Dan Heiskel

Dan and Son Theo 5/7/2012

Dan 1993

Dan Heiskel

Louisville, KY

Email: (Click Here)

Dan Heiskel writes:
Copy Corporation and Jim Kincer will always be very special to me.  One of the things that makes America so great is entreprenuers like Jim, and their companies like Copy Corporation.  Small businesses like this give an ordinary average guy like me the opportunity to get a good job, learn, grow and become successful.  I didn't have great credentials- no MBA from Harvard, not born into the Rockefeller family, no amazing gifts.  I was just a normal "B" student from a middle class family from West Virginia. 

I had a friend who took a sales job and moved to Louisville from West Virginia.  He kept sending me want ads.  I was working as an assistant manager for Rax Restaurants in Huntington, WV.  Huntington was a pretty big city for a small town guy like me, but I knew my future was limited there.  I was the night manager and usually only had one day off during the week.  I had a crummy little desk in a crummy little 2 bedroom apartment.  On my day off, would sit there and prospect for jobs. 

One of the ads caught my attention, so I was preparing to send my resume in.  I called the number in the ad and talked to the sales secretary.  Her name was Janelle Dawson.  She was very nice, had a fantastic personality, and we hit it off - joking around and so on.  I asked her a couple of questions, one of which was who to address my cover letter to.  She told me her boss David Payne was the Sales Manager and he was going to make the decision.  She gave me some insight into David's personality, which I appreciated.  I told her I would send the letter to her attention and asked if she would be kind enough to put my resume on the top of the pile.  She promised me she would and she told me she would even make sure he reads it when he is in a good mood.  For those of you who know David, back in those days, catching him at the wrong time could be disastrous! 

I told her I would call the following Tuesday at 10:00am.  I had the day off, and figured I would be somewhat alert by then after closing the restaurant the night before.  She did all she promised.  In fact, she told me David was waiting for my call.  She put me through to him.  He asked me a couple of questions and wanted to know when we could meet.  We kept trying to set appointments, but it was tough for me with my work schedule.  Finally I asked him how long a ride is it from Huntington to Louisville.  He told me about 4 hours.  I asked him what he was doing at 2:30.  He said he wasn't doing anything in particular.  I said I will be there at 2:00pm.

He gave me some directions, I put on a suit, jumped in my car and drove to Louisville.  When I got there, I was really impressed with the heartbeat of the company.  I could tell everyone was very professional, and they seemed to be on a mission.  There was this preppy looking dude with a tweed jacket, hair stylishly slicked back, very friendly and sharp.  He was interviewing also.  His name was Keller Riede.  He looked totally Ivy League.  I guess he was, because he just graduated from UK- the Ivy League of the South.  I have to admit I was intimidated by him.  I was just there in a blue pin-stripe (with a shadow stripe) suit and a yellow tie.

When I walked into David's office, he had on the exact same suit, tie, and shirt.  Needless to say, we hit it off, and the interview went really well.  Several times he referred to some guy named "JK".  I just acted like I understood who he was referring to.  He told me before I talked to JK he wanted me to talk to Steve Young.  He told me Steve was the VP of Sales, and the 800 lb gorilla who shit where he wanted.  I didnt't exactly understand what that meant, but over the years I figured it out.

I started off by asking Steve about how he got started and what made him successful.  He shared with me several funny stories, regaled me with some sales experiences he had, and basically told me how great a company it was and what a great guy JK was.  I really enjoyed  talking with Steve.   I don't really remember him asking me any questions, but he told me he liked me, thought I would do well and said now I had to get past JK.  So, now I got nervous.  I figured out, JK must be the big boss and he would make the final decision.  At this point, I liked everything I saw and wanted to move to Louisville and to work here.  

David and Steve's offices- and something called the "bullpen"- were located upstairs.  JK's office was downstairs.  It had a big desk, a big chair, a big window, a very successful looking guy sitting behind that big desk in that big chair.  I think it might have had a conference table and couch, but by now I had tunnel vision.    He got up, shook my hand, and had me sit down in front of the largest desk I had ever seen.

JK was very cordial, and I started thinking, this isn't going to be all that bad.  After he totally disarmed me with his charisma, he asked me one question.  He said, "Let me see if I understand this.  Your from West Virginia, you aren't from Louisville, you don't live here, you don't have any family here, you don't know anyone here, you have never sold anything in your life and you don't even know what a copier can do.  What makes you think you can sell copiers on straight commission and be successful here?"  I was totally stunned.  I could see my dream job slipping away.  I thought for a minute, and remembered a question I asked a friend of mine's dad several years earlier.  This guy bought old Triumph TR-3 sports cars, rebuilt them and collected them.  I asked him how did he learn how to do that.  He told me, "There are people smarter than me doing it, and there are people dummer than me doing it.  If they can do it, so can I".  So, that is exactly what I told JK.  I got the job, and a few weeks later I learned JK's name was Jim Kincer.  

 From the editor: 
*Today, Dan continues to operate his own successful company "West Sales Group" (a wholesale hardware/building supply company).  He still lives in Anchorage, KY.  His daughter is in college and his son is an avid sportsman and is in high school!  On 5/7/12  I have a wonderful evening with Dan.  He was at a high school baseball game where his son Theo was playing against Oldham County, (my grandson, Josh"s team).  Dan and I had a super visit while watching our boys play baseball.  (The game was called after two innings because of weather).

    1994                                      1995