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ReproScan: Interview with Elle Terhaar
76 Plays4 months ago
About the Guest(s):
Elle Terhaar: Elle Terhaar is a dynamic entrepreneur and the current owner of ReproScan Technologies. With a background steeped in international experience and a passion for innovation, Elle joined ReproScan Technologies in 2015. Over the years, she has expanded the company's reach and product line, focusing on veterinary ultrasounds, primarily for the cattle industry. Known for her driven, competitive nature and visionary outlook, Elle is shaping the future of ReproScan Technologies to embrace emerging technologies in the agricultural sector.
Episode Summary:
Welcome to another episode of the Uncommon Wealth Podcast! Join host Phillip Ramsey as he dives deep into the inspiring journey of Elle Terhaar, the motivated and visionary owner of ReproScan Technologies. In this episode, Elle recounts her unique upbringing and the adventurous spirit instilled in her by her parents, leading her to take bold steps in her career. From moving to the Bahamas during her formative years to demanding ownership in ReproScan Technologies in her mid-twenties, Elle's story is a testament to the power of belief and perseverance.
Elle discusses the inception of ReproScan Technologies, a company that specializes in veterinary ultrasound equipment for cattle. She explains how her partners, originally from Canada, trusted her vision and leadership to drive the company forward. Together, they overcame initial challenges and expanded the business, serving a growing customer base of hardworking farmers and veterinarians across the globe. Elle's leadership strategy involves fostering an inclusive environment where team members are encouraged to share ideas and take ownership of their roles. Tune in to learn more about Elle's journey, the growth of ReproScan Technologies, and her vision for the future.
Key Takeaways:
- Elle Terhaar's entrepreneurial journey began in her formative years, shaped by her adventurous and supportive parents.
- ReproScan Technologies was founded by beef veterinarians in Canada and has since grown under Elle's leadership, focusing on veterinary ultrasounds for cattle.
- Empowering team members, staying humble, and being open to new ideas are crucial aspects of Elle's leadership style.
- ReproScan Technologies aims to be a household name in durable veterinary ultrasounds, with plans to expand into other species and potentially new technologies.
- Elle's experience underscores the importance of taking bold steps, believing in oneself, and the power of perseverance in achieving business success.
Notable Quotes:
- "I love to learn, honestly. I love to learn and I love to grow businesses." - Elle Terhaar
- "My parents always said, hey, what do you want to do? Let's try it." - Elle Terhaar
- "I want to be the rough and tough, out in the field. Great customer service. Hey, we'll get it taken care of." - Elle Terhaar
- "Staying humble even when things are going well and being open to ideas." - Elle Terhaar
- "Sometimes it's like, you know what? Take a breath and listen." - Elle Terhaar
Resources:
- ReproScan Technologies
- Elle Terhaar’s Contact: elle@repro-scan.com
For more insights into Elle's journey and the future of ReproScan Technologies, listen to the full episode. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and expert advice on the Uncommon Wealth Podcast!
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Transcript
Introduction to Uncommon Living and Wealth Building
00:00:00
Speaker
Everyone dreams of living an uncommon life. And the best asset you have to achieve your dreams is you. Welcome to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast. We're going to introduce you to people who are living uncommonly. We're also going to give you some tools and strategies for building wealth and for pursuing an uncommon path that is uniquely right for you.
Meet Ellie Terrehar: A Driven Visionary
00:00:26
Speaker
Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of the UncomiWealth Podcast where i'm your show I'm your host, Philip Ramsey, and I have an amazing Ellie Terrehar today with ReproScan Technologies. I can't wait to get it in the show, but before, let me give you the three words that I think of when I think of Ellie. Here they are. They're kind of three and a half. ah Motivated and driven. I'm counting that as one. I usually say driven, but I've already given that to somebody else. So I'm like motivated. but kind of driven. That's more driven. That's totally you, Ellie. You're competitive, which I frickin' love. Yep. And then you're a visionary. How'd I do? Pretty pretty good? but He rocked it. Okay. Awesome. Welcome to the show. um First, I love your uncommon, and you've been uncommon for like ever, it feels like. You came out of the womb, like you're like looking for like different things that you can start and create. You could be, oh, that could have been a good word for you, a creator, because I feel like you're a creator.
00:01:21
Speaker
But okay, well, first, welcome to the show. First, and then give our listeners a little bit about repro scan technologies, just like a 30 second elevator speech. Okay. Well, thanks for having me. It's kind of fun. I've enjoyed getting to know you. Um, little bit about repro scan. So we contract, manufacture and distribute veterinary ultrasounds around the world, um, predominantly for the cattle side of things. We do other species as well, but we focus predominantly on the cattle. um We have an extension arm. So traditionally, if you've seen veterinarians, they get this really big long sleeve and they do what's called palpating a cow to find out if she's pregnant. Well, we have a really cool tool so they don't have to do that. So it's easier on the cattle and easier on the vets. They don't have you know shoulder issues or elbow issues. So we create an extension arm. So that's kind of our claim to fame. And that's what we do you know most of the time. Yes, that's kind of started in this whole deal.
00:02:15
Speaker
But let's be honest, this wasn't a company that you started from the ground up. You bought into that, and the story behind that is awesome and fascinating. So i just talk about that, because I think it's great how you got here. Which part? How it started or how I got into it? Well, give me how it started and then how you got into it.
The Founding of ReproScan Technologies
00:02:35
Speaker
Okay, so two beef veterinarians in Canada are the partners and they started this because BSE hit and they had to preg check a lot of cattle for export. So they decided there has to be a better way. It's easier on them. Ultrasound had come out.
00:02:50
Speaker
but the technology was different. So they said, Hey, let's create something that's easier on us. And it kind of snowballed from there. if They said, Hey, let's, let's do this. So they um ended up creating their own ultrasound brand and it has grown from there. So it started in 2008 was the official start date.
Ellie's Journey to Ownership and Growth
00:03:10
Speaker
And then I joined in 2015. And honestly, it's a little bit of a longer story, but honestly, I say they hired me to keep my husband around because my husband had had an internship with them and we had gone to Paraguay with one of the partners and he had done sales for him. He's a very good salesperson and I swear they hired me to keep him around and
00:03:35
Speaker
It kind of just grew from there. So I started as sales and marketing coordinator here in the US. The company was based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and was till we moved everything to Winterset, Iowa in 2018, I believe, is when we kind of re-orged, became a partner. And honestly, it was one of those things I said, hey, I'm going to find a new job or I want to be an owner. and ah they ah they threw all their eggs in this basket and it was amazing. I look at it, I'm like, wow, they were they were amazing to let me, what were they thinking? Usually people in their positions come up to them and be like, listen, either give me a raise or I'm out of here.
00:04:17
Speaker
Yeah. Not Ellie. Not Ellie. That's uncommon is like, I need some ownership and actually I need majority ownership if I really can be honest. I want to run it. Yeah. Not only do I want to be a partner, I want to run it. And it worked out because the company was poised to grow.
Entrepreneurial Roots and Family Influence
00:04:32
Speaker
Um, I had a completely different skill set and I love to learn honestly. Like I love to learn and I love to grow businesses and somebody said, well, maybe someday you'll be a serial entrepreneur. And I'm like, You know, I kind of like that idea. Yes, I will. Thank you. My dad tells the story when I was, my parents are uncommon as well. So I'll give you your little shout out there. But my dad tells the story when I was three, he would ask me what I wanted to be when I would grow up and he taught me the word entrepreneur. So little Ellie would say, I want to be entrepreneur. And so we laughed because here we are. I tell my wife, like if anybody asked me to spell entrepreneur, like it ain't going to happen. like I will never spell that right. so You were kind of younger. just I can't say it right. It's good. okay so Let's talk about from a young age, you were groomed to be uncommon or an entrepreneur. ah so tell me Absolutely. yeah so Tell me that's kind of part of the story and probably why you had so much confidence to walk into the office and say, like I want to be an owner here.
00:05:34
Speaker
eight It was even over a phone call. It wasn't even on the phone. Of course it was. um yeah so but about My family is unique. I was born in Florida, moved to Colorado. I say Colorado is home up in the mountains. and When I was 10, my dad got a job opportunity to consult in the Bahamas for supposed to be 18 months. so My parents, they're adventurous. They picked us up and we moved to the Bahamas. for now 20 some years, they've been there. So yeah, so growing up, we moved to an island, it was just our family, you know, you kind of learn, you have a lot of unique experiences living internationally. It was not a developed island, it was a family island, it's becoming developed now, but
00:06:22
Speaker
My dad ran resorts and ah my mom homeschooled us and I grew up this resort that my dad ran is very high end. So I grew up around the CEO of Nike and the guys that's created these incredible businesses and being homeschooled and very much, I don't know, weird Ellie. I love to go to work with my dad. That was my thing. And he let me and the the company didn't mind. So I was able to sit it. Yeah. I filed, I answered phones, i probably like 12 years old answering phones for my dad and open a file. And I was able to listen to these big meetings and big business deals and talk to all these people.
00:07:02
Speaker
that had I not grown up that way would have been really intimidating and I realize now the older I get I'm like oh my gosh hearing these conversations and these guys didn't say no they figured it out my dad was one that he was a problem solver they they solved the you know, high end, really beautiful resort, but a third world country, you know, is what he had to work with. So, he had to get really creative with the ways that he solved this. And I grew up with that. My mom was super adventurous and they always said, hey, what do you want to do? Let's try it. Hey, let's make a business. Hey, let's, you want to wire up jewelry?
00:07:43
Speaker
Let's do it. Let's figure out how to make a business plan. So I was very blessed to have parents that are think outside of the box.
ReproScan's Growth and Financial Navigation
00:07:51
Speaker
Yeah, it was unconventional, but it was fun. Amazing. We were just talking about the other day. What an education. Talk about like homeschooling. Come on. Oh, yeah. It was people have no idea that we were actually homeschooled, but because my brother and I both have gone on and done I wouldn't say normal things, but you know, career, not your typical homeschool persona, if you will, but it's been kind of neat. So a lot of that is the uncommon side of how I grew up. And like I said, I just love to learn. I love to travel. I love to problem solve.
00:08:23
Speaker
And you had support of your parents to be able to nurture that. And then also like, there's something about parents nurturing that specific thing in children, but it does take a unique individual to continue that. Like, yeah, the business plan is great, but then when it gets hard and it gets in the trudges of you actually building, making these little jewelry things, that's where the rubber meets the road. And a lot of kids are just like tapped out. Not Ellie, not Ellie. she just multipplies it
00:08:54
Speaker
yeah he was and don' know It's just fun. I enjoy learning new industries and like I said, growing businesses and intricacies. I had no, light when I took over repress scan, I'd use QuickBooks a little bit. I inherited QuickBooks with international currencies and dealers all over the place. And I'd never run inventory. And i i we turned it on one day and I'm like, Oh no. Oh, okay. I can't tell you how many 4 a.m.s I went in, it was a big pot of coffee, and I'm like, we're going to Google this. We're doing this. Here we go. We figured it out, but yeah, a few bumps and bruises along the way. Okay, so you're 20 years old, you walk in, I want ownership. ah Not quite 20, mid-20s. Let's just, yeah, 25-ish, whatever. And you walk in and you say, I want ownership, and they were like, sure. Like, how did that conversation go?
00:09:47
Speaker
you know We have amazing partners in this company and they they both were like, okay, it's kind of me and my husband. My husband's also a big part of this, even though this isn't what he does. um you know ah they They believed in us. We had a vision. we've We kind of had thought things through. They helped us. and it was It was very mutually beneficial. They were a little bit older saying, hey, I don't want to run the true day-to-day. And I said, hey, I want to grow this thing, but let's grow Reproscan. We were one two full-time employees at that point, and now we're seven. right ah Kudos for them to so think like, okay, if I have a little bit less of ownership, but I have somebody to drive it, like that little bit less could be more than what I have now.
00:10:33
Speaker
Oh, good for them. And they, you know, I think I was like, Ooh, I need to find an Ellie. they They figured this out. Yes. You take a step back, find an Ellie and there you go. But I i tell everybody they gave me a really long leash. Like they truly believed in me. They, they gave us the support or gave me the support and the, you know, they, they spent that first year, I had lots of phone calls and I was like, well, I'm either going to hang myself on this leash or we're going to do well. And So far, like I said, a few bumps and bruises, but it's it's been a great, great road. wow
00:11:08
Speaker
That's such a lesson, isn't it? It's just like believing in somebody enough to let them fail. And then also like being there for them when it gets rocky. Okay. That's all right. Like we'll bounce back, but giving them the reins versus I think there's times where somebody's like, okay, you can have ownership and every decision they make, they just like berate them and tell them how bad that decision is. That won't ever work. They're like, Hey, how about you just step back into the owning this company? Cause like, if you're going to let me do these things, what's the point, right? And they weren't afraid of change, which is, that was a huge lesson for me. And as I've hired people, it's been really a good reminder for me. Yes, I have i have a vision of what I want ReproScan to look like and what the branding looks like, but I want to hire people are good who are good at what they do. And I'm okay if they come with unique ideas. Sometimes I tell them, Hey, I need to put a pin in it and think about it. Cause it's so different than what I'd ever thought about. right But I had people who said, Oh, okay.
00:12:05
Speaker
let's let's try it so i want to continue that culture and i've tried but i'm guessing my staff would say not always perfect at that but i i do try yeah that's amazing so okay so now you're 25 you're stepping into this thing how did the ownership of i mean obviously you don't have that much money at 25 like how do you step into that We were very blessed to be able to take out a loan and actually they did some owner financing, okay which yeah was major. brown And we were able to make it profitable enough and over time to pay pay it off, which was a blessing. right So that has been huge, but they also, they not only believed in us, but we we did take out a loan, but they owner financed a lot
Successful Partnership Dynamics
00:12:51
Speaker
of it. Wow. Okay. So now where are we at today? How many employees do you have?
00:12:56
Speaker
We have seven full time and then some independent contractors as well. Wow. Okay. So it seems like the partners that you bought into are have to be extremely happy with where it's going. They are related. Okay. They are thrilled. In fact, we are going, we haven't seen each other since 20, I think 2019 was the last time we were all together. So we are actually, they're both in Canada. So we're going to take a trip here in a couple of weeks. and go to a big partner meeting and see the lake house we built them. Yeah, yeah. good on So but no, it's, it's gonna be good. It's, it's a very good partnership. um And it's a lot of fun when we do get to work on, we're working on some research and development stuff. So we've talked a little bit more in the last couple of weeks than we have in ages. And it's been kind of fun to reconnect a little bit and see
00:13:45
Speaker
They have other businesses and things they're working on too. so its yeah It's neat to hear what else is going on.
Balancing Business and Family Life
00:13:51
Speaker
sure Let's talk about the dynamics between your husband and you running a company. How has that been ah throughout the whole you know the whole shindig? so He works full-time in the industry as well. so He has a very full-time big corporate job. um so He has plenty on his plate. um So he doesn't work for repo scam. Nope. Not at all. Nope. I ah borrow his, he's bilingual. I borrow his language skills occasionally. um And then like nights and weekends, if I've got stuff going, he'll help. But honestly, he doesn't technically do anything on the day to day.
00:14:33
Speaker
You just use his like bilingual skills and then his knowledge on the industry to be able to kind of like- Yeah, we bounce ideas, because we both love this, but we bounce ideas off of each other and but and it's a very symbiotic relationship. So we're going to a lot of the same conferences and we have a lot of the same clients. So you know there's things that he pulls me in on his side and ReproScan can open some doors into certain places for him and grow their business and vice versa. So it works really well. yeah But technically, I mean, he does his thing and I do mind we talk a lot about it, but um there's not the the day to day.
00:15:11
Speaker
Per se, I mean, there's times where, Hey, box has got to go out. He gets home after work and head. Well, we were growing like, honey, I need to get boxes out. Yeah, let's go. You were working your second job, buddy. Okay. Second, third, fourth, whatever you want to call it.
Vision for ReproScan's Future
00:15:25
Speaker
So you started out with ultra scans and then how did it evolve from there? Cause I think, what is it? Repro scan technology. So it's not just repro scan ultra sounds. That's funny that you pick up on that. So when we rebranded and moved the whole company here and restructured the partnership, we call instead of calling it ReproScan ultrasounds, I wanted to call it ReproScan Technologies because I don't know where we're going.
00:15:49
Speaker
i want to can We have a really niche. We have a sales force. We have the ability to quality control. We have the ability to do supply chain and source and ship and receive. like We can do all that. If the technology changes, I want to be able to adapt quickly or find what's that next product that fits this ag niche market. you know Is it full testers? is it I don't know, fill in whatever the next thing is as this grows. So that was something we talked a lot about is K-Repro scan. Yep, we're scanners. We're ultrasounds. But what could be next? We have a great customer database. We have a great great customer relations.
00:16:31
Speaker
Where do we grow next? if So that's the opportunity. We've grown within the ultrasound line. We haven't added any other technologies at the moment um because we're so busy with ultrasounds. But we've grown into other species at the moment. We haven't grown into other technologies, if you will. But that it's there if we want to grow. It's kind of how we left that. So it's interesting that you picked up on that. Oh, yeah, I did.
Leadership Philosophy of Ellie Terrehar
00:16:55
Speaker
eie Okay, so if if you had like your vision for repro scan technologies, where would you where would you see this in 10 years? Let's just say. ah Oh.
00:17:08
Speaker
i I love what we do, Phillip. We have the best customers, like truly. i We get to go across, I'll just say in the US even, we get to go across the US and serve good, hardworking, just amazing people. I mean, you have a few bad eggs, but for the most part, we have amazing customers. So I want to continue to serve that customer base. On the actual ultrasound side of things, I want to be the household name and when people want durable ultrasounds at work. If they want the high-end, really expensive, fancy stuff that you're going to do on your small animal in downtown Des Moines, that's not me. yeah I want to be the rough and tough out in the field, great customer service, hey, we'll get it taken care of.
00:17:55
Speaker
I want to own that, that world, but we're getting there. You know, when we first started, people would be like reproscan never heard of you. Now it's like, Oh, you work for reproscan. Wow. that's It's really neat. Um, you know, there's still sectors that don't know us. We predominantly are in the large animal beef side of things, not as much in the dairy. So I want to grow into that, but I want to keep our customer base. I want to have an amazing team right now. We have an amazing team. I don't know if that means we're going to grow our team. But I want to keep that and continue to have fun with it. We're finally, we were chatting a little bit before the podcast, like we're finally to the point where this is really enjoyable for the most part. wow we Yes, we work hard. We work long hours during season, but we've got the right team in place.
00:18:47
Speaker
So yeah, let's see what this team can do and be open to opportunities. But it's, it's not, I don't want to say that it's not stressful cause any businesses and it's going well. But it's not like it was in 2018, we bought a farm, built a house, bought ReproScan. It was really stressful at that point. And you had just had a baby. So this just happened. You've had a baby. we just Yeah, little baby at home. So that changes perspective. right she said When we started, Phillip and I got to meet through a class and I started the class, I think I was four weeks postpartum? yeah Five maybe? She was Brandon. Yup. Itty bitty baby. Ellie had to leave to go pump. That's how that's how ra it was. like ah that's It was fresh. She was little.
00:19:35
Speaker
um But she's growing and it kind of changes perspective so it's you know can we can we run this to where there's still a little bit i would say work-life balance but we have other things going to so it's repro scan another life balance if you will um which is the fun of it i i hope and pray that we can have our daughter grow up seeing that hey. there we can There's possibilities. you want to You want to do something? Let's try it. My parents believed in me. My husband's parents believed in him. His grandparents believed in us. like Let's try it. Wow. So cool. What a good lesson. That's neat. Here's my question for you. What leadership ah lesson have you learned owning a company? like what What do you think the biggest leadership lesson you've learned leading and owning your own company? That is a big question. There are so many of them.
00:20:24
Speaker
I feel like it's a constant thing for me. It is. And there's some days I'm like, I don't want it to learn anymore. Like burn it to the ground. Or there's like, ooh, that two by four to the face hurts. Yes. That's exactly right. I would say staying humble, even when things are going well and being open to ideas. sometimes I can cut catch myself like I have a vision I have like a strong relatively strong drive to get where we're going and I tend to push a little bit hard um so sometimes it's like you know what take a breath and listen like don't talk over people listen ask the questions you know when you're sitting around
00:21:07
Speaker
lunch table with everybody. Hey, what are your thoughts? Not just like in your specific roles, you know, if you're warehouse or marketing or logistics, whatever it is, or sales. Hey, what do you think about ReproScan? Where should we go next? Like, I'm not always the best at that, but that has been a lesson consistently that, oh, they had some good ideas. Okay. You know, it doesn't matter who you are and what position you have. Everybody has they they They want ownership in it, not necessarily like to be the owner because yeah settling up with that is a lot. You know, eight to four is pretty good. You pay well in eight to four and you have pretty good life. But if they feel like they're part of the owners of things, yeah um you know, i I really realized it. There was one specific moment that I walked in and we have had our shipping receiving kind of warehouse gal.
00:21:57
Speaker
And I like things very neat and tidy, shocker. And um I had a very strong opinion of how things needed to be in the warehouse. And I realized it just wasn't working. And one day I took her out there and I said, you know what, this is your space. Make it work, make it keep it clean, but make it work for what you're doing because you're the one ultimately doing this. And from there on out, it was so much better. We didn't have the issues. She did an amazing job. It worked for it. Didn't, I didn't register that I'm tall. She was not. So the way things were centered function yeah and that, that one stuck with me like, Oh, yeah.
00:22:35
Speaker
You idiot i should hate it and the old two by four to the head yes so little things like that i guess the sort of answered around about yeah no that's a really good really good answer and i think that what you just said is like our. huge attributes, our biggest gifts can also be like our biggest failure or like worst gifts too. Yeah, they can turn, you know, like that motivation and driven, like that driven can like you can have a wake of bodies behind you, you know, and so you have to kind of corral that to be like, okay, maybe I can't go as fast with many people, but I don't want to do this alone.
00:23:15
Speaker
right And so I think that's really interesting thinking about those characteristics even of yourself like ah myself of like my biggest attributes can also be my biggest weakness and you know, when does that turn that way and my hesitancy and i so it's good.
Connect with ReproScan Technologies
00:23:30
Speaker
um Okay, so LA if our listeners wanted to hear more about repro scan or you how do they get a hold of you or repro scan? um I mean, obviously all our stuff's on the website, so repro-scan.com is the website. Kind of fun, you know, even if you're not ag, it's a totally different thing to learn. the Welcome to shoot me an email. It's simple, L-E-E-L-L-E at repro-scan.com. I love to learn, love to hear more. um But yeah, reach out, you're welcome to share my contact info, because I love to learn about the different parts of this world, and there's all sorts of industries and people that I've never learned about.
00:24:07
Speaker
It was, it's awesome. So thank you. That's good. Yeah. So you've been listening to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast. I'm your host, Philip Ramsey. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, stay in common. That's all for this episode brought to you by Uncommon Wealth Partners. Be sure to visit uncommonwealth.com to learn more about our services. Don't miss an episode as we introduce you to inspiring people who are actively pursuing an uncommon life.