As I look back on my life I have discovered many events and people that influenced my career path.
My Dad was self employed as a hog buyer for the Omaha packing houses. I don’t remember him working very hard, but I do remember that he didn’t work 9-5.
I began my entrepreneurship by doing lots of odd jobs for my grandmothers. I remember getting paid the same for picking up something at the store or digging out a 20 year old lilac bush. The good news was that I always had money for anything I needed. I always had money where my brothers didn’t.
When I was 11 I started mowing yards for my grandparents ($ .75) and my uncle who owned the funeral home (he paid $1.75). I decided to expand my business and I needed to buy my own mower. Mom and I went to Sears in Atlantic and bought one for $29. I had $9 and I borrowed $20 from my grandmother Wagler. I paid her back by mowing her yard. The great thing was I would mow her yard she would give me $1 credit and then give me a $ .25 tip. I mowed about 10 yards for the next 3 summers.
My first outside job was with Tom Sharples as a surveyor’s assistant. I held the stick so the surveyor could make sure the tiling in his farm went downhill. I’ll never forget that check for $31 ($1.25/hour). He hired me for a few other jobs.
My dream job at that time was to work at Ross’s Super Valu grocery store. There I learned to work hard, never sit still and that the customer is always right.
College Leadership
Tom Hyland
Own
awn mowing business
Surveyor
Ross
Ames Fruit & Grocery
PBR Rep
Northwest Mutual
Provident Mutual
Hawkeye Bancorp
Frank Insurance
Chapman Realty
Frank Realty
Beacon Microcenter
Computer Systems
NetStar Internet
Emagine Marketing
The OxyStore
Frank Marketers
