Recalculating My Route…

Originally published on LinkedIn on Oct. 3, 2019.

This is not how I drew it up; it's not how I planned it. I'm type A. I like to be in control... and this wasn't my original Google Maps route.

I have joined Trility Consulting as Chief Strategy Officer, and I couldn't be more jazzed about it!

Wait... what???

"You just started a business 5 years ago, didn't you?" Some might ask. "Why would you want to work for someone else?" they'll say. "Why not start another company?"

I did start a company 5 years ago, yes. A technology recruiting and staff augmentation company called Dynamo. It became profitable within 12 months, grew every year (became an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company), supported a bunch of great customers, and built a great brand with a great group of people.

I was honored to help lead that company, from its initial twinkle-in-the-eye to becoming a growing and recognized brand.

It just wasn't the right organizational arrangement at the right time. I eventually came to the realization that it would be healthier if we restructured the company, and that led to me exiting. It was hard, yes. It was emotional, very much so. But it was the right decision.

Since my exit, I've listened to a bunch of people and considered numerous ideas for my next road to travel. Over the years, I've been lucky to grow a network of great contacts, gained know-how, and have a number of potential customers to pursue if I were to start another recruiting and staff augmentation business. It's a compelling opportunity to consider, and I've given it a lot of thought. So why not do it?

Trility is why not. Matthew Edwards is why not. Brenton Rothchild is why not. And the rest of the great team of people at Trility are why not.

Trility is a collection of incredibly bright, value-driven, people-first advisors, technologists, and business people who have critical skills and experience to help clients win in the modern digital economy. They are a business and technology consultancy that delivers results, predictably and repeatedly. They solve complex problems, help guide clients down roads they've never ventured, and offer solutions in areas like Cloud, IoT, Cybersecurity, Strategy and Roadmapping, Operational Modernization, and Data/Analytics. They bring products and services to the table that are helping lead enterprise companies (I mean huge Fortune 100 companies) through transformational efforts. And they do it all with security top of mind, all of the time.

I'm also ready for a new challenge. I've spent the last 14 years of my career in the recruiting and staff augmentation space. I learned a lot in the industry, and it provided a great foundation. This next chapter comes with different challenges, a different business model, and a bigger opportunity to impact the customers we serve. And Trility does it better, with a more human-centered approach, with more satisfied customers than its competition (think 7-star service, on a 5-star scale).

My personal roadmap has often been in a state of "recalculating" over the years. Heck, I went to Creighton University as an exercise science and business major, and I thought I was going to become a Physical Therapist and start a PT practice. A few unexpected reroutes since then, and I certainly haven't arrived at that destination. And that's okay. I've learned to adjust my outlook and path, based upon passions, priorities, and opportunities.

I'm blessed to have worked with a ton of great people in my career. I've learned so much, from so many. I only hope to give back a sliver of wisdom, inspiration, and know-how that I've gleaned from colleagues, consultants, clients, mentors, students, and contacts along the way.

It's time to get started down the next road. In my role, I will be helping the Trility team expand its markets, customers, offerings, partnerships, impact, and growth. I'll be looking to help the team promote and reinforce the innovative, always-improving, and team-first culture that already exists. We will be growing, we will be hiring, and we will be ready to partner with companies looking to defend or extend their market share in the digital economy of today. If you're interested in learning more, please reach out.

My new route is set. I'm not sure what surprises are in store on this road, but I'm sure there will be plenty and I'm looking forward to each of them.