- Story by Angela Cowan Photography by Don Denton
It was less than a year ago that Kyle Velikovsky took a leap of faith when he created White Wolf Homes and became his own boss, but the risk has already paid off in more ways than one.
“It’s exceeded our expectations in terms of where I thought it would go,” says Kyle, who officially transitioned to the business full time last November. “I thought we’d have a few homes, but we’re on track to have 17 or 18 projects on the go right now.”
His experience and hands-on approach likely play a big part in why White Wolf Homes has been so successful so quickly; Kyle has a lifelong history with building. His mom and dad (a government employee and an electrician, respectively) would build and sell a house every year or two while Kyle was growing up, and he’d spend after-school hours and weekends helping out.
From an early age, he saw what worked, what didn’t and what he liked, and that carried over to his young adulthood.
“When I was younger and doing renovations and fixes in my first home, I kind of got the bug for it,” he says. “I like the fact it’s a challenge, and that every single site is different.”
Becoming his own boss has also had significant benefits for his family and home life. Kyle and his partner Ashley have two young sons, and being able to work on a flexible schedule has opened up a huge amount of opportunity to spend time with his family.
“I’ve been working full time since I was 16. I gave up a lot of my fun years, and while I had a great life and a great career, I didn’t want to look back and be sitting in my office and ultimately making someone else money,” he says. “I thought, ‘Am I going to regret not doing what I want to do?’”
Now, he’s able to work when he needs to while enjoying the rest of his life. Kyle, a former Iron Man and triathlon competitor, coaches his boys’ baseball twice a week, gets out with the dog for a quick break in the afternoon, and often takes a swim at Elk Lake before the kids wake up in the morning.
“We just recently purchased a boat, and we’re looking forward to getting out and exploring the Gulf Islands,” he adds. “It’s just the four of us, so there’s a lot of family time.”
He adds: “I’m very grateful for my supportive partner Ashley. She saw my potential, and my realtor saw my potential, and I’ve had a few people strongly encourage me to go out and do this. It’s been a really cool experience in such a short period of time to see how quickly our brand has become well known.”
The 7 Sins
Envy:
Whose shoes would you like to walk in?
My partner Ashley to see her perspective on my crazy factor! But in all honesty, likely my grandfather. I didn’t know him well as I was too young and busy growing up to spend the time, but he left everything behind in the late ’60s and moved in the middle of the night to come to Canada. I’m extremely blessed to have the life and opportunities I do because of a major sacrifice he made. He came here with one suitcase and couldn’t speak English, and found opportunity here at an age when many people would be coasting out the rest of their career.
Gluttony:
What is the food you could eat over and
over again?
Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream. I should probably stop this habit.
Greed:
You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?
A boat to explore the ocean with my family.
Wrath:
Pet peeves?
A messy job site. You’ll often find me sweeping myself or offering to vacuum the site. It isn’t uncommon for me to sneak onto the site before the trades show up to ensure it’s clean for the day.
Sloth:
Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?
On a boat. See the above $1 million question. I would live on the water if Ashley would let me.
Pride:
What is the one thing you’re secretly proud of?
I’m proud of leaving a very stable business and career to start this business, and rebounding in life after going through a divorce.
Lust:
What makes your heart beat faster?
My beautiful partner, Ashley, my boys and cycling way too fast.
Story courtesy of Boulevard Magazine, a Black Press Media publication
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