Meet Shamar Williams | Disabled Army Veteran, Early retired Land Surveyor & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shamar Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shamar, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Building a legacy, financial security, to work when I feel like working and as hard as I wanna work. My main goal has always been making money while I sleep. And that money making more money.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m just like everyone else plus I’m super competitive for no reason, I have to be #1 in everything I do then when I achieve that I have to beat my own goals. That being said I destroyed my body in the Army being #1 and outperforming everyone I knew. I joined the Army as a civil engineer 2002. I was medically discharged in the end of 2004. Ended up homeless for almost a year in Hawaii. Started working a security job paying $11.60 hr. I got the job and apartment at the same period of time but now I couldn’t afford to eat. I was super friendly and positive so I hid my despair and continued to make friends. I made friends with a general superintendent working for RCI at the time which is now Parsons. He randomly offered me a job one day. He put me in the operator’s engineers local 3 as a surveyor journeyman, I went from $11.60 to $31.80 per hr over night. I transferred to local 15D 2007 where I excelled as the fastest instrument operator in Maser consulting. I finally became a crew chief in 2016 I wasn’t the quickest in this position because by now my military related injuries were kicking my butt, but I was still respected for my accuracy, tenacity and knowledge of land surveying and the different equipments we use. I ended up being pushed out my surveying career by Oct 21, 2021. I wasn’t able to perform my duties efficiently anymore due to my military injuries and other secondary injuries sustained in the field over my 20 career, I was put on short term disability which turned into long term disability, I was finally terminated on Dec 2022. I now live my life doing physical therapy and Doctors appointments half of the day, then business stuff followed by spending time with my wife and kids. I am proud that I didn’t give up, especially when times were rough and painful. The only times I’ve quit was for a better job. But know this…… no matter how good you are, you are still replaceable and the moment you get mentally or physically ill, you will be replaced. Know your rights and fight for your self, pay attention. I’ve always been in school throughout my entire life, to stay competitive in my career, pursuing my degree, side hustles in preparation for when my body fails me, which paid off by the way. I over came all my challenges so far by having a no quit attitude, being extremely positive, friendly, believing that there is always a solution for every problem, understanding the laws of attraction. Although my career is over at 38, I’m still making a liveable income and now have the time to be a better father, husband and Entrepreneur.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We definitely gotta hit up Dats Deli in Jamaica Queens, Canal street in China town, World Trade Center, Empire State Building, Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, and other popular NYC sites and attractions. There are a million things you can do here in NYC.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My very honorable, humble loving Mother for her patience and belief in me and taking care of me always. Grandmother for the same she’s also my mentor, she has never worked for anyone a day in her life, the real OG hustler, my wise and never quitting Grandfather, My wife Diana Williams for loving me intensely, having my back thru all manners of hardship for our 3 boys, her amazing cooking skills and her patience. my sisters Kameish and Nicole and my brothers Aric and Nate. my father for instilling the importance of education he’s the reason I got my bachelors degree. My 1st grade teacher Ms Comry and all the rest of my teachers who never gave up on me. My first boss Benjamin Alvarado, that man was a true father , friend and mentor to me, my 1st union boss Sparky sevigne, he believed in me and protected me.

Instagram: “wisdom_understanding” & “queensfinestmobilenotary”