Sometimes life takes us places we never imagined we would end up, but in the end, we are glad we did. That’s exactly what happened to Nanci Landy, who began her career as a lawyer and later found her passion as a business owner in the construction debris hauling industry.
As a successful lawyer since the late ‘80s, Nanci began feeling burned out and unsatisfied with her career. Not quite sure of her next move, she retired in 2011 and soon thereafter began dating someone interested in launching a scrap metal commodity company. After helping him to get the business off the ground in Florida, she soon became the owner of the company in 2012 and very quickly grew it until the steel market crashed last year. Equipped with dumpsters and trucks, Nanci got resourceful and found a great opportunity to transition her business into construction debris hauling. Fast forward to today, Nanci has been successfully growing MST Dumpsters since April with her six employees (one of which is her now husband), four trucks and 90 dumpsters, serving clients in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties throughout Florida. Much of that success she credits to the company’s unrivaled customer service and turnaround time.
While the jump from law to debris hauling may seem extreme, Nanci explains that the challenge of starting something completely new was just what she needed. “It was fun. As most entrepreneurs will tell you, it’s fun starting a business,” she says. “I wore dirty shorts, a tank top and boots to work instead of a suit and it was interesting learning something new and developing something from scratch.”
A member of NAWBO since 1995, she has been active in the Broward County chapter and has served as President and in leadership positions on the board. She notes that NAWBO has helped to teach her many lessons throughout the years, even when she was practicing as a lawyer. “Initially, I thought I was a lawyer opening a law firm. NABWO taught me that I’m a businessperson who happens to be a lawyer. A lot of running the business side, I learned from people in NAWBO.”
That sense of unconditional support in NAWBO has also helped Nanci, especially when she was making her career transition. “It’s a big support group because no matter what kind of problem you’re having, there’s someone in the room that has had that same problem and is willing to help you with it,” she says. “Even if they can’t solve a problem, they would be helpful in listening.”
Looking to the future, Nanci is forging ahead on her new path and applying her expertise in customer service and operations management to bring MST Dumpsters to new heights.
What are some of the things you do to achieve wellness as a busy woman entrepreneur?
I am a workout nut. I do 45 minutes of cardio every morning and then after work I lift weights and I’ve been doing that for 25 years. That’s huge for me in terms of feeling good.
Any advice for other business owners on ways to achieve wellness?
Sometimes you need to disconnect. For instance, you don’t have to answer all your e-mails when you’re on vacation. You should really be on vacation, not working from a different location.
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