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Biography

With business as the strict teacher that it is, Stephen Heckman learned many lessons as the owner of a painting and decorating business that he built from a one-man operation. After serving two tours in the U. S. Air Force as a jet fighter crew chief and maintenance instructor, he was hired as a paperhanger trainee. Within a year he bought the papering business from his boss and developed it into an award-winning, standard-setting painting and decorating business serving the most discriminating clients in the area.

The solid reputation Heckman's business enjoyed came from understanding what his clients wanted and expected. Clients came from all demographics, from modest homes to mansions of the affluent, or commercial projects - all receiving the same standard of service - a high quality product with staff trained to his demanding expectation of professional service and conduct. The way it ought to be.

After 17 years he sold the business to his trusted friend and foreman. Heckman sought consulting opportunities by focusing on "the trades", who, at that time, had a notorious reputation for frustrating their customers. While momentum was building, an opportunity to work as the Human Resource & Safety Manager for one of his former clients at his family's 83-year old business was presented to him. The warehouse and distribution business was in a difficult, labor-intensive, challenging industry with over 200 union and non-union employees, $200 million in annual sales, and a fleet of DOT/FMCSA trucks delivering temperature-controlled, warehoused product regionally. It was an enormous undertaking.

Heckman reported directly to the three owners, who, with their combined business experience of over 100 years, mentored him with their invaluable business wisdom. Coupled with the vast duties of his position, these elements added experience that broadened his understanding of larger-scale businesses.

In retrospect, pausing his consulting dream to work for his client came with enormous dividends. Heckman remained at the now 100-year old company for 17 years until he resigned to pursue consulting in 2023 - but this time with a much broader scope.

Both businesses were vastly different. Both presented broad exposures to tasks and responsibilities that had been previously unknown to Heckman. Nearly everything he did had to be learned and mastered. The process included adversities and achievements, failures and successes, but insight, knowledge, understanding and "how things ought to be" values emerged in him. He recognized an inherent insight had formed inside of him and he cultivated it, which forms the core of his approach to other businesses.

Heckman has been married to his wife Lisa for 38 years. They live full-time in an RV to accommodate the needs of the clients they serve, wherever they are.

STANDARDS are predetermined quality values that dictate an expected result as applied to any product, service, conduct, or effort.

In the absence of standards intentionally set by the principle, others can influence an environment organically, imposing standards less than what was intended.

ETHICS are a disciplined allegiance to one's, or a group's, subscribed values.

In business, subscribing to the right values can earn the respect of employees who value working for someone they can trust.

Customers value the same traits employees have, knowing that where they put their money will never put their trust at stake.

INTEGRITY is the result of doing the right thing, every time, despite circumstances, whether in public or private.

Integrity is a key ingredient of a good reputation, one that, like Ethics, takes sufficient time for those on its receiving end to accept its validity.

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Our affiliation with your business, its name and all relevant details of your project are kept strictly confidential. Names, likenesses, business images, or any other identification of your business will not be used for any purpose without permission.

contact information

heckman@heckwithmybiz.com

574 850 1090

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