Dennis Geelen

Coaching and mentoring to help you start and scale your one-person business.

Founder

Zero In

The mission of Zero In is to help as many businesses and leaders build a brand customers love and a company people are passionate to work for.  

So where do you need to focus (or Zero In)?
Solve the problem of INDIFFERENCE!

Indifferent customers have no compelling reason to purchase your product or service rather than your competitors' product or service. 

Indifferent employees are complacent because they are not passionate about coming to work each day.

Utilize the resources, books, and courses from Zero In to increase your customer retention, improve your customer experience, and build a passionate culture of innovation giving your team the ability to find new and better ways to serve your customers.

"Customers DO NOT buy your product or service, they buy what it can DO FOR THEM"
Customer-centricity means knowing your customers and giving them what they crave.  This helps you to build trust and loyalty, but also a solid reputation.  Loyal customers become fans of your brand and refer other customers to you.

"If you don't find new and better ways to serve your customers, SOMEONE ELSE WILL!"
Being Innovative brings new ideas, which is crucial to a business being able to find new and better ways to add value for your customers.  With innovation comes creative new products and services, increases in efficiency and, as a result, improved profitability.

BE THE BRAND CUSTOMERS LOVE AND THE COMPANY PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE TO WORK FOR

Founder and Chief Difference Maker

The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group

About the Commonwell
We are committed to profitable growth, team development, ingenuity, while having fun at work.  We offer a complete range of insurance products including residential, automobile, commercial, farm and watercraft. We encourage a work-life balance and we are serious about what we do!

About my Role
As Manager of the PMO, I lead a group project managers and business analysts to implement the project management office from the ground up.

About the PMO
Projects at the Commonwell are measured against timelines, budget, delivery of scope, but most importantly the realization of the intended benefits of each project.  Over 85% of projects at the Commonwell were consistantly green throughout 2018.

Manager, Project and Portfolio Management Office

As Manager of Application Services, I am responsible for planning, coordinating and managing the activities of the Application Services team within the Information Systems (IS) Department. This includes leadership and development of the IS team members, as well as providing direction and support for IS solutions to meet the present and future needs of the organization.

Manager of Application Services

Kawartha Lakes Food Source

Kawartha Lakes Food Source is a community effort to reduce hunger in the City of Kawartha Lakes by:

1. Maintaining a central warehouse to supply food to organizations that provide food to individuals in need,
2. Raising public awareness, and
3. Working in concert with other local not-for-profit organizations.

Board Of Directors

Operitel Corporation (An OpenText Company) 

ABout OpenText
OpenText, The Information Company™, a market leader in Enterprise Information Management software and solutions, enables intelligent and connected enterprises by managing, leveraging, securing and gaining insight into enterprise information, on-premises or in the cloud. 

About my Role
Directed a team of PS and R&D resources to develop and implement the LearnFlex LMS platform for over 40 clients.

Director of R&D and Professional Services

TELUS

Manager - Payment Solutions Development and Support

Emergis - A Telus Company

Manager

Emergis Inc

Business Coach | Keynote Speaker | Author of The Happy Accidents newsletter and The Accidental Solopreneur book

What I Do
I help teams, organizations, and solopreneurs flourish by focusing on what really matters: people.

As a speaker, author, and consultant, I equip audiences with practical, human-centered strategies to thrive in uncertain times, build meaningful businesses, and create lasting impact.

Who I Work With
• Event organizers seeking keynote speakers on serendipity, growth, and personal transformation
• Businesses and nonprofits looking to create stronger cultures, customer experiences, and leadership teams
• Solopreneurs who want to design businesses that give them both income and freedom


What I’ve Created
• Author of The Zero In Formula and The Accidental Solopreneur (bestseller)
• Creator of top-rated online courses for solopreneurs and authors
• Host of the Happy Accidents podcast and newsletter
• Keynote talks including 'The Power of Serendipity', 'Start Before You’re Ready', and 'Rooted in Humans'


Want to Work Together?
Let’s talk if you’re looking for:
✅ A keynote speaker for your next event
✅ A workshop or webinar for your team
✅ A course to help you grow as a solopreneur or author


DM me if you’d like to connect about speaking, workshops, or collaborations.

Independent Business Consultant

PMI Minnesota Chapter

o      Volunteer -  5,500+ hours  
o	Served on Board of Directors for 3 years including President
o	Led organization strategies and operations
o	Recruited and Mentored Volunteers with volunteer growth of 33%
o	Added sponsor partnerships
o	Responsible for fiscal integrity 
o	Created Chapter stories to share on website, social media and networking
o	Organized, tracked & communicated projects across all levels of organization
o	Revitalized organizational culture with Chapter growth of 17% and Retention at 82%
o	Change Agent – Rebuilt committees 
o	Managed Career Fair event with 33% attendee increase and 10% more sponsorship

PMI-MN Chapter Volunteer

Sleep Number Corporation

Name Change Project for Select Comfort Corporation to Sleep Number (contracted) ~
•   Identified Business Initiatives to prioritize the execution of rebranding asset inventory across entire enterprise, realized savings of $250K
• Created Charter for Stakeholders to prioritize needs, assess dependencies, build timelines and detail project plans
• Guided development of project, and then managed, monitored, and communicated project deliverables
•  Rebranded company and managed project which impacted company across all department levels; product, finance, operations, marketing, legal and real estate 
•  Influenced and negotiated change management across 9 diverse departments  
•  Assessed, Planned & Implemented mitigation strategies for identified risks, recommended 2-part approach and delayed name change for retail, potential savings of $700K

Project Manager

Essentra

Essentra is the leading international manufacturer of specialty plastic components. 
•	Provided B2B sales (IA, IL, MN, ND, SD, WI) with consolidation and education to accomplish timely delivery of high-value initiatives for a portfolio of client accounts valued at $3M. Managed client relationships and expectations. Liaised and coordinated across diverse internal and external assets and multiple locations to organize specifications, timelines, and resources.  
•      Achieved 95% of quota first year, and on-track to exceed quota 2nd year when I took a family leave.
•	Leveraged diplomatic sales practices and devised innovative solutions for a wide range of challenges while spearheading multimillion-dollar projects for industry leaders such as Parker Hannifin and Large Packaging Manufacturing
•	Maximized cost-savings of 7% for clients by working closely with C-level executives and project owners for on-going product and process improvements
•	Formulated strategic and tactical customer plans by combining multiple locations and product lines to customize specific customer needs
•      Coordinated internal and external stakeholders, and multiple client locations with an average savings of 15%by consolidating and reducing number of suppliers
•      Directed multimillion-dollar projects for various industries including premier accounts

Senior Sales Account Executive

TracFax

MinuteBids - software startup (now TracFax) - innovator of online procurement software 
•   Executed B2B sales of software platform to commercial property
managers to streamline bidding of building services
•   While no quota was set, I far exceeded expectations set by owners with weekly SaaS demonstrations of 40 with a 20% closing, from making over 50 calls a day
•   Software startup supporting commercial property managers and their building projects
•   Led project implementations to propel growth during initial startup phase
•   Consulted with key stakeholders and subject matter experts (SME) on needs’ analyses and project requirements
•	Interfaced with team and engineers to improve project processes, 97% Customer Satisfaction
•	Facilitated project evaluation, via regular client release and testing which lead to a higher success rate of 80%
•	SME for clients to improve and educate to achieve desired performance with project team and stakeholders
•	Direct interface with property managers to manage projects and engineers to increase functionality of platform 
•	Business Analysis of property managers’ portfolios to reduce budget and increase retention of their clients
•      Collaborated with owners, engineers and customers toimprove efficiencies and effectiveness of platform
•      Presentented and trained clients, online and in-person

Fidelity Building Services

Fidelity Building Services (acquired by Marsden) -  regional commercial cleaning and services
•	Increased traffic, visibility, and recognition by 75% and increased conversion by 40% with new company website and brand after completing a 18-month marketing and rebranding project
•	Responsible for 75% growth of Minneapolis St. Paul class A and B commercial building market services
•	Increased company awareness with consistent and deep engagement with industry non-profits which lead to a 12% ROI
•	Raised company profile awareness throughout the business community by serving as board and committee member.  
•.     Managed 50% of target market in Greater Minneapolis St. Paul of Class A and B Commercial Properties and their service needs.

Director Of Sales And Business Development

As an accomplished senior account executive with 10+ years of experience in B2B sales, business development, and project management, I have proven my drive for distinctive success with excellence. I’m a thought leader who wears many hats, effectively juggling competence with compassion.

While earning my first college degree (B.S. in Marketing), I started my sales career.  Unrelentless about helping others, I loved serving customers and enjoyed training coworkers. I earned my MBA and became a senior sales account executive with leading regional and international companies. Acquiring and applying business knowledge at lightning speed, I developed a strong business acumen and achieved success selling complex solutions. After selling and managing a $2 million project from start to finish, I launched myself into the world of Project Management. 

Project Management
After obtaining my MPM (Master’s in Project Management) I scored the renaming / rebranding project for Select Comfort, who became Sleep Number. After gathering research and assessing risk, I planned, guided and managed the project to success.

A lifelong leader, I enjoy connecting, influencing and supporting people. While managing the hospice care of a family member, I volunteered with Project Management Institute (PMI). Serving on the board for three years, I recruited new members, rebuilt committees and expanded membership by 17% and volunteers by 33%. 
SaaS
Time away from sales made me realize that I missed the drive to take action, hunt down prospects and establish relationships. Forging ahead into the world of SaaS, I’m bringing along years of sales expertise, and lifelong tools of curiosity, adaptability and resourcefulness. 

Besides a B.S. in Marketing and two Master’s degrees, I have completed Aspireship’s Flagship Course, Dale Carnegie Sales Training, Carew International Sales Training, and SPIN Selling. I also finished in the top 10% of the SaaS Sales Foundations Course. 

Who I Am
As a product of the child welfare system and foster care, I was the first one in my family to go to college. Through a challenging childhood, I acquired loads of grit, resilience, and a can-do attitude. My early background has gifted me with an innate self-awareness, forgiveness and strength in issues of diversity.

Anyone who knows me knows that I keep my word, I support the underdog and I love a good conversation. When I am not working or volunteering, you might find me raising a crop of tomatoes, playing a round of golf, cooking soup from scratch, or cruising scenic back roads and bluffs on my motorcycle.

taplio

The Battle

Dennis Geelen

Janice Pyka, MBA MPM

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