Ken Gootnick is an ideal “sounding board” for entrepreneurs, CEOs, Presidents and senior level management where he provides support, insight, feedback and third party objectivity as an Executive Coach. Ken’s unique combination of business background, consulting experience and deep understanding of human nature in a vocational context, provides him with a special connection to his clients. He has first hand experience and can empathize with staff concerns and office politics, growing pains, cash flow challenges, evaluating new opportunities and the stresses of your business. His personal mission is to facilitate a positive change in the client and the business through leadership coaching.

Ken has worked extensively with senior executives. As an advisory board member for many niche entrepreneurial start-ups as well as a YPO and YEO Forum Moderator, Ken has helped many CEOs, Presidents and senior staff members structure their companies for sale or to make acquisitions, create a powerful strategic plan, develop for strong leadership, hire and develop high performance teams, put management structures in place that ensure accountability and motivation and challenged them to live a desirable, yet hard to obtain, balanced and fulfilling life.

As an entrepreneur, Ken has been involved in several different sectors including products, services, and technology driven industries. He has successfully founded and sold three companies over the last twenty years of his career.

In 1982 as a college sophomore, Ken founded “It’s All Greek To Me” (1982-1999), an import wholesale distributor which became the renowned leader in its product category across several niche markets. From its inception, the business enjoyed exponential growth while maintaining healthy profits. He sold the company to a financial institution implementing a strategic roll-up in the promotional products industry with sales, at that time, in excess of 28 million, a staff of 250 employees and over 6,000 active accounts.

Two other businesses he recently founded and sold are “Gold Key Solutions” (2000-2003), a start-up Concierge Software Company for the luxury hotel industry and “Basketball Town” (2001-2003), a sports and entertainment facility with two former Harlem Globetrotters. Ken is still an active Board member for Gold Key and a minority shareholder. Some of the prestigious properties Gold Key services include many of the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton flagship hotels. Basketball Town, the largest indoor sports facility in Sacramento, is a new and exciting concept based on youth and adult recreational programs including camps, clinics, leagues, private instruction and tournaments.

Since early in his career, Ken has been very active in entrepreneurial organizations. In 1990, he was honored as the recipient of the coveted Small Business Administration’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ken also sat on the Board of Director’s for the Young Entrepreneur’s Organization and in 1998 served as their President. He was also a Board Member and Instructor for the Southern California Entrepreneur’s Association. In addition, Ken is an active member of the Young President’s Organization.

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