[0:18] Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m the Director of IT for an electronics manufacturer in the DOD sector. I’ve been in the industry for about 30 years, starting as a computer specialist for Radio Shack. I then went to a dial-up ISP, which is where my real IT career began with supporting, building network engineering, etc. I was there for 7 years and left as Operations Manager. From there, I went to software and the wireless space. After being a consultant for some time, I came to where I am now as a Business Analyst and then inherited the IT department.

[03:20] What size is the business?

Total employees are around 100 people on multiple sites. There are 12 in the IT department.

[03:47] How are they divided up?

It’s been difficult after we acquired another company. They had their systems, and it’s been a 2-year process of migrating their services to our data center. Some staff is there, and most are here.

[04:45] When you worked at Radio Shack, were you selling individual components or was it when the TRS80 came in?

It was the TRS80 era. Most of what we were involved with was the PC clones that Radio Shack was doing at the time. The TRS80 was my first computer which I saved up for myself.

[06:35] What did you learn from your time at the ISP?

The biggest thing I took away was the value of working smarter, not harder. The first thing I did was write a CRM instead of the written ticket system. We eventually moved to a Windows application later on.

[09:15] The number of resources and online services back then was minimal.

We didn’t have DNS then. It was before search engine technology.  It all exploded in 1994/95.

[10:39] Can you tell us about your experience climbing the ladder and building the team there?

There was a need to do things. I’m the type of person that doesn’t ask permission; if I see a problem and I can fix, I would just do it. They noticed and asked me to interview people for new positions. I was even interviewing sales candidates because the retention rate from my hires was 95%. I didn’t seek out leadership, it just happened. I was always the fixer.

[13:20] How often were executives coming to you for answers versus employees?

At the ISP, the boss and I didn’t really see eye-to-eye, so he rarely did. But at the software company, there was a need for an intranet site, so I worked all weekend to get a site online and the CEO came down the next week to congratulate me personally. It’s a mix. Some companies are more hands-on than others. When I was working in IT, we were more often than not loss leaders, so unless they need a specific thing solved, you don’t see them. Where I am now is much more visionary and involved.

[16:35] It’s about demonstrating the value of IT and its financial value.

We’re solutions providers. Recently I’ve been helping one of our internal organizations going through an MSP to get a server. They are offering a canned solution that doesn’t necessarily fit, so I am walking them through options, what the technology means, and exploring the different perspectives. You need to educate your customers. Our job is to provide holistic solutions for things.

[24:52] Tell us a little more about the Rebate job.

I still don’t do rebates, and working there taught me that because rebates are a scam. They were given 90 days to create a solution for gathering data. There was nothing behind it. No database. Just a façade for collection.

[30:00] In your current position and company, what have you learned from dealing with mergers?

Don’t go into things with preconceived notions. The acquired company does the same work, but probably not in the same way. There’s a lot of networking, integration, and transitional tweaking.

[33:45] Tell us about your podcasts.

I started it for my daughter who was having trouble adapting to middle school. It was conversations that parents should have with their kids but don’t necessarily have, talking about depression and anxiety and things with stigma. I also do an entertainment show with my wife, and a current affairs show with my son.

[40:10] What have you learned through making podcasts?

Sound engineering, video editing, script writing. It also helped with time management.

[48:01] What advice do you have for people new to the field?

Be passionate. Don’t be afraid to learn.