Ted Hair began his career as an entrepreneur selling vegetable seeds and holiday cards door-to-door to nearby residents at a retirement community down the street from his home when he was a child. He also had a newspaper delivery service, where he managed the largest non-motorized route in his district. He remembers carrying the newspapers in a humongous basket attached to the front of a Firestone bike. His bike would be so weighed down by the papers that sometimes it would even flip over as he hit a bump in the pavement while delivering papers.
He credits his father for instilling in him a winning entrepreneurial spirit, from a very young age. He says it took chutzpah for his dad to leave a good corporate job when Ted was a kid to fulfill dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. Though his dad had to work double time to make ends meet, he finally had the freedom to come and go as he pleased and take vacations with the family.
Ted says his first venture into entrepreneurship was working in the wholesale distribution industry as a protected distributor for Pepperidge Farms. His territory was large, as it covered both Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota.
Once reality set in, Ted welcomed the opportunity, but he also knew that the success of the entire operation rested on his shoulders. He was in charge of many things, which included buying transport trucks, renting warehouse space for the products, planning remote distribution, and hiring merchandisers and staff, etc. He truly loved almost every minute of it and jokes that the biggest drawback was the cold, brutal winter nights he spent in Williston, ND.
Though he loved his job, it often took him away from his family. So he promised himself to give it five years and then find something closer to home. While looking through the local paper one day, his wife saw an ad placed by the largest hotel in the area. The hotel was looking for candidates to fill managerial positions. Ted applied, was hired, and he quickly rose through the ranks to general manager.
That’s where Ted first realized his talent for teaching, training, and coaching others. Everyone he coached became highly successful, and true assets to the company.
Ted believes past success is the greatest predictor of future success. His offer to business owners is simple; how can I help? It’s a question Ted wishes someone had asked his dad, years ago. To tell someone, I’m here to help with sales, marketing, to build your team, and to help you find more leads and time (and to deliver on those promises) will make the difference for someone struggling with their business.
He believes that some business owners are hesitant to work with a coach because they believe their problems are unique, and no one would understand. But there are three, basic areas where most businesses struggle; (1) lacking time (2) lacking a strong team, and (3) lacking money, and this is where Ted can help.
When a business owner is in trouble, the first thing they’ll do is to go it alone, searching for answers. But when the time is tight, searching here and there takes more time away from their business, and they often find themselves looking down a rabbit hole.
Many business owners have great talent and skill, but no one taught them how to run a business. Ted recalls “with a client who was a doctor, and the doctor mentioning that after 12 years of schooling, no one ever told him how to run a doctor’s business.”
If a business wants to enjoy success, Ted says, “they need to start by looking past today’s paycheck. It’s key in getting what you want. You need to move past just being good enough–to a true entrepreneur; someone who could even buy, build, and sell other businesses if they wanted to.” That’s an aspect of business that Ted knows is possible because he’s done it himself, many times, as he continues to, even today.
Ted’s advice to businesses that are struggling is to (1) be very clear on who you are (2) know exactly where you want to go, and (3) understand how you are going to get there.
His business, ActionCoach–the world’s #1 Coaching Company–provides businesses with tools for success. He has helped thousands of business owners become successful because he addresses the individual needs of every business. He has been where you are today, and he knows how to move you past what’s holding you back, onto enjoying the success you deserve.
Ted Hair is the father of nine children, seven girls, and two boys. Ted and his wife have been married 36 years. He loves to ride his motorcycle and misses the mountains of Colorado. He plays racquetball to keep in shape, and he’s incessantly on track for improvement. One of his goals this year is to read 40 books and to break his record by reading 50 books in the year to come.
You can learn more about Ted Hair and ActionCoach SE Houston, at http://www.CoachingHouston.com, email him at TedHair@ActionCoach.com, or contact Ted directly at (281) 896-7325.