Jody Heffner didnít have a ìtypicalî childhood. When other kids were playing in their tree house or riding their bikes, Heffner was practicing for his next big performance.The youngest of eight children, Heffnerís family has always been involved in the music business. ìMy family has been a singing group since I was 5 years old,î he said. ìSix of the eight kids were a singing group.î Music runs deep in the family. ìMy mom came from a family like the Andrews Sisters,î he said. ìThree of the girls would always travel along the Midwest at the USO clubs.î Heffner said his dad also did a few singing stints with Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.Heffner grew up in Milwaukee, Wis., where his father was a dentist. In 1972, Heffnerís father relocated his business to Colorado Springs, where he had first lived from 1951 to 1953 while serving in the U.S. Army/Air Force. ìThey loved it so much, they brought us back out here,î he said.† Heffner attended Irving Middle School and graduated from Mitchell High School in 1978.The family did a few recordings while still living in Milwaukee. After moving to Colorado Springs, they performed at several local venues, including the U.S. Air Force Academyís annual Christmas concert.In 1975, the family went national when they appeared on ìThe Gong Showî three times. ìWe won the first one,î Heffner said. ìThen, they started up a night time version and we did that one and we lost that one. We didnít get gonged. We never got gonged.î After their second appearance, the Heffners were invited back a third time. ìAfter 1976, they called us again and said ëwe would like you as a guest appearance on ìThe Gong Showî because you are getting a lot of fan mail,íî he said.Six of the Heffner siblings, including Jody, decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a music career. Over the course of 15 years, they sang in several commercials, performed at the Hollywood Bowl and appeared on ìBig Break,î a show hosted by Natalie Cole. ìIt was fun. If I could afford to make a living thatís what Iíd be doing,î Heffner said. ìI would be on stage. I like that stuff. I grew up with that.îThe group continued to record but struggled to break into the mainstream music industry. ìWe were doing all these things and working really hard, just not getting to where we wanted to get,î he said.And then everything changed when Heffnerís brother Tommy was diagnosed with AIDS.ìWe did what we could musically, but his (Tommyís) health was deteriorating so quickly that we had to put a hold on the music,î Heffner said. In 1991, the siblings returned to Colorado Springs to help care for their brother and be closer to family. The following year, Heffnerís brother passed away, and the siblings decided to disband and pursue other interests.That same year, there were riots in the city of Los Angeles, and Heffner decided to permanently move back to Colorado Springs. ìThose riots were two blocks away from my house, and I thought ëI think God is telling me it is time to change,íî he said. ìI needed something different. I felt like I needed to start doing something for myself; building a career for myself.îIn the Springs, Heffner managed his familyís batting cage business while also working as a supervisor at a Marriott hotel. After a couple years, Heffner made another career change. ìI was working at the Marriott and these corporate jobs, and I just got to a point where I thought ëwhat do I want to do when I grow up?íî he said.Heffner went to work in the car industry for a few years before pursuing real estate. In 1994, he obtained his real estate license and later that year went to work for The Broadmoor Agency.In 1995, Heffner married Danielle Seifert (an old girlfriend from California), who had two children from a previous marriage. They also have a son together. That same year, Heffner began working for Re/Max.In 1996, Heffner bought a house in Peyton. ìI liked being out east because the views were bigger, beautiful and it was quiet,î he said. Quite the difference from the busy lifestyle of Los Angeles: lots of traffic there, too. Heffner liked all that life on the eastern plains had to offer. ìI started developing any money that I made in real estate, and I put it into my marketing and advertising, and I started marketing out here,î he said.In 2000, Heffner established a permanent office in Falcon. ìI heard Safeway was coming in, but I didnít know where.î He bought a piece of property on the corner of Woodmen Road and Highway 24 and opened an office.In 2002, he began working for The Platinum Group.Heffner said he enjoys his job in real estate because he likes people and wants them to be as happy in their home as he is in his. ìEvery time I go home, it is like going to a retreat,î he said. ìIt is a serene place. A place I can relax.îHeffner feels the same way about Colorado. ìI love Colorado,î he said. ìTo me, there isnít a place anywhere in this country that has the beauty; the weather; the catastrophes, but the climate is so perfect here. Itís like a playground here.î
