Originally posted on Facebook on Saturday, May 15, 2021.
In Week 20 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Dr. Bridget Plair and PEP Connections.
When I left corporate IT in the late 90s to start a technology services company of my own, I operated under business names like Luckett Technologies, Lutekk and Hometekk. But, none of these names felt like "it". My startup capital at the time was a toolbox with a few tools of the trade, a hope and prayer. With no money for advertising, word of mouth would be critical to growing the business. I needed a name that was catchy, easy to remember and clearly conveyed the services I offered.
I started out doing mostly home computer repair (back when computers had components you could service), until one day my roommate, Delloyd Cannon, introduced me to his cousin, Dr. Bridget Plair who owned the daycare, PEP Connections. Thinking back, to call her business a daycare is a gross understatement. Dr. Plair was an enterprising woman with a grand vision. She was always and I mean always looking to expand. And, Dr. Plair was also constantly looking for people she could grow and bring along for the journey.
A question that characterized my conversations with Dr. Plair was, "What else can you do?" Her growth oriented mindset constantly demanded the same from me. At a time when dial-up was still the most prevalent Internet connection and Ethernet was a relatively a new thing, Dr. Plair keenly saw the technology as infrastructure she could use to scale her business. She became the first client I installed an Ethernet network for. Not long after, she had me implement a paperless, touch-screen system on the network where parents could check in/out their children, receive important notices and even review their bill. Shortly after that, she opened a new administrative offices building and tasked me with connecting the networks of the two facilities over a VPN. The way technology has evolved over time makes many of these tasks childsplay today, but in the age before Wi-Fi, they were challenges that grew me tremendously as an I.T. professional.
Besides being someone who continually pushed me to explore my capabilities, Dr. Plair and her staff were a joy. Her office was a place that I looked forward to going. One day as I was entering the building, the children cheerfully and in unison greeted me, "Hey, Mr. Computer Man!" And, that became the name of my business for more than a decade.
My business flourished under the name Mr. Computer Man. I went on to secure contracts from companies like Wal-mart, Countrywide Home Loans and AmeriPrise Financial. But, many of the services my business provides to this day were originally developed at PEP Connections and due to Dr. Plair's investment in me. It would be more than fair to say that Dr. Plair's vision, example and guidance as a business woman made my business what it is today and I'm grateful. #52WoG