Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Lane
Hi Ed, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my career a few years before the Great Recession began. At the time, it felt very unfortunate and a major setback to my development as an engineer. By 2015, I came to see it as a huge advantage personally, professionally and strategically for my business. Out of necessity, I had to develop additional skills, start side hustles, and learn all aspects of running a business while simultaneously growing as an engineer. Along the way, I established key business partnerships and discovered my professional passion. These experiences all contributed to a broad foundation on which to build my career. The good fortune of time and circumstance was then magnified by hiring and working alongside other incredibly talented designers and individuals. Today, I continue to build on that foundation with an incredible team of colleagues.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been challenges along the way—most recently, the pandemic was scary and uncharted territory. Unwinding an 18-year business partnership was incredibly tough, and scaling the business from 4 to 40 employees in just three years was a blur filled with innumerable mistakes. However, maintaining a broader perspective beyond the immediate circumstances has been essential in overcoming these challenges and continuing to learn from them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At SPG Planners + Engineers, we want to bring massive value to everything we touch. We crave collaboration, we expect excellence from ourselves, we know the end results of our work really matter and we believe that we ultimately serve the public good. We work toward these values through the practice of civil engineering, landscape architecture, land surveying and land planning.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was kind of a weird kid! I was born in the U.S. but moved to Brazil when I was one. I lived there until I was nine, when my family moved back to the U.S. Growing up as a third-culture kid during those formative years shaped who I am today. I come from a large family—six siblings and a huge extended family. My mother tells me that from a young age I was very easy-going but also particular, quiet, and methodical. I had a great childhood filled with many unique experiences and opportunities. There is a strong history of entrepreneurship in my family—both my parents and all my brothers have started and sold multiple companies, so I think building businesses is in my DNA.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.onespg.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onespg_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spgplanners
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@partnersforplacemaking
