What’s the best thing about doing business in Middle Tennessee?
The people are very genuine here in Middle Tennessee and they want to help. It’s an amazing culture of cooperation that I’m not sure exists anywhere else.
What has been the most valuable aspect of your Chamber membership?
So far it’s been the resources provided to us that have helped us learn more about how to best engage with local business and government. Everyone at the Chamber is completely dedicated to our success and have gone out of their way to help.
Who is SugarShot and what should we know about you?
We’re a new IT and Cybersecurity company that does things differently! We give out free candy too.
What is unique about your business that makes you stand out?
Aside from our branding (which looks a lot different than most IT firms), we’ve spent a good deal of time modeling our service model after the hospitality industry rather than traditional IT firms. We’ve learned a lot from companies like the Ritz Carlton on how to deliver an amazing customer service experience. This is something that most technology companies have struggled with. Also, we understand that while we are a B2B-type organization, our real focus needs to be on H2H (Human to Human) because that type of relationship is what will truly help us be a transformative partner for our clients.
What’s your biggest goal for your company this year?
Continued growth! Now that we’ve begun operations here in Nashville and we’re looking to grow our team and client portfolio. We are also focused on opening up a new “experience center” here.
What best business practices did you learn in 2020 and what did you do to be creative?
2020 changed a lot of things for us, the biggest of which was closing down our traditional office space (which we were no longer using) and creating our first “experience center” in Redondo Beach. During this period, we had to take a whole new look at how our company culture could thrive in a remote environment. This led us to innovate in this area, and come up with new ideas to bring everyone together in a digital world.
What’s your best piece of advice for other business owners?
From our perspective, it’s very important that organizations look hard at their current security posture. Cybercriminals are getting increasingly more sophisticated. I spend part of my time as a security expert for organizations like ABC World News, Good Morning America, etc. and most of the time I’m discussing larger scale security breaches. These large incidents are caused, in many cases, by social engineering attacks that are also used against small- and medium-sized businesses. So, everyone needs to stay vigilant.
How do you stay involved in the community?
For me, I enjoy networking events and I hope to do more with Chamber Area Advisory Councils. This helps me stay connected with the community and help where I feel I can be of most value.
