What has been your business/work highlight of 2024 so far?

Who is your business hero and why?

Jim Kavanaugh, CEO and Co-founder of World Wide Technology, came from humble beginnings and built a $20 billion+ company. Throughout his journey, he has remained humble and built a business founded on honesty and trust. His focus on creating a “great place to work” and prioritizing people has fostered a world-class culture grounded in Midwestern work ethics and the principle of treating others with respect. Despite his success, he remains extremely approachable and highly engaged in the business. I left my old company 11 years ago because the culture and the people weren’t great, it wasn’t until I met Jim and his leadership team that I finally understood why culture mattered so much and how important it is to the organizations success. Many of the values that I’ve learned from WWT I have also applied to my home life as well.

What’s the biggest business mistake you’ve made and what did you learn from it?

Early in my career, I was worried about not having all the answers and avoiding uncomfortable situations. About 11 years ago, I changed companies and decided to push myself out of my comfort zone. There were times when I found myself in situations I maybe shouldn’t have been in, but there were also many learning experiences where I was able to shine and even surprise myself and my leadership by taking on new tasks or projects. I learned that being open to new (and sometimes scary) opportunities can open up new doors. This mindset has helped me move up the ranks in my company and build many new relationships with my peers.

What’s the most inspirational book you’ve ever read and why?

“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight

As a big sneaker collector, I absolutely loved this book. It not only tells the story of how Nike became the iconic brand we know today, but it also delves into the grit and determination required to navigate those early years. The narrative captures the ups and downs of creating a new business. Many people don’t realize how close Nike was to collapsing during its beginnings. It’s a compelling testament to the fact that success doesn’t typically happen overnight; it often takes years of both successes, failures, and sometimes a bit of luck to get it right. Awesome book, highly recommended!

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role in 2024?

In our world, many of the legacy technologies we’ve traditionally sold are starting to converge, and the buying mechanics are shifting. This is creating a need for better teaming and cross-domain solutions. As a result, people who have traditionally focused on a single area now have to learn new technologies and work in new group settings to solve customers’ complex problems. I think our culture has helped us break down some barriers between teams. However, there are always challenges that are pushed outside of their comfort zones and new tasks to take on. AI is a great example of a new technology that spans across all major IT workloads.

What technology will have the greatest impact on your business this year and why?

Generative AI is a topic that comes up in every customer conversation and takes up the majority of my time in internal meetings. This area is evolving rapidly, has connections to most parts of the IT and business sectors, and is still in its infancy. Like many organizations, we are all trying to better understand how this will impact our business in both the short and long term.