Some words, inspirations, and philosophies of Michael Hess, the driver behind Club MOTOR.
Michael Hess on his patio in Katonah, NY where he lives
with his wife Maureen, and his two fantastic Vizslas, Cali and Nimmy.
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When I was a teenager, I knew I would pursue a career in sales because I bought into the idea that hard and smart work could equal financial upside and career fulfillment. I also loved the idea that I could run my territory and business according to what I felt was best. I had no idea that there was something even more fulfilling than a life of business-to-business sales: management. To me, management is the hardest, most demanding, most nerve-wracking profession, yet it's the only one that sustains my interest given my desire to guide, nurture and support others...all in the name of competing to drive results.
When I hear peers and associates complain about management being similar to baby-sitting, I cringe. But I understand because management is not for everyone. Certainly if one is short on patience and the desire to teach, then obviously management is not a good career track. Personally, it's the perfect career for me because I love helping and teaching others and am eager to share all I've learned from my experiences. While I've made my share of bad decisions and such, in my heart I've always exercised an immense amount of empathy and consideration for those around me. I am grateful to those in my career who have taught me many lessons, yet in all honestly, I have mostly taught myself because of my deep passion and interest in management. I am proud and excited to produce Club MOTOR. I feel I have served an apprenticeship of nearly 30 years in order to get to this part of my career when I can offer something robust and substantive like Club MOTOR to you. "There are many keys to being a successful manager, but one of the principles at the top is your ability to slow down, be quiet, and think strategically about how you can serve others." My career travels have put me smack dab in the middle of some very challenging and fulfilling business situations, and I have learned a ton from all of them. After a successful career selling consumer print media (Esquire, Redbook, SmartMoney), I co-launched one of the first internet selling agencies in 1995 called WebRep and grew it to over 50 sales persons across the nation in three years. I learned how to invest $2k and turn it into my portion of a $60mm sales price to our acquirer. Most importantly, I learned a lot about recruiting, on-boarding and training during that time. When the dot bomb exploded in the early '00s, Rolling Stone claimed my services and, with big help from very smart people around me, revenue increased from a bottom of $65mm to $90mm in a few years. I learned a lot about creative asset packaging, selling discipline and building a successful, repeatable sales formula. And yes, at Rolling Stone I also learned about training and coaching. And when the online video craze was in full bloom, I was part of the team at VideoEgg and SAY Media driving to $100mm in five years; I learned a lot about building and managing a global team from the ground up. And, I learned a ton more about training, coaching and developing sophisticated skills of those on my team.
Club MOTOR exists for one simple reason: there are many managers who haven't had and don't have the opportunity to learn all they need to know to be successful. The dearth of formal management instruction yields a scenario that could be combustable for many careers, but it doesn't have to be that way. "The cost of having untrained and unprepared managers in positions of importance to a business is incalculable. By nature, managers are ambitious and intelligent and will excel exponentially when given proper direction and core skill training." “I work for you” has always been the cornerstone of my management philosophy as I have repeated those words again and again to every person I've led during my career. Complementing that philosophy is knowledge I’ve obtained from the numerous bosses, peers, sales reps, clients, and start-up situations along the way. The street has taught me some very keen lessons about management and running businesses: learn fast, be accountable, and constantly invest in relationships by practicing direct, honest communication.
But these tenets are not obvious to everyone and that's why Club MOTOR exists. If you think you can keep learning on the job and not make mistakes that hinder your company and your career, then you're not yet ready for a Management Skill Development program. If you are eager to expand your skills and grow your perspective in order to better provide value to the human beings who professionally depend on you, then contact me and we can talk about how Club MOTOR can work for you. Sincerely, Michael Learn what peers say about Michael, his management traits, and his teaching abilities by clicking here.
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