By Jerry Jehn, Waltz Business Solutions –
My humble beginnings in this industry began with a conversation with my dad. “Jerry, you seem to be very good with your hands (I rebuilt a ’70 Chevelle Super Sport from the ground up when I was 17) so would you consider going to work in the family business as a technician part time while going to college?” I took him up on the offer and went to work as a calculator technician in 1983. That stint lasted for 3 months before I was “let go” with no concrete reason, other than “we are laying you off due to slow economy.”
At that point in my life I felt like a loser with no direction, barely passing grades at NKU, and no future next steps. My sister, Julie pulled me out of the local doldrums and talked me into moving 2 hours south for 4 years to attend EKU with her. Bewildered, directionless and depressed, I decided to take her up on the offer.
My new goal in life was to graduate with a degree on how to run a business. Attempting to pull out of my state of depression, and to wrestle with the fact that I wasn’t an “A” student, I managed to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration & marketing with the hopes to come back to the family business, Waltz Business Equipment in 1987 to re-start my humble beginnings but on the other side of the company—selling copiers—whew hew!! I mean, let’s face it—who roles out of bed one day saying, “I want to be a copier salesperson”?
Today, one day before retirement, I look back at one of the best kept secrets for a career. This industry has given us all an incredible ride. I’ve had the honor to meet incredible people; not only great peers, but some genuine clients, not to mention my second family, great employees, all of whom I will have lasting friendships beyond retirement.
This message goes out to all the friends in the industry that I’ve met and grown to love—you are the best and I will miss you and the events I would see you at dearly.
The time has come to follow my “guiding light” home to re-live my honeymoon of 36 years after retiring from my second family on 6/23/2023 & 2:23. Kathy, along with God, is truly my guiding light and while I still can, devour that precious path.
Godspeed everyone! I will miss you!
SOURCE: Waltz Business Solutions
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