Difference Makers

There’s something to be said for creating things that are bigger than ourselves. Star-crossed historical figure Alexander Hamilton knew it to be true. He left behind many gifts to early America (Coast Guard, New York Post, national banking system) that still resonate today, even Read More

If the pandemic has taught Tarek Hafiz anything, it is that the ways and means of conducting business will continue to change over time as the needs of clients evolve. It is not that businesses are incapable of adapting to the sometimes violent changes that visit a given Read More

Let’s turn back the clock to 1998. In the basement of his home, wearing pajamas, sat Rick Lambert. He had recently resigned his position as vice president of sales for IKON Office Solutions, but now he was a cold calling machine, reaching out to various prospects and offering to Read More

Watching and listening are two vastly underrated tools for success in business. But John Sheehan learned early in his career that forging a strong relationship entails a combination of both in order to truly understand their needs. “My first lesson from one of my early mentors Read More

When Jeff Wilson entered the office technology space in the late 1990s, he only had a cursory knowledge of printers and copiers. That mattered little, because Wilson knew people. Blessed with the “gift of gab,” the man knew how to work a room. He’d been surrounded by older, Read More

One of the nice things that come with the territory of being Bob Goldberg is knowing that his impact on the industry will be keenly felt by generations to come. In early 2015, the Business Technology Association (BTA) established the Goldberg Legacy Scholarship in his honor to Read More

When Dan Meyer graduated from Denison University with an economics degree in 1985, he knew very little about technology and even less about the office dealer industry. In fact, the only reason he landed his first job selling Savin copiers was that he knew someone who worked at a Read More

Getting the job done. It’s an oversimplification of a task that oftentimes carries with it a high degree of difficulty. In the eyes of Jason LaComb, vice president of supply chain management and planning for Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS), it is the mastery of both Read More

On the subject of career turning points, BTA Executive Director Brent Hoskins has much in common with veteran Genesis prog rock drummer and solo musician Phil Collins. Consider this common denominator of knowledge and opportunity. In 1970, Collins auditioned for the band’s Read More

It is safe to say that some of the most significant events during the past 10-plus years of Venetta Diesel-Varney’s life have revolved around Millennium Business Systems of Cincinnati. The question is, did destiny find her, or did she find her destiny? You be the judge. A Read More

Of all the traits a manager can possess, perhaps none is valued more than loyalty. Nothing is more reassuring than knowing if a certain situation begins to go sour, your manager has your back. And whether you’re a soldier in a foxhole or a team member in a business setting, that Read More

In many ways, Dale Evens represents the type of person we strive to become, but perhaps lack the courage or the focus to follow through. He likes to tackle challenges that are seemingly impossible—both inside and outside the office—and he loves to learn new things that are not Read More

In the early stages of his career, Chris Polek quickly appreciated the value of finding a better way of doing something. As the CEO of Polek & Polek, a wholesale distributor supporting the independent dealer, he is always thinking of ways to better serve the customer. His Read More

The generic job description for a marketing director is an individual who is responsible for providing guidance, direction and leadership to the marketing department of an organization or business. Taken to a granular level, it entails functions that can be qui Read More

Since the dawn of business, the salesperson has been lionized and treated in high regard, particularly when it comes to compensation. But sales alone does not contribute 100% of a company’s value proposition. After all, the relationship does conclude with the sale in a B2B Read More