Anne Hed

November 8, 2017

Growing with Purpose Podcast: Anne Hed

Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman interviews Forbes Small Giant, Anne Hed, Co-Founder and CEO of HED Cycling Products Inc. Anne's story is both a business and a love story. It begins with Anne as a young and broke college student with a desire to win the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii. Per her friend's suggestion, she finds herself at a small bike shop in Minneapolis, where she asks the barefoot, shirtless, greasy owner, Steve Hed, for $100 and a bike to enter the triathlon. And that's just the beginning... Tune into Anne's story here.

Show Notes 

Growing with Purpose Podcast: Anne Hed

[1:17] A Storybook and a Love Story: How HED Cycling Began

[5:38] How Winning A Subaru Hatchback Turned Into a Bank Loan

[8:19] A Call From a Kid in Texas - Who Turned Out To Be Lance Armstrong

[16:53] Two Phone Calls that Changed Anne’s Life

[24:02] Choosing Early On What Path To Take

[28:43] The Value of the Economic Gardening Program (Which Surprisingly Doesn't Involve Actual Gardening!)

[40:45] The Most Important Quality of A Leader: Honesty

Selected Links from the Episode

Book that Influenced Anne's Leadership Style: A Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

 


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About Anne Hed

Anne Hed is a lifetime resident of Minnesota. Her history as a business owner began back in the 1980’s, when she raced as a professional triathlete. She completed eight Ironman triathlons in Hawaii, and met her late husband, Steve, through the sport. He became one of her first sponsors, making the first modern aerodynamic disc wheel for her. Funded in part by Anne’s race winnings, Hed Cycling was born and did business out of Steve’s garage. Along the way, Hed Cycling was awarded several significant patents, securing them as one of the top cycling manufacturers. In 2014, Anne was awarded the Established Business Owner of the Year for Minnesota, by the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2016, Hed was one of the ten finalists out of 1,400 companies who applied for the 2016 FedEx Small Business Grant. 2016 also saw the debut of the Cervelo P5X triathlon bike – one of the most advanced bicycles in the world – made by Hed in Minnesota. In 2017, they were selected as one of Forbes 25 Small Business Giants, with feature article and video to chronicle their success. She is a proud mother to Rebecca and Andrew.