaurant secret bar. Creative Commons or similar.
