My website bio reads: I never thought I would own an IT company. But, fortunately for me, after some gentle nudging from loyal clients and a bit of a shove from previous employers, I have a pretty great gig. I love my clients, coworkers and the change of pace technology offers. 2AM emergency phone calls never seem to matter when I can fix what’s broken.
The longer version of that story is that I started Birds on a Cable nearly 6yrs ago, after working a 2yr stint at an IT consulting company. I wanted more than they were able to provide, and there wasn’t wiggle room to compromise. But I was loosely prepared, and my clients followed me. Then coworkers followed me. Both gradually and suddenly I was running an IT shop. I can admit – with some gratitude – that if not for those two years of underappreciation I would never have had the courage to start my own business.
And before that? Here’s how it all started: answering phones at my sister’s start-up IT company. This was part-time work to ease the cost of rent while I finished college. I expected not to stay in technology; I expected to graduate into some literary career. But I got good at it: clients would call and I would identify how to fix a problem before transferring them to a technician. And (as older sisters do), I was delegated all sorts of responsibilities. Between calls I would order branded pens, learn to use our convoluted accounting system, and of course, I broke a lot of hardware. This all amounted to unintended practice for business ownership. Here too, I can admit – with total gratitude – that if not for however-many years of hodge-podge work, I wouldn’t have the skillset or wherewithal to have started Birds.