Today marks a huge milestone.
After weeks (really, years) of weighing the pros and cons of staying in Canada versus starting fresh in the U.S., I finally took the first formal step: I incorporated a U.S. company.
Thanks to Stripe Atlas, the process was surprisingly smooth. I’ve now got:
- A Certificate of Formation
- An LLC Operating Agreement
- A completed SS-4
- A Form 8821
- And I’ve submitted my W-7 to apply for an ITIN
It still feels surreal. I’m not just thinking about making the leap anymore—I’m doing it.
The plan is to establish a legal, operational, and financial foundation in the U.S., with OndeWork as the anchor. Once I hit the $100,000+ capital threshold—held in a U.S. bank account—I’ll submit the formal application for an E-2 investor visa. That means the money must be “at risk” and committed to a real business employing real Americans.
This isn't a side hustle. It's a life pivot.
No Home, No Problem (Maybe)
At the same time, we made a big family decision: we gave our house away—at least for the winter.
A young family in our church needed a place. Rather than let the home sit empty while we’re in Spain, we handed it over. They'll stay until the spring. That means from December through March, we have no fixed address. And strangely, it feels freeing.
We’ve got a few ideas of where we might land during that time, but nothing is certain. It’s a leap into the unknown. That seems to be the theme of this season.
Making Space for Growth
The move to the U.S. also requires me to get out of my own way. I’m good at finances—that’s my background. But just because I can handle the bookkeeping and financial oversight doesn’t mean I should.
So I’m bringing in a new bookkeeper/controller. A sharp guy with decades of accounting experience, currently in Calgary on a student visa. He can work 20 hours a week now, with plans to launch his own bookkeeping service this fall. I told him if things go well, not only will we be his first client, but I’ll back him and help him grow his firm.
That’s how I want to build businesses now—not just creating jobs, but launching other people’s companies. There’s a site supervisor in our construction business doing the same—running his own labor crew on the side. I love it. I encourage it. That’s what this is all about: creating opportunity, not control.
Building Something That Doesn’t Need Me
As I gear up to split time between Canada and the U.S., the most critical thing I can do is build a business that doesn’t need me. Not because I want to walk away, but because real businesses aren’t dependent on the founder to function.
We’re growing fast—on pace to double this year. That sounds exciting (and it is), but it also exposes every crack in our systems. You don’t scale chaos—you scale what’s already working. And right now, our structure needs to catch up with our ambition.
That means:
- Hiring more site supervisors
- Improving our internal processes
- Getting the right people in the right seats
- Letting go of what I used to do so I can focus on where we’re going
It’s not about exiting. It’s about evolving.
This Is What “Go” Looks Like
If you asked me today, “Are you staying or going?”
The answer is simple: I’m going.
We’ll still serve our clients in Canada. Still invest in our team. Still build. But I’m betting big on the U.S. this year—not because I hate what I’m leaving, but because I believe in what I’m heading toward.
I want to find out if the American dream is still alive.
I want to test it in real time.
And I want to bring others along for the ride.
So May 7 is now a marker. The day things went from idea to action.
The day the journey south officially began.
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