Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Pickoff
Hi Michael, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a company, Echo Projects is in its fourth year of operation – and I’m in my 37th! I’ve been involved in the building trades since high school. During college I built sets for the theater department and, after graduating, worked as a carpenter doing odd jobs in Vermont before moving to San Francisco in 2011. (Carpentry skills are great for bouncing around in your 20’s).
As a builder in San Francisco, I was immersed in a world of art & design and had the opportunity to contribute to some amazing architectural construction projects as a finish carpenter, site superintendent, and project manager. For those years, as I advanced in construction, I grew increasingly fascinated by the design process and eventually decided to attend graduate school for architecture at UCLA. As a master’s degree student, I focused my research on the synthesis of architectural design and construction processes through digital software and fabrication techniques.
In 2020 I established Echo Projects as a way of continuing that line of research. Depending on the needs of each project we can operate as a design firm, a general contracting firm, or both. We focus on thoughtfully-crafted residential projects, mostly in Northeast LA.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
By most external measures, the growth of Echo Projects has been solid and smooth and our work product has been consistently exceptional.
But behind the scenes; that’s a different story! Oh man – if someone close to you is a small business owner who’s navigating their first couple years of operation, you should give that person a hug today. The startup phase is really intense. It’s not smooth. It’s a rollercoaster ride except you have to bring your laptop on the rollercoaster and work harder than you’ve ever worked before. I definitely struggled, at times, to maintain my own wellness and balance. Thankfully, I had amazing support from the Echo team, friends, family and mentors while the company was finding its footing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Echo Projects specializes in delivering integrated design and construction services for carefully conceived and crafted residential projects in LA, including: (1) Preconstruction feasibility analysis, planning & estimating (2) architectural design, digital modeling & permitting (3) full-service general contracting and (4) in-house wood & metal fabrication.
At every level, we’re very intentional about building trust with the people we work with. It’s a guiding principle for all of our decision-making and I’m very proud of that. Even through the intrinsically challenging and, sometimes, unpleasant aspects of custom construction, we put a great deal of emphasis on developing and maintaining trust.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I probably wouldn’t list “luck” as one of our company’s ingredients for growth. We’re here mostly because of careful planning and intentional execution.
But I would say there have been a number of not-so-obvious decisions and alignments that catalyzed really positive & impactful outcomes for the company. (Oh wait, maybe I just defined “luck”?). These have been almost entirely related to hiring. Without question, the accomplishment I feel most “lucky” for is the team we’ve developed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.echoprojects.co/
- Instagram: echoprojects.co
