He Built an 18-Location Business from One Family Convenience Store | Shiv Patel

What happens when you grow up watching your family build businesses, learn the realities of entrepreneurship before you even finish high school, and discover that the biggest opportunities are often hiding where others aren't willing to look? For Shiv Patel, CEO and founder of Heas Energy, the journey from helping run a convenience store at 15 to building an 18-unit operation was anything but conventional. His path involved economic downturns, failed ventures, unconventional acquisitions, unexpected setbacks, and some difficult lessons about what it really takes to scale a business. But perhaps the most interesting part of his story is how he repeatedly found opportunities that larger competitors overlooked — and turned them into platforms for growth. This week on the Limitless Podcast, Shiv shares the decisions, calculated risks, and entrepreneurial mindset that helped him build independently, navigate changing capital markets, and create a business with a purpose beyond its size.

Key Timestamps:

(00:00) – Learning Business at 15

(10:00) – Surviving the 2008 Real Estate Downturn

(12:00) – Turning a Franchise Opportunity Into Equity

(15:00) – Scaling to 18 Locations and 350 Employees

(17:00) – Why Shiv Left the Family Business

(20:00) – How COVID Changed a 10-Store Acquisition

(25:00) – The Challenges of Integrating New Locations

(30:00) – Growing the Business Without Owning the Real Estate

Mentions:

Shiv’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiv-patel-664a6515/

Website: https://www.heasenergy.com/

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