Work hard, enjoy life

Derek Levan and Shawn Correnti bring balance to their business partnership

Derek Levan (L) and Shawn Correnti are business partners in All Terrain Landscaping, winner of a 2012 Best of Business Award; the business is based in Nelson, B.C. — Photo courtesy Derek Levan

Derek Levan and Shawn Correnti have been business partners in All Terrain Landscaping in Nelson, B.C., for three years.

Knowing what you know now about business and the world of adult responsibility, what advice would you give your younger self?

Levan: Keep working hard; hard work pays off.
Correnti: Don’t take everything seriously. Enjoy life. It goes by quickly, and you don’t want to miss it.

Who would you say was your mentor while you were growing up?

Levan: My dad, for sure. He taught me to never stop learning, because that’s how you improve.
Correnti: My grandpa Gino. He taught me lots about life—to respect people and always treat them fairly.

If you weren’t in this business, what would you be doing?

Levan: Something outdoors, probably farming.
Correnti: Anything outside, sports oriented. I prefer to spend my workday outdoors.

What inspires you?

Levan: Being outdoors, in nature. I’m a ski bum—that’s why I’m a landscaper. Summers are work, winters are play.
Correnti: My kids, my family. They show me how to see things through different eyes, keeping it simple, not getting wrapped up in worries.

What was your first paid job and what did you learn from it?

Levan: I had a paper route when I was really young, but my first real work was as a farmer on the west coast of B.C. I learned that I really love spending my workday outdoors.
Correnti: I grew up in Revelstoke, so I shovelled roofs and paths for people, going door to door. The thing I learned is that you have to work hard to get anywhere, and you have to take the good with the bad.