Today we’d like to introduce you to John Hayes.
John, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a single father with full custody of my 17-year-old son. His mother & I divorced when he was three years old & she originally maintained custody. I was also raised by a single father (John Hayes, Sr.) from six months old without my mother in the picture, and I never wanted to put my son in that position – so I fought for joint custody and always knew he would eventually live with me.
Within a short period of time, his mother began restricting my visitation time with him in order to feel a sense of “control”. She would allow me to see him for only 48 hours EXACTLY every two weeks, four days per month – even though I had joint custody, lived only three miles away & paid $1000/mo in child support for a single child – every month – on time – without fail. It destroyed me. I’m VERY close with my son, my only child… Being actively involved in his life meant everything to me & I felt I owed it to MY father to not drop the ball with my son. I knew I had to earn more money in order to afford “the best lawyer in town” and fight for custody of my son.
I decided to leave my full-time job & start my own consulting firm in order to earn more towards my “war chest”. I stepped out on faith and started my company entitled “Godnme Consulting Group” because I knew that the key to my success was to trust God and allow others to see him manifest in my person and profession. God In Me – like the Mary Mary song!
My company is still named Godnme Consulting Group, but with the dba “HayeSAP Consulting Solutions,” – I’ve been in business for ten years this May. I am a Management Consultant & I specialize in SAP Business Software Transformation in the Aerospace & Defense, Rail Transportation, Oil & Gas, & BioChemical Industries. My current client is Norfolk Southern Railroad in Midtown. However, I’ve worked with several local & nationally recognized clients including Delta Airlines, Gulfstream Aerospace, General Electric, The Port Authority of NY/NJ, Bristow Helicopter, CryoLife, Air Canada and Baker Hughes Oil Services.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a pretty smooth road over the past ten years professionally… personally I’ve endured a few challenges. I built that war chest, hired “the best family lawyer in Atlanta” (shoutout Charla Strawser), and went to court for custody of my son when he was 11 years old. The process was agonizing…. draining both emotionally & financially. But, at the age of 13, I was awarded custody of my son, Jalen. He has been living with me since. For the past ten years or so I have scheduled a “3 Generations” photoshoot for my son, my father & myself. It’s a whole “thing”. Lol… But my favorite is from when my son was 13 and I had finally gotten custody of him.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with HayeSAP Consulting Solutions – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m most proud that I started by stepping out on faith with no guaranteed revenue or income. It’s ten years later and now my son, Jalen works for OUR company part-time at only 17 years old. I’m proud to have been able to provide him that opportunity.
What sets us apart? Honesty & Integrity. Consultants have a reputation for saying “anything to get the business”… I on the other hand have forged great professional relationships by just being 100% honest and not acting like I’m an expert at something that I’m not! Just admitting directly to the client & promising to GET the right answer or Subject Matter Expert to provide the right answers within 24-48 hours. All people appreciate honesty… It’s all about relationship building – whether you are talking to a plumber or the president.. treat them with the same respect… Do so with honesty & integrity and you will earn that individual’s respect.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to expanding HayeSAP operations & hiring more consultants. Ultimately, I’d like to partner with a Big 4/5 consulting firm to provide niche Solution Architecture services to key clients. Additionally, I serve as the Vice President of Men Making Moves Atlanta – a youth empowerment & mentoring non-profit organization. We are looking to expand our footprint, partner with additional sponsorship companies & expand our program/mentoring offerings.
Finally, I’ve taken up cooking as a personal hobby in the past few years & I’ve gotten pretty good at it ! I started a few online vlogs under the moniker “RealMenCook”, where I share entertaining cooking videos, pics and recipes. Follow me on IG, Twitter & Facebook to check me out & stay tuned for upcoming Real Men Cook events!
Instagram: @RealMenCookInc
Twitter: @RealMenCookInc
Facebook: @RealMenCook
Contact Info:
- Email: HayeSAP1@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/realmencookinc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.hayes.525
- Other: @RealMenCookInc.
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