IAM581- Coach Pursues His Passion of Helping Other Entrepreneurs

Jeff has a diverse background ranging from bank manager to professional rodeo cowboy, entrepreneur, real estate investor, to business coach. In 2005 he left the banking industry to co-found Kodiak Mountain Stone which was a manufacturing company in Southern Alberta that produced artificial stone veneer to be used in the building industry.

As they've faced many changes in both the Canadian and US economies since 2005, they've had to pivot a few times and a lot has changed since the beginning. But today he's still running that company and he's based in Gilbert AZ. After many years of business experience and some encouragement from one of his business partners and CFO, Dave Olsen, he decided to pursue his passion for helping other entrepreneurs as a business development coach.

• CEO Hack: My iPad
• CEO Nugget: Not to believe all my own lies
• CEO Defined: Powerful creator

Website: https://jeffheggie.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffHeggieBiz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffheggiecoaching/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EntrepreneurND
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffheggie
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkgCsdx29eQcOBKPnopS2SA?view_as=subscriber

Inner Circle Mastermind – https://jeffheggiebusiness.com/members/signup
E-Learning Marketing System Guided Tour – https://jeffheggiebusiness.com/guidedtour

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place, Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of.

This is the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello. Hello. Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Jeff Heggie of jeffheggie.com.

Jeff, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Jeff Heggie 0:39

Thanks, Gresh. I appreciate the opportunity.

Gresham Harkless 0:40

Yeah, no problem I'm super excited to have you on. What I want to do is just read a little bit more about Jeff so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing.

Jeff, has a diverse background, Ranging from being a manager to a Professional Rodeo Cowboy, entrepreneur, real estate investor to business coach, in 2005. He left the banking industry to co-found Kodiak Mountain Stone, which was a manufacturing company in southern Alberta, that produced artificial stone veneer to be used in the building industry.

As they faced a number of changes in both the Canadian and US economy since 2005, they've had to pivot a few times and a lot has changed since the very beginning. But today he's running the company and he's based in Gilbert, Arizona. After many years of business experience and some encouragement from one of his business partners and CFO, Jeff Dave Olson, he decided to pursue his passion for helping other entrepreneurs as a business development coach.

Jeff, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Jeff Heggie 1:37

Absolutely, yes, thank you.

Gresham Harkless 1:39

No problem. Thank you. So I wanted to kick everything off and hear a little bit more about your CEO story. What led you to get started with your business?

Jeff Heggie 1:48

You know, it was a lot that started way back in my days as a bank manager and working with different businesses having an entrepreneurial spirit myself, and actually, my major in school was entrepreneurship. I really loved business. As a bank manager, I got to sit down with a lot of entrepreneurs and talk about their businesses and go through what was working, what wasn't, and I absolutely loved it. I just had the opportunity that one of my clients turned into a great mentor for me and eventually actually turned into a partner and that's who I started Kodiak mountain stone with.

As you said in the introduction, we've had to pivot many times, we've gone through up economies, down economies, and everything in between and I've learned a lot from it. I've always talked with my other business partner, Dave, about the opportunities, we have to share that knowledge, from our experiences from our ups and downs, and what we've learned, what works and what doesn't work with other people. He also has other clients as a CFO and introduced me to one of his clients once who had also been in the manufacturing industry and is now a very successful business coach.

It kind of just got me to the point where I decided to do some more training and do some other things and take the opportunity to start coaching people and helping them with their businesses, and doing something that I really love to do.

Gresham Harkless 3:23

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that. I think, you know, definitely sounds crazy, like how much information you start to take in when you start to think about the conversations that you had as a banking manager, then obviously getting married, rolling up your sleeves, and having the business yourself as well, too.

I think that to be able to go through those experiences, to be able to have the ups and downs and still have a business and also be able to kind of get back to the community is definitely a phenomenal thing.

Jeff Heggie 3:50

Yeah, it is. I've had a lot of experiences that we've figured out things that work really well that it's great to be able to share with people because it's not necessarily industry-specific, that we're able to help with doing things. But also at the same time, we've done things that in the moment we thought were going to be home runs and it was a strikeout.

If you can help another client avoid some of those pitfalls, you definitely want to do that.

Gresham Harkless 4:21

Yeah, absolutely. And then also probably even I think that there's a lot to be said about understanding that it is a roller coaster understanding there will be strikeout so when it does happen, you don't completely be like oh,band say, you know, this is a horrible business. Sometimes you just have to do those pivots.

Jeff Heggie 4:36

Absolutely. I actually used that analogy this morning. I'm also a high school basketball coach, how nice. Last week we we were really trying to help them get in shape and we did 101 up in backs. And so it was it was a tough practice. I mean, during that, you know, you can imagine how much they weren't enjoying themselves, but I said to them, how many of you have told somebody that you did 101 up in backs? Every one of them raised their hands? And I said, and you were proud of it weren't you?

And it was something that during the time you go through it, you might not enjoy it. It might not be a great experience, but what you learn from it, and the growth you can get from it really can be an asset in the future.

Gresham Harkless 5:23

Yeah, absolutely. I definitely agree with that. You definitely took me back. We did suicide. I don't know if they're still around. But anytime for cars. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anywhere. I used to always couldn't stand because whenever report cards came out, we didn't know to practice that next day because most of our team was on probation. So to do nothing but suicides, and yes, I still brag to this day that I did those because I want credit for it as long as I live.

Jeff Heggie 5:50

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 5:52

So well, I know you touched on it a little bit, but I wanted to drill a little bit deeper. Can you take us through, you know, how you work with clients and some of the things that you provide?

Jeff Heggie 6:01

Absolutely. So I've actually got a number of programs that I work with, you know. What I love the most is the opportunity to work the on-one coaching, and I do it with small business owners, I just love working with entrepreneurs. A lot of them are startups, and a lot of them have been in business for a long time. We work a lot on customers that are looking for opportunities, or not necessarily opportunities, the need to increase their leads, increase their sales, those sorts of things. But most of them don't have the funds to say, Okay, I'm going to put a whole bunch of money into marketing and advertising.

We really take a deep look and dive into their business and figure out how we can do that to increase the leads, increase the transactions and conversions, and all those things without increasing the cost of their marketing and advertising. I think that's where I've been able to kind of specialize because I've really had a lot of success in doing that without saying, Okay, we're going to pour a bunch of money into whether it's flick prepay, whatever it is, but working with them and not spending a bunch of money. That's actually something that with my clients that I say, Okay, let's look at this, and I'll guarantee my fees if we don't double my fees, my coaching isn't doing you justice, because if they're making the same amount or less than what the fees are, the coaching isn't working.

So we really look at that. I also with my one client, I have an online coaching system that I haven't gone through as well, which is a great tool for him. But it's also a great tool for some clients that don't want the one-on-one personal coaching, but know they need some coaching or they can't afford the one-on-one coaching at the time. We have a great online coaching system that we work through. Then something else that has been something that I've worked on the last little bit that I've found a lot of value in is we call it our inner circle mastermind. Right now, we've got very few, if any, in fact, I don't think any people in that mastermind group that are in the same industry.

t's it's so powerful what can happen when you get people from different industries talking about, you know, what, what the problems are I'm facing in my stone company, and how someone from a completely different industry might have an idea that I hadn't thought about, that kind of launches me. That's one of the most powerful tools we have right now.

Gresham Harkless 8:44

Yeah, definitely, you know, I appreciate you for breaking all of that down. I think as you kind of said that people are at different stages or want different levels of, I guess, touch so to speak. So to have those different options is definitely huge. I think that there's a lot to be said as we kind of talked about in the very beginning of tapping into the expertise of people from different industries and learning one at first and foremost that you're not by yourself because sometimes it can be lonely. But also being able to kind of tap into that expertise from people, you know from different industries that give you different perspectives and different levels of experience as well.

Jeff Heggie 9:22

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, even myself, I relate a story often with my stone company in 2008, when things were going sideways and being involved in the homebuilding industry. It was rough and I was sitting at a business conference right at a moment when I was trying to figure out a few things on how we were going to pivot and do some different things, and we hadn't quite figured it out.

I was sitting at a table with a lady from who owned a scrapbooking company, and she told me something that day that was something I hadn't thought of and it was something that I was able to implement to my stone company. I've never thought that I would go to a lady who owns a strap scrapbooking company to figure out something for my stone company. So there's a lot of value there.

Gresham Harkless 10:10

Yeah, absolutely. A lot of times, you know, there's nothing new under the sun. I think sometimes when you have people in different industries, and to say you're stealing, but a lot of times you can borrow her ideas, you can look at things in a different way. Because, you know, they might be running their business in a completely new way. And you can be like an innovator or you can figure out problems or whatever, largely because you're taking something from another industry and you're putting it into yours.

Jeff Heggie 10:34

Absolutely. I mean, I don't I can't pick all the stories off the top of my head, but I know that's what Steve Jobs always used to say. He did that word stealing from other industries.

Gresham Harkless 10:46

Okay, so yes, you guys can say it. He's done some great things.

Jeff Heggie 10:50

Yeah. It works for him.

Gresham Harkless 10:51

Absolutely. I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce, and it can be for you personally or your business, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Jeff Heggie 11:03

You know, I think I've already touched on it. But I really do think it's the masterminding, you know, we have our own mastermind, but I've been involved in other ones too. It's even the networking because when you realize that it's not all just you facing all this, that there are other people out there, and they might not be in your same industry that they can help you. That's what one thing I recognized as a coach is, especially people that have been in their business for a long time, often find it more difficult to reach out to someone and say, hey, you know what, I need some coaching rather than someone that's new in it.

But, you know, Tiger Woods has a coach, LeBron James has a coach, Michael Jordan had a coach. Coaches can, whether it's a mastermind or a one-on-one coach, they're going to see things from a different angle, different perspective. I think there's a lot of power in the mastermind part of it, the networking part of it. Whether it's in my coaching business or in Kodiak Mountain stone, I think that's been a huge value that I found.

Gresham Harkless 12:10

Awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So that could be like an app or book or habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Jeff Heggie 12:22

Probably the number one thing would be my iPad, because, you know, as you mentioned, we started this company in Alberta. I'm living in Arizona now, and whether it's my coaching, my stone business, or whatever, I'm all over the place, different places different times. That's probably the thing that I'm on the most, whether it's with a client on a Zoom call, I can do it through my iPad, or if it's working with a client getting an invoice out or something like that. It's with me all the time, I can do it all the time.

Gresham Harkless 12:57

Awesome. Now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice or if you could hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business?

Jeff Heggie 13:08

I think I would go back and tell myself not to believe all my own lies. You know there are so many times, especially as a younger entrepreneur, that you tell yourself there are things you can't do, that you're not qualified, you don't fit that mold, or whatever it might be. I guess also that, you know, those failures are learning experiences, they're not so bad, they're going to hurt, but there's going to be a time in the future that they're going to be helping you.

Gresham Harkless 13:44

Now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different quote and quote CEOs on the show. So Jeff, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Jeff Heggie 13:55

Being a CEO, to me, you're a powerful creator, that you are there to create things within your business whether that's going to be a wide range of things from a product or service to atmosphere, to all the different things that you need within your team and within your business. You need to put your own power behind that and you can create those things.

Gresham Harkless 14:27

Awesome. Well, Jeff truly appreciate all the awesome insight that you gave us. Appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and then of course, how best they can get a hold of you and get in contact, find out about all the awesome thing you ar working on.

Jeff Heggie 14:44

Sure, thanks Gresh. Instagram is probably my most active social media and it's actually entrepreneur next door. But on there, it's Jeffheggiecoaching as well, so you can search any of them. My email address is jeff@jeffheggie.com. If you go to jeffheggie.com, and in the search bar, just type CEO, and you'll see I am CEO, click on that, and it'll have links to all my inner circle mastermind, my coaching programs, got some free ebooks on there got a number of things, the one on one coaching.

I've put all the links together on there and just go to jeffheggie.com and CEO on search bar.

Gresham Harkless 15:34

Awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Jeff. We will also have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you. But thank you for providing that easy button so that we can access all the information and the goodies that we need and want as well.

So definitely appreciate you again, appreciate all the awesome things you're doing. I'm sure the kids appreciate you not doing suicides as well, so definitely take it easy. But I hope you have a phenomenal rest of your day.

Outro 16:00

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast powered by Blue 16 Media tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE And leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless.

Thank you for listening.

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