The Owner's Odyssey
The Owner's Odyssey is a business podcast focused on exploring the unique journeys of real business owners co-hosted by Brook Gratia, Paul McCoy, and Zach Jones.
The Owner's Odyssey
Cyber Steve Schulenberg | The Theatrical Tech Guy: How Personality Shapes Business Success
Ever wonder what happens when a theatrical Navy veteran with a rebellious streak becomes an IT entrepreneur? Meet Steve Schulenberg, the self-proclaimed "Cyber Cowboy," who's breaking every stereotype about tech professionals while building a thriving cybersecurity business.
Steve's journey began over 14 years ago when, sitting at his local bar contemplating his future, a bartender suggested he simply call his business "Just Call Steve" – and JCS Technologies was born. From those humble beginnings, Steve has crafted a unique approach to IT services that blends technical expertise with genuine human connection.
What makes Steve's story particularly compelling is his willingness to embrace his naturally outgoing personality in an industry often dominated by introverts. Rather than conforming to expectations, he leverages his theatrical background to bridge the gap between complex technology and business owners who find IT intimidating. This authentic approach has become his secret weapon in business development and client relationships.
The conversation takes a serious turn when Steve reveals a startling statistic: 80% of small businesses that suffer a ransomware cyber attack never recover. As he explains, too many companies entrust their vital technological infrastructure to underqualified individuals, often with catastrophic results. His mission has become protecting these vulnerable businesses through professional IT services and comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
Throughout our discussion, Steve shares invaluable insights on networking, time management, and defining success on your own terms. His philosophy that "success is any advancement from where you were before" and "failure is refusing to change" offers a refreshing perspective for entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey.
Whether you're a business owner concerned about cybersecurity, an entrepreneur struggling to find your authentic voice, or someone contemplating a major career pivot, Steve's story will inspire you to embrace your unique qualities and turn them into your greatest business assets. Listen now to discover how being yourself might be the most powerful business strategy of all.
Hello and welcome to the Owner's Odyssey, the podcast where we delve deep into the transformative stories of courageous business owners who have embarked on an extraordinary adventure. I'm Zach Jones and I'm Brooke Gattia. We're here to explore the real life experiences of entrepreneurs.
Brook:Each episode, we'll embark on a quest to uncover the trials, triumphs and transformations of remarkable individuals who dared to answer the call of entrepreneurship.
Zach:Like all adventurers, our guests have faced their fair share of challenges, vanquished formidable foes and braved the unknown.
Brook:Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner or simply an avid listener hungry for captivating stories the Owner's Odyssey is here to help you level up.
Zach:So join us as we embark on this epic expedition. This is the Owner's Odyssey. Let's start our adventure.
Paul:Good morning. Today we've got a podcast with Cyber Steve Schulenberg, also known as Cyber Cowboy.
Steve:Good evening, good afternoon Good morning, good to have you.
Paul:So met Steve a few months ago in some networking. We happened to go to two of the same types of networking groups. Networking, we happened to go to two of the same types of networking groups and when he had come back from a Texas conference where he then decided to become the cyber cowboy, he was wearing his Stetson or his 10-gallon hat and his next chief and I'm not sure if he got the boots yet.
Paul:Oh yeah he got the boots yet, oh yeah, I got the boots and uh, so it was. He was very distinctive and we chatted and, uh, I said you want to come on this podcast. So that's where we are today. He's dressed not as I think it's uh, cyber steve, santa, cyber santa yes, yeah, there he goes cyber santa, it is the season.
Brook:His jacket literally is lighting up with lights. He had it going earlier.
Zach:And so he's an eclectic person who enjoys his style. Hybrid of a Christmas tree and Santa.
Brook:Absolutely All in one. It's amazing. Yes, it moves, it grooves. My children would love it. So.
Zach:Steve, you're the owner of JCS Technologies. That is correct, Correct and JCS. I know there's a little.
Steve:Origin store.
Zach:Yeah, a little thing there. So tell us what JCS stands for.
Steve:A little over 10 years ago, I got the wild hair to say, hey, I'm going to be a business owner. I wanted to go out and just work for myself. And uh, you know, starting up a business is really fun. You go through all the the paperwork with a state department, you know getting everything registered, and uh, before you go through all that, what do you got to have? You got to have a name for your business. So, you know, at this, technically I'm unemployed because I don't have any income coming in. So what am I doing? I'm sitting at my local watering hole for lunch, really, and I'm trying to come up with a name and it's just escaping me. And it was just straight out of a movie. The bartender's sitting there polishing a rocks glass and he's like how about just call steve? We do that anyway, and I'm like jcs was born very nice.
Zach:So were you in um? Tell us more about that you know sort of origin moment, like were you in it already and kind of what's the evolution of that?
Steve:yeah, I, uh I kind of danced around technology all my life. I was fascinated with it as a kid. When I got into the Navy my job was a sonar technician, so I was tracking submarines Kind of a boring job if there are not that many submarines around so I spent a lot of time hanging out with the IT group and just kind of picked up on it. When I got out of the service I started working as a cable contractor, pulling cable wire for networks, houses, businesses. Kind of got the lay of the land, if you will Gotcha, see how a network is built, and got to the point where I'm like you know, know what? My body is not going to last this long.
Steve:I'm not going to be able to pull cable when I'm 40, 50 years old sure so went back to uh school, got certified in microsoft, uh learned how to build computers, got uh server certified and uh went out got a job as as working for a managed service provider. If you don't know what the managed service provider is, what they do is they go around to businesses and they are kind of like outsourced IT. It could be anything from help desk to software procurement anything that falls into that IT category. It's mainly geared for small businesses that don't have the support or the resources to hire a full-time person. So after working for him at managed service for a couple of years, I decided you know what, I can do this on my own. I want to go out, try this. And here I am, 14 years later.
Brook:So did your decision to jump to I'm going to do my own thing? Was that a result of I'm not really enjoying working for somebody else and what they do? Or was it more just like hey, I've always wanted to do this sort of thing? I wonder if I can and I'm going to try it. What got you to the point of going okay, and I'm going to try it Like, what got you to the point of going okay, now I'm going to do this on my own, um, from that aspect, Well, as a matter of fact, it was, um, one of my customers, my oldest customer, Um, they were the ones that kind of gave me that spark.
Steve:Uh, I found myself when I was working for that MSP.
Steve:We found ourselves at a crossroads where it was a difference of opinion and I just decided I'm going to leave and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do next. But a lot of these customers that I had dealt with, I just reached out to them and I said, look, I'm no longer with this company anymore I dealt with. I just reached out to him and I said, look, I'm no longer with this company anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do next, but if you guys need any help, feel free to reach out to me. Whether you stay with that person or you go with somebody else, you're going to need to know this knowledge. So feel free to reach out.
Steve:I'll be more than happy to offer up what I have. And that customer says oh, you're going into business for yourself, what's your rate? And it was just that light bulb moment right there that I'm like well, I don't know, they charge you this, I'll charge you $25 than that. They're like okay, yeah, works for us. I'm like I get a raise, they get a discount. Everybody wins, yeah, except my former employer.
Zach:So what were some of the um? You know what were those early days like being a lone Ranger out there? Oh it's it's fun.
Steve:Uh, you know you get used to hearing the phone hang up uh the uh uh, I never knew how many businesses had nephews that did IT.
Paul:I mean it's amazing. That's a good point.
Steve:Like oh no, our nephew takes care of that. Oh okay, that's great that you're trusting your business that provides your livelihood to somebody who's gaming half the time Awesome.
Zach:Yeah, that's a crazy thing to outsource to family or somebody not highly qualified. I think I saw something that, first of all, small businesses I know are sort of the target, the main target, of cyber attacks and things like that.
Steve:Absolutely Things like that, and then when you look at the stats of how many businesses go out of business shortly thereafter, you realize what a kill shot that actually can be. The latest statistic that we heard was 80% of small businesses that suffer a ransomware cyber attack never recover. Wow, 80%. That is just staggering to think about. Now, as somebody in the biz, the very first thing I did was get cybersecurity insurance. You know, if you've got a business insurance provider right now, talk to them. Make sure that you've got coverage for cybersecurity, because it's a new type of attack that people are starting to say, oh, there's money to be made here. Insurance companies are saying, hey, there's claims to be denied here, so make sure that your insurance covers that. The early days you asked about what it was like learning so much, having to file this form, going in and making sure that you have an accountant. Quickbooks is great, but if you don't know what you owe to the IRS or the state, quickbooks isn't that great. You need an accountant, always have an accountant.
Zach:Data is nothing without the interpretation right, 100%, 100%.
Steve:I have that all the time. I get these tools and utilities that run scans on the network and the customer's like well, we can do that too. Yes, you can, but are you going to be able to interpret what that's saying? No, that's why you need me, sure.
Brook:You talk to this guy, he tells you why don't I be the person? Like, why don't you be the person? It's a win-win situation, all right. Now you're in business, you're sitting at a coffee shop or some other type of drinking hole and, um, someone says, just call Steve JCS. Like that's developed, all right. You now go out and you set up your business and you're sitting there. At what point in time did you go? Or did you go? What the hell did I just do? Or have you the whole time through been like this is like amazing, like it's all popping together, like what? All right, I decided to do this. What was that initial, like six months, three months after? Like where was your headspace in the midst of that?
Steve:Oh, it's a rollercoaster Every day. I wake up. Uh, some days I'm like energized, like yes, let's go out and take over the world. Other days I'm like I do not want to do this but, like you said, you're in it right. No takesies-backsies. But there's so many days that I look at it and I'm like it would be so much easier if I just threw in the towel and went to work for somebody else. Let somebody else take care of all the taxes and the paperwork and the filings, but at the same time I wouldn't be my own boss. There is a certain amount of pride when you create a business from scratch, from nothing. You have an idea and you foster that idea into a business that actually provides money and a livelihood for it and you're doing what you love and you're helping people and you're able to make ends meet and do some fun stuff. Being a business owner is that reward in and of itself is enough for me.
Zach:So do you have a team behind you at this point? What does that look?
Steve:like I do. I do, actually. I took a page out of my own book, managed Service. You don't have the money to hire your own people. You outsource it, right? I recently, at one of those conferences, I met a gentleman by the name of Dan Martell. He does a great podcast, youtube videos and he has this book called Buying Back your Time. What is it worth to you called buying back your time, right? Uh what? What is it worth to you to buy back your time If you could have somebody take care of the dry cleaning and the stuff around your house, just so you don't have to deal with that when you get home from work? What is that worth? What is it worth for me, instead of having to go in and figure out the person's mundane problems why they can't print, why their keyboard suddenly doesn't work and that gives me the ability to focus on the big picture stuff like why are these hackers trying to get into your network? That's what I need to be focused on. The outsourced IT help desk will help with the small problems.
Brook:So I totally am one of those bougie people who outsource my laundry.
Steve:Love it.
Brook:I can totally tell my neighbors are like the first time we did it. After a couple times they're like you guys getting your laundry done, because you put a giant bag out front and then the next day it shows back up and I'm like, yeah, I just I can't, like I cannot do a lot and plus our laundry's in the basement. So my other half has fallen down the steps with the laundry and I made it immediately, said and we're done, like I don't need this stress. So I'm totally for uh, balance, and it doesn't have to be laundry, but um the like, finding the things that just kind of push you over the edge. I also I haven't figured out how to do this would love someone to come in and do my dishes every day. I do not like doing dishes. My son does not like doing dishes. We have pitched out fights about helping. It's too gross. So, anyhow, there are some things I haven't quite figured out how to outsource that I really would love to.
Zach:Paul and I were just talking before we hit record about how my me and my wife were decent cooks, but it is not something that energizes us or that we're passionate about at all. And we finally got to the point. Last month I was looking at the bills and just seeing door, dash, door, dash door dash door.
Brook:You spend so much money and we save money on like all right, we're running out of money. We need to not do this so much. Just cut back on door dash. All of a sudden we got hundreds of dollars.
Zach:It goes in a hurry because you don't, you know, you don't think about it. You're like oh, this is five bucks, this is five bucks, but then you got taxes, delivery fee, you know 40 bucks later tipping yeah what have you?
Zach:so I was like this is, you know, at best we get a meal for 30 this way, and we ended up finding an online service that does prepped meals. Oh, no delivered to your door completely prepared. You can put them in the microwave for two minutes or put them in the oven for, you know, 12, 15 minutes this herculean they're good to go.
Zach:This is actually cook unity cook unity I haven't heard of this cook unity if you want to go ahead and give us a little sponsorship here but for all your unifying meals but yeah, they use local chefs and have like compostable packaging that the whole thing goes in and it ends up being about 10 bucks a meal. So we were like that's that's a no-brainer.
Zach:It's tough because in a perfect you're always kind of thinking of the perfect world scenario. So it's like if we shopped and we ate healthy, then we'd be spending you know less and we'd be doing xyz and it's just like that's never really going to happen. So compare it it to the door. Don't compare it to the the one week a year where you actually accomplish, you know, healthy shopping and and prepping all those meals with no food waste.
Steve:You know it's funny both both my wife and her, more so than I have a background in food service, so we're no stranger to cooking. But it's funny, during COVID, everybody's DoorDash bill jumped exponentially. To this day, I still have not gone back and looked to see how much we spent on DoorDash during COVID, don't you? Yeah, that's a trigger warning. Trigger warning people.
Zach:Absolutely.
Brook:Don't you? Yeah, that's a trigger warning, trigger warning people, absolutely. So when I started my business and it was just me and I'm trying to figure this out and then I came to a moment where I was like, all right, can't be working out of my home, I need to like rent a space. And it was a really big step for me to do that, to be like all right, I'll start doing this. But it was a very smart decision for me because now I just kind of more officially formed myself. I had place that people could come.
Brook:It felt more when it was just more professional I'm not meeting with people to do their taxes at their house or Starbucks and so you talk here about like hey, I need to outsource that side of things. Um, and then, after I like rented a place, I hired someone and you know those kinds of growth spaces of things what piece of that? Like, I figured out what was better for my time. What was your first like thing? You stepped into and you were like, oh, why the hell did I not I cuss, sorry why the hell did I not do this? Yeah, months ago, or what did you do it right away?
Steve:like, were you like nope, I got this I, like most people, think I got this, I know what I'm doing. Uh, real quickly, you find out that you don't. Uh, there's people that have been there before and they're they're lighthouses for you follow their lead.
Steve:Um, but the the first thing that the really aha moment was the help desk. When people I mean I love to be that guy that has all the answers and figures things out, but I want to be the guy that gets you taken care of first and if it takes me three hours to figure something out, versus a help desk that deals with this all the time, gets you taken care of in 15 minutes. There's the balance. I would much rather do that Now less money, but the customer is satisfied in the long run, which is going to lead to repeat business and more bandwidth and freeze you up.
Steve:And freeze me up to go out and find more customers. I find that, as much as I enjoy IT and being technical, I enjoy people more. I like to get out and meet people, and that's really what being a business owner is You're promoting your business, you're meeting people. You're not waiting for them to come to you and say, hey, do you fix computers or cybersecurity?
Brook:Yeah, it's almost the service aspect of things. How can I serve you? And it gets really hard when you're running things to remind yourself of that. Like, all right, I'm trying to make cash flow work, I'm trying to market, I'm trying to do all of these things and my clients are kind of stressed or grouchy and kind of taking stuff out on you or whatever else for you to keep reminding yourself and bringing yourself back to how am I serving that person, how are my processes helping them? And it's not about me, it's about them. And yeah, I need to make money and there's value to my service. But like keeping that mindset and that care for the people, um, sometimes it's really hard in business because it's just business, like I'm just gonna. This isn't personal, it's just business, and that's not always true.
Zach:I'm, I'm talking it's like the office michael. Michael Scott, saying something to the effect of he's like business is the most personal thing in the world.
Brook:Yeah, it does feel like that sometimes and so I love that you're like yeah, there's the IT part, but there's the people part too that comes into it and that's a huge value to kind of running business on that side.
Steve:Well, there's also the. I mean we live in a world now where it's instant anything on your phones right.
Steve:Just ask the magic rectangle. It has all the answers. Well, in IT we kind of want to do that as well. We want to provide all the answers. We can certainly find it on the internet, but, as a business owner who is not savvy with technology, they're going to look at Google, they're going to ask the same thing that the IT person would and the results that come back they're going to like I have no idea what this is talking about. The IT is kind of like your translator, and that's kind of what I want to be. As far as JCS, I'm like. You have problems in technology that you need addressed. You need to have technology work for you instead of you working for it. Our company can come in and relax that pain for you. We can take care of all the technical stuff. You just tell us what you want and we can make it happen.
Zach:Do you find that most of the small business owners that you engage with kind of understand that from a conceptual standpoint or is is it fairly challenging? Or do you have a pretty, you know, robust kind of infrastructure of like kind of proof prior to purchase of like this is? This is why you, you need this Cause. A lot of times we have that same, you know, conversation at Edgewater of someone saying, well, I can figure this out and it's like yes, you, you can, but but should you, should you?
Steve:and why would you right? How much time would you waste doing your own taxes Right? Especially if you didn't know you'd have to research the current tax code? That's something that my accountant, you guys, you research. Every year the tax code changes so you have to stay up to date. That continuing education part Now yes, people have the ability to learn things for themselves, but that's not what we were here to do. We were here to kind of provide a service. Every person has that innate talent that can be useful to other people and and just finding out what that is how you can be of service.
Brook:So you are, and I think we talked about this a little earlier. You are sitting here in a Christmas shirt that's lighted up. Um I I don't know if it was when we were talking on air or not but, that you were a theatrical person of background. Um, so you're kind of this eccentric personality that comes in the door. Um, how has one? How did you develop an eccentric personality that comes in the door? How has one? How'd you develop an eccentric personality?
Paul:as an IT person.
Brook:As an IT person to how how does, does that? Does that help you? Does that hurt you? Like? How does that, how does who you are kind of play into all of that?
Steve:So you mentioned earlier the into all of that. So, uh, you mentioned earlier the office, michael Scott. Uh, there, there, my family, we love it. I mean, my son could probably recite every episode word for word. That's our house right. It's just a great show. Um, bring it back, please. Uh, yes, but there yes. But there's a couple of episodes where Michael gets freaked out because of the IT guy coming in. If I was to ask you guys to describe your typical IT guy, most people would describe quiet, maybe nerdy glasses.
Steve:Coke bottle glasses right Most everyone would say introverted, keep to themselves, right, okay, well, it and technology isn't going away. Most everyone would say introverted, keep to themselves, right, okay, well, it and technology isn't going away. And we need we, as in regular non-technical people, need that technology to work for us. So you need that liaison.
Zach:That's someone that can understand the technology part of it, but then still be with the be able to communicate it to you as the layman, exactly, exactly, understand the technology part of it, but then still be with the be able to communicate it to you as the layman.
Steve:Exactly, Exactly, so, um sorry, I forgot what the question was. Just how?
Brook:do you like one? How'd you develop this eccentric personality to how um?
Paul:how does that serve?
Brook:and impact and hurt, or whatever your direction. Well, I, uh, I was blessed by being the youngest of four. An impact and it hurt, or whatever your direction.
Steve:Well, I, uh, I was blessed by being the youngest of four. Okay, my mom, still at 48 years old, uh, she still refers to me as her baby. Um, but I had that. You know, there was, uh, my two older sisters and my brother were off doing their things, and so the attention was always on them. So here's Steve, over in the corner, not being able to do anything because I'm five years younger than my next oldest sibling. So I started developing the, you know, at a young age, being honest temper tantrums to get attention.
Steve:And then, when I found that got the wrong kind of attention, I started looking for other ways. And it was my fourth grade teacher convinced me to be in the school play and I remember going up doing the play and everybody pat me on the back, tell me what a great job I did. And I had these dreams when I was a kid of being an actor uh, making it in hollywood.
Brook:nope, never did not that good or just not that driven not that when you see, you know all the starving actors in hollywood you know you're working three jobs.
Steve:Uh, as a car washer server. Uh, it just doesn't seem that glamorous. You know a handful of people actually make it as stars. It's interesting too.
Zach:I feel I'm a musician and I feel like I share in that sentiment of there's such a great sacrifice that people make to be in that sort of competitive space of you know want to talk about Hollywood or Nashville or whatever it is, and I think those people seem to have it's more valuable to them to be acknowledged for that and to kind of have that public persona than it is for them to actually be doing what they like to do.
Zach:So it's interesting to me and I resonate with the fact that you're like I like to act and I like to be a character, but I can do that somewhere else and have the consistency and you know all of the benefits of you know kind of doing something in a field that isn't so you know cutthroat, or you know one in a million or or what have you, but you know still kind of occupy the space that I want to occupy, cause I, paul, and I have had this conversation of like, as long as I can play music, I don't care if anybody hears it know what I mean other than myself.
Brook:So that's just an interesting so you bring your theatrics to your everyday life. It's great. So I'm a little intrigued. Did you say you were part of the army or the navy?
Steve:the navy?
Brook:yes, okay and so here's this, uh theatrical person who decides to join the navy yes, I, I guess the Navy has that songs, but I don't think they're the ones who created it. But how did that step go?
Steve:The armed services are great, great family group of people and we gel, just like the four of us are right now. You get a group of people together and you're going to have mashups, but for the most part everybody else is trying to do the same thing trying to make a name for themselves, trying to move up in rank, and you get the characters that like to cut up. You'll get the ones that don't want to do anything except straight lace, very rigid, um, but then I don't know.
Brook:You just so it didn't feel like I imagine this like theatrical creative, like space, to going into this very structured, like space. Was that? Yes was that okay?
Steve:was that difficult, very difficult uh, the first thing in the military all of when you go through boot camp, they want to break you down to nothing and build you back up their way. Any preconceived ideas of hey, this isn't fair, that's out the window because, you are supposed to follow a certain regiment.
Steve:um, that being said, it wasn't horrible, but I was definitely stifled. There was no way for me to be creative or theatrical out there. So, while I did enjoy my time in the service, when my enlistment was up, I'm like I'm going to do something else.
Brook:How did that help that transition from this freedom to structure, assist and help you with business today?
Steve:Oh, to tag on to the origin story, before my time in the military I was bouncing around from part-time job to part-time job, video store clerk, taco Bell no real direction I had. I mean, my biggest aspiration was to make assistant manager at the video store. And then there was something I don't remember what it was, but there was something that just that clicked. It says you've got to get your act together. And my stepdad was a Marine just that clicked. It says you've got to get your act together. And, uh, my, my stepdad was a Marine. And if, uh, one thing will aggravate Marines more than anything is for their uh, uh children to join the Navy. So, uh, so that that was how I did, uh chose. The Navy is like.
Brook:Oh, so you're just chose.
Paul:The Navy is like oh, so you're just, you're also rebelling. Yeah, I've got a rebellious streak.
Steve:Yes, you tell me I can't do something I'm going to figure out a way to do it.
Paul:Watch this. I'm puck you and I at the same time. Yeah.
Steve:But uh, yeah, the, the and then for a Navy dad it's.
Zach:There's a whole chain, it's like the whole Indiana Kentucky, Illinois.
Steve:Don't forget Space.
Zach:Force Rock paper scissors.
Steve:Exactly.
Brook:And another Steve Carell piece there Love this guy and that's kind of cool, because there's also this like you felt stifled, and so then you come out of it and it takes, takes you a while to refine yourself and like who you want to be in that and not that the, the military, is a um, a bad place by any means, but just for you and your personality of like, okay, I had to rediscover.
Brook:they broke you down, built you up the way they are, and you had to kind of rediscover who you wanted to be. Without that kind of structure in place and kind of stepped into IT, which is also very structured and methodical in many ways too, so you kind of are bridging a lot of those kind of gaps of things of things, and so I will say that a lot of my uh drive and inspiration it does come from my wife telling me to be myself.
Steve:Uh, she knew when, when we first started dating, what kind of a character I was, and uh, before or after the military after. Okay, and she knew, you know, when I got up for work I had a uniform that I put on and went did my little service utilities at an office building and she said that's not for you, you don't feel like you're happy.
Steve:You need to find something that makes you happy and it allows you to be yourself. That makes you happy and be your. It allows you to be yourself and IT being my own business owner or being my own boss it kind of allows me to do that. Yes, I can be serious and take care of the job, uh, but I can also have fun when I'm doing it. And I find that customers, especially when it comes to IT, if they're freaked out about IT and they have somebody come in, that's just hey, everything's cool, we're going to get through this, I've got your hand, you're not going to lose anything. That calms them down and that helps the situation.
Zach:So to that point of kind of finding your happiness and finding your sweet spot now that you're in the thick of it and your business as well, established 12, 13 years of of this business at this point. Is that right? Yep, okay, what you know? Business owners wear a million different hats. What's your favorite hat to wear? Is it? Is it in the operations piece of things and helping clients? Is it business development? What do you? What really kind of energizes you?
Steve:Oh, I would have current.
Steve:I would have to say business development, meeting the people. Uh, since joining these networking groups like rainmakers and BNI, uh, I found that talking to people, figuring out what pain they have and how maybe technology can help, maybe not, but maybe I know somebody that you know. If somebody's not happy with paying taxes, hey, I know some accountants that I can hook you up with. I'm not really doing what I think I could be as far as running my business. Hey, I got a business coach that I can hook you up with.
Steve:Meeting people and finding out what pains them that's what energizes me. Did you expect that? No, not at all. Because, like I said, when you're in IT, there's that traditional introverted self, and I was always fascinated with technology and, being the youngest of four, my siblings called me a nerd when I was a kid, so I developed this I don't know if psychosis is the right word, but I felt like that's what I was. But then that theatrical part or that theatrical streak kind of took over and said you can be both. You can go out and meet people and not be the introvert and you can surprise the heck out of them.
Zach:How far into the development of your business did you start know kind of more structured network Cause Rainmakers, bni, those are heavy. You know the big commitments right. Did someone pull you into that world? Did you seek that out? What, what kind of pushed you in that direction of building your business?
Steve:Again, my wife is a big inspiration. She was. She had done BNI when she was selling Aflac insurance and had great success with it. And uh, I'm at the point now where I'm I'm needing to grow my business. I've got everything kind of dialed in the way I want it to as far as the service I want to provide. Now I just got to get out there and get the customers to provide. Now I just got to get out there and get the customers and she said I recommend BNI, I recommend Rainmakers H7. So I started attending these networking events and meeting a lot of people that were basically just like me. They were trying to get out there and grow their business and meet people and find out what pain they could solve.
Zach:What are some of your kind of rules of thumb or golden rules in terms of that networking space, like it sounds like that's been beneficial and that you've got, you know, tangible rewards or you know results from being in those spaces and being in them myself a lot? I know there are people that are straight to the point and pulling a ton of business and then there are people that are just kind of lifetime networkers, that are there to small talk and hang out and nothing really ever happens. So if you had a top three tips or something like that for other people, uh, moving into that space, what? What have you learned networking in in those areas?
Steve:Number one is follow-up. Always follow up. If somebody gives you a referral, thank them and then call that referral Uh, cause if they give it to you and you don't follow up on it, they're not going to give it to you again. Uh. Number two is stay engaged. Uh, especially with BNI, it's a weekly commitment. Uh, rainmakers, uh is a monthly commitment. It works if you work it right. Uh, you hear that in every program there is. If you show up, the program works. Um, and I guess number three would just be be yourself, and I guess number three would just be be yourself. Don't compromise who you are to to try to be somebody you're not. And I mean, at the end of the day you can look back and say today was a good day. I did everything the way I think it should have been done and I helped some people along the way is there.
Zach:I'm sorry, I'm asking a million questions in a row. You want to go ahead?
Brook:So where are you going?
Steve:Where am I going To the moon?
Zach:You've got the technology.
Steve:Honestly, I really haven't thought that far ahead as far as long term. Haven't um thought that far ahead as far as long term? I? I always see myself as active, doing this type of you know, either it's technology or meeting with people. Um, my son has been accepted to ball state. Uh, the teaching program he'll start in the fall. Uh, it's exciting. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Really good, um, head on his shoulders and he wants to be be a teacher and that's a very rewarding job. It's thankless. I come from. Both of my parents were teachers, so I know how they got raked over the coals. But once he's out of college, I don't know. I would like to expand the business. Maybe take it outside of Indiana, any mountain estate. I love the mountains, but I don't know Right now. I want to provide a good service and help people, help educate them to the threats that are out there.
Paul:So expand it to JCS and S. Just call steve and son. There you go I.
Steve:I actually talked to my son this is a couple of summers ago. I said hey, we're going to give you your first summertime job. You're going to come to work for me. You're going to just be my assistant. I'm going to pay 250 a month. He's like what awesome, cool. So he comes in, he starts doing a couple of computers and the repetitive stuff. Really, he liked that because he just put his AirPods in and go to town and I was like all right, you're doing good. Maybe you keep this up when you get out of college you get a business degree and you can take over the business for me. He's like dad, I don't want to do this. Talk about heartbroken. I'm like, here I'm building this company. Just call Steven Sutton. Nope, I don. Heartbroken. I'm like here I'm building this company. Just call steven sutton. Nope, I don't want to do this. So, but that that's. That goes back to what I'm telling everybody else. Just be yourself. You know, I don't, I can't get upset with him if he wants to be a teacher very fair.
Brook:Why the mountains?
Steve:uh, that's from growing up in Alabama. For 21 years it was hot, humid. The mountains down there aren't really mountains, they're the foothills, of the Appalachian, whatever. But once you see the Rockies for the first time, those snow-covered peaks, the Cascades, beautiful.
Brook:The Rockies are definitely different than the Carolinas because the Rockies are like it's like desert space, I feel like, and so I've only really been there once, twice, so I can't really compare. But yeah, those are different mountain ranges if you're used to the Carolinas and so that's my two cents on that. So at the end of every kind of podcast we do. What a lightning round.
Zach:Yes, we started calling it the slow round, because it inevitably sparks additional conversations.
Brook:Yeah. So it's kind of fun to kind of go through, and so we're just going to ask you a couple of questions. They're random.
Paul:Okay.
Brook:Silly, Um, but uh, I think it, we kind of get a little insight into people on them. So, um, first one, uh, what drink are you drinking for any business networking meeting?
Steve:What drink are you drinking for any business networking meeting?
Brook:It would be an espresso martini, also known as my third cup of coffee. Is that what you were drinking at your watering hole? Yes, espresso martini.
Steve:He's got a little bougie character going on there, the coffee and the party all together. I don't know if I've ever had one of those.
Paul:Oh.
Steve:Where were we? Monterey Cuisine?
Zach:That was my next question is where's a good one? Monterey?
Steve:Cuisine right down the road Excellent.
Brook:I just tried that place this couple last week or something. It's a really good place. Oh yeah, another sponsor for our podcast monorail. We're just racking them up um favorite person to follow podcast instagram, facebook, tiktok uh, I just started watching it.
Steve:I don't know uh his last name, but it's aj from the y files. Uh, conspiracy theories he talks about like uh talks about where they originated and then debunks it and tells what really it could have been.
Brook:Are you a conspiracy theorist? Always?
Steve:I was in the military. Of course I have a conspiracy theory.
Zach:I can't believe. I didn't ask you that the military guys always are the ones that see the UFOs, so did you have any?
Steve:I can neither confirm nor deny anything at this time.
Brook:You were not at Area 55. Is that what it is, Area 55?
Paul:51. Dang it 51, 55,.
Zach:whatever it takes, that's a Brookism.
Brook:It's a new place. You guys don't know about it.
Steve:That's 55, whatever it takes. Brookism, it's a new place. You guys don't know about it because it's really secret. Area 51 is the distraction.
Zach:Area 55 is where Area 51's got a gift shop, that's right, that's right.
Steve:Sponsored by McDonald's.
Brook:How late is fashionably late 15 minutes early.
Paul:No body time.
Steve:I remember my my first day in the Navy bootcamp that our division officer, or division chief, was yelling at us. He says if you're not 15 minutes early, you're late. And I don't know why, but that's just stuck in with me. I go into panic mode if I'm like two minutes before the meeting starts and I'm not there yet. It's just a panic attack.
Brook:But to answer, your question showed up four minutes before this meeting. He was already here getting coffee. Yes, were you standing outside without anybody in?
Zach:No, you beat on my legs. I was here at 7. Oh wow, I'm in rare form.
Brook:Hey, his early is an hour early.
Steve:Well, I wasn't wearing the face hat or the beard when you came in.
Brook:No, you weren't. You have a beard too.
Zach:Talk about eccentric, yes, so he had the full Santa beard and long white hair.
Brook:He was trying to make an impression as he walked in the door and no one was here, because you were 15 minutes early and are fashionably late Is way different, but he was already here.
Zach:I was like this is either an elaborate Robber outfit or this is our podcast Feel free to edit this going forward, but I'll have you.
Steve:I was sitting out in the car and I had the hat on and I walked in. I'm carrying my backpack, and then the first thing I thought of is oh gosh, they're going to think that I'm like out for some CEO or something.
Brook:Tis the season, so I have not been following that. My sister-in-law sat down with me. He's like have you heard that? Like I'm like, no, I'm, it's and I'm not. It's all crazy. We're in the like made-believe stories on tv all of a sudden are coming true and so, yes, it's weird. Um, all right, so what's your biggest pet peeve?
Steve:people that drive the speed limit in the left hand lane love it.
Zach:So you know they're not following the rules.
Brook:No, they are the army says you're overheating army, sorry um maybe, maybe, um, yeah, every 55 yeah no, the uh.
Steve:You know what cattle catchers are. They used to put them on the front of trains back in the day to, if there was cows they just move out of the way well, I want to install those on the front of my vehicle so that if I'm driving along on the interstate and somebody is doing 60 in the left-hand lane, they're going to be in the far left-hand lane and then you are going to have cops coming after you absolutely 138, absolutely One, three, eight.
Brook:What's your personal motto?
Steve:Personal motto Always do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's, that's the one I live my life by. But I recently watched a really good movie where I heard um uh, you're never wrong to do the right thing. Mark Twain, I think, said that, but yeah.
Brook:It's old.
Paul:Mark Twain's got a lot of good ones, oh yeah.
Brook:Yeah, you sometimes forget to go back and read historic stuff and you're like that wisdom has all been there for ages and ages and ages. We just got to be willing to not only look at our TikToks, sort of things.
Steve:So anyhow, my favorite Mark Twain saying of all time is everybody wants to complain about the weather, no one wants to do anything about it.
Brook:Oh, that is one of my exhaustions. When people are like, hey, I think this is not working right, this process is all mixed up, you should fix it, and'm like, come on, like, come at, what's the fix that needs. Like this, I see a problem, I'm going to complain about it, but I'm not going to help fix it. So um yeah, drives me bonkers and uh, do. What's the, what's the saying? Um ask not what your country can do for you, what?
Zach:you can do for your country, whatever I'm working on an album right now and I think I'm going to call it. Stop helping and complain already. There you go. I love it. I love it. What instrument do you play? Um, my, my original instrument was guitar. Because I've been in a studio setting in the past, I kind of can fake it on a lot of different things and you know I can play four bars of anything on anything. So you know, I kind of have moved into that producer mindset and use a lot of synthesizers and digital instruments and things like that.
Brook:But a guitar is my home space I was trying to find something that I was like I have not played a harp.
Zach:I actually have a friend who is also a guitar player, um that down in Evansville, and she I was chatting with her last week and she was like yeah, I was playing harp on a gig, like the other day, and I was like you play harp? She said no, but you know so. She said no, but you know so, and so like kind of just showed me how the tuning was and and and I, you know, just winged it and figured it out. I was like that's, that's crazy. I'll have to give the harp a shot but now that sounds so intimidating catch me on that one.
Steve:But I think the better question is where is there a gig where there's a harpist?
Paul:yeah, evansville's got a lot of those kind of winery.
Zach:Okay, yeah very fancy just 50 people out in a field getting boozy.
Paul:Yeah, yeah.
Zach:Kind of events. So I think that was the setting for that.
Steve:I can dig it Interesting. For sure we have some doves fly up at the end.
Zach:Yeah, that's pretty much the type of gigs they play. They're very like Indigo Girls kind of energy, so it lends itself to those sorts of sprawling field kind of events.
Brook:So what color do you think of when you think of a business owner?
Steve:Red.
Brook:He's wearing red? How many times I ask this question to pretty much all of our podcast people?
Paul:and nine times out of ten.
Brook:They are wearing the color that they are like it's kind of their power color somehow or another, although it's very interesting you have red with lights popping through it.
Paul:But that's your power. Color, so power um.
Brook:What is your superpower then?
Steve:well, if I told you what my superpower is, doesn't change that. It's your superpower but that you would know that that's my alter ego what's wrong with an alter ego? Nothing okay, you got to keep it secret. No, you don't. How many people know who the real batman is Besides us?
Zach:I was going to say in the real world or in Gotham.
Steve:What would be my superpower? I used to say empathy, but I kind of tapped out on that. Okay, no, I don't know. I guess that's a good question. Well, I already know it's not flying. I can't know, I guess that's a good question. Well, I already know it's not flying and I can't do that.
Zach:And it's not invisibility, I can tell you that Definitely not.
Steve:That I don't know. I guess I keep trying to do the force persuasion these are not the droids you're looking for but for some reason people keep not picking it out yeah. So one of these days it's going to work.
Brook:Well, when you find your superpower, you can text us and we'll do a next year like 10 minute short podcast for you to go through.
Steve:Where are they now? Yes, exactly it's not working.
Paul:when you're driving and people are in the left hand lane, you don't do that little finger across.
Steve:I'm not going to lie, I have tried.
Brook:So the last two questions um Zach came up with and I think they're really good, can you um define for us what success is?
Steve:Define success S-U-C-C-E-S-S.
Brook:Not spell it, define it.
Steve:Success is any advancement from where you were before.
Zach:I like that.
Steve:Not staying in the same place. I've taken so many trips around the country and I view each one of them as a success. I have had multiple jobs in my lifetime and each one of them is a success because it has been a springboard to the next phase.
Brook:Perspective is a big thing.
Paul:It is.
Brook:So, even if it's hard, I've learned from this. I grew from it. I don't regret that side of things.
Steve:I'm a huge movie buff, so I see little quotes and stuff from movies all the time up in the air with George Clooney. Anybody who ever built an empire or corporation sat where you are right now and it's because they sat there that they were able to do it. That right there is the life changing quote You've ever been on the bad end of a firing? Yeah, you feel like you're just worthless. They didn't want me. I'm not good enough to be part of a firing. Yeah, you, you feel like you're. You're just worthless. They didn't want me. I'm. I'm not good enough to to be part of this company because you're sitting there right now. You're going to be able to do something better.
Zach:So that's sort of in line with someone told me very early on uh, I moved around a lot as a kid and that was a rough experience but also, you know, a rewarding one. And someone said the more you step outside of your comfort circle, the larger the circle gets um. And you know, I fully agree with with that sentiment of the more you can push yourself to stay in the uncomfortable space, the more comfortable you get with being uncomfortable.
Steve:Yeah, you branch out and your comfort space gets bigger 100%.
Zach:So the last question in turn, we know what success is Now. Can you define failure?
Steve:Failure is refusing to change. Love it Just I mean, I can't explain it any more than that when, when you're at a roadblock and somebody gives you advice and says this is how you get around it, and if you refuse to take that advice and refuse to move, then you're destined for failure.
Brook:Very true, very true, very true. Thank you very much, thank you guys. For joining our podcast and just telling us a little bit about how you went from the theatrical loving person all the way to running a business, and to the military, to the nerd, to the yeah, all of that stuff.
Brook:And it is all what create it. It's all what helped develop you to be who you are. In that that growth and being able to step into being a business owner and you are probably sitting in scary moments and exciting moments. People ask me do you like being a business owner? It depends on which 15 minutes you ask me because, it can literally change that fast, um, but yeah, it's all kind of built into you doing that and that's it's kind of a cool story and journey for you. So well.
Steve:Thank you, I really appreciate the opportunity to come on board and um I I just had a really good time, yeah.
Zach:Awesome. Is there anything that you'd like to plug to wrap this up or, you know, maybe just telling people that? Are listening in how to find you Sure?
Steve:JCS Technologies is offering cybersecurity risk assessments. You don't know where your network holes are until you get a test, so we would like the opportunity to come in, tell you where all the problems are and give you a roadmap on how to fix that. We can be found at our website, jcs-technologiescom uh, or our phone number is 317-644-5569.
Zach:Perfect. Thank you so much. Thank you Appreciate you.
Paul:Steve, thank you Bye.
