He Missed Her Funeral. Years Later, It Shaped His Construction Business | Sanjesh Lal
Care Beyond ProfitsShow Notes
Sanjesh Lal, Auckland builder and Director of Keola construction, shares his entrepreneurship journey, resilience, and personal growth in this Care Beyond Profits podcast about small business in NZ. "Starting from scratch is bloody hard. The whole ecosystem for construction is cooked. When it's good, it's good. And when it crumbles, it really crumbles."
From a rural farm in Fiji to leading an award-winning construction company in Auckland, Sanjesh Lal's story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and relentless drive. With over 25 years in the industry and more than 450 residential apartments delivered, Sanjesh has earned multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards at the NZ House of the Year and Commercial Project Awards.
In this conversation, Sanjesh shares the deeply personal story behind his business - from losing the grandmother who raised him, to juggling university with a toddler, to launching a construction company just as the GFC hit. He opens up about the realities of building in New Zealand, why he named his company after his grandmother, and what two decades of construction has taught him about trusting people, leading a lean team, and knowing when to walk away.
About Sanjesh Lal
Sanjesh is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Registered Master Builder. Through Keola, he operates as a main contractor delivering residential, education, social housing, and commercial projects across Auckland. He is Chairperson of the Master Builders West Auckland Branch and a member of BRAC at BRANZ, advising on building and construction research funding priorities for New Zealand.
In this episode:
• Growing up on a farm in Fiji with no electricity • Losing his grandmother without closure and how it changed him • Attending university at 22 with a toddler while working two fast food jobs • Winning a Master Builders award on his very first house build • Listening to the client when bigger builders wouldn't • Starting a construction company in 2007 and surviving the GFC • His values: compassion, honesty, and kindness • Why time is the real currency, not money
Timestamps
(0:00) Sanjesh Lal's construction journey begins (0:46) Welcome and introduction (1:05) Growing up in rural Fiji (3:57) Leaving Fiji at 16 for New Zealand (7:18) Losing his grandmother and failing his exams (9:36) University as a young father (12:09) From consulting to building his first house (15:01)First build, first award (19:01) Launching Keola and surviving the GFC (28:17) Unlearning blind trust in consultants (35:17) Compassion, honesty, and kindness (44:18) Time is the currency
Learn more about Sanjesh and his work
• Keola: https://keola.co.nz/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeshlal/
Learn more about Azoora and her work
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ • Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/
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#SanjeshLal #AucklandBuilder #KeolaConstruction #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #CareBeyondProfitsPodcast #SmallBusiness #ConstructionBusiness #Leadership #ConstructionIndustryNZ
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