Gregg Gohl
Class of 1993

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
High School: Lincoln

Major: Social Work
Minor: Psychology

Current Employer: Hegg Realtors, Inc.
Current Position: Owner/Broker/Realtor

What have you been up to since graduation from Augustana?
I worked for 3.5 years in the Admission Office at Augustana, spent 4 years in the insurance industry, and have worked the past 6 years in real estate.

How did you get into the real estate business?
I'd considered it for quite some time and thought that it would combine many of the things that I was looking for in a career, such as: the opportunity to build my own business, the ability to serve and provide counsel to others, to work with a wide variety of people, an unlimited income opportunity, and the chance to leverage all of the relationships that I'd built with people over the past 30+ years in Sioux Falls.

What's the best part of your job?
Having a classmate from high school or college call me out of the blue who I have not seen or heard from in 10, 15 or 20 years to tell me they are in the market for my services. It's great to re-connect with people!

Tell us a little about your family. It is difficult to balance a busy career with family?
My wife, J.J., is a 1995 Augie grad and we have two sons, Gage (4) and Drew (2). Real Estate is an interesting job as it relates to family life. It requires many hours of work when your clients are available. (That means nights and weekends.) It also requires you to be flexible and make yourself available when a client needs you. Therefore, being successful in this business requires a supportive and understanding family. Fortunately, I was able to overachieve when it came to finding a spouse, and she has been the rock that holds our family together when I am out selling homes.

How did you choose your major at Augustana? Did you ever change majors?
During my first two years at Augie, my thoughts ranged from Pre-Physical Therapy to Religion to Education. Social Work ended up being a good fit for someone who wasn't exactly sure what they wanted to do with their life, but was confident that it had to involve helping/serving people.

Did your education at Augustana prepare you well for your career? For life?
Absolutely...both in my career and in life. I would say that my education at Augie included both classroom lessons and huge life lessons outside the classroom. Both have proved priceless in my current career. Some may think that I am in a sales position, however, I would definitely consider it more of a counseling role. Therefore, my Social Work training and all of the interpersonal skills learned throughout college have been huge.

Have you found your liberal arts background useful?
I'm 100% convinced that the most successful and influential people in our world are those who have learned to communicate successfully, positively and emphatically with a wide variety of people on a wide variety of topics. What prepares you better for that than a liberal arts education?

What is your favorite memory or story from Augustana?
Too many to list them all here... but all of them revolve around friendships. Whether it was Viking Varieties, the wrestling team, living off-campus, classes, New Student Orientation, intramurals, etc. it all comes back to the friends who surrounded me. I remain convinced that it is the last time (on this earth) that you'll be surrounded by that many friends in one place. Enjoy it while it lasts!!

What one piece of advice would you give prospective students who are interested in Augustana?
Come and visit! You'll know fairly quickly whether or not Augustana feels like home to you. But you need to walk around campus, talk to some students and some professors, and really get a feel for the place.

Do you ever let Augustana students "shadow" you to explore the real estate field? What about internships?
Sure...anytime! (We've never had an intern, but I'd be open to the idea.)

Is there one tradition that every prospective student should know about Augustana?
Certainly not the wrestling team circling the track in their tightie whities at halftime of the Homecoming game. I think it is different for everyone, depending on your interests. And that's the beauty of Augustana. It may be Vespers at Christmastime, Viking Days, athletic events, concerts, chapel, opening convocation, graduation weekend, or just hanging out on the green with friends.

Who was your biggest influence on campus?
As it turns out, after eight failed attempts at landing a date with my future wife during my time as a student, she finally said yes after I graduated. I'm not sure she was my biggest influence while on campus, but she's certainly the biggest influence on me now.

What do you like to do away from work?
Hangout with my wife and boys, golf, travel, and watch movies!

Congratulations on recently making partner at Hegg Realty! What's your secret to success (other than being an Augustana graduate, of course)?
a. Hard work
b. A love for serving others
c. Wonderful co-workers
d. A supportive family

What's next for you? Do you have any ultimate career goals or things you definitely want to accomplish in the future?
I want to make a difference in this world... still working on the details. Stay tuned!