The Gutter SEnse Story
Small Business but Big Thinking
The human ability for invention is amazing. Overall, it has moved the world forward, helping us make life better. Some inventions are big, such as space travel and the Internet.
Yet, some solve everyday pains. Inventor Robert Segal imagined a way to clean gutters from the ground. In 2002, he created the model for Gutter Sense. Nearly 20 years later, thousands use it for gutter cleaning.
Michael Schiestel and Entrepreneurship
The Gutter Sense story is bigger than the invention of the tool. It’s a story about the spark of creativity that drives invention. It’s about the excitement of entrepreneurship. Finally, it’s about the promise of small business. I grew up in a family business, so I saw how it could bring ideas to life.
I’m passing the spirit of entrepreneurship to the next generation. First, I recruited my daughter Paige to be a Gutter Sense seller. Currently, she runs the company with me. I also teach entrepreneurship at a local school. I help high schoolers create products that solve problems. Necessity may be the mother of invention. Yet, small business is the start that makes ideas reality.
– Mike & Paige
Meet Michael Schiestel
Owner and Head of Operations
Michael Schiestel is a champion of small business, creativity, and entrepreneurship. He started his career in aviation. He also worked on wilderness, state and federal firefighting crews. After, Mike rejoined his family’s Chicago-area business. He was a contractor and project manager on kitchen renovation and construction. In 2011, he moved to the front office side of the business. This led him to coaching local high school students. He coaches as a part of Buffalo Grove High School’s IncubatorEDU entrepreneurship program. He helps students as they create, pitch, and bring products to market.
Michael Schiestel and his wife are parents to teenage twins. As a family, they foster creativity. When Mike isn’t working, he and his family do many things. For example, they build, create new activities and games, and improve their entrepreneurial skills.
Meet Paige SCHIESTEL
Rainmaker and Sales/Fulfillment Rockstar
Paige Schiestel has grown up in a family that embraces the entrepreneurial spirit. In her role at Gutter Sense, she makes sure customers are happy. She manages sales and returns as well as works with online sale platforms. Also, she organizes supplies and production to stay on track with assembly and orders. As Paige says, it’s amazing how complex such a small tool can be to produce.
Furthermore, Paige is a student athlete. Through volleyball, Paige has learned many things. For example, the importance of hard work, sacrifice, a good team, and a supportive family. She’s planning to study business management and entrepreneurship at Ohio University. Who knows where things will go from there?