{"id":51907,"date":"2022-10-27T12:08:46","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T19:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=51907"},"modified":"2022-10-27T12:08:48","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T19:08:48","slug":"taste-of-success-sweeter-than-ever-for-gfc-difference-maker-mark-flesch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2022\/10\/taste-of-success-sweeter-than-ever-for-gfc-difference-maker-mark-flesch\/","title":{"rendered":"Taste of Success Sweeter than Ever for GFC Difference Maker Mark Flesch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Mark Flesch<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We can often remember in vivid detail those days when everything seems to go wrong. A multitude of unfortunate circumstances swarms about, seemingly conspiring to align against us. We\u2019re left in a hapless heap at day\u2019s end, hopeful that a good night\u2019s sleep and a push of the reset button will help to erase all of the ugliness we\u2019ve endured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But every now and then, fate smiles down to produce a marvelous day worthy of the record books. It need not measure up to a significant life event such as a wedding, the birth of a child, or graduation; sometimes, all that\u2019s needed is a few breaks and a little serendipity to stretch a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Flesch enjoyed one such day early in his career as a first-year sales rep for Gordon Flesch Company (GFC), the Madison, Wisconsin, office dealership empire created by his grandfather. It was a late October Friday morning when Flesch received an email from a client who decided to accept the proposal he had submitted. As if a win wasn\u2019t exciting enough, the agreement enabled Flesch to qualify for the company\u2019s president\u2019s club trip, an impressive feat considering he had only joined the firm in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A day doesn\u2019t get any better than that! But actually, it did. And the weekend was only beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat made it even more special was the unusual visit I got from my dad (CEO Tom Flesch) just minutes after receiving the news,\u201d said Flesch, a 2022 ENX Magazine<\/em> Difference Maker. \u201cHe came by my cubicle and told me that he and his friends needed a fourth for golf that afternoon and wanted to know if I would like to join. What a fun way to celebrate!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not every day can measure up to those standards, Flesch\u2019s taste for success permeates every aspect of his job as chief operating officer for the 66-year-old firm. He genuinely cares about his employees, customers and partners, and has established deep, meaningful relationships with the circle of people in his universe, which speaks to the guiding principles the company was founded on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enabling team members to reap their own success and simultaneously grow the company is a source of tremendous satisfaction for Flesch. \u201cI\u2019m driven by the motivation to continue to grow this business,\u201d he said. \u201cThrough acquisitions, our IT business (ElevITy), finding new customers and taking care of our current customers is how we excel this business through the third generation [of ownership].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Path Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The holder of a marketing degree from Miami (Ohio) University, Flesch\u2019s career actually began outside the industry, as he worked for Chicago logistics firm C.H. Robinson for three and a half years prior to joining GFC\u2019s Columbus, Ohio, office in 2008. There, he benefitted from the vast experience of his father, who proved to be a bottomless font of industry knowledge. Naturally, he couldn\u2019t forget the man who set the stage for his success: Gordon Flesch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout my grandfather, none of this would be possible,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flesch also took some cues from then-account representative (and future sales manager) John Klus, who advised him to establish good habits and to stick with the things that work for him. \u201cThat helped me frame my mind to be disciplined in a sales position with a big territory and lots of freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plugging Away<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s intensely proud of the way GFC performed as a team in transitioning out of the pandemic, and the fact that the company finished its fiscal year on a high note. While continued growth sits near the top of the priority list, Flesch is equally concerned with maintaining the company\u2019s strong culture and facilitating an atmosphere where employees love coming into the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flesch admits there\u2019s always room for personal growth. \u201cLike anyone, I need to continue to learn and grow every day,\u201d he said. \u201cI will be open to feedback and ideas from everyone around me. I hope to get better every year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Away from the office, Flesch and his wife, Nicole, have been married for 14 years. They have three children: Ellie (10), Lucy (8) and Henry (5). When not spending time attending their activities, they enjoy vacationing in Watercolor, Florida, which he dubs their \u201chappy place.\u201d While golf may be an unrequited love (\u201cI\u2019m pretty bad at it\u201d) he gets satisfaction from serving on the Dublin Chamber of Commerce\u2019s board of directors and also sits on the development board for the Ohio Health Dublin Methodist Hospital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We can often remember in vivid detail those days when everything seems to go wrong. A multitude of unfortunate circumstances swarms about, seemingly conspiring to align against us. We\u2019re left in a hapless heap at day\u2019s end, hopeful that a good night\u2019s sleep and a push of the reset button will help to erase all of the ugliness we\u2019ve endured. But every now and then, fate smiles down to produce a marvelous day worthy of the record books. It need not measure up to a significant life event such as a wedding, the birth of a child, or graduation; sometimes, all that\u2019s needed is a few breaks and a little serendipity to stretch a smile. Mark Flesch enjoyed one such day early in his career as a first-year sales rep for Gordon Flesch Company (GFC), the Madison, Wisconsin, office dealership empire created by his grandfather. It was a late October Friday morning when Flesch received an email from a client who decided to accept the proposal he had submitted. As if a win wasn\u2019t exciting enough, the agreement enabled Flesch to qualify for the company\u2019s president\u2019s club trip, an impressive feat considering he had only joined the firm in May. A day doesn\u2019t get any better than that! But actually, it did. And the weekend was only beginning. \u201cWhat made it even more special was the unusual visit I got from my dad (CEO Tom Flesch) just minutes after receiving the news,\u201d said Flesch, a 2022 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. \u201cHe came by my cubicle and told me that he and his friends needed a fourth for golf that afternoon and wanted to know if I would like to join. What a fun way to celebrate!\u201d While not every day can measure up to those standards, Flesch\u2019s taste for success permeates every aspect of his job as chief operating officer for the 66-year-old firm. He genuinely cares about his employees, customers and partners, and has established deep, meaningful relationships with the circle of people in his universe, which speaks to the guiding principles the company was founded on. Enabling team members to reap their own success and simultaneously grow the company is a source of tremendous satisfaction for Flesch. \u201cI\u2019m driven by the motivation to continue to grow this business,\u201d he said. \u201cThrough acquisitions, our IT business (ElevITy), finding new customers and taking care of our current customers is how we excel this business through the third generation [of ownership].\u201d Path Forward The holder of a marketing degree from Miami (Ohio) University, Flesch\u2019s career actually began outside the industry, as he worked for Chicago logistics firm C.H. Robinson for three and a half years prior to joining GFC\u2019s Columbus, Ohio, office in 2008. There, he benefitted from the vast experience of his father, who proved to be a bottomless font of industry knowledge. Naturally, he couldn\u2019t forget the man who set the stage for his success: Gordon Flesch. \u201cWithout my grandfather, none of this would be possible,\u201d he added. Flesch also took some cues from then-account representative (and future sales manager) John Klus, who advised him to establish good habits and to stick with the things that work for him. \u201cThat helped me frame my mind to be disciplined in a sales position with a big territory and lots of freedom.\u201d Plugging Away He\u2019s intensely proud of the way GFC performed as a team in transitioning out of the pandemic, and the fact that the company finished its fiscal year on a high note. While continued growth sits near the top of the priority list, Flesch is equally concerned with maintaining the company\u2019s strong culture and facilitating an atmosphere where employees love coming into the office. Flesch admits there\u2019s always room for personal growth. \u201cLike anyone, I need to continue to learn and grow every day,\u201d he said. \u201cI will be open to feedback and ideas from everyone around me. I hope to get better every year.\u201d Away from the office, Flesch and his wife, Nicole, have been married for 14 years. They have three children: Ellie (10), Lucy (8) and Henry (5). When not spending time attending their activities, they enjoy vacationing in Watercolor, Florida, which he dubs their \u201chappy place.\u201d While golf may be an unrequited love (\u201cI\u2019m pretty bad at it\u201d) he gets satisfaction from serving on the Dublin Chamber of Commerce\u2019s board of directors and also sits on the development board for the Ohio Health Dublin Methodist Hospital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":49602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3626,80,1650,82,84,1638],"tags":[4250],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51907"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51907"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51911,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51907\/revisions\/51911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}