Before the 4 AM wakeup alarm blares, James Schaefer is awake reading the newest blogs and daily news of the day. He breezes through topics of sports, politics, religion, finance, technology, marketing, and business. By 5 AM, Mr. Schaefer is getting ready for a day of helping companies; particularly Automotive Dealerships spread their message to the world about their great services. “DeliveryMaxx has allowed me to learn other people’s business, and share how great they are doing. Today, consumers have more choices than ever as to where to spend their hard earned money. My company emphasizes the great qualities of our clients in a way that nobody has figured out how to do utilizing modern innovations of social media marketing, online reputation management, search engine optimization, and our proprietary DigitalMaxx Solution. The results combined together to create one of the strongest customer loyalty and retention programs on the market which creates more sales, repeat business, referral business, branding, positive reviews, and most importantly greater customer satisfaction” said Schaefer.
By 6 AM, Schaefer is sitting in his home office pouring over the same topics now mixed with his clients’ reviews, blogs, and press releases. “I want to make sure we are always providing the best service for our clients. Great ideas are all around us if we just look for them. We don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. We just have to brand it a little different. I look to see successes, and make sure my clients are among those successes” says Schaefer.
By 7 AM, Schaefer is meeting with his business partner Josh Deaton at the local Starbucks. “I bet James and I spend 12-15 hours a week drinking coffee and coming up with some of the best ideas before most people arrive at work” states Josh Deaton, DeliveryMaxx’s Founder and CEO.
Both Mr. Schaefer and Mr. Deaton met in Rockwall at a local youth sporting event in 2009. Both of their sons played football although they were on different teams. Mr. Deaton was very successful in the automotive industry and invested his earnings quite well. Mr. Schaefer was a senior executive at an international marketing company, and entrepreneur. At the time both men met, Schaefer owned two franchises and had started and sold two other small businesses before graduating from college.
During their encounter, Schaefer was surprised to find out that Mr. Deaton was one of the investors in the company that he was an executive at.
Taking advantage of an opportunity:
Both James and Josh continued to speak regularly, and one day Josh presented the idea of DeliveryMaxx to James. “With James’ ethics, and knowledge of running companies, and my knowledge of the needs the automotive industry as well as lack of vendors being able to provide our services the way we are able to provide them, it made perfect sense to me to partner with him for DeliveryMaxx” says Deaton. They strategically put together a team of highly skilled minds and set out to share the DeliveryMaxx Images of Success & DigitalMaxx program. Both refused to take investors’ money, so they would have total control of the direction of the company. “I have seen too often when someone puts money into something they expect results immediately and just because they financed a project they didn’t understand the true vision of the idea. Before we incorporated the company, I told Josh that it was his vision and my job to make that vision happen” says Schaefer. Therefore, Mr. Deaton assumed the title of Chief Executive Officer controlling 60% of the company’s stock and Mr. Schaefer took the title of Chief Operating Officer owning 40%. “There should always be one person who has the final say during any disagreements. It was Josh’s vision, his idea, and he is very clear headed and allows people to utilize their expertise."
Within three years, DeliveryMaxx has earnings surpassing $ 1,000,000 annually. They employ an accountant, vice president of technology and social media, vice-president of information technology, director of marketing, human resource director, new business development officer, photographers, editors, graphic artist, customer service representatives, and sales people. “None of us have our titles on our business cards because we all focus on the company as a whole, and not just our individual department. I don’t want one person to think that because they work in one department, they don’t have a stake in what happens in another” says Schaefer. “Actually, everyone’s earnings are based on the success of the company. If the company wins, so does everyone who contributes to the vision and mission!” Deaton adds, “I thought this was the one of the greatest implementations James has provided to our company by sharing the rewards with everyone. It also allowed our company to become cash flow positive, and debt free in a very short amount of time."
So as you can imagine, Mr. Schaefer does not stop working at 5 PM. However, he does put on his coaching attire and heads out to a football field, basketball court, or softball field to share his knowledge with Rockwall and surrounding area’s youth. In the evening, Coach Schaefer currently can be seen working as the Offensive Line Coach for the Nations number one ranked 10 and under youth select football team by National League Certification Management (NLCM), the Rockwall Youth Sports Association Jackets. His son, Joseph, has been in the organization since he was five and Coach Schaefer has been a part of the coaching staff for four of those years winning the championship each year. “The RYSA organization actually showed me that kids are never too young to learn and will absorb just about anything they see and hear” states Schaefer. When his son who plays select football and select baseball year around, wanted to play basketball, Coach Schaefer’s wife signed him up to coach the team. “Nobody was able to coach the team. Since that was the sport that James played in high school and college, I thought he would be the best one to coach our son” says Victoria, James’ wife of 16 years in November. James modestly adds, “Actually, I didn’t ever suit up in college as my attitude got in the way of my ability. I should have played, but I learned out the hard way that your attitude is just as important as your ability. Hopefully, I can pass that lesson to the kids I am entrusted to coach.” “I will always remember my son looking up to me when we were signing him up to play (basket)ball and saying that he didn’t know if he would be a good basketball player for me. I told him that I didn’t know if I would be a good coach either, but would do my best if he would too, and no matter what always love him.”
James Schaefer (3rd coach from left) & son Joseph (#40) with National Champions RYSA Jackets
Both Coach Schaefer and his son have done their best winning the local league as well as a more competitive league in the same season. However, it was only a matter of time that Elizabeth, Coach Schaefer’s 8 year old daughter started playing sports a couple of years ago. As it turns out, she is the athlete in the family. She is already taller than her two year older brother and quicker too. “He won’t admit that!” says both of his parents. His daughter plays softball, basketball, and just recently picked up volleyball. Coach Schaefer has been a coach for her softball and basketball teams, but he leaves the volleyball instruction to his younger sister Jennifer Minor who was an Academic All-American 4-year volleyball player at Houston Baptist University.
Every day is eventful in the Schaefer household. They have three businesses, two kids, four sporting events at all times, school (both of their kids are straight A students), PTA (Victoria formally served as the president and currently serves as the treasurer), and still make time to spend with nieces, nephews, cousins, and grandparents who live in the metroplex.
Most practices end around 8 PM on school nights. After Schaefer takes the whistle off, he sits back down in his home office and gets back to work. He finishes up most nights working with DeliveryMaxx clients about 11 PM, and then starts the routine all over again tomorrow.
Balancing the kid’s activities, and work can be a bit stressful at times, Schaefer explains in a few words, but “I love it, and I think athletics is a lot like business. There are winners and losers on the scoreboard, but how you carry yourself during victories and defeats is the true definition of your character.”
