Biography

Alright, this is a biography based on a recording I made.

(I highly suggest doing transcripts as the basis for writing if you're bad at it like me.)

It details my core philosophies, my upbringing, and the winding path of my career so far. Consider it a good way to get to know the driving forces behind Jens Heitman.

Who am I?

I run on a few basic rules. There's what I call the "Golden Touch." Every time I interact with someone, I want them to walk away better than before. Maybe it's a compliment, an idea, or just something useful. Then there's my "Thousand-Year Plan." I make decisions like my great-great-grandkids will feel the ripple effects. Sounds dramatic, but this long view keeps me focused.

I'm also obsessed with freedom, probably because I've dealt with too much arbitrary authority over the years. People often tell me I'm reliable, supportive, and charismatic, which is funny because I see a lot of my goals and efforts as pretty selfish. Things only I can and want to accomplish.

Finding My Own Path

School was interesting. I could hang with anyone - the kids playing pretend laser tag and debating weird internet stuff, or the popular sports crowd, artsy & creatives. Didn't matter. I was always soaking up information. Patterns came easy to me, so I could coast academically without grinding too hard.

That actually got me in trouble once while very young when a teacher asked me to show my math work and I proudly said "I don't do work." Thinking that I would be supported with praise for my ability to connect the dots in my head rather than admonished for being able to do it all in my head. And that earned me a lecture and a timeout in the hallway.

I was capable enough. Took AP classes, got some tech certifications like CompTIA for example. But my ADD made focusing on boring subjects nearly impossible. I became a master of deadline-driven productivity, basically procrastinating until the pressure forced me to tackle anything difficult.

I devoured fiction. Could visualize stories like movies in my head, which let me read incredibly fast. Harry Potter, Mistborn, Ranger's Apprentice, The Hobbit, the Percy Jackson series... I burned through everything. Non-fiction was harder since it lacked that story flow.

School felt more like general exposure than finding something I was truly passionate about. I wasn't really attached to socializing back then, maybe from moving around so much as a kid.

Around 13 or 14, my inner tech nerd emerged. I was hacking PlayStations, reverse-engineering programs, creating custom Call of Duty modes in MW2, all self-taught from online forums. Logic made sense to me, so coding and cybersecurity seemed like natural next steps. Maybe even government work since I had some family connections.

That path hit a brick wall during a cybersecurity internship in DC around 2017. The two-hour commute each way was brutal. When a VP offered rare work-from-home days, my team leader denied my request. No real reason, just "I want you in the office." Pure hazing.

This arbitrary power play from someone I didn't see as superior (except for being older) disgusted me deeply.

That moment crystallized something fundamental: my freedom isn't negotiable. My livelihood, health, and mental state can't depend on someone else's mood. The idea that my wellbeing could be at risk because someone had a bad morning felt pathetic.

College didn't help. I was pursuing Computer Science but barely showed up to one class, never turned in assignments, yet still discussed concepts with the professor when I was there. Expected to fail but got a C. His reasoning: "You know your stuff."

It hammered home that relationships often matter more than systems or merit and once again was made arbitrary. Traditional learning felt disconnected from real-world success or the life I wanted. My motivation disappeared.

The breaking point came on the metro to campus. On one day like any other, the train reached my stop, everyone got off, but I stayed. Rode back and forth until security asked me to leave. I stopped going to classes entirely.

I had also just quit my job at Snapchat in Denver, so I was at a low point. For a couple weeks, I kept up appearances for my family. Leaving the house each morning but spending nine hours in my car outside the local gym. Sleeping, researching, working out, then coming home like I'd had a normal day.

It was rock bottom mentally, but sometimes you need that catalyst.

The Entrepreneurial Road: Sales, Spite, and Self-Reliance

My entrepreneurial journey started with spite and a desperate need for freedom. I realized I needed to master the people-centric world I'd been avoiding, so I deliberately sought out friction.

Forging Interaction

I took a sales job at a car wash. Intentionally stressful because growth requires discomfort. Then bartending at Topgolf to force more interaction.

During the car wash stint, I met Nicholas Alexander (Nick). He saw something in me that I couldn't see yet. First time we talked, he said, "I don't know what you're doing here, but you've got juice." I had no clue what that meant then, but he offered me a spot on his roofing sales team. We exchanged info but didn't reconnect for about a year.

Roofing Sales Round 1

After the car wash, I became a bartender at Topgolf (great chain, by the way) and kept building my confidence talking to people. About a year later, Nick and I reconnected during a workout where he offered that sales spot again. I jumped in.

Door-to-door roofing sales in Colorado, capitalizing on hailstorms. I'd inspect properties, show homeowners damage, and navigate insurance claims. Leveraging Other People's Money (OPM), which is a huge sales advantage. I learned incredible sales tactics and the importance of having solid processes.

The biggest challenge was self-motivation. The freedom of being a 1099 contractor could breed laziness, but my hatred of W2 work pushed me forward. Our team hit around $3 million in sales my first year.

I even managed a small team briefly and learned a hard lesson about lending money when a trainee screwed me over for $400. Cheap lesson, really, about identifying people who'll break trust over small amounts.

My relationship with ADHI ended due to company drama, but the experience confirmed that relationships are everything.

The Corporate Detour (Snapchat)

Between roofing stints, I tried corporate life again through Accenture, landing at Snapchat in SMB marketing. Immediately felt wrong. Pay was low despite colleagues having advanced degrees, onboarding dragged on (took a month to get fully set up, though I was still getting paid. Some would call that a blessing, but the empty hours were torture), and the culture felt misaligned.

I tried connecting with coworkers and leadership, but my perspective on the job was different.

This was supposedly an SMB sales job with no commission. The team had endless arbitrary checkpoints, and after I voiced some inefficiencies, my boss pulled me aside:

"I've got a really well-oiled machine here... I need you to fit in and be a cog... or not."

Felt like something straight out of a bad corporate movie. I put in my resignation within a week. Final nail in the coffin for traditional W2 work. Maybe I just got unlucky, but I'm glad. Those experiences put me exactly where I am today.

Roofing Sales Round 2

Nick and I reconnected again and navigated more roofing sales ventures. We eventually partnered with Prime Star Property Solutions, where Nick established a residential division for their primarily commercial company.

First year (2019-2020) was another success. The team hit around $4.3 to $4.7 million. Then COVID hit and payments got delayed. I had $60k to $70k in unpaid commissions when Prime Star shut down their residential arm, claiming they couldn't pay out due to the pandemic and some embezzlement issues and declaring bankruptcy.

It stung, but wasn't devastating. I had learned two things. First, the government takes better care of businesses than people. Second, I knew my sales skills meant I'd be fine. The experience reinforced my views on money (reinvest in yourself, grow faster than institutions) and self-reliance.

Ironically, during COVID, I received way more support through PPP loans as a business owner than individuals got in stimulus checks. Another win for the entrepreneurial path.

Exploration & Real Estate AE & Operations

Post-COVID, I explored everything: stock trading (appealed to my introverted side but lacked human interaction), solar and fire restoration sales, even trained as an asbestos inspector. Failed the test by one question, though I charmed the instructors into passing grades for coursework. More proof that people trump systems.

This led to an Account Executive & Operations Lead role with a real estate company. My first dive into info products and online business operations. Generated $1.8 million in sales solo the first year but only received about a third of my commission before we parted ways.

Again, I didn't chase the lost money. Saw it as an unproductive distraction from future growth. "Take what you can [learn], give nothing back [in terms of letting it hold you back]" became my practical mantra.

Nulight Consultation & Fractional Operations: Present Focus

This period launched my own venture, Nulight Consultation. Started with AI automation, leveraging my tech background, and secured retainers and projects through my network. Landing a major client ($4k/month retainer plus commission) let me blend sales and AI implementation perfectly.

Success snowballed into more clients and evolved into one of my current primary roles: Fractional Director of Operations. I partner with companies ready for significant growth, diagnose operational bottlenecks, design scalable systems, and implement solutions (often integrating AI and automation) to drive efficiency and expansion.

This role has been life-changing, providing explosive growth through sheer impact and opportunity.

Core Philosophy & Future Vision: The Thousand-Year Plan

My driving force remains the "Thousand-Year Plan" guided by my personal "Seven Laws." A framework for building a life of compounding impact:

Experience: Achieve 1000 years of wisdom, whether lived or learned from masters.

Finance: Provide for generations I can see.

Ethics/Purpose: Do as you please, but cause no harm; wield power responsibly.

Physicality: Be capable of any experience (never limited by "can't," only "don't want to").

Spirituality: Find the divine within; recognize that religions point toward inner peace and self-trust ("You are the god of your own world").

World Presence: Cultivate a global perspective, not confined to one place.

Relationship: Still evolving, balancing a long personal journey with partnership.

Jobs and money are just tools; lasting influence on humanity and my lineage is the real goal. Near-term, I'm focused on hitting my first "apex" by age 30. Peak physical condition, strong financial footing, a powerful network, and continuing exponential growth from there.

I'm passionate about human growth, biohacking, longevity, philosophy (exploring purpose through absurdism), and self-cultivation (inspired by Wuxia novels).

Reflections & Moving Forward

Looking back, my journey feels like a "solo epic." I knew who I was meant to become around age 20, and while I keep growing, that core hasn't changed. But mapping it out shows how crucial connections were at pivotal moments, especially with Nick.

While my ideal relationship will probably result from my journey rather than drive it, I need to be more conscious about fostering connections.

One principle from The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) guides me: when you pursue your path, good coincidences happen. Life confirms this - open flight rows, meeting the right people, having casual life-changing opportunity. It tells me I'm on track.

My most important lesson? The power of self-reliance combined with an extremely long-term perspective.

My advice echoes this: Start planning like you're going to live forever. Think beyond next week to centuries ahead. Develop skills and habits that allow infinite growth, so you're never bored or stagnant. Learn to "take what you can" from every experience, especially perspectives - they're valuable currency.

If you'd like to connect, feel free to reach out: Jens@nulight.io.