Jeff Jaacks is a geochemist by training and received a doctorate degree from the Colorado School of Mines. Throughout his professional career, he has worked both domestically and internationally as a chief scientist and geochemist / geologist for a variety of companies, predominantly providing services to the mining community.

Here is Jeff Jaacks’ True Calling™ Success Story:

After being laid off from my position as chief geochemist at the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP), then the third-largest mining company in the world, I made an occupational diversion by accepting a technical sales position with a software company, Rational Software. In 2001, nearly one year after starting there, I faced yet another lay-off. Rational hired Nathan Teegarden to provide career consulting services. Nathan and I met together for almost one year, significantly longer than the time period that was allocated and funded by my previous employer.

Whereas Nathan often works with clients who are dissatisfied with their current careers or contemplating a different vocational trajectory, I presented a unique challenge. I truly enjoyed my career in geochemistry, but I could not find continuous work in my specialized discipline. After being laid off from a succession of six companies over my working career, I was wary of working for yet another company. Nathan encouraged me to consider becoming self-employed, however, the industry had hit the very bottom in 2001. As much as I desired to start my own company, I just didn’t think I could make a living by doing so.

As we discussed my career history, I realized that I had built two technical services groups with different companies and developed them into worldwide operations. If I could garner clients for other companies, I could certainly do this for myself!

In 2002, I started a company looking for diamonds in the United States with 3 other geology colleagues. We found prospective diamond pipes, but were unable to finalize funding for that venture. By late 2002 the industry began an upswing due to the demand for metal in China and India, so I launched my own company in 2003. My business assists clients around the world in discovering copper, gold, and diamond deposits by applying chemistry. Nearly 60 percent of my time is spent working internationally, leading trips throughout North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. This upcoming year I will be in Serbia, Iceland, and Mexico, among other places. Essentially, the only place I don’t work is Antarctica.

Nathan was a catalyst for me in starting my own business as he challenged me to build my own company. Under his guidance I identified future goals and developed a vision for what a company of my own could be. Gradually, with Nathan’s prompting, I overcame my reluctance to engage in that dream. Nathan’s role was that of a coach as he truly encouraged me to step out on my own and take that final leap of faith.