If we created an EO “Hall of Fame,” Mike Fabbiano is certainly one of the names that would be boldly written on the list. From joining the EO Accelerator program in 2011 to becoming a board officer in 2020, Mike has exemplified all it means to climb the Entrepreneurship Organization's leadership ladder of value, ethics, and responsibilities.
It’s little wonder that in 2024 he stepped into the role of EO Boston Chapter President to champion a new phase of the organization’s vision. However, one of the many things that brought Mike this far is his exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, which has been proven in the growth and management of his company.
Mr. Fabbiano is a partner, vice president, and managing principal of Highpoint Engineering, a renowned civil engineering firm with over a decade of professional experience and hundreds of clients worldwide. In this interview, Mike shared his entrepreneurship journey at Highpoint, its highs and lows, and EO Boston's role in his success story. Read on!
Tell Us About Your Business
Highpoint is a full-service civil engineering and consulting firm that focuses on private-sector commercial real estate. I, my business partner Doug Hartnett, and my two associates, Nichole Langley and Jesse Aguilar, lead the firm.
At Highpoint, our leadership fosters an entrepreneurial culture where project experience and design efficiency are key to our success. Our lengthy civil engineering experience, dating back to 2010, distinguishes us from our peers and adds value for our clients. Each and every client receives unique services and benefits from our team's diverse skill set.
How Did You Become an Entrepreneur?
My entrepreneurial journey started because I was laid off after the Great Recession of 2008/2009. This was when Highpoint was born, and I was thrust into the founder role at the age of 39. Prior to starting the business, I led large commercial projects as a senior project manager and associate/shareholder at a large architectural/engineering firm with 500+ employees.
What Have Been Your Greatest Challenges and Successes in Business?
The greatest challenge thus far has been growth and our ability to scale. We are a consulting business by trade; therefore, our ability to grow is based on our talent. We are also in a cyclical industry, so when the economy is up, we are up, and when the economy is down, our business suffers.
On the flip side, we have recorded several successes. However, I think our number one success is my partnership with my business partner and the quality of our team and culture. We are, at our heart, a consulting firm, and without good people, we are nothing. It takes all of us to deliver successful projects to our clients.
When it comes to ownership, I think my business partner would agree—we truly complete each other. It might sound corny, but I have seen many partnerships end in disaster because there was no alignment. I treasure our relationship and ability to find success even with difficult decisions to be made, which are plentiful.
How Do You Network With Other Entrepreneurs?
My number one passion is networking. When it comes to pure entrepreneurs, it is almost exclusively in EO circles. Between attending local EO and regional/global events, I have come to recognize the power of putting yourself out there. I am authentic and try to help whenever I can. Golf, though, is at the top of the list as far as my number one networking skill.
Who Have Been Your Strongest Mentors?
Growing up in the construction business, I would say my dad greatly impacted how I conduct myself. He, like me, was not perfect, but significant character traits like work ethic and commitment to the handshake agreement meant something. You always did what you said you were going to do.
I have an incredible number of fond memories of growing up with a shovel in my hand from the age of 12 all the way to graduating college at 22. I can still hear him today: “Michael, you need to work the broom. Work it.” I was more worried about getting back on my dirt bike at 12 than working a broom.
But as I grew up, I learned what hard work meant and why commitment to excellence is the only way to go. Then, for my professional career, [my strongest mentor is] Don Springhetti, PE. He was my first true mentor, and he helped me cut my teeth in the commercial land development world when I joined Cubellis in 2000.
He is a true gentleman, an incredibly gifted engineer, and a remarkable people person. From the time I started working with Don until he retired, I was learning daily how to be better. This rings true to this day. Every day is about adding knowledge. I owe much of my well-rounded nature to Don and his approach to land development in all commercial real estate circles.
What Have You Learned Since Joining EO Boston?
I have been asked this question many times, and my best answer is this: before EO, my world was smaller. I had limited expectations of what I could do and the possibilities of life. My dreams were only so big.
But through my many years as an EO member, it feels as if the lid to the ceiling of my life has been removed, and now there is a big, open blue sky above me. There is no road or map, just a limitless sky of possibility. That type of thinking in my head did not exist before. So, I owe an incredible debt of gratitude to EO for changing my life to become even more gratifying.
What’s on the Horizon for You?
Personally, I am continuously working on myself and my family so that we can all live healthy and happy lives. Life will always have its challenges, but with the right attitude, network, and willingness to do the hard stuff, we can get through pretty much anything with a smile on our faces.
For our business, we have lots of “irons in the fire,” so to speak. Our consulting business is strong and forged with incredible relationships. Our leadership team is committed to growing the business. Potential new business lines are starting up in the near future, and we are diversifying our service offerings.
For EO Boston and my current presidency from 2024 to 2026, the theme will continuously be: “Drive profound value for our members personally, for our members’ businesses, and for our members' families.”
What’s the Best Piece of Advice You Can Give to Up-And-Coming Entrepreneurs?
Sweat equity is real. Build a network of trusted advisors. Most will not understand what you are doing or why you are doing it. If you believe in what you are pursuing, don’t let those around you who don’t understand persuade you to take your foot off the pedal. It takes an incredible amount of energy to build a successful business; nothing worth having comes from Easy Street.
Anything Else You Want to Cover?
While attending one of the global conferences this year in Singapore, one of the speakers had a one-liner about EO: “EO is not a spa, it’s a gym.” This resonated with me because it’s been my experience that if you want something, it takes energy and a proactive nature to make it happen.
So, for those reading this who are EO members, there is an incredible universe of learning available to you in EO, and it’s up to each of us as members to go out and find it. In my opinion, the same applies to almost all of my life. If I don’t know something, where is the information? Who can I call? Who do I know? If you sit back and let life happen, you probably will not get the life you dreamed of.
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