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SPECIAL CONVENTION SECTION
When I return from my international of business was a bit more recession to my seminars. I like them to let me
assignment, I lived in Breckenridge proof that other areas. For the first know how they use the idea and what
Colorado. AT&T wireless had offered few years, I straddled coaching and type of results that they achieved.
me a position in either Seattle or running the business simultaneously.
Atlanta, and at the time, neither For a very long time, I only did keynotes
seemed appealing to me. I briefly When 2014 rolled around we were and breakouts session… After I
worked at real estate before purchasing growing by leaps and bounds and I published my book, the Pufferfish
and ActionCOACH business coaching felt it necessary to step away from Effect, there is been a great demand
franchise. A huge part of coaching is my coaching and speaking for a short and request for me to do on-site
speaking before audiences… I would while to be able to get SUNSHINE services with contractors at their
do seminars almost every single week up and running and devote 100% of locations. After careful evaluation
and eventually I had three different my focus and energy to our growth. and being able to delegate most of
group coaching sessions going and It wasn’t long before I was being my routine tasks at Sunshine, I now
will speak before the audiences two requested to come out of retirement can take on a very select few clients
hours at a time every single week. to be a speaker once again… People per year where I will go and spend an
We also did we also did “Massive wanted to know how we were able to entire day with them at their shops.
Planning Days” once or twice per grow our company so quickly, garner Our focus together is their marketing,
year to help business owners to grow so many reviews and awards, and advertising and PR strategies. I
their business. This is where I truly keep our millennial Workforce happy. have found that that is the area that
developed my passion for helping In the beginning of 2015 I started contractors seem to struggle the
Business owners through speaking. I out on the road again doing breakout most… I believe the reason for this is
was able to see the light bulbs going sessions at conventions and then this is the furthest away from being a
off… Owning a business is lonely and eventually keynotes. Being a keynote technician as you can possibly get. It
isolating at times…I wanted to create speaker, it’s truly my happy place. just not logical! I have created simple
community and to BE the person in ideas and strategies and a step-by-
the front of the room that was living My passion lies in my niche… speaking step plan for anyone to be able to
to trade service audiences… I love
the same challenges as my audience. use to grow their company and to
to be able to share the out-of-the- get better results about marketing.
During this time, I unintentionally box ideas that we have used to grow
coached 17 different trades… Sunshine Plumbing Heating Air over I am SO excited to have been selected
Electricians, windows, doors, ceilings, 535% in the last few years. My greatest at the Keynote for this years IEC
siding, you name it I coached them! pleasure comes from the ability to Convention. This was so important to
Once again, I found myself back in speak to an audience and to have them me as I always feel that “my people”
the trades. My father had already walk away with 2 to 3 ideas that they have special requirements and that
passed on by this time, but I know can implement in their business right they really like hearing from one of
that he would have been proud that away. One of my best pieces of advice their own. We may not all be in the
I was back to my roots. While I was that I have given to my audiences is same specific industry but trade
coaching, I did end up meeting my this: walk into your office on Monday companies to run very similar to each
husband WILLIAM who was a master morning and you are the new CEO… other and it’s nice to have a friend
plumber, and a boiler genius… He Armed with new ideas and fresh eyes who is already walked the walk I can’t
owned, at the time, Sunshine solar and in order to make their business more wait to meet the attendees of the
mechanical. He mainly did new home successful right away. I love hearing conference and to later hear how they
and remodel installations. WILLIAM follow up from people who have been used some of ideas in their business.
had started his career as a journeyman
electrician, then mentored with his
dad to become a master plumber, and
now currently a NATE certified HVAC My greatest pleasure comes from the ability
technician. We moved to Denver shortly
after the recession as the mountain to speak to an audience and to have them
communities were hit extremely hard walk away with 2 to 3 ideas that they can
during that time. We decided to go
into the service business exclusively, implement in their business right away.
because, for us, we felt that that type
www.ieci.org | September/October 2019 | Insights Magazine 37