Cybertools executives had the pleasure of meeting skateboarding legend Tony Hawk at a recent business conference. Tony has had a long and successful career in the sport, and his business savvy has allowed his name to be well known among households.
As a professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Tony Hawk has demonstrated tremendous business acumen. Although we specialize in IT support, Cyber Security, and IT Solutions some aspects of entrepreneurialism are common amongst all trades. We had a great visit with him and found we have many similarities in our approach to business.
Here are our top 5 takeaways from this visit.
- Take risks and be fearless. Tony Hawk did not become a successful entrepreneur by playing it safe. He took risks and had a fearlessness that allowed him to succeed and become one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He has said that “fearless is the only way to be,” and this is something that has served him well in business. At Cybertools, it can feel overwhelming to go up against a body of cyber criminals that typically have less than a 1% chance of getting caught, but our work is important for the SMB space. We must face these criminals without fear by calculating risks and benefits so that we implement the most sensible IT and Cyber Security strategy for each unique business. Nothing is a 100% guarantee that a cyber-attack will not happen, but we work to ensure the business is ready to respond.
- Never give up. Tony Hawk has been skating since he was nine years old, and he has never stopped. His persistence and dedication to his craft is something that all entrepreneurs can admire. He has said, “If you want something badly enough, you can make it happen.” Never giving up on your dreams is a key to success in any business. Even though some days it feels like the cyber criminals will just never stop and it is difficult to be a head of them, we will never give up on researching, understanding, and implementing IT solutions to keep the businesses protected and ready to respond to a cyber-attack.
- Find your niche. Tony Hawk found his niche in skateboarding and ran with it. He developed a brand and a business around his passion for skateboarding. Whether you’re starting a business or looking for a job, it’s important to find your niche and focus on what you’re good at. Our niche is a little broader than Tony’s, but we find our passion in serving businesses in the SMB space. This includes fully managing IT for some businesses as well as co-managing IT services, support, and tools in larger businesses where we work with internal CIOs to implement the cyber security and IT strategy. We have experience in various industries including healthcare, financial, construction, manufacturing, and distribution.
- Network and collaborate. Tony Hawk has worked with some of the biggest names in skateboarding, including his own son, Riley Hawk. He also works with other skateboarders and professionals to create innovative products and businesses. Networking and collaborating with others are vital for any business and can open a world of opportunities. We know that to stay on top of cyber criminals and best-in-class technological advances, we need a team of people. That is why we are a part of a peer group of other IT professionals that meet each week. We put our heads together with IT leaders from all over the United States and Canada to keep our knowledge evolving.
- Give back. Tony Hawk is a huge supporter of charity organizations, and he has donated millions of dollars to causes he believes in. He also encourages others to do the same, and this is a great lesson for all business owners. Giving back to your community is a great way to make a positive impact and build relationships. We love our community as well! We give back as much as we can. We frequently donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. We also partner with our clients to donate to charities that are close to their hearts. We believe that supporting each other is essential.
Meeting Tony Hawk was a blast, and we learned a lot from him. We hope that you found our takeaways useful. We encourage you to apply them to your business. Keep shredding!
