I’ve grown my business by continuing to learn, read and ask questions.
Kenneth attended the University of Tennessee and graduated with a BS degree in Marketing and Finance. He began his Black & Decker career in Chicago and was quickly promoted to a larger sales role in Kansas City. Kenneth held increasingly larger responsibility sales role culminating in being awarded the Eagle Award of excellence-Black and Deckers highest award of sales excellence. After a 10 year career at Black and Decker Ken led sales as VP at Murray of Ohio. Mr. Goodgame was later promoted to Director of Proprietary Brands and relocated to Home Depot’s Corporate headquarters in Atlanta. After launching the Ridgid Tool brand portfolio of products, Launching Toro power equipment, and securing industry leading John Deere to Home Depot stores, he was again promoted to GPM for power equipment when Home Depot consolidated its buying locations to Atlanta.
Kenneth left Home Depot in 2002 to pursue an opportunity to join his old B&D boss Joe Galli at Newell Rubbermaid where he was named to President of Rubbermaid Cleaning. After a successful Rubbermaid Cleaning turnaround Mr. Goodgame was named President of Bernzomatic, the highly successful plumbing torch company, a division of Newell Rubbermaid. Extensive brand analysis concluded that Bernzomatic had significant brand equity in torch and flame technologies..
Kenneth was tapped to run sales and marketing from his Bernzomatic success to the high growth IRWIN industrial tools as EVP of Sales and Marketing where he directed the divisions IRWIN and Shurline brand of products. After 2 years he was named SVP of Business Development at TTI Anderson SC as well as a dual role as President of Baja Motorsport, a TTI division. He was then recruited to Ace Hardware in Oakbrook IL to return to retail as GMM.
At Ace Ken led a resurgence of national. He led his product teams to reconfigure retailers plan o grams to be locally relevant, lower cost of goods and increasing quality of Ace branded items. All in all Goodgame oversaw sales increases in his 5 years at Ace of 8-10% of comp sales increase.
In 2013 Ken accepted a larger role as SVP CMO at cross town rival True Value Hardware. Kenneth led the development and implementation of DTV (destination True Value ) stores. He oversaw the return to national advertising at True Value and helped guide the company to records sales growth in 2013 – 2015.
Where did the idea for Goody Consulting LLC come from?
I received too many requests from suppliers and retailers for help in store layout, packaging, product launches, line review help, product reviews to handle in a non- formal manner.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I get up early and go to bed early. I try to keep focus in the middle part and take care of myself and my business.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Hard work, and the pursuit of realistic goals. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Like my grandfather always said, “Yard by yard is hard. Inch by inch is a synch.”
What’s one trend that really excites you?
I believe the trend to start product searches on-line and then visit brick and mortar retail is the wave of the future. Sure some commodities and replenishment of known items via on-line is here to stay. But high touch items (luxury goods, paint, high tech) all need to been seen and have end user interaction. Brick and mortar is here to stay…a telephone call or ratings will never replace product interaction.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Don’t get caught up in parsing ideas. Often looking at the big picture helps to keep the ball rolling and avoid analysis paralysis.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
Working for a landscaper during the summer while attending college. I did it for a day. My big take away…get an education!
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
If I were to start my career all over again I would have placed a bigger role on finance and accounting. Some of the best marketing guys were CFO’s!
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
As an entrepreneur I’d never tire of walking retail…any retail – (department stores are amazing…especially make up) to see trends in packaging , POP, displays etc. One can always learn something by walking around. I’d also recommend reading the WSJ every day.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
I’ve grown my business by continuing to learn, read and ask questions. Folks will tell you a ton of facts and figures if you show interest and ask!
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I’ve made some unwise investments and I just had to pick myself back up and get back on the proverbial horse.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
is the packing and moving business. Go to any Ace Hardware or CVS and look at the totes that store orders get sent to the store in. These are heavy duty, robust totes that stack and have lids. Imagine packing up 80% of your apartment or home in these reusable containers and renting them! What a great country! We’d all benefit from utilizing these totes when not in use!
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Getting my TSA Pre Check certification! Saves time when I fly!
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Hard to beat Ram Charan “what the CEO wants you to know”
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
1. My dad
2. Bernie Marcus, Ex CEO and Home Depot Founder.
3. Steve Richman…current President of Milwaukee Power Tools
4. Joe Galli, current CEO of TTI industries
5. Walt Spokowski, first boss at Home Depot
Connect:
kengoodgame@linkedin
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.