A Student at Heart: Introducing, Sales Representative, Jacob Hoskins

As children, we all have wild dreams of going to space, being a doctor, or traveling the world. For our Sales Representative, Jacob Hoskins, though, his eyes were set on becoming a Zoologist! His love of animals led him to Renton Community College, where he studied to be a Veterinary Technician. Throughout this time, he fed his obsession, helping a cow with a broken leg, taking vitals from a ferret, and even grooming a dog. Like all dreams, school comes at a cost, and to pay for classes, he worked for a Dental Surgery Clinic. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he was let go; this meant he could no longer afford school and had to look at other options. While it is unfortunate that Jacob’s life plan was altered, we feel privileged here at Vaddo, Inc. because his next steps led him to us!

Showcasing members of our team who are going the extra mile for themselves and their colleagues is a top priority for our leadership team at Vaddo, Inc. Dedication, hard work, and results deserve to be spotlighted, and today, we are excited to share a little of Jacob’s story and how he plans to use his greatest strength — having a student mentality — to achieve his goals!

Like many, the pandemic left Jacob feeling unsure about his future. So, when a friend asked if he wanted to move to Houston, he jumped at the opportunity. A few weeks later, he was welcomed to our team and kickstarted his career in the sales field. Jacob’s official first day at Vaddo, Inc. was September 4, 2021, and over the past three months, he has not only seen how much opportunity he has here but that his growth is dependent on him, allowing him to control his future! A huge part of growth is understanding that our life’s journey doesn’t always lead us to where we want to go, but where we need to go. Jacob now plans to stick with our industry for the long haul, helping our client expand to a new office location and giving others the same opportunity that he was given.

At Vaddo, Inc., we’re working to develop leaders, and Jacob has the qualities needed in spades! In his own words — “I am more of a team-oriented person, always learning from the best and giving my help to some of the newer team members.” Helping others comes naturally to him, and honestly, this isn’t surprising. His early dream of helping animals cultivated an authentic, people-focused leadership attitude, and he knows that building a team of like-minded individuals is imperative to his success. When asked what values he looks for in potential team members, he said people with a student mentality who are hungry to take control of their lives. Taking this even further, he shared an analogy.

“I am honestly like a football coach when it comes to training a new person. The first time they are out there, I am going to run the play so they can see and understand how to do it. The second time, we are going to run the play together to get the motions down and make sure they’re comfortable. The third time they are going to run the play by themselves.”

Jacob has such an amazing mindset, and to provide you with a clearer picture of his motivators and what he truly values about working at Vaddo, Inc., we’ll let you hear directly from him!

Jacob, what is your favorite thing about working with us?

“My favorite thing about the company is the love for their employees and how they push you to be your best self.”

For example — “When I first came into the company, I was not a person to create a schedule. Now I am doing a lot better with planning my days out and setting goals for myself.”

What advice would you give to someone looking to work here at Vaddo, Inc.?

“Come in here with a great student mentality, ask lots of questions, and create a plan and schedule that plan.”

To date, what is your greatest accomplishment?

“My greatest accomplishment would probably be my consistency within the company. I always felt a lack of belief in myself, and showing myself that I can be consistent and I have what it takes to progress in this company has only driven my motivation and belief in myself.”

We can 100% vouch for this! Jacob is as consistent as they come, and watching his confidence grow week after week has been a true privilege!

How do you grade your performance?

“I tend to grade my performance in the field based on how many positive interactions I have that day, if I was having fun, and what numbers I produced.”

What is an important lesson that someone you value has taught you?

“One of the most valuable things my uncle ever told me was “Learn from your mistakes, don’t repeat them.” I live by this because if you are repeating the same mistake over and over again, quite frankly, you are not learning anything; you are just stuck. So this always helped me get out of those sticky situations. My uncle is someone I have always looked up to. He is a very wealthy and humble family man. I have always valued the time he has with his family and how he is there for every family event. Also, how hard of a worker he is and how determined he is to provide for himself and his family as a whole. I have always admired that.”

Okay, Jacob, last question. What is one piece of advice you would give someone looking to overcome life’s obstacles?

“The advice I would honestly give is just to realize that not everything is in your control and just focus on the things that you do have control over.”

It has been an absolute joy watching Jacob’s confidence and skill level grow daily over the past few months. His extroverted attitude and hunger for success are admirable, but the qualities that we truly value in him are his drive to learn and his desire to uplift the lives of those around him. Jacob, thank you for sharing your story and entrusting us with your future.

To keep up with Jacob and the rest of our team’s achievements in 2022, follow us on Instagram — @vaddo_inc!