After graduating from college, I was struggling with finding a job which would suit me. At the first difficult situation or greater criticism, I felt aggrieved and began to look for another job. It lasted for several years, I didn't move anywhere. Only from company to company, but without any career advancement. Then I got a job in the Czech construction company SYNER, where I worked under the tough site manager Robert Mitro, who of course expected results. As a person without any practical experience as a site manager, I made a lot of mistakes. I was not used to hard work on the construction site in every weather, so I was often criticized for what I did wrong, or could do better, and thoughts of giving up came to me again... I remember the day I used the lunch break to walk around the Vltava river overwhelmed with thoughts of what to do next. And then something struck me. I don't know if it was beautiful sunny weather, or fresh air, or the first real separation from home, or just an accumulated feeling of inferiority. Maybe just a combination of everything together. But that day, at that moment, I said to myself that I will not give up anymore. That's when I humbly realized that college didn't automatically make me a world champion. That I really didn't know anything about life yet and I needed to start work really, really hard if I wanted to become one of the best and that the result wouldn't come right away. I said to myself, "Richard, you have successfully avoided compulsory military service, which has, after all, taught the boys discipline and many good things. Take this hard job as your school of hardening." I think it was Robert who brought me to this realization. 
     When I returned from that break to the construction site, I set an extreme pace. I started listening really carefully to what Robert was telling me. I stopped working for money. From that day I started working for experience and knowledge. And from that day on, I really enjoyed working. I stopped looking at my watch. All I wanted was to finish the construction on time and within budget, learn how to deal with people, how to deal with the investor, how to solve problems, etc. Since then, my life has taken the right direction. And on this path, I adhere to my four core values: humility, persistence, positive thinking, and kindness. Robert patiently taught me this wonderful profession with determination to make me the most advanced construction manager. And besides that, he willingly or unintentionally awakened these values in me.