The Secrets to My Success

Some would say starting a business in 2008 in the middle of the Great Recession while your husband was unemployed, and you were in the process of adopting a child from Russia, wasn’t the best timing. Life is like that. You can’t always wait for the stars to be aligned to build your business or go for some goal. The secret to success is working hard and staying true to your core values.

Here are three core values that worked for me:

Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back

I’ve had many moments in my life where I was unsure or afraid—some big and some small. In those moments, I had to make a choice: to move forward with something or to hold back.
When I decided to start my own business, I was unhappy with my previous work situation but because of everything that was going on (husband and baby), I felt trapped and afraid. A good friend asked me an important question: If I continued to work at my previous position, what was going to change? Nothing. It hit me then that I had to make a CHOICE to change, to overcome my fear and just get on with it. With that, a decision was made, and IT Radix was born.

Fear holds so many of us back and often the things we fear cause us to miss out on the great opportunities in life. Now, when I feel uncomfortable or afraid, I remind myself to lean in and take a chance. Not everything has worked out, but the experience of overcoming my fear and trying something is always worth it.

Show Up Consistently And Be There

While I was a good student, I wasn’t exceptionally brilliant. What I did have going for me, though, was that I showed up to class consistently, listened, and took good notes. For me, it was inevitable that I learned and absorbed the materials.

I’ve found the same has been true in business. I can tell you where I’ve been every Thursday morning from 7-8:30 a.m. for the past 20-plus years unless I was on vacation, traveling for work, or sick—I was at a business networking meeting helping others grow their businesses, which ultimately has helped me grow my business.

Similarly, IT Radix has produced an educational newsletter for our clients and prospects since its inception. Why? The newsletter shows our customers that IT Radix will be there consistently, month after month, freely offering technical information, some smiles, and business insights to help others succeed.

We also strive to deliver our IT support and consulting services consistently by using checklists, systems, and processes. To me, being there consistently shows that you can be relied upon, and it proves you care—we’re there in good times and in bad.

Surround Yourself With Great People

In the early days of IT Radix, my temptation was often to do everything myself; however, I quickly learned that I couldn’t do it all. I wasn’t good at it all, and quite frankly, I didn’t really enjoy it all. It was hard to let go, but once I surrounded myself with great people both inside IT Radix and outside, I was able to relax and trust that they would and could handle things.

I also learned to proactively hire people who think differently from me. Nothing is worse than a carbon copy of you to applaud your every move and thought. Surround yourself with others who are different and smarter than you and you will enjoy dividends!

Building a team of great people freed me to do the things I want to do to move the company forward.

If you’d told my younger self that I would start my own business, I would have said you’re crazy. But now, after 15 years in business at IT Radix, I realize I did it, I’ve learned a lot along the way, and it is one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Learn more about IT Radix and the people Cathy surrounds herself with here.