Meet Jim Sprouse | Father, entrepreneur, CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jim Sprouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jim, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I’ve always been asked by 1099 sales people, ‘what makes you successful’? I ran insurance agencies for 15 years for a large fortune 500 company and part of my functions over the years was adding human capital for our agency’s growth. 1099 sales reps that had to eat what they killed, it was not an ‘easy’ endeavor however over time with a lot of smart effort they could be very high income earners. When new reps would ask, ‘how did they become successful’ while pointing at the person that was making over $500k/year I began saying, ‘they do what most people are unwilling to do, in fact they make those things a habit’. They would get up earlier than others, plan their day then effectively attack it doing the things that mattered most which was cold calling, following up, facing a ton of rejection and all while keeping a smile. So, I’ve found that simply making the habit of being disciplined about your habits is the biggest lesson I can impart. Do the hard things so often they just become habit. And my personal habit I’ve used for success is meditation.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We began the business in 2024 in response to the increasing fire dangers in CA and other states. The concept literally was built on my back porch as we were looking out over a canyon that had a preserve at the bottom of the hill. My current partner, Ryan Kresan, was talking to a good friend and they conceptualized the system. That was when Ember Pro was born. I had been saying for years that I wanted to bring one more product to market, something that was of high value and would positively impact peoples’ lives and this was it. So, that was the spark (pun intended) that launched us and from there we used Traction to begin building a business that will last. We decided that our product would not be installed with any roof penetrations, that it would not rely on any utilities (it had to be off-grid) and that the fire retardant that we used would not hurt the environment like the red stuff they drop from planes (do the research) and that is exactly what we built. We are self funded so there is always the pressure of the P&L but we stay lean and focused on saving homes from wildfires. So, it is easy, no it is not, nothing worth while is easy, ever. We want the world to know how committed we are to saving homes from wildfires. It is our passion!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I live in San Diego so we are a little spoiled! Slow version – go hike Torrey Pines then go the glider port and have a beer while watching our amazing Pacific Ocean. Hard core (my style) – go to Big Bear (in the winter) and ski in the morning, go down to the desert and jump out of an airplane then head to the beach and have a sunset surf. That would be the most epic day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes, for sure. Gino Wickman and Traction, it is the backbone of the last 4 companies I’ve been a part of over the last 10 years. And of course with that I’ll throw in Good to Great. They are my go to business bibles.

Website: https://www.emberprousa.com

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