Gulf Coast Western’s Steve Ziemke Shares Business Lessons Learned in the Outdoors

Gulf Coast Western's senior vice president, Steve Ziemke, knows a thing or two about sales and long term customer relationsHe has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and serves as a company sales leader. In addition, he spent over 20 years in sales and customer service in the insurance industry.

For all of Steve Ziemke's success in sales, he acknowledges that his triumphs wouldn't be possible without the lessons he learned from the great outdoors. "Just being outside is what I love doing," Ziemke says. 

In addition to gardening and biking around the city, Ziemke spends plenty of time in the mountains. "I am an avid downhill skier," he adds. In fact, Ziemke met his wife while skiing in Utah over 40 years ago. Steve has also run several Hood to Coast Relays in Oregon where a 12-person team covers 198 miles from the top of Mt. Hood down to the ocean at Seaside. Each runner covers three legs ranging from three to nine miles each. He has also run the Pikes Peak Ascent three times, covering 13 miles while gaining over 8,000 feet in elevation up to the summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet. In addition, he has run three marathons, and loves to fly fish

While Ziemke believes in taking time away from the office to recharge through outdoor activities like skiing and running, he brings the lessons learned from the outdoors back to his work. Through skiing, running and spending time in nature, Ziemke has learned the value of constant improvement, positivity, and hard work. Ziemke shares how these lessons translated into his approach at work and why it is so critical for leaders to be lifelong learners, no matter what their passions or specialties.

Pursue Constant Improvement

Skiing and running are by no means easy sports. They are something that even naturally gifted athletes must work at. For Steve Ziemke, business is like skiing and running: to succeed, it's necessary for leaders to constantly hone their skills. 

"It is crucial to always improve one's skills no matter what success has been achieved or how well you perform. Through trial and error, ideas can lead to improvement. These ideas should be evaluated to ensure that all angles have been thought through to ensure success of," Ziemke says. In his work as the Senior Vice President of sales at Gulf Coast Western he constantly works on his communication skills. He will often roleplay with his sales team so they can give each other constructive criticism. "I enjoy training others, not only to help others but to sharpen my skills and improve my overall effectiveness." This is an area that Steve practiced in the Hood to Coast relay races where teamwork was so important. "When 12 runners are working toward a common goal of running their best times, an injury or setback is bound to happen, and we must work together to resolve the issue. Overcoming obstacles causes people to improve.", says Ziemke. 

Ziemke believes in going for it on his first ski run of the day to immediately experience various runs practicing and building his skills. He applies this to the workplace in building his sales skills. "Once I have an improvement that I have put together I will attempt it in a real-life situation and then see how I do and how the client or new potential client reacts to it," Steve says. "I will also involve an experienced co-worker or my manager to evaluate my skills." This isn't just a way to improve his communication competence, but to ensure Ziemke keeps up with prospects' expectations and the overall performance requirements of the market. In addition, Steve will work with the team when a new project comes out to ensure they understand the details, and that those details can be translated to the client. Throughout the learning and developing process, one must be patient and be confident that skills will evolve in the world of sales. 

Once a skier masters one slope or achieves a certain time in a run, it's time to move on to something more challenging. Double black diamond runs or skiing steep moguls brings new challenges to Ziemke, just like running steeper grades or longer runs to train for the Pikes Peak Ascent. In the world of business, constant growth means moving the goalposts to the next level. "If you don't have goals and they're not in front of you, then you're not on pace to being the best you could be," Ziemke says.

He recommends all leaders continue to challenge themselves, so they never stop learning. "Just get out there and do something, make things happen and take the extra step even if it is uncomfortable," he advises. 

When Steve Ziemke jumped into the oil and gas industry over 20 years ago, he felt a lot of uncertainty. But his experience in handling new challenges in the great outdoors prepared him for uncertainty at work. Oil and gas was new to me after being in insurance for 20 years, he recalls. "It took some time to develop my skills and understand the industry, but I hung in there and continued to better understand my clients, build stronger relationships, and worked hard to make it happen." In sales, perseverance and communication lead to success. 

Embrace Intentional Positivity

Skiing requires mental fortitude and a can-do attitude when faced with the most intimidating steep slopes. Steve quickly learned that positivity was powerful both in the outdoors and in his professional life. "I have always been a positive person and believe the glass is half-full. The more positive I am, the more positivity I attract," he explains. "I feel that my successful career in sales at Gulf Coast Western has been due to being positive throughout the day and believing in the law of attraction to expect conversations with clients, and in the end sales. This began as a conscious choice that eventually became habit"

Steve Ziemke believes that in a world full of distractions, stress, and negativity, a conscious effort in being positive is crucial. That's why this SVP makes positivity a part of his daily routine. "My typical day begins with listening to affirmations relating to gratitude and positive statements," Ziemke shares.

Ziemke also believes that physical activity is great for maintaining a positive mental attitude. He works out for at least an hour each morning whether it's full-body conditioning, spin class, or swimming laps. "I feel these activities begin my day with a positive mental state and will give me energy throughout the day," he says. 

Not only does his positive outlook make life more enjoyable, but Ziemke's ability to look on the bright side helps him weather the ups and downs of executive leadership. "Even when there seems to be no outcome that could be positive, I continue to say to myself not to worry and that things will work out. 

Go the Extra Mile

Running and power-hiking 13 miles while gaining over 8,000 feet in elevation can be grueling, but Steve Ziemke believes the discipline cultivated in the mountains translates into the grit necessary for business leadership. While Ziemke believes in going the extra mile and pushing himself while skiing and running, he does the same in his work. "Going the extra mile is what has helped me learn the necessary things to gain a foothold and develop my career," he says. 

However, Ziemke believes this isn't just about putting in the work, but also being smart about how he uses his time. For Ziemke, embracing change and growth helps him remove bad habits that block him from success. "I would not be where I am today if I hadn't developed my sales skills to become more effective in working with new clients and developing existing clients," Ziemke says.

This is why Steve Ziemke takes an "eat the frog" approach to productivity. "One habit that I have always believed in that helps me be productive is to tackle first a project or the task that is least desirable and is one that I really do not want to deal with," Ziemke says. "Once I have that finished, I feel that I can go throughout the day without that hanging over my head so that I can focus on the rest of my schedule and be more effective."

Steve Ziemke Embraces Lifelong Learning

Spending time in the great outdoors taught Steve Ziemke a great deal about persistence, hard work and communication. While Ziemke values physical fitness, he credits his success in business to the mental fortitude and self-discipline forged by his years on the ski slopes, hiking and running mountain trails, and spending time in the gym. "Staying in physical and mental shape has helped me achieve high sales results year after year at Gulf Coast Western while developing and maintaining long term client relationships," Ziemke concludes.