Tekpals was founded by Edwin Ehrgott. Ed brings a unique background bridging creative and problem solving skills with a relentless focus on getting things done. He has a strong belief that knowing yourself is just as important as technical knowledge.
Ed's personal mission is to help every person with whom he works to break through self imposed limits and feel their impact on the world. He does this by leveraging his skills as a leader and a coach along with his technical and business skills.
Ed combines the financial and business experience of a CPA with over 20 years of real-world experience in information technology – everything from managing large teams in Fortune 500 companies to running his own software development and, most recently, his bodywork and coaching businesses. Ed's coaching skills are especially useful when working with entrepreneurs; he strongly believes that the path to business success relies as much on knowing yourself as it relies on your skills. For this reason, he wants you to know more about him than just his professional credentials.
Ed spent the first 40 years of his life on autopilot. He did well in school but was more focused on doing what he thought others wanted from him. In school, he learned to be the good boy who pleased everyone around him, but didn’t really know what he wanted himself.
After getting his BS Degree in Accountancy at the University of Illinois, he moved across the country to San Francisco. Ed was excited to be about as far away as he could be from everything he knew. He was looking for new adventure. The year was 1982.
He turned on his personal autopilot and immersed himself in a new career but didn't give much tought to his passions. He got so lost in the how to's of life that he forgot to answer the why's of life. He forgot where the off switch was for that autopilot. Ed became addicted to a steady (ok, boring) routine – a corporate minion just going through the motions. He rapidly progressed up the corporate ladderand had all the outward signs of success. But he was miserable inside.
Ed survived numerous rounds of corporate layoffs in which he had to decide who would lose their job. At the same time, he wasn’t sure of his own job security. His body was a wreck. He constantly felt miserable inside. He was going through these motions to show what a wonderful corporate soldier he was. But he wasn't even asking the most important question – why was he doing this? He couldn't answer that simple question.
He then decided that it was time to find that autopilot switch and turn it permanently off. He realized that his left brain (where logic originates) was overused, while his right brain (where emotions and feelings originate) was underused. Ed began a conscious effort to develop his right brain. So, as he jumped off a cliff and left the corporate world in 2004, he knew it was time to make a conscious change in his life. He really wasn't sure where or how he would land.
Ed understands the questions and unknowns of being an entrepreneur. Much of an entrepreneur’s life is about jumping off a cliff – about risk and the unknown. It’s also about dealing with fear – those deep, dark fears we’re afraid to talk about. Yet, what Ed learned most from his experience is to directly confront fear and to believe in himself. He learned that no one can take a fundamental belief in yourself away! Of course, believing in yourself doesn't replace sound plans and business analysis, but it is just as important. This fundamental belief helped Ed land softly from that cliff.
Combining the left and right brains helps Ed focus on tangible things like tasks, deadlines and projects. For an entrepreneur the left brain is aware of things like business plans, technology plans or financial analysis. The right brain see things that are less concrete, but equally important. It sees things like energy, or mood, in the room, the feelings of the team or the impressions of your customer. Some of us are more naturally left brain people; some are more right brain people. Ed's background helps him understand both sides.
Ed has a passionate leadership style that he uses to help you break through self-imposed barriers. This passion is balanced with a strong belief that success is achieved with full collaboration and trust such that outcomes are supported by all stakeholders. He also understands that technical recommendations made in a vacuum are difficult to implement. He can help you bridge the gap between recommending solutions and implementing them.
Technology can make tasks much easier but it can also create chaos. Entrepreneurs take enough risks during the day; you don't need to take additional risks with technology that’s unproven or difficult for you to use.
Ed's passion and listening skills help match technology to your comfort level. Yea, this really is outside the box!