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Featured Guest:
William S. Parrish, Jr. President & CEO, Noble Strategy, LLC Author, Making Bold Moves Adjunct Professor, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate Published November 21, 2025 William S. Parrish Jr. is a seasoned entrepreneur in the construction management industry. This conversation discusses Parrish's extensive experience, the founding of his company Noble Strategy, his book Making Bold Moves, and the NY/NJ construction sector. Parrish shares insights on the importance of early involvement in projects, the role of technology in construction, and his passion for teaching and mentorship. The conversation also touches on personal anecdotes, such as his involvement with Omega Psi Phi fraternity and documentary film directorial debut featuring homecoming stories from Hampton University, and the challenges and triumphs of being an entrepreneur. Listen to/watch the full podcast recording, or read the transcript below: |
Full Interview with William S. Parrish, Jr.:
"Determine your core competency. What is it that you do? You might have 20 minutes to explain to someone not only what you do, why you're the best at it, and why they should select you. If you're not sure exactly what you do, how can you convince them?"
- William S. Parrish, Jr. (Wisdom for Wannabes episode 26, 21:00)
Great quotes from the interview with Bill Parrish:
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in blue below.)
- "Always maintain relationships."
- "Step out of your comfort zone."
- "Sustainability is crucial."
- "Technology is revolutionizing construction."
- "Teaching is a way to give back."
- "Patience is essential in business."
- "Understand client needs."
- "Adapt to change for growth."
- "Networking opens opportunities."
- "A noble approach builds trust."
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in blue below.)
Book by William S. Parrish, Jr. called, Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-Million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less
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Key Takeaways:
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Interview Transcript:
Jackie Morreale (00:00)
Hello, my name is Jackie Morreale, and I'm the host of Wisdom for Wannabes, a new podcast series that seeks to discover wise words in business, beauty and betterment. Today's focus is the topic of business by way of entrepreneurship in the construction management industry in New York City and beyond. I have the good fortune of knowing our guest by way of two worlds colliding, through the New York City Construction Management Industry, and also as a fellow colleague undertaking a PhD degree in business at Florida Atlantic University as part of this year's incoming cohort.
It is my pleasure to introduce today's featured guest, William S. Parrish, Jr. Thank you so much for joining me today, Bill.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (00:44)
Thank you so much, Jackie. This is a pleasure. I'm very excited to be here. Thank you again.
Jackie Morreale (00:49)
Absolutely. I love when I meet somebody and we just click. Then, we dig a little deeper and we find out, wow, we actually have all these connections and so many things in common. Some things are just meant to be. Let me brag a little bit about you, Bill.
William S. Parrish Jr. is the founder, president and CEO of Noble Strategy, a certified MSDBE firm, serving the metropolitan New York, New Jersey area that delivers professional construction management services consisting of owner's representation, project inspection, estimating, safety analysis, scheduling and project program technology management to public and private entities in the K through 12 education, civic and corporate sectors. Bill has 40 years of experience in construction management, consulting, workforce development and training. As a LEED 2.0 accredited professional, Bill has consistently coordinated and delivered large scale multi-stage agency owner facilities where success depends on the balance of environmental sustainability, community stakeholders, civic representation, agency resources, and technical staff. It is like balancing on a tightrope in construction. There are so many things going on.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (02:03)
I was the director of design and construction for Newark public schools, which is the largest school district in New Jersey. This was right after some legislation was passed that allowed the state to build schools for these underrepresented underserved school districts. It was a case, uh, Abbott vs. Burke. Basically they set aside $8.6 billion to rebuild the schools in these underserved areas, Newark being one. We had a long range plan to build 40 new schools, and work on 30 more schools. I was kind of in charge of architect selection. When they came in to talk about how we're going to approach the new design, there was all this buzz about sustainability and LEED certification and energy conservation. I just said, I can't sit here in these meetings and not know what these guys are talking about.
That designation is largely held by architects and engineers because they're physically doing the drawing and the calculations. But I said, I'm going to study, I'm going to take the test so I can speak the language. I did that in 1990. I did that in 2004 and I have maintained accreditation since then. As a matter of fact, we must have 30 credits every two years. I just renewed it in July. So, I'm still holding that accreditation. I use it as a bit of a differentiator in business. You must have something that allows you to pull ahead of your competition at some point.
Jackie Morreale (03:27)
This seems like an example of your entire life and kind of how you do things. You want to speak the language, you want to understand. If there's an accreditation you're going to get it. Let's start off with some background questions. Tell me your full name, your hometown and your current location.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (03:32)
I'm William S. Parrish, Jr. In conversation it's Bill, but you write a check, you have to write William. I'm from East Orange, New Jersey; probably 20 minutes west of Manhattan, it'll still take you 90 minutes to drive in on some days. I'm in North Jersey now, about 20 minutes west of Newark Airport. Still in the same area and excited for all opportunities on the table.
Jackie Morreale (04:10)
Are you mostly working on the New Jersey side or into the boroughs and New York as well, or it just depends on the project?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (04:15)
Since the pandemic, we pulled back from New York. We've been solely in New Jersey. Prior to the pandemic, we had an office in Harlem for 10 years on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 138th and 139th Street. That really aided our growth in addition to our office in Newark at the time.
New York small business just felt like it had a different pace. The businesses were more in tune. My first trip to lobby legislators was in New York business excursion to Albany on lobby day. I didn't see that thrust in New Jersey. People always talk about New Jersey and all the municipalities and home rule and how everybody is so segmented. By some counts, there's 600 municipalities in New Jersey, right? I just never saw the cohesiveness and thrust for small business the way we saw it in New York. That's why we opened an office in New York.
Jackie Morreale (05:08)
Makes sense. There's so much opportunity in new building in New Jersey. Different, right? A little more spaced out than Manhattan, but so many opportunities.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (05:16)
Yes. Our focus right now is New Jersey, specifically North Jersey. Our last several projects have been in Newark specifically because now, in addition to public and private commercial clients, we've been doing a lot more with nonprofits. I'm surprised at how robust some local nonprofits are in terms of funding and programming. Some have lots of real estate, some have multiple schools, and we found another niche to target in the nonprofit sector. I'm glad about that.
Jackie Morreale (05:46)
Your work that you did as the director for Newark schools with the 40 + 30 schools, was that a launching point where you started Noble Strategy? Was Noble Strategy a result of any particular project or just a time in your life where you wanted to branch out and be an entrepreneur?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (06:04)
I've always wanted to start my own firm and people always said, before you do that, go work for someone else. You need experience, but I also learned you need relationships. Because people do business with people they know. I went to Newark public schools in 2002, knowing that I wanted to start my own business. So, I started it. I had been counseling businesses about getting any advantage you can get. If you can qualify for a disadvantage business enterprise certification, you can get it. Or minority business or small business. The key to all of those was: you had to be in business at least three years. When I say be in business, you had to file taxes. I started that in 2002, and I worked for the district knowing, unlike some people who work in a school district, I wasn't counting years to retirement. After two or three years, there's going to be something else I got to do. Once I got my first certification which was with New Jersey Transit for DBE Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, I put my plan together and I left the school district in 2005 to start my full-time job.
People always talk about being in business and some people say, well, you're never really in business until you have to make payroll, because there quite a few businesses that are just one person, some with payroll or not. Then, other people say, well, you're not really in business until you get sued. Then some people will say, well, you're not really in business until you miss a payroll. That is something that happened to me when I worked as an employee for a minority owned construction management firm. I said, wow, I never want anyone that works for me to have to experience this, but life happens. I've been able to learn and see and grow from so many opportunities and experiences that created kind of where we are and who we are as a solutions firm now.
Jackie Morreale (07:47)
Amazing. It sounds like COVID changed a lot of things, right? More localized to New Jersey area. But it sounds like you re-strategize and figure out how to make it work no matter what.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (07:58)
As an entrepreneur, you have to be available and open to pivot. Markets will change.
Sometimes at these public agencies, we had multiple contracts at the SCA for probably 12 years. That's a long time. Then sometimes people change and all of sudden the consultants change. Sometimes it's a piece of legislation that changes what you're doing. I can remember when I first started the business, until the contracts came in, I had to get something done. I was doing home inspections. It was going pretty well. I was working with a couple of attorneys who liked the way I wrote and made presentations, because in construction management, all we do is presentations. If you bought a house and you see the home inspection, they're not very high on presentation. I had gotten some that were just kind of checklist, checklist. I started making these robust, graphically pleasing home inspections. I would say that until the law changed in New Jersey that said your home inspector had to be working under a PE or to be an engineer in training. So legislation will shift your market.
In the case of COVID, these environmental issues will shift. It caused us to go from 30 employees to none. You can't just sit there. You've got to find a way to pick the pieces up and pivot and move forward.
Jackie Morreale (09:13)
Let's talk about the grand picture of it. I know you've been in the business for 40 years. Describe to us in a couple words what do you do now and what is your passion?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (09:21)
Our firm serves as eyes and ears for owners on construction projects, basically. Somebody who can understand and interpret architectural design, engineering issues, community issues, building department issues, and then we have to motivate the contractors. When I say motivate, you have to know where to look to know that they're not on schedule. You have to understand scheduling. You have to be able to present recovery sometimes to a schedule or acceleration. You have to have the right techniques. Then you have to be able to synthesize all of these pieces and get everyone on the same page playing the same sheet music to complete your project in the terms that your client needs. Most people think, I've just got to finish on time. For some people, it's not finishing on time, it might be finishing on budget. We strive to do quality, budget, and schedule at every stage. If you're building casinos, they probably don't care much about the money, but if they had to be open by September 1st and they recognize they lose $8 million a day every day, they're not open. They're not going to be worried about the money. They're just going to say, get me finished on September 1st.
Whereas a school would be different. They don't want to be in the newspaper because now all these parents can't go to work because the school is not open and it's embarrassing. That's a different set of issues. It's all based on your client knowing what is governing and how you must operate.
Jackie Morreale (10:51)
At what point of a construction project are you usually part of the team? Are you there when they're breaking ground? Or from the get-go planning stages, through all the processes, through all the scheduling, with all the different trades, making sure everything's working out perfectly, all the way to topping out, punch list finishing and hopefully keeping that client moving on to the next project?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (11:19)
Ideally, we come in as early as we can. When the client recognizes they have a project and they want to select an architect, that's usually the beginning. We love to be there. In a lot of cases we've written RFPs for architect selection and assist them in selecting their architects. Then we manage the design process. Sometimes, the architects go away for 10 to 12 months and they're doing different phases of drawing development. We monitor that and do constructability reviews to make certain everything is still tied into the budget, it's still tied into the client's needs and program.
Then we go through to contractor selection. We would provide bid support once the bid goes out or the RFP for selection. Then everything from pre-construction to pre-award, all the bond insurance requirements and taking care of all that stuff, trade payment breakdowns to make sure. Yeah, even the financials. Because part of your management is managing the finances. If you're a $30 million building and the first requisition, the contractor says, I need $10 million and you pay them, you're in trouble. Understanding what the value of the work is and how you should progress a contractor to keep them engaged, but also keep them engaged. Ideally, we are at the very beginning, but so often in the RFP process, an agency or an owner has already hired an architect, developed their program, and right before they go to try to find a contractor, they may say, well, we want somebody to manage the construction.
That's when we'll respond to an RFP and get selected and then manage it from the design completion through the bid and through procuring a contractor and all the construction on site through closeout and moving and tenant occupancy.
Jackie Morreale (13:05)
What is your passion? Is it one of these processes? It could even be something totally unrelated to construction management.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (13:19)
I have to say, my passion is teaching. I've been fascinated with construction since grade school and I can remember those career days when they would come in with flashcards and they would show different occupations. I remember seeing a big flashcard, where it was a construction site and there was a guy digging a hole, and there was a guy standing on top of the hole with a hard hat and a suit and a roll of drawings on this arm and he was just pointing in the hole. I said, I'd like to do that. I don't want to dig the hole. I want to tell the guy to keep digging… Until I realized how much money the guys make digging the holes. But it was my first job. I was telling them to keep digging and they were making triple what I was making.
Jackie Morreale (13:59)
Listen, the trades work really hard and they deserve it. It's really hard on their body too a lot of times. So, if you're going to bust your butt and make your schedule, it's worth every bonus. It's a lot of hard work.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (14:05)
Yeah, and they deserve it. It balances out the longer you stay in the industry, and you can gravitate to the management side.
For the last almost 20 years, I've been an adjunct at New York University in the Real Estate Institute. I love to teach. I love to impart knowledge. I love to discover knowledge and learning. It's a fascination. I love to be able to impart it to someone and mostly adult learners. I'm able to do that as an adjunct.
Then in my work, being able to see something from nothing. Construction is on a set of blueprints. There's a hole in the ground and then, 12 - 18 months, you come back and it's a 14-story building. That's fascinating to me. I have a passion for design and construction. I've always been fascinated by bridges and tunnels but I've never worked on a bridge or tunnel.
Jackie Morreale (15:05)
There's always the next project, right?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (15:09)
I don't know how I would do now on a bridge. As you get older, your inhibitions get pronounced. I'm not sure I might have to just fold that away.
Jackie Morreale (15:13)
You never know. I'm pretty sure that you're a big picture visionary thinker, and if that's what you really want to do is to build a bridge. I know that that's what you're going to do. I'm so impressed by you. You have such amazing vision and knowledge of the industry. You've been doing this for a long time and now you're taking what you're doing and you're applying it and helping other professionals grow in their own careers. Isn't that just the trick to life to be doing what you're really passionate about? Here you are doing it.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (15:32)
It really is. I would tell younger students, when they're seeking mentors, find people in your field who have had some level of accomplishment because so often they feel an obligation to give back. That's exactly what I feel.
As an entrepreneur, I've always felt an obligation to give back. You made it to this point. You're obligated to go back and grab someone else, and teach.
‘Lifting as we climb’, you know a little bit about our fraternity-implied motto. Omega Psi Phi fraternity incorporated, just to give a shout out for that. You have an Epsilon chapter, which was Hampton University that I played in the spring of 1987.
Jackie Morreale (16:15)
Love it: Lift as I climb. Hampton is in Virginia, right?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (16:29)
Yes, it is.
Most people, after you've accomplished, don't mind sharing. I use that in my life; my mentors are folks who are extremely accomplished who try to transfer some of what they've accomplished down the line. It's rewarding.
So not only have I benefited from that, but I take that approach as well. I want to benefit someone else as well.
Jackie Morreale (16:53)
Unstoppable, Bill. You've got your hands in so many different things and now you're going for the PhD. I can't wait to see what you do with it for this industry that really could use, I think, some visionary thinkers. I can't wait to see what happens with Noble Strategy as a result as well. It's going to take over the world.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (17:11)
Yeah. I've always been fascinated by technology's impact on our traditional business. When I went to grad school back in 1999, I said, I want to see how technology is going to revolutionize the industry. It certainly started back when.
We were going from bricks and mortar stores to clicks and mortar, right? And then, electronic services. I remember doing a project on a company called E-Steel. How can you E-Steel? It was so hard and tactile. How do you make a technology-based, internet-based business out of that? But what they were doing was revolutionizing the way we buy steel in the industry. So, you're not faxing because back then we were faxing price sheets for cold rolled steel and steel sheets and fabricators. All they did was create a vertical market with the internet.
They made the transactions electronic. They were able to aggregate more information, more manufacturers, different types of fabrication, and then lower the price and then charge people to get on their information highway, if you will, this vertical market. It was fascinating. I'm still there now that technology is moving even more iterations.
Robotics is fascinating to me, and job displacement. It was a time when, it was just the unskilled and low skilled workers would be replaced by technology, robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence. But now even that's changing. I used to think, there'll always be a need for the master carpenter who's a cabinet maker or doing custom woodworking. That's changing. Where it takes us is going to be interesting.
Jackie Morreale (18:43)
It's crazy. Construction is an interesting industry in that it is, as you mentioned, brick and mortar. The Empire State Building was built with similar methods that we're using today. When we think about innovation and technology, it's about the processes. It's about going lean. It's about using technology to optimize your schedule. Keep a safer construction site. There are so many different ways to use, I don't want to say AI, but technology in construction management, especially.
I agree with you and I'm so curious as to how robotics could help - let's talk positively – help with trades and make their job easier and safer and quicker. How it would affect those who are managing a big project, would it help you stay on time? Or would it help it be a safer project? Or generate more LEED credits or have it end up being a more environmentally friendly, sustainable project at the end of the day?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (19:23)
Talking about positive effect, during the early ‘90s, I was an inspector for schools, most of the schools are old in New York City. They're all four, five, six story buildings. Masonry is crumbling. There are lot of pointing jobs, rebuilding the Masonry parapets. To walk an exterior scaffold five stories up is pretty precarious. Even at 25, I was concerned. Now we can send the drone up and do the same inspection.
Jackie Morreale (20:08)
Right, drones! One of the things I learned at Turner was about a concrete core building. The idea that you could create this core at the center of the building that's so strong that the rest is enfolding around it and is more stable. There's so much there.
I know you're going to build a bridge or a tunnel at the end of the day, and I know you're going to make it safer. I was in marketing, so I'm just covering what other people are doing, like the experts like you who are out in the field, covering how they laid Hudson Yards, how they laid the foundation, which now has the incredible neighborhood that is Hudson Yards. Over active trains! It's just an amazing thing to me and how it's planned to such a degree that it can be done safely and managed correctly. It blows my mind.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (20:55)
We were actually a finalist for a workforce development contract on that. Ultimately, we didn't get it. We were like one of three firms. In our business, there's so much presentation and marketing, and it's all integrated. You can't just say what you're going to do. You have to show graphically for people who don't do it every day, what you're going to do and how you're going to do it and how you're going to guard their interests.
I love the industry. So much writing technical proposals.
When I teach, the first thing is, I ask students to determine core competency. What is it that you do? In order for you to be selected for this two-year assignment, you might have 20 minutes to explain to someone not only what you do, why you're the best at it, and why they should select you. If you're not sure exactly what you do, how can you convince them?
I know you've been in those presentations. I used to love going in our joint venture work with a lot of large firms in New York. When we get to the meetings, the first thing the marketing folks ask is, where am I charging this time? Here in small business, everybody's just working. And the marketing folks are always like, I need a job code to charge this time, too.
Jackie Morreale (22:04)
Well, listen, I that's the side that I'm comfortable with. The nice thing about a big company like Turner is everybody's shifting roles. Everybody sort of understands the different positions. Whether it's sales and marketing, or estimating, which is, my gosh, a feat of science and math and so incredible, purchasing any sort of field, safety, superintending, project management, project executives. From top to bottom, there's such intense responsibility on each level along the way. It's a team effort and you inspire me.
(Continued below)
Hello, my name is Jackie Morreale, and I'm the host of Wisdom for Wannabes, a new podcast series that seeks to discover wise words in business, beauty and betterment. Today's focus is the topic of business by way of entrepreneurship in the construction management industry in New York City and beyond. I have the good fortune of knowing our guest by way of two worlds colliding, through the New York City Construction Management Industry, and also as a fellow colleague undertaking a PhD degree in business at Florida Atlantic University as part of this year's incoming cohort.
It is my pleasure to introduce today's featured guest, William S. Parrish, Jr. Thank you so much for joining me today, Bill.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (00:44)
Thank you so much, Jackie. This is a pleasure. I'm very excited to be here. Thank you again.
Jackie Morreale (00:49)
Absolutely. I love when I meet somebody and we just click. Then, we dig a little deeper and we find out, wow, we actually have all these connections and so many things in common. Some things are just meant to be. Let me brag a little bit about you, Bill.
William S. Parrish Jr. is the founder, president and CEO of Noble Strategy, a certified MSDBE firm, serving the metropolitan New York, New Jersey area that delivers professional construction management services consisting of owner's representation, project inspection, estimating, safety analysis, scheduling and project program technology management to public and private entities in the K through 12 education, civic and corporate sectors. Bill has 40 years of experience in construction management, consulting, workforce development and training. As a LEED 2.0 accredited professional, Bill has consistently coordinated and delivered large scale multi-stage agency owner facilities where success depends on the balance of environmental sustainability, community stakeholders, civic representation, agency resources, and technical staff. It is like balancing on a tightrope in construction. There are so many things going on.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (02:03)
I was the director of design and construction for Newark public schools, which is the largest school district in New Jersey. This was right after some legislation was passed that allowed the state to build schools for these underrepresented underserved school districts. It was a case, uh, Abbott vs. Burke. Basically they set aside $8.6 billion to rebuild the schools in these underserved areas, Newark being one. We had a long range plan to build 40 new schools, and work on 30 more schools. I was kind of in charge of architect selection. When they came in to talk about how we're going to approach the new design, there was all this buzz about sustainability and LEED certification and energy conservation. I just said, I can't sit here in these meetings and not know what these guys are talking about.
That designation is largely held by architects and engineers because they're physically doing the drawing and the calculations. But I said, I'm going to study, I'm going to take the test so I can speak the language. I did that in 1990. I did that in 2004 and I have maintained accreditation since then. As a matter of fact, we must have 30 credits every two years. I just renewed it in July. So, I'm still holding that accreditation. I use it as a bit of a differentiator in business. You must have something that allows you to pull ahead of your competition at some point.
Jackie Morreale (03:27)
This seems like an example of your entire life and kind of how you do things. You want to speak the language, you want to understand. If there's an accreditation you're going to get it. Let's start off with some background questions. Tell me your full name, your hometown and your current location.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (03:32)
I'm William S. Parrish, Jr. In conversation it's Bill, but you write a check, you have to write William. I'm from East Orange, New Jersey; probably 20 minutes west of Manhattan, it'll still take you 90 minutes to drive in on some days. I'm in North Jersey now, about 20 minutes west of Newark Airport. Still in the same area and excited for all opportunities on the table.
Jackie Morreale (04:10)
Are you mostly working on the New Jersey side or into the boroughs and New York as well, or it just depends on the project?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (04:15)
Since the pandemic, we pulled back from New York. We've been solely in New Jersey. Prior to the pandemic, we had an office in Harlem for 10 years on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 138th and 139th Street. That really aided our growth in addition to our office in Newark at the time.
New York small business just felt like it had a different pace. The businesses were more in tune. My first trip to lobby legislators was in New York business excursion to Albany on lobby day. I didn't see that thrust in New Jersey. People always talk about New Jersey and all the municipalities and home rule and how everybody is so segmented. By some counts, there's 600 municipalities in New Jersey, right? I just never saw the cohesiveness and thrust for small business the way we saw it in New York. That's why we opened an office in New York.
Jackie Morreale (05:08)
Makes sense. There's so much opportunity in new building in New Jersey. Different, right? A little more spaced out than Manhattan, but so many opportunities.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (05:16)
Yes. Our focus right now is New Jersey, specifically North Jersey. Our last several projects have been in Newark specifically because now, in addition to public and private commercial clients, we've been doing a lot more with nonprofits. I'm surprised at how robust some local nonprofits are in terms of funding and programming. Some have lots of real estate, some have multiple schools, and we found another niche to target in the nonprofit sector. I'm glad about that.
Jackie Morreale (05:46)
Your work that you did as the director for Newark schools with the 40 + 30 schools, was that a launching point where you started Noble Strategy? Was Noble Strategy a result of any particular project or just a time in your life where you wanted to branch out and be an entrepreneur?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (06:04)
I've always wanted to start my own firm and people always said, before you do that, go work for someone else. You need experience, but I also learned you need relationships. Because people do business with people they know. I went to Newark public schools in 2002, knowing that I wanted to start my own business. So, I started it. I had been counseling businesses about getting any advantage you can get. If you can qualify for a disadvantage business enterprise certification, you can get it. Or minority business or small business. The key to all of those was: you had to be in business at least three years. When I say be in business, you had to file taxes. I started that in 2002, and I worked for the district knowing, unlike some people who work in a school district, I wasn't counting years to retirement. After two or three years, there's going to be something else I got to do. Once I got my first certification which was with New Jersey Transit for DBE Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, I put my plan together and I left the school district in 2005 to start my full-time job.
People always talk about being in business and some people say, well, you're never really in business until you have to make payroll, because there quite a few businesses that are just one person, some with payroll or not. Then, other people say, well, you're not really in business until you get sued. Then some people will say, well, you're not really in business until you miss a payroll. That is something that happened to me when I worked as an employee for a minority owned construction management firm. I said, wow, I never want anyone that works for me to have to experience this, but life happens. I've been able to learn and see and grow from so many opportunities and experiences that created kind of where we are and who we are as a solutions firm now.
Jackie Morreale (07:47)
Amazing. It sounds like COVID changed a lot of things, right? More localized to New Jersey area. But it sounds like you re-strategize and figure out how to make it work no matter what.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (07:58)
As an entrepreneur, you have to be available and open to pivot. Markets will change.
Sometimes at these public agencies, we had multiple contracts at the SCA for probably 12 years. That's a long time. Then sometimes people change and all of sudden the consultants change. Sometimes it's a piece of legislation that changes what you're doing. I can remember when I first started the business, until the contracts came in, I had to get something done. I was doing home inspections. It was going pretty well. I was working with a couple of attorneys who liked the way I wrote and made presentations, because in construction management, all we do is presentations. If you bought a house and you see the home inspection, they're not very high on presentation. I had gotten some that were just kind of checklist, checklist. I started making these robust, graphically pleasing home inspections. I would say that until the law changed in New Jersey that said your home inspector had to be working under a PE or to be an engineer in training. So legislation will shift your market.
In the case of COVID, these environmental issues will shift. It caused us to go from 30 employees to none. You can't just sit there. You've got to find a way to pick the pieces up and pivot and move forward.
Jackie Morreale (09:13)
Let's talk about the grand picture of it. I know you've been in the business for 40 years. Describe to us in a couple words what do you do now and what is your passion?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (09:21)
Our firm serves as eyes and ears for owners on construction projects, basically. Somebody who can understand and interpret architectural design, engineering issues, community issues, building department issues, and then we have to motivate the contractors. When I say motivate, you have to know where to look to know that they're not on schedule. You have to understand scheduling. You have to be able to present recovery sometimes to a schedule or acceleration. You have to have the right techniques. Then you have to be able to synthesize all of these pieces and get everyone on the same page playing the same sheet music to complete your project in the terms that your client needs. Most people think, I've just got to finish on time. For some people, it's not finishing on time, it might be finishing on budget. We strive to do quality, budget, and schedule at every stage. If you're building casinos, they probably don't care much about the money, but if they had to be open by September 1st and they recognize they lose $8 million a day every day, they're not open. They're not going to be worried about the money. They're just going to say, get me finished on September 1st.
Whereas a school would be different. They don't want to be in the newspaper because now all these parents can't go to work because the school is not open and it's embarrassing. That's a different set of issues. It's all based on your client knowing what is governing and how you must operate.
Jackie Morreale (10:51)
At what point of a construction project are you usually part of the team? Are you there when they're breaking ground? Or from the get-go planning stages, through all the processes, through all the scheduling, with all the different trades, making sure everything's working out perfectly, all the way to topping out, punch list finishing and hopefully keeping that client moving on to the next project?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (11:19)
Ideally, we come in as early as we can. When the client recognizes they have a project and they want to select an architect, that's usually the beginning. We love to be there. In a lot of cases we've written RFPs for architect selection and assist them in selecting their architects. Then we manage the design process. Sometimes, the architects go away for 10 to 12 months and they're doing different phases of drawing development. We monitor that and do constructability reviews to make certain everything is still tied into the budget, it's still tied into the client's needs and program.
Then we go through to contractor selection. We would provide bid support once the bid goes out or the RFP for selection. Then everything from pre-construction to pre-award, all the bond insurance requirements and taking care of all that stuff, trade payment breakdowns to make sure. Yeah, even the financials. Because part of your management is managing the finances. If you're a $30 million building and the first requisition, the contractor says, I need $10 million and you pay them, you're in trouble. Understanding what the value of the work is and how you should progress a contractor to keep them engaged, but also keep them engaged. Ideally, we are at the very beginning, but so often in the RFP process, an agency or an owner has already hired an architect, developed their program, and right before they go to try to find a contractor, they may say, well, we want somebody to manage the construction.
That's when we'll respond to an RFP and get selected and then manage it from the design completion through the bid and through procuring a contractor and all the construction on site through closeout and moving and tenant occupancy.
Jackie Morreale (13:05)
What is your passion? Is it one of these processes? It could even be something totally unrelated to construction management.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (13:19)
I have to say, my passion is teaching. I've been fascinated with construction since grade school and I can remember those career days when they would come in with flashcards and they would show different occupations. I remember seeing a big flashcard, where it was a construction site and there was a guy digging a hole, and there was a guy standing on top of the hole with a hard hat and a suit and a roll of drawings on this arm and he was just pointing in the hole. I said, I'd like to do that. I don't want to dig the hole. I want to tell the guy to keep digging… Until I realized how much money the guys make digging the holes. But it was my first job. I was telling them to keep digging and they were making triple what I was making.
Jackie Morreale (13:59)
Listen, the trades work really hard and they deserve it. It's really hard on their body too a lot of times. So, if you're going to bust your butt and make your schedule, it's worth every bonus. It's a lot of hard work.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (14:05)
Yeah, and they deserve it. It balances out the longer you stay in the industry, and you can gravitate to the management side.
For the last almost 20 years, I've been an adjunct at New York University in the Real Estate Institute. I love to teach. I love to impart knowledge. I love to discover knowledge and learning. It's a fascination. I love to be able to impart it to someone and mostly adult learners. I'm able to do that as an adjunct.
Then in my work, being able to see something from nothing. Construction is on a set of blueprints. There's a hole in the ground and then, 12 - 18 months, you come back and it's a 14-story building. That's fascinating to me. I have a passion for design and construction. I've always been fascinated by bridges and tunnels but I've never worked on a bridge or tunnel.
Jackie Morreale (15:05)
There's always the next project, right?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (15:09)
I don't know how I would do now on a bridge. As you get older, your inhibitions get pronounced. I'm not sure I might have to just fold that away.
Jackie Morreale (15:13)
You never know. I'm pretty sure that you're a big picture visionary thinker, and if that's what you really want to do is to build a bridge. I know that that's what you're going to do. I'm so impressed by you. You have such amazing vision and knowledge of the industry. You've been doing this for a long time and now you're taking what you're doing and you're applying it and helping other professionals grow in their own careers. Isn't that just the trick to life to be doing what you're really passionate about? Here you are doing it.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (15:32)
It really is. I would tell younger students, when they're seeking mentors, find people in your field who have had some level of accomplishment because so often they feel an obligation to give back. That's exactly what I feel.
As an entrepreneur, I've always felt an obligation to give back. You made it to this point. You're obligated to go back and grab someone else, and teach.
‘Lifting as we climb’, you know a little bit about our fraternity-implied motto. Omega Psi Phi fraternity incorporated, just to give a shout out for that. You have an Epsilon chapter, which was Hampton University that I played in the spring of 1987.
Jackie Morreale (16:15)
Love it: Lift as I climb. Hampton is in Virginia, right?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (16:29)
Yes, it is.
Most people, after you've accomplished, don't mind sharing. I use that in my life; my mentors are folks who are extremely accomplished who try to transfer some of what they've accomplished down the line. It's rewarding.
So not only have I benefited from that, but I take that approach as well. I want to benefit someone else as well.
Jackie Morreale (16:53)
Unstoppable, Bill. You've got your hands in so many different things and now you're going for the PhD. I can't wait to see what you do with it for this industry that really could use, I think, some visionary thinkers. I can't wait to see what happens with Noble Strategy as a result as well. It's going to take over the world.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (17:11)
Yeah. I've always been fascinated by technology's impact on our traditional business. When I went to grad school back in 1999, I said, I want to see how technology is going to revolutionize the industry. It certainly started back when.
We were going from bricks and mortar stores to clicks and mortar, right? And then, electronic services. I remember doing a project on a company called E-Steel. How can you E-Steel? It was so hard and tactile. How do you make a technology-based, internet-based business out of that? But what they were doing was revolutionizing the way we buy steel in the industry. So, you're not faxing because back then we were faxing price sheets for cold rolled steel and steel sheets and fabricators. All they did was create a vertical market with the internet.
They made the transactions electronic. They were able to aggregate more information, more manufacturers, different types of fabrication, and then lower the price and then charge people to get on their information highway, if you will, this vertical market. It was fascinating. I'm still there now that technology is moving even more iterations.
Robotics is fascinating to me, and job displacement. It was a time when, it was just the unskilled and low skilled workers would be replaced by technology, robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence. But now even that's changing. I used to think, there'll always be a need for the master carpenter who's a cabinet maker or doing custom woodworking. That's changing. Where it takes us is going to be interesting.
Jackie Morreale (18:43)
It's crazy. Construction is an interesting industry in that it is, as you mentioned, brick and mortar. The Empire State Building was built with similar methods that we're using today. When we think about innovation and technology, it's about the processes. It's about going lean. It's about using technology to optimize your schedule. Keep a safer construction site. There are so many different ways to use, I don't want to say AI, but technology in construction management, especially.
I agree with you and I'm so curious as to how robotics could help - let's talk positively – help with trades and make their job easier and safer and quicker. How it would affect those who are managing a big project, would it help you stay on time? Or would it help it be a safer project? Or generate more LEED credits or have it end up being a more environmentally friendly, sustainable project at the end of the day?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (19:23)
Talking about positive effect, during the early ‘90s, I was an inspector for schools, most of the schools are old in New York City. They're all four, five, six story buildings. Masonry is crumbling. There are lot of pointing jobs, rebuilding the Masonry parapets. To walk an exterior scaffold five stories up is pretty precarious. Even at 25, I was concerned. Now we can send the drone up and do the same inspection.
Jackie Morreale (20:08)
Right, drones! One of the things I learned at Turner was about a concrete core building. The idea that you could create this core at the center of the building that's so strong that the rest is enfolding around it and is more stable. There's so much there.
I know you're going to build a bridge or a tunnel at the end of the day, and I know you're going to make it safer. I was in marketing, so I'm just covering what other people are doing, like the experts like you who are out in the field, covering how they laid Hudson Yards, how they laid the foundation, which now has the incredible neighborhood that is Hudson Yards. Over active trains! It's just an amazing thing to me and how it's planned to such a degree that it can be done safely and managed correctly. It blows my mind.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (20:55)
We were actually a finalist for a workforce development contract on that. Ultimately, we didn't get it. We were like one of three firms. In our business, there's so much presentation and marketing, and it's all integrated. You can't just say what you're going to do. You have to show graphically for people who don't do it every day, what you're going to do and how you're going to do it and how you're going to guard their interests.
I love the industry. So much writing technical proposals.
When I teach, the first thing is, I ask students to determine core competency. What is it that you do? In order for you to be selected for this two-year assignment, you might have 20 minutes to explain to someone not only what you do, why you're the best at it, and why they should select you. If you're not sure exactly what you do, how can you convince them?
I know you've been in those presentations. I used to love going in our joint venture work with a lot of large firms in New York. When we get to the meetings, the first thing the marketing folks ask is, where am I charging this time? Here in small business, everybody's just working. And the marketing folks are always like, I need a job code to charge this time, too.
Jackie Morreale (22:04)
Well, listen, I that's the side that I'm comfortable with. The nice thing about a big company like Turner is everybody's shifting roles. Everybody sort of understands the different positions. Whether it's sales and marketing, or estimating, which is, my gosh, a feat of science and math and so incredible, purchasing any sort of field, safety, superintending, project management, project executives. From top to bottom, there's such intense responsibility on each level along the way. It's a team effort and you inspire me.
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William S. Parrish, Jr. (22:42)
Yeah. Our cohort is what 24, 25 people. To be able to come in and just instantly connect with some folks is really great. I think we've done that, fantastic personality and your expertise, coming from the same places, not only region, but skill set, makes it an easier connection.
I think we're going to learn a lot from each other. I think we're going to inspire each other and we're going to get through this PhD program.
Jackie Morreale (23:02)
We're going to get through it! Exactly. Yes. I need you to keep telling me that in six months, in a year, in two years. We got this. Then the world will change!
Anyway, let's learn more about you, Bill. You're this force of nature in the New York City, New Jersey construction management scene. You're an entrepreneur. You're also a teacher. You feel this responsibility to impart your wisdom on those who are still learning.
Let's talk about the basics. So, what is your favorite food?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (23:38)
Ha! I'm largely pescatarian and plant based. I love the fact that our school had Impossible Meatloaf on Sunday for lunch. A couple of people said, I didn't even realize that was plant based and it was fantastic. I was very grateful to have those options. My favorite food is fried shrimp. Although I have some sort of allergic response to regular shrimp, I can't eat cocktail shrimp for some reason.
Jackie Morreale (24:05)
So your favorite food also gives you an allergic response?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (24:09)
Right, so when I say favorite food, I'm quick to tell you how it has to be prepared, right? That's why I said fried shrimp. I can eat grilled. I think it has to be really overcooked and well done. I love a good plant-based burger. I have my favorite places.
Jackie Morreale (24:15)
Got it, got to be fried.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (24:28)
I don't know if there any NIL deals that could come out of this, but TGI Fridays, they make a great plant-based burger and I enjoy that. If you looked at me, you probably couldn't tell I haven't eaten beef since 1988. I haven't had pork since 1987. I stopped them both when I was in undergrad, with positive peer pressure; we started reading and we started challenging. We were trying to outdo each other. We were competing on who could be healthier in my fraternity. We started reading a bunch of books.
Jackie Morreale (24:46)
Wow. This fraternity sounds like the most amazing place! Who tries to outdo each other in a fraternity for better health?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (25:05)
Yeah. So that's when I stopped pork and beef in '88. Then it was just kind of chicken and fish, that's it. I stopped eating chicken probably four years ago. My daughter, who is 24 now, at the time she was in high school, she stopped eating chicken. She was just asking questions like, where are all the chickens coming from? We had heard stories about mass production. Somebody told me to watch this documentary called, What the Health. I said, I'm not going to watch it, because I'm sure after I watch it, I'm going to have to get off of some stuff that I really don't want to do. I'm still working to get off of sugar. If I get that one right, lights out.
So I stopped eating chicken four years ago, and I eat the same thing over and over. It's very boring. I do still like French fries, so I'm not on a total health kick. I'm trying to get better. Even though the plant-based burgers have some processing, I'm eating less processed foods. I used to have have turkey sausage or chicken sausage for breakfast every day. Now I eat egg whites and spinach, know, egg white omelet with spinach and the vegetable sausage, I don't even really like the taste of all of them.
Jackie Morreale (26:10)
The nice thing about being closer to home is eating healthier. I know a lot of things have changed with COVID. I work from home. We're trying to not eat fast food as much anymore. It's really hard when you're on a job site, you're there early, you're in the city, you're there late, whatever. It's just so convenient to grab something that's fried or something that's just bad for you at the end of the day, just to keep going.
Maybe you're on a core + shell project and it's hot or it's cold or you need to stay with it and you don't have time to really think about what you're putting into your body. The nice thing I think about being closer to home is you can decide to eat slow-made food and stuff that's better for you.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (26:56)
Yeah, you have to plan. My wife doesn't allow me to have an excuse. She's saying, there are just as many salad places as fast food places. And I'm saying, I've seen some of your salads, you should have the burger. But she certainly works to keep me on task. September 3rd is our 31st wedding anniversary. I'm very glad to have her.
Jackie Morreale (27:05)
My kind of woman, yes. Yes, there's no excuses – just eat salad. And congratulations! I hope you guys have a nice big salad to celebrate.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (27:27)
I think I'm going to put that on the list.
Jackie Morreale (27:30)
I said quickfire questions, but just talking about food set us off. Let's take it back. What is your favorite place in the Tri-State area?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (27:38)
Certainly, I like water. In New Jersey, you can get to a waterfront pretty quickly. One of the things we're becoming even more known for in New Jersey, other than being the Garden State, is house music festivals.
What's happening now is every municipality, because it's growing, wants to have a music festival. They're all free. There are food trucks out there and there are DJs with these big sound systems. People just come and dance for hours. Just release, dance. No issues. Then if you don't want to dance, you can just take your chair and watch. I like to be at the house music festivals, they're always out in the park. I get to smoke a cigar, maybe drink some red wine. What's better than that?
Jackie Morreale (28:19)
Is there a favorite house music festival somewhere?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (28:22)
I think the largest one is in Roselle. It's usually around the second week in July. I went and had a ball. Every year we say, we're going to get a tent and we're going to have a cover with our chairs. I never get all the way to the end. I don't dance the whole time. Sometimes it's time for fried fish. Or somebody selling funnel cake. I didn't have anything to do with that.
Jackie Morreale (28:48)
It's not an event without a funnel cake though, really.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (28:51)
But yeah, a cigar and some wine and being able to dance, catch up with friends, and then just sit out there and watch. That's a lot of fun.
Jackie Morreale (28:58)
I remember doing something like this at the place in Asbury Park, the Stone Pony, where the ‘boss’ Bruce Springstein was kind of ‘discovered’. They would always have their stage open so that if you're on the boardwalk, you could hear the music and enjoy. New Jersey has such an amazing vibe in the summer, so creative, all outside. I love the culture. I love the people in New Jersey. Yeah, I get that that's your favorite thing.
What is your favorite book? It can be yours, by the way. Yes! Tell me more about your book.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (29:16)
Absolutely. I always pick it as my favorite. It is: Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-Million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less. It's the story of me quitting my job in June 2005 at the school district and a year and a half later grossing $2.2 million in sales and construction management. That's the story.
It talks about how I did it, and the courage it took for me to do it. I changed some names, but you're going to be very familiar with a lot of the scenarios, because I talk about construction firms and RFPs. I can remember looking for how to get started. In New Jersey, there was a huge RFP for a state police facility in Trenton. It was a hundred million dollar project. While I was still working, I got this plan, I started using my vacation days to do other things. I went to the mandatory pre-proposal meeting. I knew all the big firms would be there.
I scanned the attendance list because they sent you the attendance list looking for relationships, opportunities. I ran into a guy who worked for a big firm, and he was familiar with what I had done as an employee with other firms, translating that to your own company is a little bit different. People need to understand that you can make that translation. He said, yeah, come see us. We're pursuing a whole lot of stuff. He said, if you find something that we can work on, bring it to us. That was an open marketing thing.
I said to myself, does this mean I'm doing free marketing for this company? I'm going out finding opportunities for them. But if it means work for me and a connection and a relationship, then that's how I get started.
That's exactly how it started. I had to get past that thinking and understand that they're allowing me to create my own path here. Find something we can work together on.
It was this contract at the SCA, a $30 million contract that they had not yet won. They had been very successful, but they had not yet won the contract. With me having these 11 years experience at the SCA, the thing I love about public agencies, is people don't like the paperwork and the documentation in government. They say it's slow, but the process doesn't typically change. For that matter, the people don't typically change. Because if you worked there more than seven years, it pays for you to stay to retirement. They had early buyback and pension, all of that stuff. You almost can't leave if you've been there longer than seven years. The math doesn't work out. Believe me, we we've run all the numbers.
If you have a decent reference and people know you, the people are the same, and the process is the same, that's a built-in advantage. I went to them with that advantage, and I helped them win that 30-million-dollar contract. That was how we got started. So, the book talks about that.
It even talks about how I got started. In chapter one, I tell the story. I watch a lot of movies. In the movies, you have the disgruntled employee who's going into their supervisor. They're going in with a resignation letter in a portfolio. If something is said that they don't like, then they rip out the letter and that's it, I'm finished. I had seen that in too many movies. I had received what I thought was an unfair evaluation. I went to the superintendent of schools who had hired me who I had a decent relationship with. I went to say, I'm really dissatisfied with this evaluation and I think something should be done. I went in with the resignation letter, understanding that she was the type that could just fire you on the spot. I knew if I went up to her office and maybe she didn't like something I said, it could be curtains for me.
You remember Bugs Bunny cartoons, remember his curtains?
I went to the meeting with the resignation letter and the billfold and I got up there, and I presented the case, and it just went totally a way I didn't expect. I didn't even have time to reach for the bill fold. She didn't fire me, she just was like, the guy who did this evaluation, I'm not getting rid of him. If you've got a problem with the evaluation, then tough.
I left feeling very demoralized, then probably three or four days later I get a call from the business administrator who was a friend of mine and he says I heard you went to superintendent's office, what'd you do? I said, What do you mean, what did I do? He said, You said something that pissed her off. I told her I had an unfair evaluation. He said, She's asking for your resignation. Your last day is June 30th.
Jackie Morreale (33:47)
Is that really fair to ask for someone's resignation based on standing up for yourself?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (33:54)
That's exactly what happened. But I needed the fuel. Sometimes you need the fuel to be moved. If you're in a comfortable position, it's going to be hard to move. You're making good money and you're getting paid every two weeks. As an entrepreneur, that is not always the case. That was my kick.
I had calculated, probably 90 days prior to me going into this meeting. I had gotten the certification. I knew what I wanted to do. I was starting to use my vacation. I was in plan mode. I was running the program, but I thought I would have more time than I did. I thought it would be my determination when I said I'm ready to leave. This wasn't the case. What I said evidently suggested I wasn't on the team anymore or part of the team. And had to get rid of him.
Jackie Morreale (34:42)
Maybe you had already done some growing and you just outgrew your role without even realizing it. The way you thought was different than the way you were before.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (34:45)
Right. There's a pastor out of Maryland who would come to our church and visit. This is back when church service ends at one o'clock. You can on your way out buy the CD of the service. You can go home and listen to not only the singing, but the sermon. I would play these sermons in my office.
There was a sermon he preached called, Doing a Hundred in a Thirty. It was about you are in a place where you go in a hundred miles an hour, but you're in a thirty mile an hour zone. You got to get out of there. You got to get out of there. You can't dumb yourself down. You can't slow yourself down.
He said in the sermon, I pray that these people, whatever it takes to move them. Get them fired or get them, ready to move. Whatever it takes to move them, I pray for this movement. That was on repeat for me for weeks. I was convinced that this was supposed to happen. I just didn't expect it to happen the way it did.
I can remember feeling on top of the world, having gotten to that point where I'm now a full-time entrepreneur.
This was at the end of the school year. School year ends June 30th, and I got to leave on June 30th. Not that I don't care about what I'm doing because the reputation is always important, but I felt like now I got like 90 days to start pulling out of this place.
Jackie Morreale (36:08)
If that altercation hadn't happened, would you necessarily have had the fuel to get yourself out of there and propelled into this trajectory of having your own business and getting to where you did in the 500 days? How long would it have taken?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (36:20)
Yeah, how long would it have taken? Would it have been at the end of the school year? I probably would have kept making excuses. I probably would have kept saying maybe now is not the right time. Sometimes, in entrepreneurship, you have to be forced out of your comfort zone.
Everybody says, when you have nothing else to rely on, that's when you're to get really serious and hungry about what you're doing. The first two weeks, I felt so good. Like I quit my job. I'm still telling myself I quit my job. Because I was ready. Then after like two weeks, you're like, my God, what did I do? Like there's no more money coming.
Jackie Morreale (36:48)
What's the name of this pastor by the way from sounds amazing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (36:58)
To be quite honest, he is. His name is Jamal Harrison Bryant.
You start with the inspiration and the motivation, wherever you get it. I was convinced for a very long time that I wanted to be on my own. Just didn't know exactly how to do it.
Some people say, go to friends and family. You borrow $200,000. I didn't have those kinds of friends and family. I did borrow some money from retirement to get started. I also learned banks don't want to give new ventures money because you're not established.
They would rather give you a vacation loan for $10,000 than a loan to start a business. Okay, so we're going to Europe. I want to take my friend to Europe. Let me get the $10,000.
Jackie Morreale (37:31)
Vacation loan? I didn't even know that existed, a vacation loan.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (37:38)
Well, this was 25 years ago, but I'm sure it still exists.
Jackie Morreale (37:42)
Look, stuff like that has got to be fuel to the fire, right? You've got to take any sort of no and flip it and make it that I'm on and I'm going to push until I'm that example. I'm going to become that family member that when somebody needs something, I have it and I can provide it.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (37:59)
It's one or the other, either you're going to crumble or you're not. It really makes you a survivability thing. If you're going to exist and survive and thrive, you're going to have to be pushing and researching and being strategic. Doing all of that stuff. Like someone always exhausted.
Jackie Morreale (38:02)
Noble Strategy has been around since 2005, so 20 years, right, Bill? Yes.
So, in 2006, I started an apparel line. and I designed and made clothes locally in Tri-State area for four years. I learned a lot. I failed a lot. I had a few wins, but it's so draining.
Being an entrepreneur, we have to find ways of celebrating those wins because they're amazing. When you're especially pioneering something and going into uncharted waters and trying to figure out how you grow. And maybe you change and maybe you don't want to do it anymore. But to figure out a method that you have in this book that you can drop everything and have that urgency to succeed and make it work almost immediately in 500 days and then take that from a year and a half later to 20 years later. That is a success story, my friend. That's amazing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (39:13)
Thank you. It's like anything. You have to be committed to what you're trying to get done. That's just kind of always been the person that I am, that I've been, accomplishing specific tasks.
PhD is a specific task that I'm going to accomplish, which is part of my plan. You should always have a plan. Being an entrepreneur, you eat what you kill. You've got to go out and hunt every day for your survival. As you get closer to retirement, I don't want to hunt every day. want to hunt maybe on Mondays and Wednesdays. I've got to be able to pivot.
Jackie Morreale (39:42)
We could obviously talk for hours… I want to talk a little bit more through the quick-fire stuff. I'm just going to say it, and you tell me what your answer is, and I won't go any further than that.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (39:45)
Yeah, I like to talk too and I'm going to get a scope of that. Okay.
Jackie Morreale (39:56)
I think I already know… favorite type of music?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (39:58)
Hip hop. I was going to say ‘house’… lol, I just wanted to throw you off.
No. I love hip hop. It's hard to dance to that for three hours, but I love hip hop.
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William S. Parrish, Jr. (22:42)
Yeah. Our cohort is what 24, 25 people. To be able to come in and just instantly connect with some folks is really great. I think we've done that, fantastic personality and your expertise, coming from the same places, not only region, but skill set, makes it an easier connection.
I think we're going to learn a lot from each other. I think we're going to inspire each other and we're going to get through this PhD program.
Jackie Morreale (23:02)
We're going to get through it! Exactly. Yes. I need you to keep telling me that in six months, in a year, in two years. We got this. Then the world will change!
Anyway, let's learn more about you, Bill. You're this force of nature in the New York City, New Jersey construction management scene. You're an entrepreneur. You're also a teacher. You feel this responsibility to impart your wisdom on those who are still learning.
Let's talk about the basics. So, what is your favorite food?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (23:38)
Ha! I'm largely pescatarian and plant based. I love the fact that our school had Impossible Meatloaf on Sunday for lunch. A couple of people said, I didn't even realize that was plant based and it was fantastic. I was very grateful to have those options. My favorite food is fried shrimp. Although I have some sort of allergic response to regular shrimp, I can't eat cocktail shrimp for some reason.
Jackie Morreale (24:05)
So your favorite food also gives you an allergic response?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (24:09)
Right, so when I say favorite food, I'm quick to tell you how it has to be prepared, right? That's why I said fried shrimp. I can eat grilled. I think it has to be really overcooked and well done. I love a good plant-based burger. I have my favorite places.
Jackie Morreale (24:15)
Got it, got to be fried.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (24:28)
I don't know if there any NIL deals that could come out of this, but TGI Fridays, they make a great plant-based burger and I enjoy that. If you looked at me, you probably couldn't tell I haven't eaten beef since 1988. I haven't had pork since 1987. I stopped them both when I was in undergrad, with positive peer pressure; we started reading and we started challenging. We were trying to outdo each other. We were competing on who could be healthier in my fraternity. We started reading a bunch of books.
Jackie Morreale (24:46)
Wow. This fraternity sounds like the most amazing place! Who tries to outdo each other in a fraternity for better health?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (25:05)
Yeah. So that's when I stopped pork and beef in '88. Then it was just kind of chicken and fish, that's it. I stopped eating chicken probably four years ago. My daughter, who is 24 now, at the time she was in high school, she stopped eating chicken. She was just asking questions like, where are all the chickens coming from? We had heard stories about mass production. Somebody told me to watch this documentary called, What the Health. I said, I'm not going to watch it, because I'm sure after I watch it, I'm going to have to get off of some stuff that I really don't want to do. I'm still working to get off of sugar. If I get that one right, lights out.
So I stopped eating chicken four years ago, and I eat the same thing over and over. It's very boring. I do still like French fries, so I'm not on a total health kick. I'm trying to get better. Even though the plant-based burgers have some processing, I'm eating less processed foods. I used to have have turkey sausage or chicken sausage for breakfast every day. Now I eat egg whites and spinach, know, egg white omelet with spinach and the vegetable sausage, I don't even really like the taste of all of them.
Jackie Morreale (26:10)
The nice thing about being closer to home is eating healthier. I know a lot of things have changed with COVID. I work from home. We're trying to not eat fast food as much anymore. It's really hard when you're on a job site, you're there early, you're in the city, you're there late, whatever. It's just so convenient to grab something that's fried or something that's just bad for you at the end of the day, just to keep going.
Maybe you're on a core + shell project and it's hot or it's cold or you need to stay with it and you don't have time to really think about what you're putting into your body. The nice thing I think about being closer to home is you can decide to eat slow-made food and stuff that's better for you.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (26:56)
Yeah, you have to plan. My wife doesn't allow me to have an excuse. She's saying, there are just as many salad places as fast food places. And I'm saying, I've seen some of your salads, you should have the burger. But she certainly works to keep me on task. September 3rd is our 31st wedding anniversary. I'm very glad to have her.
Jackie Morreale (27:05)
My kind of woman, yes. Yes, there's no excuses – just eat salad. And congratulations! I hope you guys have a nice big salad to celebrate.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (27:27)
I think I'm going to put that on the list.
Jackie Morreale (27:30)
I said quickfire questions, but just talking about food set us off. Let's take it back. What is your favorite place in the Tri-State area?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (27:38)
Certainly, I like water. In New Jersey, you can get to a waterfront pretty quickly. One of the things we're becoming even more known for in New Jersey, other than being the Garden State, is house music festivals.
What's happening now is every municipality, because it's growing, wants to have a music festival. They're all free. There are food trucks out there and there are DJs with these big sound systems. People just come and dance for hours. Just release, dance. No issues. Then if you don't want to dance, you can just take your chair and watch. I like to be at the house music festivals, they're always out in the park. I get to smoke a cigar, maybe drink some red wine. What's better than that?
Jackie Morreale (28:19)
Is there a favorite house music festival somewhere?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (28:22)
I think the largest one is in Roselle. It's usually around the second week in July. I went and had a ball. Every year we say, we're going to get a tent and we're going to have a cover with our chairs. I never get all the way to the end. I don't dance the whole time. Sometimes it's time for fried fish. Or somebody selling funnel cake. I didn't have anything to do with that.
Jackie Morreale (28:48)
It's not an event without a funnel cake though, really.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (28:51)
But yeah, a cigar and some wine and being able to dance, catch up with friends, and then just sit out there and watch. That's a lot of fun.
Jackie Morreale (28:58)
I remember doing something like this at the place in Asbury Park, the Stone Pony, where the ‘boss’ Bruce Springstein was kind of ‘discovered’. They would always have their stage open so that if you're on the boardwalk, you could hear the music and enjoy. New Jersey has such an amazing vibe in the summer, so creative, all outside. I love the culture. I love the people in New Jersey. Yeah, I get that that's your favorite thing.
What is your favorite book? It can be yours, by the way. Yes! Tell me more about your book.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (29:16)
Absolutely. I always pick it as my favorite. It is: Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-Million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less. It's the story of me quitting my job in June 2005 at the school district and a year and a half later grossing $2.2 million in sales and construction management. That's the story.
It talks about how I did it, and the courage it took for me to do it. I changed some names, but you're going to be very familiar with a lot of the scenarios, because I talk about construction firms and RFPs. I can remember looking for how to get started. In New Jersey, there was a huge RFP for a state police facility in Trenton. It was a hundred million dollar project. While I was still working, I got this plan, I started using my vacation days to do other things. I went to the mandatory pre-proposal meeting. I knew all the big firms would be there.
I scanned the attendance list because they sent you the attendance list looking for relationships, opportunities. I ran into a guy who worked for a big firm, and he was familiar with what I had done as an employee with other firms, translating that to your own company is a little bit different. People need to understand that you can make that translation. He said, yeah, come see us. We're pursuing a whole lot of stuff. He said, if you find something that we can work on, bring it to us. That was an open marketing thing.
I said to myself, does this mean I'm doing free marketing for this company? I'm going out finding opportunities for them. But if it means work for me and a connection and a relationship, then that's how I get started.
That's exactly how it started. I had to get past that thinking and understand that they're allowing me to create my own path here. Find something we can work together on.
It was this contract at the SCA, a $30 million contract that they had not yet won. They had been very successful, but they had not yet won the contract. With me having these 11 years experience at the SCA, the thing I love about public agencies, is people don't like the paperwork and the documentation in government. They say it's slow, but the process doesn't typically change. For that matter, the people don't typically change. Because if you worked there more than seven years, it pays for you to stay to retirement. They had early buyback and pension, all of that stuff. You almost can't leave if you've been there longer than seven years. The math doesn't work out. Believe me, we we've run all the numbers.
If you have a decent reference and people know you, the people are the same, and the process is the same, that's a built-in advantage. I went to them with that advantage, and I helped them win that 30-million-dollar contract. That was how we got started. So, the book talks about that.
It even talks about how I got started. In chapter one, I tell the story. I watch a lot of movies. In the movies, you have the disgruntled employee who's going into their supervisor. They're going in with a resignation letter in a portfolio. If something is said that they don't like, then they rip out the letter and that's it, I'm finished. I had seen that in too many movies. I had received what I thought was an unfair evaluation. I went to the superintendent of schools who had hired me who I had a decent relationship with. I went to say, I'm really dissatisfied with this evaluation and I think something should be done. I went in with the resignation letter, understanding that she was the type that could just fire you on the spot. I knew if I went up to her office and maybe she didn't like something I said, it could be curtains for me.
You remember Bugs Bunny cartoons, remember his curtains?
I went to the meeting with the resignation letter and the billfold and I got up there, and I presented the case, and it just went totally a way I didn't expect. I didn't even have time to reach for the bill fold. She didn't fire me, she just was like, the guy who did this evaluation, I'm not getting rid of him. If you've got a problem with the evaluation, then tough.
I left feeling very demoralized, then probably three or four days later I get a call from the business administrator who was a friend of mine and he says I heard you went to superintendent's office, what'd you do? I said, What do you mean, what did I do? He said, You said something that pissed her off. I told her I had an unfair evaluation. He said, She's asking for your resignation. Your last day is June 30th.
Jackie Morreale (33:47)
Is that really fair to ask for someone's resignation based on standing up for yourself?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (33:54)
That's exactly what happened. But I needed the fuel. Sometimes you need the fuel to be moved. If you're in a comfortable position, it's going to be hard to move. You're making good money and you're getting paid every two weeks. As an entrepreneur, that is not always the case. That was my kick.
I had calculated, probably 90 days prior to me going into this meeting. I had gotten the certification. I knew what I wanted to do. I was starting to use my vacation. I was in plan mode. I was running the program, but I thought I would have more time than I did. I thought it would be my determination when I said I'm ready to leave. This wasn't the case. What I said evidently suggested I wasn't on the team anymore or part of the team. And had to get rid of him.
Jackie Morreale (34:42)
Maybe you had already done some growing and you just outgrew your role without even realizing it. The way you thought was different than the way you were before.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (34:45)
Right. There's a pastor out of Maryland who would come to our church and visit. This is back when church service ends at one o'clock. You can on your way out buy the CD of the service. You can go home and listen to not only the singing, but the sermon. I would play these sermons in my office.
There was a sermon he preached called, Doing a Hundred in a Thirty. It was about you are in a place where you go in a hundred miles an hour, but you're in a thirty mile an hour zone. You got to get out of there. You got to get out of there. You can't dumb yourself down. You can't slow yourself down.
He said in the sermon, I pray that these people, whatever it takes to move them. Get them fired or get them, ready to move. Whatever it takes to move them, I pray for this movement. That was on repeat for me for weeks. I was convinced that this was supposed to happen. I just didn't expect it to happen the way it did.
I can remember feeling on top of the world, having gotten to that point where I'm now a full-time entrepreneur.
This was at the end of the school year. School year ends June 30th, and I got to leave on June 30th. Not that I don't care about what I'm doing because the reputation is always important, but I felt like now I got like 90 days to start pulling out of this place.
Jackie Morreale (36:08)
If that altercation hadn't happened, would you necessarily have had the fuel to get yourself out of there and propelled into this trajectory of having your own business and getting to where you did in the 500 days? How long would it have taken?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (36:20)
Yeah, how long would it have taken? Would it have been at the end of the school year? I probably would have kept making excuses. I probably would have kept saying maybe now is not the right time. Sometimes, in entrepreneurship, you have to be forced out of your comfort zone.
Everybody says, when you have nothing else to rely on, that's when you're to get really serious and hungry about what you're doing. The first two weeks, I felt so good. Like I quit my job. I'm still telling myself I quit my job. Because I was ready. Then after like two weeks, you're like, my God, what did I do? Like there's no more money coming.
Jackie Morreale (36:48)
What's the name of this pastor by the way from sounds amazing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (36:58)
To be quite honest, he is. His name is Jamal Harrison Bryant.
You start with the inspiration and the motivation, wherever you get it. I was convinced for a very long time that I wanted to be on my own. Just didn't know exactly how to do it.
Some people say, go to friends and family. You borrow $200,000. I didn't have those kinds of friends and family. I did borrow some money from retirement to get started. I also learned banks don't want to give new ventures money because you're not established.
They would rather give you a vacation loan for $10,000 than a loan to start a business. Okay, so we're going to Europe. I want to take my friend to Europe. Let me get the $10,000.
Jackie Morreale (37:31)
Vacation loan? I didn't even know that existed, a vacation loan.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (37:38)
Well, this was 25 years ago, but I'm sure it still exists.
Jackie Morreale (37:42)
Look, stuff like that has got to be fuel to the fire, right? You've got to take any sort of no and flip it and make it that I'm on and I'm going to push until I'm that example. I'm going to become that family member that when somebody needs something, I have it and I can provide it.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (37:59)
It's one or the other, either you're going to crumble or you're not. It really makes you a survivability thing. If you're going to exist and survive and thrive, you're going to have to be pushing and researching and being strategic. Doing all of that stuff. Like someone always exhausted.
Jackie Morreale (38:02)
Noble Strategy has been around since 2005, so 20 years, right, Bill? Yes.
So, in 2006, I started an apparel line. and I designed and made clothes locally in Tri-State area for four years. I learned a lot. I failed a lot. I had a few wins, but it's so draining.
Being an entrepreneur, we have to find ways of celebrating those wins because they're amazing. When you're especially pioneering something and going into uncharted waters and trying to figure out how you grow. And maybe you change and maybe you don't want to do it anymore. But to figure out a method that you have in this book that you can drop everything and have that urgency to succeed and make it work almost immediately in 500 days and then take that from a year and a half later to 20 years later. That is a success story, my friend. That's amazing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (39:13)
Thank you. It's like anything. You have to be committed to what you're trying to get done. That's just kind of always been the person that I am, that I've been, accomplishing specific tasks.
PhD is a specific task that I'm going to accomplish, which is part of my plan. You should always have a plan. Being an entrepreneur, you eat what you kill. You've got to go out and hunt every day for your survival. As you get closer to retirement, I don't want to hunt every day. want to hunt maybe on Mondays and Wednesdays. I've got to be able to pivot.
Jackie Morreale (39:42)
We could obviously talk for hours… I want to talk a little bit more through the quick-fire stuff. I'm just going to say it, and you tell me what your answer is, and I won't go any further than that.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (39:45)
Yeah, I like to talk too and I'm going to get a scope of that. Okay.
Jackie Morreale (39:56)
I think I already know… favorite type of music?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (39:58)
Hip hop. I was going to say ‘house’… lol, I just wanted to throw you off.
No. I love hip hop. It's hard to dance to that for three hours, but I love hip hop.
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Jackie Morreale (39:59)
Thought you were going to say house! Alright, I'm not going to ask any more questions about it. (I like hip-hop, too.) Favorite Architect?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (40:11)
I got to say Frank Lloyd Wright. The whole Taliesin West thing is pretty amazing. Michael Graves, too. I love the fact that you can be a 'starchitect' as they're called, and design these fantastic buildings and also tea kettles.
Jackie Morreale (40:13)
Guggenheim is an amazing one, too, by Frank Lloyd Wright. Anyway, I said I'd just keep it simple. So, favorite sport?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (40:31)
I'm going to say golf, believe it or not. I'm not very good and that's probably why it's my favorite. You're always thinking about when can I get out again to try to get better. I love football. I used to be a real fanatic. Probably since I was five years old, watching the Dallas Cowboys, because my dad was a Cowboy fan.
They have been so disappointing. They would lose on Sunday, and I would still be depressed on Wednesday. For what? The guys who just lost by 40 points are trading jerseys and high-fiving each other and praying together. And I'm upset for three days and they're making $30-40M. It doesn't make any sense. So, I said, I got to take a different approach with football. I like to watch college football, but I really don't want to watch a three-hour game.
Jackie Morreale (41:04)
Well, I thought you were going to say long distance running, but that is another topic for another day. Favorite construction team to work with?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (41:25)
Running is definitely not my favorite.
I had some really good experience with URS, which is now part of the AECOM family. I had some really good opportunities with URS. To be such a big firm, it's the people, right? When you can connect with people who are willing to make a difference and willing to give folks an opportunity.
Jackie Morreale (41:56)
AECOM is an amazing company in the industry as well. That's nice to know that you had a good experience. Hidden talent?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (42:05)
Hidden talent. I don't know if I hide very well.
I can draw. I think that's what also interested me in construction and architecture, because I thought if you could draw, you could just come up with concepts of these buildings. My first semester architecture studio, it was nothing like that. It was, you sit here with a mechanical pencil and you make title blocks and you draw shadow projections, orthodontic projections, and I didn't like it at all. Sitting at a desk with a T-square for three hours every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I hated it.
Jackie Morreale (42:30)
Yes, very precise. You started your undergrad as an architect? Were you one of those people that have a bed and a pillow in the studio? Because the work is tough.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (42:43)
Yes, I was an architect major. My dorm was across a field, this big lawn. The culture was: you spent a lot of time in there. I think the thing that saved me is my freshman year at Hampton University, I played football. So, I had somewhere else I had to be.
If it wasn't for that, I would have been in there all hours of the night. Fortunately, I found building construction technology as an option and I switched my major after my freshman year.
Jackie Morreale (43:11)
I didn't know you played football in school. You said you just like to watch football, but that's a different thing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (43:19)
As a matter of fact, fun fact, my freshman year, our football team won the CIAA championship in 1985. Yes, that’s the Hampton Pirates. The school is surrounded by three sides on water. Our team was inducted into the Hampton University Hall of Fame on September 6, 2025.
Jackie Morreale (43:27)
Congrats! Did you go to Virginia? That's must be the best.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (43:43)
Yes. So back then, 1985, I didn't play for four years. It was only my freshman year. After that, in college sports, it's like a full-time job. And to not be on scholarship, was tough.
Jackie Morreale (43:57)
Yeah, but 40 years later, you're called back to your undergraduate school for this season that you guys won. What a blast!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (44:07)
I enjoyed all of that. The camaraderie with teammates and the experience. We won the championship. I didn't play a lot, but I made those guys better. I'm grateful for that. It's a great experience. That's the reason why I didn't spend more time in the architecture studio.
Jackie Morreale (44:29)
I think sports help keep your mind clear. I mean creative stuff too, but it sounds like the first year of architecture is just brutal. You need to have that really sports or whatever to get through and figure out what you want to do.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (44:32)
That's where they also tell you that you're not going to make any money when you finish. It's a weeding out process. They tell you, you'll make $8 an hour probably, and it's going to be seven years before you can take the test. They make it so it doesn't attract them.
Jackie Morreale (44:56)
So you go into construction instead. Because I heard the same thing about architecture in construction. It's a totally different role in the industry, but it really does go hand in hand. There is so much creative stuff that happens. I was fortunate. I got to work with the BIM team at Turner and work on innovation. There’s so much creative stuff happening in the industry and you really can apply those skills in different ways, with 3D modeling and so much more. Favorite university?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (45:18)
Hampton University. I graduated from Hampton. My wife graduated from Hampton. My son graduated from Hampton. And my daughter, I offered to buy her a car. She said no, and she graduated from Howard University, which is a great school. I guess she just felt she needed to take a different path. But I love the school.
There's still, believe it or not, some things you might not know about me. I did a documentary film on my Hampton University homecoming experience.
Jackie Morreale (46:05)
The internet is a funny thing. When you pick at the surface of somebody's YouTube channel and you see their stand-up comedy and you see all these amazing hidden talents that you didn't even mention when I asked you, or, marathon running, all these cool things that you do... I did see your Hampton documentary! It looked like you interviewed alumni from many, many years and how Hampton impacted them. I had no idea that you were the film director on top of it! I thought you were a collaborator. I had no idea. Amazing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (46:37)
I've been really fortunate to have the drive and creativity to want to do something. Then, I take my business acumen and say, how do you do this? I've got to find somebody who's done this before. You surround yourself with the right people and you learn. I took two documentary film classes, and then a documentary program at NYU.
Jackie Morreale (46:55)
Well, NYU's got the best film directing program, and really the whole program at Tisch. It's incredible education.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (47:04)
The reason I did it is because I have been out of school 32 years and I had only missed going back to homecoming twice.
You talk about favorite university; the university is very high in my life. Not just on my list, but in my life. When I talk to friends of mine, I recognize that they don't miss the opportunity to go back either. I said, let me see if I can explore and explain this phenomenon of why people feel they got to come back to homecoming every year. It's only three days. It's usually in October. I'm going to miss it this year because I'm at Florida Atlantic University on the weekends.
Jackie Morreale (47:33)
This will be the third year you've missed. Bummer.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (47:35)
Third time in 35 years. I wanted to uncover what makes people feel like they need to come back. So much of it is visiting the place where you matured. You go to college at maybe 18, 19 years old. You're in this place, you're forging these relationships. You don't have much, but you have great times. So, 10, 20, 30 years after you can go back to the place where you had your maturation and see those same people and recreate some of those memories and go to those same places. It's magical. It's magical. I really wanted to capture that.
Jackie Morreale (47:56)
College is really where you figure yourself out. It's like reconnecting with your other people to reconnect with yourself.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (48:14)
Yeah. People always say the best time of your life is when you're in college. When you're 19, 20, you don't pay attention to it. But it really, really was a great time and being able to flashback to that even for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, no matter how much it costs. A friend of mine flew from Tanzania, to come to homecoming. People pay two, three, $4,000 just for those three days. It's worth it. You feel recharged.
Jackie Morreale (48:45)
And worth every penny. I’m surprised you're not building buildings at Hampton University right now… seems like an obvious connection…
William S. Parrish, Jr. (48:56)
You know I have a plan for that.
Jackie Morreale (49:02)
If Virginia's calling, especially since you have this expertise in school building, I would think that that would make sense to have a building with your name on it that you built…
William S. Parrish, Jr. (49:06)
Well for that, I got to pull the checkbook out. They don't care about me building anything. That's going to be a while.
Speaking of checks, when I first started my business, one of the things I did want to do was be able to get back to Hampton. I read a lot of stories about entrepreneurs. I had seen this done with other people. I wrote a check for a million dollars to Hampton University, that I couldn't give them. So, I framed it.
Jackie Morreale (49:33)
The simple act of writing this beneficiary check to this place that meant so much to you, I'm totally copying you on this one. But that's okay. But you can't think little if you have a million-dollar check written from you to some cause that was important to you.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (49:40)
It's still on my wall. And in my mind, I'm going to manifest that. One day, I'm going to break the glass and I'm going to actually give it to them. Now I might have to rewrite it because it's been several years. But they say write your goals down. One of my goals is to able to, benefit this university to the tune of a million dollars. Let me write it down and put a reminder up.
Jackie Morreale (50:00)
I can't wait. One day they'll be very lucky and they'll say, thank you, and that'll be the end of it. But you know that you worked this entire journey to make it happen. It's very meaningful. I'm totally going to copy you on that.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (50:21)
Yes. Do you have one you're going to write the check to?
Jackie Morreale (50:28)
I would write it to my family foundation, to benefit and memorialize my brother who passed from sarcoma cancer. That's why I started running marathons. I started running marathons to benefit the foundation and I used to try to get a dollar a mile. I was like, maybe if I could do $26.20 for 26.2 miles and get enough people to sponsor it, it would add up.
We just got to six figures for sarcoma cancer research! If I could write a check with that seventh figure, eighth figure, whatever. That makes me feel like I accomplished something.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (50:58)
Absolutely. I'm certainly sorry to hear about your brother, but understanding that you guys honor him, regularly, is great to hear. There's a New York construction Titan who just wrote a book because his brother just passed away. He talked about the care that he was involved in and the advances and why there's not enough research. He just spoke at Fordham.
Jackie Morreale (51:20)
I would love to read it. It's one thing to build things, but then to be able to build a legacy. I'm very intrigued by that.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (51:26)
Yeah, absolutely. I'm excited about your million-dollar check. Get a nice frame, too!
Jackie Morreale (51:33)
Exactly! I still have my first $50 from when I started my business. There are little tangible things like that, to inspire you and keep you going.
So, tell me more about Noble Strategy. What is your company's role in construction projects? It can be specific to school construction authority, SCA, or any major client that you've worked with.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (51:56)
A bulk of our work is owner's rep. So, we are in a position to protect clients. We take that very seriously. It's all about how you approach the project. We always want clients to trust us because they got to have a level of trust to a certain contract.
We believe taking a trusted approach, a noble approach, a high principled, trustworthy approach is noble. To take a noble approach, you could say it was a Noble Strategy. We are very strategic about how we put these things together to benefit the client. That's how we came with Noble Strategy. We have been able to differentiate.
In New York City construction management, the legislation says 30% MWBE. You have a handful of minority-owned construction management firms already out there and we're competing against each other.
As a differentiator, because we didn't see a lot of other people with it and we had exposure to it, was sustainability. Our most significant project is One World Trade Center, formerly the Freedom Tower, where we worked with Tishman as the sustainability coordinator. Even though there was a LEED AP, LEED accredited professional, as part of the design team, we found that on a LEED project, in order to translate all of that stuff to contractors, you still need somebody on the construction end. The architects are going to design it via code and ASHRAE 90.1 for air. When it gets to who builds it, if the specifications say I need 30% recycled fly ash in the concrete, I'm making a chart and I need to see the product data on the concrete.
Jackie Morreale (53:35)
Bill, so you were there as a native New Jersey/New Yorker to rebuild the World Trade Center? You have this level of understanding and specific knowledge of sustainability that you were able to make this project, I think it is LEED Gold?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (53:42)
Absolutely. It's LEED Gold, core and shell. It was core and shell because all the tenant fit out came afterwards as they leased the building. They still required them to have LEED requirements. Because the builder, Port Authority, wasn't doing the fit out, we got the designation on what they call core and shell.
Jackie Morreale (54:01)
On the core + shell of One World Trade Center, the Freedom Tower, you are the sustainability expert that made this building become LEED Gold?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (54:09)
We worked there probably from 2006 to 2012. It wasn't a big assignment, but how do you turn that assignment down? What's funny is, when we first got on it, Tishman told us you can't talk about it.
Jackie Morreale (54:28)
Oh really? Party! Well look, it's sensitive because of what happened on 9/11. I'm sure they wanted to make sure everything was kept tightly under wraps.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (54:35)
Yeah, we were ready to do a monthly newsletter! But we were told back then, you can't promote or talk about it, no flyers. Because we were ready to go. This is great for a small company. It's confirmation.
Jackie Morreale (54:55)
I think what we were talking about is, you have all this learning, you have all this experience, you have a lot of responsibility that goes with it. Here you are, pouring that back into this New York iconic building that will just shine in the sky for generations to come. Wow.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (55:10)
Yeah. I didn't get to be on the top of the building when they put the spire on the last piece that made it the tallest building. I'm really afraid to be up that high. But it was fascinating.
There are six levels to the basement. They had two teams. They had a superstructure team, everything from the ground up. They had a foundations team, like two separate construction management efforts. Yeah. Cause it was like a six-story building. That was pretty amazing.
It was a great assignment. It wasn't one of those assignments that like, wow, we're going to be set for life in terms of finances, but it was so significant for the business, to be able to attach ourselves to Tishman and Port Authority and One World Trade Center. Who doesn't know that project? So, that was probably my favorite project. Then we have one other project - all the time I've been in the industry - I've never until this project built a project and got a C of O in one shot.
Jackie Morreale (56:23)
It’s practically impossible even if you do any renovations to your own house just to get the C of O, takes time.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (56:24)
Right. You go to TCO and the TCOs get renewed. I've seen New York TCOs get renewed for 10 years, but codes change, architects change. The first project we've ever built, I've ever been associated with that did not get a TCO. It went from 95% to C of O. We built an $8 million Veterans Rehab facility in Astoria, Queens.
Columbia's 25-year Manhattanville campus had to displace a bunch of businesses. In displacement, they relocate the business and give them money for headquarters. They displaced this Harlem Veterans facility to Astoria, Queens. We built an $8 million residential rehab facility.
I had a great engineering team. They had a great command of the building department and we got a C of O. Went straight to C of O.
Jackie Morreale (57:12)
Wow. This was Astoria you said? That whole area of Queens has really just built up so much over the years. Harlem, absolutely, too. Columbia is just taking up more and more space.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (57:28)
It's amazing what Columbia did.
Jackie Morreale (57:30)
Isn't it incredible?
And you're not only just building literally the landscape of New York City, the skyline of New York City, you're also building places that people need that live there. These veterans getting displaced, how great is that, that they now have a brand-new facility in Queens that's ready to be used?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (57:39)
Yeah. Treatment and residential. I think it had 30 beds and they got all the counseling and therapy right there.
We competed against some big firms, but relationships came through. We had built a very strong relationship with the nonprofit and the executive director. When he got a chance to choose on this $8 million facility, he didn't pick the biggest firm. He picked the firm that he thought was the best fit. That's right: A noble approach.
Jackie Morreale (58:08)
With Noble Strategy. It's true.
So what is something you've learned from your 40 years in construction, perhaps from your 20 plus years at Noble Strategy, that you wish you could tell your younger self?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (58:22)
Being patient and maintaining relationships. When you're young, you have an idea how things are supposed to go. When they don't go that way, you want to make them right. You might push a situation or work too hard to create a situation.
Maintaining relationships because you see the same people. I think we did a good job at that. Business is business, and you get into precarious situations. But I think being patient and maintaining relationships will take you very far no matter what industry and wherever you are.
(Continued below)
Jackie Morreale (39:59)
Thought you were going to say house! Alright, I'm not going to ask any more questions about it. (I like hip-hop, too.) Favorite Architect?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (40:11)
I got to say Frank Lloyd Wright. The whole Taliesin West thing is pretty amazing. Michael Graves, too. I love the fact that you can be a 'starchitect' as they're called, and design these fantastic buildings and also tea kettles.
Jackie Morreale (40:13)
Guggenheim is an amazing one, too, by Frank Lloyd Wright. Anyway, I said I'd just keep it simple. So, favorite sport?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (40:31)
I'm going to say golf, believe it or not. I'm not very good and that's probably why it's my favorite. You're always thinking about when can I get out again to try to get better. I love football. I used to be a real fanatic. Probably since I was five years old, watching the Dallas Cowboys, because my dad was a Cowboy fan.
They have been so disappointing. They would lose on Sunday, and I would still be depressed on Wednesday. For what? The guys who just lost by 40 points are trading jerseys and high-fiving each other and praying together. And I'm upset for three days and they're making $30-40M. It doesn't make any sense. So, I said, I got to take a different approach with football. I like to watch college football, but I really don't want to watch a three-hour game.
Jackie Morreale (41:04)
Well, I thought you were going to say long distance running, but that is another topic for another day. Favorite construction team to work with?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (41:25)
Running is definitely not my favorite.
I had some really good experience with URS, which is now part of the AECOM family. I had some really good opportunities with URS. To be such a big firm, it's the people, right? When you can connect with people who are willing to make a difference and willing to give folks an opportunity.
Jackie Morreale (41:56)
AECOM is an amazing company in the industry as well. That's nice to know that you had a good experience. Hidden talent?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (42:05)
Hidden talent. I don't know if I hide very well.
I can draw. I think that's what also interested me in construction and architecture, because I thought if you could draw, you could just come up with concepts of these buildings. My first semester architecture studio, it was nothing like that. It was, you sit here with a mechanical pencil and you make title blocks and you draw shadow projections, orthodontic projections, and I didn't like it at all. Sitting at a desk with a T-square for three hours every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I hated it.
Jackie Morreale (42:30)
Yes, very precise. You started your undergrad as an architect? Were you one of those people that have a bed and a pillow in the studio? Because the work is tough.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (42:43)
Yes, I was an architect major. My dorm was across a field, this big lawn. The culture was: you spent a lot of time in there. I think the thing that saved me is my freshman year at Hampton University, I played football. So, I had somewhere else I had to be.
If it wasn't for that, I would have been in there all hours of the night. Fortunately, I found building construction technology as an option and I switched my major after my freshman year.
Jackie Morreale (43:11)
I didn't know you played football in school. You said you just like to watch football, but that's a different thing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (43:19)
As a matter of fact, fun fact, my freshman year, our football team won the CIAA championship in 1985. Yes, that’s the Hampton Pirates. The school is surrounded by three sides on water. Our team was inducted into the Hampton University Hall of Fame on September 6, 2025.
Jackie Morreale (43:27)
Congrats! Did you go to Virginia? That's must be the best.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (43:43)
Yes. So back then, 1985, I didn't play for four years. It was only my freshman year. After that, in college sports, it's like a full-time job. And to not be on scholarship, was tough.
Jackie Morreale (43:57)
Yeah, but 40 years later, you're called back to your undergraduate school for this season that you guys won. What a blast!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (44:07)
I enjoyed all of that. The camaraderie with teammates and the experience. We won the championship. I didn't play a lot, but I made those guys better. I'm grateful for that. It's a great experience. That's the reason why I didn't spend more time in the architecture studio.
Jackie Morreale (44:29)
I think sports help keep your mind clear. I mean creative stuff too, but it sounds like the first year of architecture is just brutal. You need to have that really sports or whatever to get through and figure out what you want to do.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (44:32)
That's where they also tell you that you're not going to make any money when you finish. It's a weeding out process. They tell you, you'll make $8 an hour probably, and it's going to be seven years before you can take the test. They make it so it doesn't attract them.
Jackie Morreale (44:56)
So you go into construction instead. Because I heard the same thing about architecture in construction. It's a totally different role in the industry, but it really does go hand in hand. There is so much creative stuff that happens. I was fortunate. I got to work with the BIM team at Turner and work on innovation. There’s so much creative stuff happening in the industry and you really can apply those skills in different ways, with 3D modeling and so much more. Favorite university?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (45:18)
Hampton University. I graduated from Hampton. My wife graduated from Hampton. My son graduated from Hampton. And my daughter, I offered to buy her a car. She said no, and she graduated from Howard University, which is a great school. I guess she just felt she needed to take a different path. But I love the school.
There's still, believe it or not, some things you might not know about me. I did a documentary film on my Hampton University homecoming experience.
Jackie Morreale (46:05)
The internet is a funny thing. When you pick at the surface of somebody's YouTube channel and you see their stand-up comedy and you see all these amazing hidden talents that you didn't even mention when I asked you, or, marathon running, all these cool things that you do... I did see your Hampton documentary! It looked like you interviewed alumni from many, many years and how Hampton impacted them. I had no idea that you were the film director on top of it! I thought you were a collaborator. I had no idea. Amazing.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (46:37)
I've been really fortunate to have the drive and creativity to want to do something. Then, I take my business acumen and say, how do you do this? I've got to find somebody who's done this before. You surround yourself with the right people and you learn. I took two documentary film classes, and then a documentary program at NYU.
Jackie Morreale (46:55)
Well, NYU's got the best film directing program, and really the whole program at Tisch. It's incredible education.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (47:04)
The reason I did it is because I have been out of school 32 years and I had only missed going back to homecoming twice.
You talk about favorite university; the university is very high in my life. Not just on my list, but in my life. When I talk to friends of mine, I recognize that they don't miss the opportunity to go back either. I said, let me see if I can explore and explain this phenomenon of why people feel they got to come back to homecoming every year. It's only three days. It's usually in October. I'm going to miss it this year because I'm at Florida Atlantic University on the weekends.
Jackie Morreale (47:33)
This will be the third year you've missed. Bummer.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (47:35)
Third time in 35 years. I wanted to uncover what makes people feel like they need to come back. So much of it is visiting the place where you matured. You go to college at maybe 18, 19 years old. You're in this place, you're forging these relationships. You don't have much, but you have great times. So, 10, 20, 30 years after you can go back to the place where you had your maturation and see those same people and recreate some of those memories and go to those same places. It's magical. It's magical. I really wanted to capture that.
Jackie Morreale (47:56)
College is really where you figure yourself out. It's like reconnecting with your other people to reconnect with yourself.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (48:14)
Yeah. People always say the best time of your life is when you're in college. When you're 19, 20, you don't pay attention to it. But it really, really was a great time and being able to flashback to that even for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, no matter how much it costs. A friend of mine flew from Tanzania, to come to homecoming. People pay two, three, $4,000 just for those three days. It's worth it. You feel recharged.
Jackie Morreale (48:45)
And worth every penny. I’m surprised you're not building buildings at Hampton University right now… seems like an obvious connection…
William S. Parrish, Jr. (48:56)
You know I have a plan for that.
Jackie Morreale (49:02)
If Virginia's calling, especially since you have this expertise in school building, I would think that that would make sense to have a building with your name on it that you built…
William S. Parrish, Jr. (49:06)
Well for that, I got to pull the checkbook out. They don't care about me building anything. That's going to be a while.
Speaking of checks, when I first started my business, one of the things I did want to do was be able to get back to Hampton. I read a lot of stories about entrepreneurs. I had seen this done with other people. I wrote a check for a million dollars to Hampton University, that I couldn't give them. So, I framed it.
Jackie Morreale (49:33)
The simple act of writing this beneficiary check to this place that meant so much to you, I'm totally copying you on this one. But that's okay. But you can't think little if you have a million-dollar check written from you to some cause that was important to you.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (49:40)
It's still on my wall. And in my mind, I'm going to manifest that. One day, I'm going to break the glass and I'm going to actually give it to them. Now I might have to rewrite it because it's been several years. But they say write your goals down. One of my goals is to able to, benefit this university to the tune of a million dollars. Let me write it down and put a reminder up.
Jackie Morreale (50:00)
I can't wait. One day they'll be very lucky and they'll say, thank you, and that'll be the end of it. But you know that you worked this entire journey to make it happen. It's very meaningful. I'm totally going to copy you on that.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (50:21)
Yes. Do you have one you're going to write the check to?
Jackie Morreale (50:28)
I would write it to my family foundation, to benefit and memorialize my brother who passed from sarcoma cancer. That's why I started running marathons. I started running marathons to benefit the foundation and I used to try to get a dollar a mile. I was like, maybe if I could do $26.20 for 26.2 miles and get enough people to sponsor it, it would add up.
We just got to six figures for sarcoma cancer research! If I could write a check with that seventh figure, eighth figure, whatever. That makes me feel like I accomplished something.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (50:58)
Absolutely. I'm certainly sorry to hear about your brother, but understanding that you guys honor him, regularly, is great to hear. There's a New York construction Titan who just wrote a book because his brother just passed away. He talked about the care that he was involved in and the advances and why there's not enough research. He just spoke at Fordham.
Jackie Morreale (51:20)
I would love to read it. It's one thing to build things, but then to be able to build a legacy. I'm very intrigued by that.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (51:26)
Yeah, absolutely. I'm excited about your million-dollar check. Get a nice frame, too!
Jackie Morreale (51:33)
Exactly! I still have my first $50 from when I started my business. There are little tangible things like that, to inspire you and keep you going.
So, tell me more about Noble Strategy. What is your company's role in construction projects? It can be specific to school construction authority, SCA, or any major client that you've worked with.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (51:56)
A bulk of our work is owner's rep. So, we are in a position to protect clients. We take that very seriously. It's all about how you approach the project. We always want clients to trust us because they got to have a level of trust to a certain contract.
We believe taking a trusted approach, a noble approach, a high principled, trustworthy approach is noble. To take a noble approach, you could say it was a Noble Strategy. We are very strategic about how we put these things together to benefit the client. That's how we came with Noble Strategy. We have been able to differentiate.
In New York City construction management, the legislation says 30% MWBE. You have a handful of minority-owned construction management firms already out there and we're competing against each other.
As a differentiator, because we didn't see a lot of other people with it and we had exposure to it, was sustainability. Our most significant project is One World Trade Center, formerly the Freedom Tower, where we worked with Tishman as the sustainability coordinator. Even though there was a LEED AP, LEED accredited professional, as part of the design team, we found that on a LEED project, in order to translate all of that stuff to contractors, you still need somebody on the construction end. The architects are going to design it via code and ASHRAE 90.1 for air. When it gets to who builds it, if the specifications say I need 30% recycled fly ash in the concrete, I'm making a chart and I need to see the product data on the concrete.
Jackie Morreale (53:35)
Bill, so you were there as a native New Jersey/New Yorker to rebuild the World Trade Center? You have this level of understanding and specific knowledge of sustainability that you were able to make this project, I think it is LEED Gold?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (53:42)
Absolutely. It's LEED Gold, core and shell. It was core and shell because all the tenant fit out came afterwards as they leased the building. They still required them to have LEED requirements. Because the builder, Port Authority, wasn't doing the fit out, we got the designation on what they call core and shell.
Jackie Morreale (54:01)
On the core + shell of One World Trade Center, the Freedom Tower, you are the sustainability expert that made this building become LEED Gold?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (54:09)
We worked there probably from 2006 to 2012. It wasn't a big assignment, but how do you turn that assignment down? What's funny is, when we first got on it, Tishman told us you can't talk about it.
Jackie Morreale (54:28)
Oh really? Party! Well look, it's sensitive because of what happened on 9/11. I'm sure they wanted to make sure everything was kept tightly under wraps.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (54:35)
Yeah, we were ready to do a monthly newsletter! But we were told back then, you can't promote or talk about it, no flyers. Because we were ready to go. This is great for a small company. It's confirmation.
Jackie Morreale (54:55)
I think what we were talking about is, you have all this learning, you have all this experience, you have a lot of responsibility that goes with it. Here you are, pouring that back into this New York iconic building that will just shine in the sky for generations to come. Wow.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (55:10)
Yeah. I didn't get to be on the top of the building when they put the spire on the last piece that made it the tallest building. I'm really afraid to be up that high. But it was fascinating.
There are six levels to the basement. They had two teams. They had a superstructure team, everything from the ground up. They had a foundations team, like two separate construction management efforts. Yeah. Cause it was like a six-story building. That was pretty amazing.
It was a great assignment. It wasn't one of those assignments that like, wow, we're going to be set for life in terms of finances, but it was so significant for the business, to be able to attach ourselves to Tishman and Port Authority and One World Trade Center. Who doesn't know that project? So, that was probably my favorite project. Then we have one other project - all the time I've been in the industry - I've never until this project built a project and got a C of O in one shot.
Jackie Morreale (56:23)
It’s practically impossible even if you do any renovations to your own house just to get the C of O, takes time.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (56:24)
Right. You go to TCO and the TCOs get renewed. I've seen New York TCOs get renewed for 10 years, but codes change, architects change. The first project we've ever built, I've ever been associated with that did not get a TCO. It went from 95% to C of O. We built an $8 million Veterans Rehab facility in Astoria, Queens.
Columbia's 25-year Manhattanville campus had to displace a bunch of businesses. In displacement, they relocate the business and give them money for headquarters. They displaced this Harlem Veterans facility to Astoria, Queens. We built an $8 million residential rehab facility.
I had a great engineering team. They had a great command of the building department and we got a C of O. Went straight to C of O.
Jackie Morreale (57:12)
Wow. This was Astoria you said? That whole area of Queens has really just built up so much over the years. Harlem, absolutely, too. Columbia is just taking up more and more space.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (57:28)
It's amazing what Columbia did.
Jackie Morreale (57:30)
Isn't it incredible?
And you're not only just building literally the landscape of New York City, the skyline of New York City, you're also building places that people need that live there. These veterans getting displaced, how great is that, that they now have a brand-new facility in Queens that's ready to be used?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (57:39)
Yeah. Treatment and residential. I think it had 30 beds and they got all the counseling and therapy right there.
We competed against some big firms, but relationships came through. We had built a very strong relationship with the nonprofit and the executive director. When he got a chance to choose on this $8 million facility, he didn't pick the biggest firm. He picked the firm that he thought was the best fit. That's right: A noble approach.
Jackie Morreale (58:08)
With Noble Strategy. It's true.
So what is something you've learned from your 40 years in construction, perhaps from your 20 plus years at Noble Strategy, that you wish you could tell your younger self?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (58:22)
Being patient and maintaining relationships. When you're young, you have an idea how things are supposed to go. When they don't go that way, you want to make them right. You might push a situation or work too hard to create a situation.
Maintaining relationships because you see the same people. I think we did a good job at that. Business is business, and you get into precarious situations. But I think being patient and maintaining relationships will take you very far no matter what industry and wherever you are.
(Continued below)
Homecoming Ready! A Documentary Film by F. William Samuel:
(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (58:53)
On the advice front, you really have this mastery of words. I think your students at NYU are really lucky to have you!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (59:01)
Thank you for saying that, Jackie. You've been so complimentary. I really appreciate it.
I've been incredibly blessed that the things that come to me, I'm able to put in place and get the drive. I don't pray for ideas. I pray for will and drive. Like just give me the will to want to still do this and the drive. If I get those two things, I'll get through it.
Jackie Morreale (59:30)
I think if you're praying, period, the ideas are going to come. You don't have to pray for them. They're going to come. You have so many good ideas, but then you don't only just have the idea, you act on it, and you implement it and you're able to persuade other people to get on board with it. So many talents coming together.
Speaking of teamwork and giving advice to the younger generation. What would you say to anyone looking to break into construction management in New York City?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (59:57)
Do it. Go do it. There are going to be a ton of reasons why you shouldn't. There are going to be a ton of people saying you shouldn't. You just have to do it.
I read a lot. Les Brown, motivational speaker, he used to say, Jump and grow your wings on the way down.
That's scary to think about. We're taught you've got to be prepared. You take this step and make sure you don't leave this out. You do have to do all of that, but then you must go and you have to do it. Whether you get kicked off the ledge or whether you step out off the ledge, really doesn't matter as long as you land and accomplish what you need to be doing.
Jackie Morreale (1:00:17)
Any advice that you can give to new entrepreneurs looking to become multi-million dollar success stories like Noble Strategy?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:00:42)
Order the book! I couldn't resist that. Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less will give you lesson.
I have an appendix in the book. I call it appendix 54. I keep saying, I like to read. 500 days is 18 months. I was reading probably three books a month. You don't have to do everything. You can experience some things through others. I read business biographies, Magic Johnson to Sam Walton. Dr. Dre to Warren Buffett. I'm interested in stories and how people grow things.
I read the book about Mary Kay. It's one of my favorite books. She didn't create that business until she was a grandmother, until she was retired. Being able to create an iconic brand. Everybody knows the pink car and knows how much work it takes. If you see somebody driving around in a pink Caddy, they are really doing what the program sets out.
So Appendix 54 is 54 of my books that I've read on the journey. It's a varied list, but it'll give you insight to what I'm typically thinking about. I've only read two books from front to end at once. Most of the time I'm reading and then I'm putting it down.
Jackie Morreale (1:01:56)
Which two books are they?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:02:01)
There’s a rap record label in Houston called Rap a Lot Records. The founder’s name is Jay Prince, influential in the music business. The book was fascinating to me.
The other book I read is about Shaka Senghor. Now he's a motivational speaker, but he was in prison for 30 years. It's a tremendous story. It kept me riveted. Those are the only two books that I've read in one day. I picked it up this morning and I finished it at night.
Jackie Morreale (1:02:28)
I know we shouted out companies, books. Are there any people, perhaps mentors, that helped you get to this place where you're at?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:02:31)
Absolutely. I don't want to forget anyone in terms of helping me. My wife, first of all. My wife is a PhD since 1999. Facts are what she cares about, the bottom line. She's been instrumental. We met at Hampton. I was a senior, she was a freshman. We maintained our relationship through my graduation, her going to graduate school, and everything. She's been extremely important and influential in everything I've done.
I've had several mentors, some that knew me and some that didn't. I kept learning that it's important for you to get the information, whether you get it by chance or if you had to pay for it. Sometimes you can determine how bad somebody wants something by what they're willing to pay.
I had one mentor that I paid $1,500 a month for two years. It was valuable. I didn't know any other black men who founded a bank. He founded a bank, and actually was instrumental in me getting my first $300,000 loan. It was worth it for me to know how he thinks. His name was Herb Ames.
Jackie Morreale (1:03:46)
Is he still a business coach? Does he take on new clients?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:03:48)
He is. He runs a business chamber of commerce in Trenton.
There's another gentleman named Harold Epps. I have been reading Black Enterprise magazine, and they have entrepreneurs conference. I worked my way up and first we appeared in the magazine. I read this magazine as a high schooler.
Then we were finalists for Small Business of the Year in 2009. We went to their conference in Detroit. They had the large business of the year, the business of the year, and Small Business of the Year. But we got to meet. The Business of the Year was this company who developed the technology by EZPass.
The company that he was CEO of, they had developed the EZPass technology, and they were company of year. We had a lunch, and he spoke and I asked him a question. Surprisingly, he said, We’ve got to do lunch. That's going to take a little longer to explain.
I never experienced someone being that accessible at that level. I went up to him after the conference, got his contact information. He was in Philadelphia at the time. I was in New Jersey. He invited me to Philadelphia for lunch. We started talking. He's a member of my fraternity also.
Jackie Morreale (1:04:53)
Of course he is! Everyone interesting is a member of your fraternity. Everyone who likes salmon. Shout out to Dr. Roy McGriff who is in the same fraternity, ‘Lift as I climb’. Everybody's healthy. I mean he's a six-time black belt… there's a certain set of criterion that I'm seeing… Very high achieving. So much camaraderie and pride in your school and your Fraternity, and that you never stop growing throughout your whole life. I'm not in the fraternity, but I just appreciate the core values so much.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:05:24)
Agree! So He right away invited me and we talked and from there, we play golf. I call him anytime and talk to him. I did not pay him to be a mentor. He wanted to share. At his level, I'm like, what can I learn from this guy? He was running a $200 million company at the time. And I got access to him. I can just call him on the phone.
Jackie Morreale (1:05:39)
Amazing. Listen, somebody who started that still started in the same shoes as us, right? Just has been able to extrapolate to such a degree. I bet you guys have had some really amazing conversations.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:05:55)
Absolutely. Those were two very influential guys.
Then, there are folks all along the way who sometimes don't even recognize that they're mentors. You just model the behavior sometimes.
We had a personal board of advisors. Where the people that I'm going to call just to check with just to talk to just to get information from, make sure I'm on the right track. You don't always do everything right, but at least you create a structure, a program you can run, where maybe these things will work.
Another mentor I'm going to mention is Robert Logan. This is a funny story. I think it's in the book too. When I first met him, we had a great exchange. He’s another one of my fraternity brothers, but a lot older. He came into the fraternity in 1971, so he's probably 16 years older than me, in his 70s. Anyway, had this great exchange. I said, I’ve got to talk to you again. Can I get a business card? Because I wanted to follow up. He said, I don't carry business cards. And I'm thinking, That's strange. Everybody in business should have business cards, you never know when business comes up. You always have to be prepared.
He said, I don't carry business cards because if I get any new business, it might mess up my golf game.
That's what we want right there. That's the whole purpose!
He went on to say, I play golf on Mondays and Fridays and my clients know not to call me. I said, Wow, can I get to a place where I can call the shots like that? It's not about how much money you have. It's lifestyle.
Jackie Morreale (1:07:23)
It's got to be a balance. Well, you're getting there.. and this is the dream, right? The golf game.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:07:35)
He was dead serious. I played golf with him one time on a Monday. He was like, who was just calling me? They know not to call me on Monday.
Jackie Morreale (1:07:41)
That sounds like you can have the best conversation, best game of golf!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:07:45)
Yes. He's accomplished. At his age, he still shames me. When we get on the golf course, he's like, what do you need the cart for? I’m going to walk.
Jackie Morreale (1:07:51)
See that? It's a mindset.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:07:57)
Pretty amazing guy. I would say Robert Logan specifically.
The funny story is, I try to teach my kids about entrepreneurship. I think you should always have business cards. If anytime you ask me for a business card, if I can't produce business cards, I give you $5. So, they got smart and they would, wait for me to come out the shower, and say, Hey dad, you got a business card? This is not the way you're supposed to be using this against me. But it is ingrained in them, that you should always be prepared.
Jackie Morreale (1:08:28)
Since you showed me the Blinq app and we exchanged digital business cards, I have created my own Blinq card and I just recently used it a few times. I love having my digital business card ready readily available. So that's all you!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:08:35)
Good. As a marketing person, I'm glad you appreciate that. I had one marketing person try to shame me. I was on a panel with her and I said, oh, my card is digital. And she was like, oh, I still do traditional cards.
Jackie Morreale (1:08:45)
Something that's on an app is staying on my phone for life.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:08:54)
Right. And tells me when I met you. That's what I love about it. Tells me the date that we met.
Jackie Morreale (1:09:03)
Bill, you get it. I've learned so much from you already.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:09:09)
I'm very glad. It's going to be more we're going to learn together.
Jackie Morreale (1:09:12)
Yes, the stuff that you talk about with people who have been your mentors of being accessible and being at that level that you aspire to be, I feel that way for you. I really appreciate your willingness to share and your enthusiasm and guidance.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:09:19)
Thank you, hopefully your listeners will get something out of it. This has been great. You can tell I like to talk.
Jackie Morreale (1:09:32)
Until the next chapter, have a wonderful day and see you soon.
To learn more about Noble Strategy, visit: www.noblestrategy.com
To order your copy of Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less book, visit: Book: 'Making Bold Moves' - Noble Strategy
Jackie Morreale (58:53)
On the advice front, you really have this mastery of words. I think your students at NYU are really lucky to have you!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (59:01)
Thank you for saying that, Jackie. You've been so complimentary. I really appreciate it.
I've been incredibly blessed that the things that come to me, I'm able to put in place and get the drive. I don't pray for ideas. I pray for will and drive. Like just give me the will to want to still do this and the drive. If I get those two things, I'll get through it.
Jackie Morreale (59:30)
I think if you're praying, period, the ideas are going to come. You don't have to pray for them. They're going to come. You have so many good ideas, but then you don't only just have the idea, you act on it, and you implement it and you're able to persuade other people to get on board with it. So many talents coming together.
Speaking of teamwork and giving advice to the younger generation. What would you say to anyone looking to break into construction management in New York City?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (59:57)
Do it. Go do it. There are going to be a ton of reasons why you shouldn't. There are going to be a ton of people saying you shouldn't. You just have to do it.
I read a lot. Les Brown, motivational speaker, he used to say, Jump and grow your wings on the way down.
That's scary to think about. We're taught you've got to be prepared. You take this step and make sure you don't leave this out. You do have to do all of that, but then you must go and you have to do it. Whether you get kicked off the ledge or whether you step out off the ledge, really doesn't matter as long as you land and accomplish what you need to be doing.
Jackie Morreale (1:00:17)
Any advice that you can give to new entrepreneurs looking to become multi-million dollar success stories like Noble Strategy?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:00:42)
Order the book! I couldn't resist that. Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less will give you lesson.
I have an appendix in the book. I call it appendix 54. I keep saying, I like to read. 500 days is 18 months. I was reading probably three books a month. You don't have to do everything. You can experience some things through others. I read business biographies, Magic Johnson to Sam Walton. Dr. Dre to Warren Buffett. I'm interested in stories and how people grow things.
I read the book about Mary Kay. It's one of my favorite books. She didn't create that business until she was a grandmother, until she was retired. Being able to create an iconic brand. Everybody knows the pink car and knows how much work it takes. If you see somebody driving around in a pink Caddy, they are really doing what the program sets out.
So Appendix 54 is 54 of my books that I've read on the journey. It's a varied list, but it'll give you insight to what I'm typically thinking about. I've only read two books from front to end at once. Most of the time I'm reading and then I'm putting it down.
Jackie Morreale (1:01:56)
Which two books are they?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:02:01)
There’s a rap record label in Houston called Rap a Lot Records. The founder’s name is Jay Prince, influential in the music business. The book was fascinating to me.
The other book I read is about Shaka Senghor. Now he's a motivational speaker, but he was in prison for 30 years. It's a tremendous story. It kept me riveted. Those are the only two books that I've read in one day. I picked it up this morning and I finished it at night.
Jackie Morreale (1:02:28)
I know we shouted out companies, books. Are there any people, perhaps mentors, that helped you get to this place where you're at?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:02:31)
Absolutely. I don't want to forget anyone in terms of helping me. My wife, first of all. My wife is a PhD since 1999. Facts are what she cares about, the bottom line. She's been instrumental. We met at Hampton. I was a senior, she was a freshman. We maintained our relationship through my graduation, her going to graduate school, and everything. She's been extremely important and influential in everything I've done.
I've had several mentors, some that knew me and some that didn't. I kept learning that it's important for you to get the information, whether you get it by chance or if you had to pay for it. Sometimes you can determine how bad somebody wants something by what they're willing to pay.
I had one mentor that I paid $1,500 a month for two years. It was valuable. I didn't know any other black men who founded a bank. He founded a bank, and actually was instrumental in me getting my first $300,000 loan. It was worth it for me to know how he thinks. His name was Herb Ames.
Jackie Morreale (1:03:46)
Is he still a business coach? Does he take on new clients?
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:03:48)
He is. He runs a business chamber of commerce in Trenton.
There's another gentleman named Harold Epps. I have been reading Black Enterprise magazine, and they have entrepreneurs conference. I worked my way up and first we appeared in the magazine. I read this magazine as a high schooler.
Then we were finalists for Small Business of the Year in 2009. We went to their conference in Detroit. They had the large business of the year, the business of the year, and Small Business of the Year. But we got to meet. The Business of the Year was this company who developed the technology by EZPass.
The company that he was CEO of, they had developed the EZPass technology, and they were company of year. We had a lunch, and he spoke and I asked him a question. Surprisingly, he said, We’ve got to do lunch. That's going to take a little longer to explain.
I never experienced someone being that accessible at that level. I went up to him after the conference, got his contact information. He was in Philadelphia at the time. I was in New Jersey. He invited me to Philadelphia for lunch. We started talking. He's a member of my fraternity also.
Jackie Morreale (1:04:53)
Of course he is! Everyone interesting is a member of your fraternity. Everyone who likes salmon. Shout out to Dr. Roy McGriff who is in the same fraternity, ‘Lift as I climb’. Everybody's healthy. I mean he's a six-time black belt… there's a certain set of criterion that I'm seeing… Very high achieving. So much camaraderie and pride in your school and your Fraternity, and that you never stop growing throughout your whole life. I'm not in the fraternity, but I just appreciate the core values so much.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:05:24)
Agree! So He right away invited me and we talked and from there, we play golf. I call him anytime and talk to him. I did not pay him to be a mentor. He wanted to share. At his level, I'm like, what can I learn from this guy? He was running a $200 million company at the time. And I got access to him. I can just call him on the phone.
Jackie Morreale (1:05:39)
Amazing. Listen, somebody who started that still started in the same shoes as us, right? Just has been able to extrapolate to such a degree. I bet you guys have had some really amazing conversations.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:05:55)
Absolutely. Those were two very influential guys.
Then, there are folks all along the way who sometimes don't even recognize that they're mentors. You just model the behavior sometimes.
We had a personal board of advisors. Where the people that I'm going to call just to check with just to talk to just to get information from, make sure I'm on the right track. You don't always do everything right, but at least you create a structure, a program you can run, where maybe these things will work.
Another mentor I'm going to mention is Robert Logan. This is a funny story. I think it's in the book too. When I first met him, we had a great exchange. He’s another one of my fraternity brothers, but a lot older. He came into the fraternity in 1971, so he's probably 16 years older than me, in his 70s. Anyway, had this great exchange. I said, I’ve got to talk to you again. Can I get a business card? Because I wanted to follow up. He said, I don't carry business cards. And I'm thinking, That's strange. Everybody in business should have business cards, you never know when business comes up. You always have to be prepared.
He said, I don't carry business cards because if I get any new business, it might mess up my golf game.
That's what we want right there. That's the whole purpose!
He went on to say, I play golf on Mondays and Fridays and my clients know not to call me. I said, Wow, can I get to a place where I can call the shots like that? It's not about how much money you have. It's lifestyle.
Jackie Morreale (1:07:23)
It's got to be a balance. Well, you're getting there.. and this is the dream, right? The golf game.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:07:35)
He was dead serious. I played golf with him one time on a Monday. He was like, who was just calling me? They know not to call me on Monday.
Jackie Morreale (1:07:41)
That sounds like you can have the best conversation, best game of golf!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:07:45)
Yes. He's accomplished. At his age, he still shames me. When we get on the golf course, he's like, what do you need the cart for? I’m going to walk.
Jackie Morreale (1:07:51)
See that? It's a mindset.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:07:57)
Pretty amazing guy. I would say Robert Logan specifically.
The funny story is, I try to teach my kids about entrepreneurship. I think you should always have business cards. If anytime you ask me for a business card, if I can't produce business cards, I give you $5. So, they got smart and they would, wait for me to come out the shower, and say, Hey dad, you got a business card? This is not the way you're supposed to be using this against me. But it is ingrained in them, that you should always be prepared.
Jackie Morreale (1:08:28)
Since you showed me the Blinq app and we exchanged digital business cards, I have created my own Blinq card and I just recently used it a few times. I love having my digital business card ready readily available. So that's all you!
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:08:35)
Good. As a marketing person, I'm glad you appreciate that. I had one marketing person try to shame me. I was on a panel with her and I said, oh, my card is digital. And she was like, oh, I still do traditional cards.
Jackie Morreale (1:08:45)
Something that's on an app is staying on my phone for life.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:08:54)
Right. And tells me when I met you. That's what I love about it. Tells me the date that we met.
Jackie Morreale (1:09:03)
Bill, you get it. I've learned so much from you already.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:09:09)
I'm very glad. It's going to be more we're going to learn together.
Jackie Morreale (1:09:12)
Yes, the stuff that you talk about with people who have been your mentors of being accessible and being at that level that you aspire to be, I feel that way for you. I really appreciate your willingness to share and your enthusiasm and guidance.
William S. Parrish, Jr. (1:09:19)
Thank you, hopefully your listeners will get something out of it. This has been great. You can tell I like to talk.
Jackie Morreale (1:09:32)
Until the next chapter, have a wonderful day and see you soon.
To learn more about Noble Strategy, visit: www.noblestrategy.com
To order your copy of Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less book, visit: Book: 'Making Bold Moves' - Noble Strategy
Continued reading, recommended by William S. Parrish, Jr.:
Making Bold Moves: Creating Multi-Million Dollar Success in 500 Days or Less. By William S. Parrish, Jr.
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Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison. January 31, 2017. By Shaka Senghor (Author).
|
The Art & Science of Respect: A Memoir by James Prince. July 27, 2018. By Prince (Author).
|
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