Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Metzler.
Hi Martin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Born and raised in Germany. Spend a couple of years in the German military. Studied Business Administration, travel & tourism management, marketing and economics at a German University. After University was hired as head of marketing for Germany’s largest travel agency company. Became CEO of a global travel company headquartered in Germany at age 30 and co-founded my first own business. Moved to the US in 1999. Became CEO of a second global travel company headquartered in the US and expanded it into 65 countries. Subsequently founded and co-founded 6 small companies and ran 5 of them as CEO. Exited my last company 3 years ago and didn’t want to start another business at the time. Was approached by Insperity (HR and Human Capital Management company for small and mid-market businesses) as they liked my background as CEO and business owner (those are the folks we work with primarily). Did my due diligence, was impressed, and joined them as Business Performance Advisor in April 2020.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If we are around business for any lengths of time it is never just a smooth road. We are dealing with economic downturns domestically and globally, financial crisis and recessions, rogue business partners, and employee challenges amongst other things, Nevertheless, we have to work to keep the lights on, take care of our employees and their families and continue growing our businesses. As an example, I had to expand the global footprint of the second global company while the world was dealing with the fallout of 9/11 and SARS and I at the same time was up against fierce competition. Some of my own businesses succeeded and were sold, some hit the wall at times for different reasons. Most times, we learn more from our failures as they challenge us to reflect and learn and become better.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Coming from an extensive international business development background as a former CEO and serial entrepreneur, today I enjoy working with business owners and C-level executives of small and mid-market companies to help them figure out how to maximize talent and minimize risk by deploying the right people strategies and Human Capital Management solutions.
What I am known for is my word, my networking, and relationship-building capabilities, and always giving my best effort. One of my passions is to bring people together and connecting them to the right resources. As an example, I have been hosting a cigar networking group for business owners and executives for 9 years to help them develop meaningful relationships with other like-minded professionals and further their respective businesses.
I am proud of the strong reputation and relationships I have developed over decades. At the end, people are the most important assets in our personal and professional lives and reputations are earned over a lifetime but can be ruined in a split second.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Our industry is constantly changing and evolving. The last big impact was through the COVID pandemic that forced companies to pivot to different work environments, reassess as to how they communicate with their people, and maintain a strong culture in remote or hybrid environments. During COVID change was a daily companion in part due to changing regulations, policies, financial duress. As a result of the experiences over the last couple of years, the future of work has changed dramatically and so have the perspectives and demands of employees with regards to their employers. The so-called great resignation and a more discerning workforce have created a challenging environment for employers to attract and retain talent with companies who are taking good care of their people coming out on top. Rising cost of healthcare in part amplified due to the fallout from COVID is placing financial strain on businesses and force them to re-evaluate their options. At the same time, we are seeing an increasing awareness for the value PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations) such as Insperity can bring to small businesses versus trying to “wing” it like many have done in the past.
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