ife has a funny way of helping you out. That’s a line of the popular 90s pop song “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette, but it likely became so famous because it’s so relatable.

David Dodge has been the founder and president of Paramount Metal Systems for over two decades, designing and constructing steel structures for multiple industries, including self-storage. While his track record speaks for itself, his success showcases how every single chapter in life can serve as building blocks to what one can accomplish, even if none of it follows a specific rhyme or reason, and even when life throws you a devastating curveball.

Get ready for an inspiring education on how going with the flow can lead you to a pretty fulfilling life. There’s no need to make detailed road maps or to worry about how you’ll get from Point A to Point B.

David Dodge was born in Angola, Ind., and raised in the town of Fremont (population of 1,200) in Steuben County. He’s the third of five children (his siblings are Rick, Katie, Doug, and Brad). With four boys in the family, the environment was somewhat competitive.

“We grew up on Main Street, USA,” he says. “We all knew each other. All our relatives were there, all our friends were there; our whole world was in that little corner of Indiana. It’s funny how when we were growing up, we couldn’t wait to get away from there, but as we all got older, we kind of long to go back.”

He attended Fremont High School, where he was into education, sports, girls, and construction. He wants to make it clear that his priorities weren’t necessarily in that order, and when he says sports, he means all of them. “I played football, basketball, baseball, and golf,” he says.

During his junior year, he participated in a building trades program, where the class was assigned a project to construct a new home, from site selection to finish. The sale proceeds would go to the school. He enjoyed it so much, he participated again in his senior year.

When graduation was drawing closer, his parents asked him where he wanted to attend college. They never expected his answer. “I said I wanted to go to the University of Arkansas,” he says. “It may have sounded like a random choice, but I had played sports with people from Arkansas, and I enjoyed those visits.”

However, that dream was not going to happen—at least not yet. His parents made it clear that they weren’t going to pay for out-of-state tuition, so he enrolled at Indiana State University, where he continued playing golf on the college team. “After two years, I knew I was not going to get my PGA Tour card, so I made the decision to follow a favorite character of mine from the book ‘Gone to Texas’ by Forrest Carter and head south to start my career path.”

His father, Richard Dodge, was an HVAC contractor and four-term Indiana State Representative; his stepfather, Bill Pope, was a district sales manager for General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) Yellow Pages. “They were the best professors I ever had,” he says. “One provided an appreciation for a trade and public service, and the other taught me how to sell that trade and how to treat others.”

In 1981, he left Indiana and moved to Dallas to start his career with Wickes Lumber. It was an easy decision, since his brother Rick was already in Texas working at Wickes. At the time, they were innovative, being part of the introduction to the market of pre-engineered buildings. It was an exciting time to be in construction, since so many new things were happening in the industry. “The birth of the steel component manufacturer was in its infancy, and Rick made the jump from wood to steel at Omega Building Products,” he says. Soon enough, Rick told him that Omega was looking to grow the company and hire new people, so David decided to follow his footsteps there.

“I figured if they would take him, they would sure be ecstatic to have me come on board,” he says with a laugh. “The only catch was that they wanted me to relocate. Fortunately for me, it was to Little Rock, Ark. God has a funny way of putting you in the right place and right time.”

His dream of finally living in Arkansas came true in such an unexpected way. “My mom has always said since that conversation in high school, ‘Boy, when you said you wanted to be in Arkansas, you really meant it! I’ve lived here for two-thirds of my 64 years, and I love it. It’s a true paradise for people who like outdoor activities: hiking, biking, fishing, and golfing. I’ve done all of them throughout my life. I really am so happy to be here.”

Arkansas has also been the gift that kept on giving. Around the year 1998, David had some friends at church who kept trying to set him up on a blind date with the sister of one of his fellow church band members. “I kept saying no, but they kept insisting, so I had dinner with Janet at an Outback Steakhouse, and we’re still together 27 years later.”

The transition to self-storage happened organically. “We were blessed in those days to be surrounded by a lot of talent and characters,” he says. “In quest to always find ways to sell more materials, engineers and sales worked together to develop the second-generation self-storage 5-by-10 post and purlin design that has been the cornerstone for all storage construction since its conception for over 45 years.”

As serendipity would have it, in 1983, Omega was acquired by Vic West Steel. “I was in my mid-20s and not fully versed on mergers and acquisitions,” David says. “I had to make a choice about whether to stay with the new ownership or accept a sales position with one of the oldest and most established component manufacturers at the time, McElroy Metal. They had been established in 1963, so they had longevity on their side. However, they had not expanded past their comfort zones.”

David saw this as an opportunity to bring the expertise he gained at Omega. “I consider my time in Omega as my undergraduate education,” he says, “and decided to make McElroy the start of my MBA, and master we did.”

He worked at McElroy for a decade, a time in which the company’s sales grew from $25 million to $80 million. “In 1989, my region alone generated 10 percent of the total volume of the company, contributing to the growth and success they still enjoy today,” he says.

Once he had mastered the sales aspect of the industry, he decided to take on his next challenge. Specifically, he wanted to learn how to take those components and design and engineer a building system. He also wanted to learn about the construction process. “It was time for my PhD,” he says, highlighting his love for educational analogies. So in 1993, he started working at Rib Roof Metal Systems. At the time, it was considered one of the power five companies in the self-storage industry. “Adding development and construction to the manufacturing was just another step in my quest for a higher education.”

In 2003, David wanted to start his own business. Thus, Paramount Metal Systems was born. “The conception of this business brought me full circle from the days of building trades in high school,” he says. “It’s funny how 40 years later, all the things that seemed irrelevant in my youth and throughout my career ended up being the most relevant to my success with my own company.”

He’s also proud of the work culture at Paramount. He explains that since most people spend the majority of their time at work, he wanted to make sure his business was an environment people enjoyed. “I know it’s a cliché, but we really are like a family. I make sure that everyone can be who they truly are, and we provide flexibility for people to take care of their families when they need to. We work hard and we play hard. We work together, we laugh together, and we go through things together.”

He also loves that the vast majority of the team at Paramount has been there long term. “People here come and they thrive. It’s actually a career, not just a job. And I love that I’ve had the opportunity to help create careers for others. All these people we’ve hired have been able to elevate to high levels. That’s pretty rewarding.”

After all these years, he’s still happy life brought him down the self-storage path. “I love working with the people in the storage industry, associates and competitors alike. There’s always been a sincere camaraderie, especially because many of us got started in the same fashion—learning the ropes as we went along, working hard and playing hard.”

In addition, he’s aware that being in this industry affords him with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, both as customers as well as the option to create a sustainable future for those who seek to be in storage as well.

He also loves that being around the block several times comes with the invaluable perspective of hindsight. “I became a part of this industry in its second generation, and it has grown so much since then, and at such a fast pace, that it’s sometimes not recognizable.”

Even though having a successful business with proven longevity is a significant achievement on its own, David is proud of everything he’s learned throughout every single position he’s ever held. In fact, when asked about his greatest accomplishments, he’s quick to answer: “Contributing to the success of every organization I had the pleasure to serve.” He’s also proud that Paramount has been the recipient of three of Messenger’s Facility of the Year awards in three different decades.

But it hasn’t all been celebrations. David also pauses to reflect on the biggest challenges he’s overcome. “There were many times when it was difficult to convince others of the possibilities I saw. I’m an idea guy. You have to have that vision as a business leader, or you’re going to end up following the crowd.”

One of the times when he was able to convince others of innovation was when Paramount was selected to perform a couple of grant projects for the Department of Energy & Defense. “We were tasked to show through a consortium of products, such as solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, and rain water harvesting, that they were a great way to leverage your building for additional payback. And they worked too, because of their sustainability.”

But just as that example ended up well, there were also plenty of ideas that were shot down. He sees no point in dwelling on them, however.

Then there was the biggest scare anyone could face. In 2007, he went to the doctor because he had kidney stones. “I ended up finding out that I had an 18 centimeter tumor in the abdomen.” He underwent surgery to remove it, but surgeons couldn’t get it all. The cancer metastasized and David underwent surgery again in 2012. Treatments are ongoing, but he’s been in remission since 2015. “Going through that experience really changes you,” he says. “Things that used to bother you before don’t bother you anymore. You no longer sweat the small stuff, and you do everything you can to enjoy life and be happy, because everything can turn with one test or one scan.”

He also mentions how now that the experience is behind him, he’s better able to understand employees at Paramount. “We’ve had people deal with cancer themselves, or a family member gets diagnosed. And when you go through that, nobody else understands what that’s like unless they’ve lived it themselves. So I’ve been able to mentor them, or even just lend an ear. I fully understand that when you’re going through that, work is the last thing on your mind, and you have to be flexible.”

When not working, David enjoys spending time with Janet and their rescue dogs, a Labrador named Sky and a Chihuahua named Roscoe. He also still enjoys playing golf, fishing, and reading. Among his favorite books are “The Bible,” “The One Thing” by Garry Keller, and “Wisdom of the Bullfrog” by Admiral William H. McRaven. His food tastes can be a bit unusual. “My favorite food would be an oldie but goodie: peanut butter, mayo, and bologna sandwich—all at once. Thanks, Mom!” He also loves watching movies and listening to music, but don’t ask him for his favorites. “Too many to count. I like all genres!”

When reflecting on his life, he highlights that all of his successes are due to establishing good relationships with people. “I’ve learned that it’s all psychology. It’s not about whether you know how to make the best buildings or manufacture something. It’s all about how you relate to people, whether it’s an employer, clients, vendors, or people in your personal life.” It’s why most of the people at Paramount have lasted since he first started the company.

He also remembers all of the well-intentioned people throughout his youth who wanted to steer him in the right direction. “I got plenty of good advice when I was young. I just never followed it. I’m not sure if that would’ve made things turn out differently, or if I even would have wanted them to.”

But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. One of the beautiful things of getting older is the wisdom that comes with it. “When I was in high school contemplating the choices before me, a friend of mine slipped me a note. The words on that paper have been the compass I have lived by my entire life: If you were meant to be like everyone else, you would have never been given the power of thought. To follow the crowd takes no thought at all.”