The 100 Book Q&A – Lessons Learned Starting Intertech

What was your own experience starting up Intertech? What lessons did you learn?

In the beginning, it was controlled chaos. I worked insane hours, I took on any project regardless of whether or not it was in my wheelhouse, and I was so focused working “in the business” that I didn’t work “on the business.” I learned a lot of lessons starting the firm.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that great people make a great organization. When hiring, take time, be stringent, and be consistent. When I was starting out, I was so focused on not missing out on work or opportunities that I was too quick to hire—I’d hire someone over a coffee. Today, we have eight separate steps in our interview process and hire only one out of every 20 applicants. The process is thorough, and the right employees appreciate that we set a high bar. The wrong employees are weeded out or opt out themselves.

I also learned that life is short. For clients and employees, if it’s not a positive relationship, cut bait and move on. When starting out, I would tolerate the employee who was technically gifted but who acted like a prima donna. I would tolerate the client who used berating as a tool to get more “value” out of the work provided by our team.

Today, we have a thorough hiring process, but when we make a mistake in a new hire, we’re quick to fire. It’s a similar story for clients. While it doesn’t happen much, if there’s a client who sees us as a “bar of steel” and not a partner—or thinks raising their voice is a motivational tool—we’ll finish up the project professionally and pass on future opportunities.

The 100 Book Q&A – Why I Wrote the Book

The press kit for The 100: Building Blocks for Business Leadership has a Q&A with me on questions like why I wrote the book, how I started the firm, and advice for entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Below is the first in a series.

 

Why did you decide to write The 100?

The 100 started as a guide for my employees to share how we do things at Intertech. As I started writing, I realized the concepts applied to many organizations and not just my firm.  When I read a book, attend a conference, or read an article, I find myself earmarking the ideas that I want to implement. In The 100, my goal was to give readers something practical and actionable in each of the 100 sections. Hopefully, if the book hits home with a reader, their copy will have 100 earmarks.

The 100: Building Blocks for Business Leadership Upcoming Release

On March 15th, my latest book will be released by Agate Publishing.  The book is pre-released and now available on Amazon.com.  I have a limited amount of free copies.  If you’d like one, just fire me an email at tsalonek @ intertech.com and I’ll get a copy dropped in the mail.