Bill Simmel, CEO & Founder of Phoenix ONE
PHP (Practical Hands-on Professional)
Besides working for major corporations, Bill Simmel lived the entrepreneur cycle from a turn-key startup ( Sweat Equity No Paychecks) to a successful exit (“Cashing in the Big Stack of Winning Chips”). As a serial entrepreneur, with over 55 years of experience, he enjoys working with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and c-level managers in all phases of their business challenges. Hear Testimonials
There are too many “keyboard experts” giving business advice via seminars, blogs, and books without any hands-on, real-world experience. Most of these wantrepreneurs have never started a business. Likewise, they have not had responsibility for P & L. The social media world and consulting firms are amuck with these wordpreneurs and textbook advisors. It is essential to any business seeking advice to have a resource with experience with the problems and issues in starting, growing, and maintaining a company and can get you unstuck. I did not write the book; I lived it. – Bill Simmel
During his career, Bill Simmel created six very successful startups and even “retired”(age 49) far too early! Today, his passion is working with all-size businesses, CEOs, managers, and entrepreneurs to assist in moving their companies forward. He truly loves what he does and does what he loves. Bill currently sits on the board of 3 corporations and the board of a not-for-profit organization. You may want to catch him speaking at associations, colleges, chamber groups, and SBA functions or contact him for business coaching→ or speaking engagements.→
Before Phoenix. . .
Phoenix ONE ‘s Founder, Bill Simmel, is a genuinely practical “hands-on” professional but real-world guy. Bill Simmel has a truly unique insight into what makes businesses run, and what makes companies stall. Simmel began his career and worked for 16 + years in various sales, marketing, and management positions with the Fortune 100 Corporations; Gulf + Western Industries, and Pullman-Kellogg. Starting as an inside salesperson, he rapidly worked his way through the corporate ladder to senior management of a manufacturing division of G+W. He consistently prodded senior corporate managers and various business owners on the “why things” were done a certain way. He valued and learned the historical lessons these senior executives had experienced. He developed a keen sense of the ecological system of markets and industries. He found mentors who worked during the prior 40 years. He absorbed their experiences and applied them to current issues. Learning to modify, improve, and develop new methods to old problems became his industry education. His career started pre-hi-tech; today, he lectures and speaks on FAANG business platforms and marketing. He worked with executives who ran businesses during the 1930s and valued what they taught him. Today, some of his trusted colleagues are leaders at Google and other leading tech companies. He states, “I have spanned, learned, and enjoyed the generational divides for yesterday’s issues for today’s relevancy and value. ” Deciding it was time to plan the work and work the plan. . .
In 1984, Bill Simmel created his first business startup in the industrial electrical products market. Bill Simmel solely planned, developed, and founded that B2B startup that marketed products throughout North America to OEMs, distributors, and direct to Fortune 500 end users. He also individually developed unique private brand labeling agreements with two Fortune 200 Companies. His company’s direct expansion into international markets was also extremely successful. He later founded two additional synergistic companies.
During this same period, Bill Simmel served on the advisory board of a large, very stagnant, and truly, market-challenged German multinational company. Simmel advised on product development, employee training, market growth, and strategic business expansions. His out-of-the-box thinking led to that company’s unique expansion. Bill Simmel ‘s contributions to that German company provided its dynamic growth and global market expansion in Europe, UK, South Africa, South America, and the Far East, including China. In starting that first company in 1984, Simmel encountered and successfully conquered the plan, build, develop, and grow phases all startup companies’ experience. He has a true capacity and the ability to develop organizations and markets. Bill Simmel solely managed it as COO for 18+ years acquiring 26% Market Share and a 31% EBITA. Building a very successful company from scratch had its price, Simmel felt “burned out”. The things that inspired him were now consumed with running a corporation not building a business. The things he loved – building the company were lost with the continual factors of running it. As he states “You can hire people to do the stuff, but you constantly FEEL they cannot do it as well as you so you micro-manage. Lesson Learned!
Success had its price; Bill lost his love of that business. In 1999, Bill retired and very successfully transferred his equity and sought full retirement at the age of 49! As he states, “the more successful the company became, the more my role changed . . . the things I wanted to do within the business were overshadowed by the requirements of being CEO & running the business . . . it was time to retire”. I felt it was time to “cash in the chips and find the time missed”. Why not retire when you are young enough to do the things you can’t do when you’re old?
Phoenix Rises – Rekindling the Spirit
In late 2003 Bill learned something “new”. . . “Competitive Business Juices Can Never Retire; and, “There Is Only So Much Time You Can Spend on Your Boat or Ski Slope”. Seeing the need to rekindle business challenges and entrepreneurial spirit became quite evident. Bill states, “all I met in retirement were ‘old people’, I decided it was time to do what I love and love what I do.”
Simmel’s desire to find a business vehicle, combine a life of experiences with current business relevancy and fulfill distinctive business needs for clients directed Bill Simmel to start a new business venture, Phoenix ONE. If you read about our brand defined you will understand its’ meaning. Imagine doing what you love, getting paid, and not having the pressures of a business startup. This provides the ability to focus on the client’s needs, provide unique solutions, and work WITH the client to achieve mutual success. Phoenix ONE signifies a rising from the ashes with a renewed spirit of direction and energy.
As his clients will tell you. . . Bill is the “youngest old guy” you will ever meet.
Today, Phoenix ONE has provided management and marketing services for over 120 companies throughout 28 states in the US, to multi-national companies in Canada, UK, Germany, France, Austria, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, Taiwan, and Korea. One client has revenues over $4 billion and a group of Phoenix ONE’s clients are pure sole proprietor business startups. Phoenix ONE’s and Bill Simmel’s staff and associates are truly seasoned professionals who provide their unique expertise to the specific needs of companies. Since 2004, besides Phoenix ONE, Bill has started 4 other successful startups in distribution and consumer goods and web-based eCommerce sites.
Bill’s unique selling skills workshop, “Clients for Life, not Customers for Price,” ™ goes beyond a skills workshop for all sized companies. Bill Simmel speaks at numerous Chambers of Commerce Events, SCORE Workshops, Business Seminars, and SBA Programs on his “How To Plant and Grow a Business With the Least Amount of Fertilizer,” “Clients for Life not Customers for Price ™“, “Guerrilla Marketing is for Monkeys, Become a Lion in Your Market ™“, and “HELP My Business is Stuck, Where’s The Unstuck Button?” – all our workshops entertain, motivate, and educate on client relationships, time/energy management, sales, marketing, and managing business.
Bill also provides individual and group services as a Business Coach→ for entrepreneurs, managers, corporate executives & corporate speaking, SBA, and college entrepreneur workshops.
Bill Simmel founded Phoenix ONE, rekindling a unique competitive spirit in rising from “Burned Out Ashes”: He founded Phoenix ONE on the principles of integrity to its clients and a work ethic unchallenged. “Every client engagement will get our best”. We partner with our clients to develop strategic sales and marketing plans for success. Phoenix ONE and our staff and associates will rise to the challenge of increasing your sales and profits and will define your strategic positions for growth.