Meet Laurence Fair | Man of God, Husband, Father, & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laurence Fair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurence, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
There were several factors that led me to starting my own business. First, there was the opportunity of providing a service based on my belief system. I am a Christian, and you can’t guarantee that message being promoted when you work for someone else. I work for God first, and He provides what I need to serve those interested in what I offer. Second, being my own “boss” is very nice. I get to decide what direction my business moves in. I get to decide to whom I provide my services and product. Third, owning my own business offers a freedom that cannot be found when working for someone. I can work from anywhere. I can work for/with anyone around the country and the world. I can adjust my schedule to flow with what’s going on in my personal life. Finally, I felt it could be a more secure way to provide for my family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a vivid artistic imagination. I began my artistic journey as a child that liked to color and draw stick figures. That grew into sketching characters from cartoons and then designing houses, inside and out. My Associates degree is in Computer Aided Drafting and Design. I worked as an interior designer for a short time before starting this business.

I love art museums, architecture, and interior design. In museum pieces, it’s the individual skill of the artist message portrayed on canvas, in clay, in their music, or in their schematics and sketches that intrigues me. There is so much emotion put into each and every project.

The important thing for me is to remember that…the emotion. It is easy to get caught up in the difficulty and the money, but it’s the emotion behind the vision that creates the art. I see that emotion in the eyes of many of my clients, and I do what I can to recreate that feeling in reality.

I have learned to never give up. I have learned that anything is possible if you just keep trying. I know that I can accomplish whatever I need to accomplish as long as I allow God to light the way. I am a simple man that loves his family and God that is just trying to provide a service to those that may have had an ugly experience with other vendors in my industry. I am drawn to non-profits and individuals that are having a hard time creating their vision due to the financial aspect of their desires.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tucson provides a unique native experience. There are food trucks that offer amazing Hispanic food. the variety of food selection when dining out is incredible. You can find just about any type of food you can imagine. There are a few that are my personal favorites that I would suggest to a friend or family member visiting from out of town…Piazza de Gavi, Ba-Dar Asian Cuisine, and Rollies to name a few. Tucson offers a lot of natural beauty and some of the best sunrises and sunsets anywhere in the world. You can hike Sabino Canyon, visit Mt Lemmon, and there are so many different types of museums, it could keep you busy the entire week. There is the zoo, the botanical gardens, and San Xavier mission. If you wanted to day trip, you could go to Tubac, Bisbee, Wilcox, or Tombstone. If you wanted to do an overnight trip, you could go to the Grand Canyon.

As far as an itinerary, I wouldn’t create one. I would have a list of options, and when they arrived, I would let them decide and we would proceed from there. I believe it is more relaxing to not have a plan and just go.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, I have to give thanks to God for showing me the path to follow to create a business that one day could be very successful. Next, I would like to thank my wife for her support, knowledge, and wisdom in assisting me in growing this business. I would also like to thank my children and in-laws for their support in this process, whether their support was verbal, physical, or emotional. I want to thank my suppliers for their diligent work. Last, but by no means least, I HAVE to thank my clients for coming to me with their visions and dreams and allowing my company to make them a reality.

Website: www.countrystronggreenhousesllc.com

Image Credits
Na’ Aina Kai Botanical Gardens Flowing Wells Junior High School