In today’s world, technology is ever evolving and as a company, we are too. Furthermore, when it comes to our team, we stand strong by our brand promise to DRIVE results for our customers. That’s why we’re excited to feature the Involta Spotlight.
Each month we feature several Involta team members from a personal and professional standpoint. Our illuminating interviews will capture the essence of what drives our team to deliver both at home and on the job. Our clients will get an inside look into who we are and learn more about our exceptional team members who are here to help our clients through their IT transformation journey. It’s our goal to help our clients “Get There” through trusting, communicative and collaborative relationships.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
My productivity trick is more focused around having a tight deadline. When I need to get my work done, I try to drown everything else out. To do that, I crank my headphones up and play heavy metal music.
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
When I first became a manager at a prior company, I was having a difficult time. In my eyes, I saw that employees weren’t doing their work the correct way. My fellow IT manager pulled me off to the side and asked what was wrong, so I explained to him that this employee isn’t doing this right and that employee isn’t doing that right. He gave me some of the best advice I’d ever received. He said that, “Just because everybody doesn’t do things the way that you do them or aren’t a hard charger like you are, doesn’t mean they can’t get to the finish line. It’s your job as a manager to put them in a position to succeed.” I’m very grateful because his advice has really helped me with how I manage people today.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
I consider myself to be an incredibly fast learner and a very hard worker. I believe that if you have hard-working attributes, you can be successful in anything you apply yourself to.
What is your favorite hobby?
My favorite hobby, by far, is bicycle riding. My wife and I started getting into bicycle riding about two or three years ago and now it’s our passion. We are currently working on hitting our goal this year. Right now, we are about 2,000 miles into the season. It’s safe to say that we spend a lot of time on the bicycle trails and we love it. We bought new bicycles at the beginning of this year, but we are already talking about buying new ones next year because you always think you need bigger, faster, better. This month, I’m also taking part in a charity ride, which is 333 miles.
What is one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
Before I got into IT, I was self-employed for 12 years. I owned my own machine shop, which is surprising to most people because it has absolutely nothing to do with IT. I did everything from welding to work on drive shafts, hydraulics and cylinder repair. I even did state inspections. I would machine anything or weld anything, basically whatever came through the door as far as machine work goes.
What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?
I like to take nice, long, relaxing bicycle rides – well – they are actually kind of high paced. My wife and I have a good time taking these and it’s really great bonding.