[NEW EPISODE] Keeping Your SMB in Contango

Fridays 11:00am - 12:00pm (EDT)                              

WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?

The audience will hear from a fiduciary IT company that always does what’s in the best interest of the client.  They strive to stay one step ahead of everything by visualizing, planning, and strategizing before each interaction

They communicate clearly, efficiently, early and often.  They are ready, willing, and able to do what needs to get done.

This organization cares about their clients and vendors as the individual people and business initiatives that they are.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

SMBs love to dream of taking their business to the next level, which requires passion, rigor, and a laser-like focus.  Many things can derail that these days, and technology can be one of them.  It is more critical than ever to have a technology strategy that avoids bottlenecks and eliminates IT distractions.

"Contango" is an expression used in finance to describe when the future price of a commodity is higher than the present.  In the world of Cybersecurity and IT partnership, our special guest and her team are striving for a similar concept, which is constant improvement.

We are joined by Schellie Percudani, Vice President of Client Relations at Contango IT.   Contango IT’s mission is to provide effective and efficient information technology solutions to businesses and organizations through experienced consulting, service and support.  

Schellie and the team achieve this with open communication, by working closely together and earning our client’s trust; resulting in a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship.  They work tirelessly to make sure their employees, clients, vendors, friends and family stay “in Contango.”

Website:  https://contangoit.com/ 

Contango LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/contango-it/ 

Contango Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/contangoit/ 

Phone:  (469) 394-9474

Schellie LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/schelliepercudani/ 

Free Security Awareness Training:https://securityawarenesstraining.contangoit.com/

Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc

Show Notes

‍Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

‍Segment 4

Transcript

00:00:45.880 --> 00:01:15.670 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: well hello out there planet Earth and Happy Friday. If you didn't do your taxes just yet. you might want to file extension, or else you're gonna to have a miserable weekend. It's Friday, and it's always Friday with me, Stephen Fry, your Smb. Guy. I see why am I, or in case you missed it. Smb. Stands for small and medium-sized business for the last 20 years i've been a consultant for Smbs, a voice on a sounding board for our business leaders, advocating on their behalf their employees to wherever I can.

00:01:15.670 --> 00:01:20.470 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: I believe, very strongly in sharing stories, providing perspective

00:01:20.950 --> 00:01:38.450 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and creating connections. What makes all of this happen so every single Friday you can find me here on talk, radio and Nyc. Doing just that, lending what's left of my mind and my voice to this radio show where I interview Smb leaders and their trusted advisors. One thing that I've noticed over the years is that

00:01:38.450 --> 00:01:51.020 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: some of the best thought leadership for Smb is actually happens on Friday, right about that time we all feel the freedom of the weekend coming, and just want to clear our desk for the weekend. However, we're also anxious to start the weekend.

00:01:51.020 --> 00:02:02.430 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: These crucial pearls of wisdom. They're often forgotten. They're overlooked they're swept aside under the rug in favor of our fun activities and our freedom from work here on the show we take advantage of that. We can.

00:02:02.430 --> 00:02:20.500 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: We take advantage of that freedom of weekend we don't freakin. But then let me. It's first time using these lips. Actually the the clarity and fault leadership that we get. As the weekend approaches we take advantage of it. We discuss popular topics that are on the minds of our business leaders and their advisors.

00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:38.390 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: The name of the show once again, not just to play on words. My last name means free in German, so just a little bit of food for thought for everybody. I hope everyone had a wonderful passover and muscle tub for all of you that made it through 8 days of not eating any bread. That's a big accomplishment, especially in New Jersey. Lots of good pizza around here.

00:02:38.390 --> 00:02:56.160 My daughter's eleventh birthday was a couple of days ago, so the one thing that she's been asking us to do? Is she wanted to go indoor skydiving at one of those i-fly places very cool shout out to my new friend, Tommy Turbo, who showed us the way there, I might actually be tempted enough to go back and try it again.

00:02:56.380 --> 00:03:10.860 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: We also took the kids to the Museum of natural history. I don't know if if you guys have kids on spring break, but I think we're approaching the ninth day or so that they've been out of school. It's I. I might be going on vacation next year just to

00:03:10.860 --> 00:03:34.180 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: be able to put them in some type of kids, club or something to get a little bit of peace and quiet because we've been on task pretty much for the last 9 days, anyway. M Museum of Natural History, Great Spot Haven't been there since I was a kid. Lots of opportunity for great candid photos, and my my daughter walked outside. It was intoxicated by the smell of one of the hull, all meat carts. So she got some meat on a stick and was thrilled. Little walk through Central Park.

00:03:34.180 --> 00:03:41.460 All good stuff. We're going to Yankee game on Sunday. This weekend. Just a beautiful couple of days smoking hot out there yesterday.

00:03:41.460 --> 00:04:01.260 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: but it want to get into the topic here today. You know what what we're talking about. Here is keeping your smb in Cantango. That might be a new term for some of you folks out there. It's one that I've that I've heard of. And in some of the travels that I've had SMS. They love to dream of taking their business to the next level. It requires passion. It requires rigor.

00:04:01.260 --> 00:04:03.910 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and often a laser like focus, right?

00:04:03.950 --> 00:04:21.170 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Many things can derail that these days have probably at an an alarming rate, many things can derail that these days technology can absolutely be one of them. It's more critical than ever to have a technology strategy that avoids bottlenecks and eliminates your distractions, keeps you focused on your revenue.

00:04:21.170 --> 00:04:27.990 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Cantango is an expression that's used in finance to describe. When the future price of a commodity is higher than the present

00:04:27.990 --> 00:04:47.220 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: in the world of cybersecurity, and it partnership our special guest and her team. They're striving for a similar concept along the lines of constant improvement or kaisen, if you will, They're on a mission to provide effective and efficient it. Solutions to businesses and organizations through experienced consulting service and support 2

00:04:47.220 --> 00:05:05.450 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: mit ctl, and they work titled tirelessly to make sure their employees, clients, vendors, friends, and family, stay in Cantango. This is best achieved with open communication by working closely together and earning the clients trust results in a mutually beneficial long term relationship, which is what you need with this type of work these days, Anyway, Talk is cheap. 250.

00:05:05.580 --> 00:05:20.330 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: We're not. We're. We're not here to just talk people. We want there to be some good thought and some good action that comes out of this, even though the station's called talk Radio and Nyc. We want you to use the insight on the business landscape to create some more impact on Monday morning.

00:05:20.330 --> 00:05:33.730 especially with things like technology. A lot of folks will get fixated on the products that are out there right far too often. I see these businesses looking at the shiny new mouse trap, the new tech, the new app that's gonna solve their problems and change their life.

00:05:33.900 --> 00:05:45.810 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: I don't know about you, but the products I've seen out there personal or business. They change every single day, especially if you're talking about aspects of cyber security these days. Anybody getting text to their phone from people they don't know, asking to respond.

00:05:45.820 --> 00:06:02.000 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: There you go There's no substitute for surrounding yourself with the right people first, and keeping a focus on the process that's going to help you achieve your goal. You do that. The right products will be there when you need them, especially if you have the right trusted advisors in your corner. So, in the spirit of surrounding yourself with the right people.

00:06:02.100 --> 00:06:20.150 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: I know we have an awesome discussion in store for you guys today. I hope you're listening. Our special guest is none other than Shelley per Kudani, vice president of client relations at Kentango. It so with over 100 people, cantango services as clients through 4 key areas of technology and has nationwide coverage.

00:06:20.150 --> 00:06:29.290 First, it service and support, offering unlimited onsite and remote support for all covered users and devices with up to 60 to 90 s response. Time.

00:06:29.370 --> 00:06:30.990 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: It's taken so long to him

00:06:31.060 --> 00:06:42.280 in in that same fixed monthly price also included our asset management, budgeting breakdowns, disaster, recovery, planning, compliance, requirement, review and planning technology, road mapping, and a whole lot more.

00:06:42.280 --> 00:07:00.640 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: There's it infrastructure and cabling. Or if you're moving offices, which plenty of during the pandemic people going from corporate spaces into home offices, cantango handles the technology side of the move through cabling, and it set up cyber security. Big topic. I've had many guests on to talk about cyber security and how to navigate for

00:07:00.640 --> 00:07:10.670 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: 45 people, strictly in cybersecurity, keep cantango on top of the biggest buzz in technology, risk compliance, reach out. Can help in any way.

00:07:10.820 --> 00:07:36.710 Custom programming front-end development android Web-based You name it with winners of the Microsoft best use of technology award and the Nyu stern new venture competition any technology questions. You can reach out. Shelley's a phenomenal resource looking to help business owners focus on growing their businesses by taking the day to day technology off the plate. We'll have her contact info in the show notes. S. p@cantangoit.com for email her team.

00:07:36.710 --> 00:07:54.010 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: They have a phenomenal approach to this personally very ideal person to discuss this type of topic with. As always, we're going to talk about my favorite questions around movies, TV and music coming to us from Cantangos headquarters in midtown. Manhattan, a serial network, and a new friend of mine, Shelley. Welcome to always Friday. It's great to see you.

00:07:54.310 --> 00:08:06.350 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Hey? Good morning and thank you for having me. What a beautiful day in New York, and what a beautiful Friday for the weekend! I need to talk. But you said everything I do, so i'm pretty

00:08:06.460 --> 00:08:08.230 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: thank You might drop. Good night.

00:08:08.620 --> 00:08:13.420 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: But Shelley, in all seriousness, I' a ton of folks who work in your world.

00:08:13.520 --> 00:08:27.630 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and i'm excited for the audience to hear from you today. Again. The process is great. The content on your website is clear enough for most people to understand out there, which is always important to me, especially in an industry like this. Tell us a little bit about how you got where you are today.

00:08:28.070 --> 00:08:35.549 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Well, okay, so Cantangle has been doing this for working with small to mid-size businesses for 12 years.

00:08:35.570 --> 00:08:46.080 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: I had met the CEO of the company 11 years ago, networking, and at that time I was an area sales manager for Regis, and, as you know.

00:08:46.150 --> 00:09:03.080 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: that's a you know, a full Service Office Space scared office day, so everything's provided for them there. Well, one of my clients we're looking to move into their own space because I had met Contango and knew what they did, I would introduce them to the CEO, and

00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:17.950 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: they were all so happy because it took everything that they had at a bigger organization that was managing their it. They were able to not worry about that and have to hire someone to manage their it because they didn't know

00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:35.680 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: what they were gonna. Do you know, you take them out of an environment where everything's being taken care of for them. It's another part of a business that you need to take care of it's like, okay. Now, I have to find someone to handle my day to day it, you know. Make you sure that we're online making sure that we have

00:09:35.680 --> 00:09:51.680 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: two-factor authentication, making sure that our computers are set up correctly and they're protected. And it might not just be part of the business these days it might be driving 70 80% of the business average it is, it is, it is. And especially with, you know.

00:09:52.000 --> 00:10:00.720 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: things have changed during Covid. Right? There are hybrid models. People don't even have offices anymore. So you know, with everything, you know.

00:10:00.910 --> 00:10:03.250 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: people in different locations.

00:10:03.400 --> 00:10:18.760 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know you need to have someone that's gonna be able to onboard and off board your employees if they're in Arizona, if they're in Texas, if they're you know, in in New York or South Dakota. You need someone who's gonna be able to help

00:10:18.810 --> 00:10:30.010 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: your employees at their time and need whether they are unable to find a file. They forgot their password. You know their computer is lagging.

00:10:30.110 --> 00:10:49.580 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You know. Those are the things you don't want your employees to have downtime, but 60, 90 to 90 s response. Time is that for real it is, it is. It is. We consider ourselves more proactive than reactive. So we're constantly monitoring and patching your systems. But if there is a problem you can let us.

00:10:49.640 --> 00:10:58.630 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know via chat. It's 60 to 90 s. You can put a ticket and see where your ticket is. Who's working on your ticket? Where that's the status is.

00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:09.520 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and if they have any questions, our team is great. They reach out to you, and they're like, hey? It looks like we have the issue solved. Let's test it before we close out the ticket. We're not just like okay. We. We're done and move on.

00:11:09.890 --> 00:11:15.590 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know, because we do want to make sure that we're giving you the quality of service that you are paying for.

00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:23.300 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and that you're not worried about it every day because IP should be something that is on a small to mid-sized business owner

00:11:23.650 --> 00:11:30.750 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: mind every day. All of our clients get a virtual CIO who does periodic business reviews with them.

00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:53.560 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and that is when you should be discussing your technology. And that is when you know if there are issues that's when they should come up like. Look, we're looking to hire 6 new people and the third quarter. Okay, let's put that on the roadmap. Let's start planning for that, and making sure that you don't have that downtime. You don't have that worry. Oh, we're we're hiring system. People. We haven't even ordered the laptop.

00:11:53.670 --> 00:11:59.640 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You know I don't even know what the budget is for that All that is something that we take off your plate.

00:11:59.710 --> 00:12:07.190 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: because, as a small to mid-sized business owner, you have other things to worry about. You have employees. You have the competition.

00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:21.520 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You know you have so much more on your plate than oh, I gotta stop and realize I have to order these computers or set it up. Mell it out to them, make it that they have all the software that they need to succeed and to make me business.

00:12:21.670 --> 00:12:33.960 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: You know something that I always talk about. Here is the top 3 things I always see on a business owner's mind. Besides, you know, making money year over year. Increasing revenues are business operating expenses, taxes, and health insurance.

00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:51.770 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: If if they really have to worry about it needs, and I still see it every day, I still see folks that should be way past that point, worrying about certain it things in the midst of the average day. I mean to me it's just straight up working in the business instead of on the business. It's just not. It's. It's not a good approach

00:12:51.770 --> 00:12:56.250 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: when it's not. If they took the time to realize, like.

00:12:56.400 --> 00:13:02.480 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: what how many hours are they spending on tasks that they know nothing about. And so

00:13:02.670 --> 00:13:11.700 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: if they took their hourly rate that they would pay themselves And look at how many hours they're taking out of the business. Try to figure this out or

00:13:11.710 --> 00:13:21.560 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: their employees coming to them because it's like my computer is running slow. All that for basin is not good for company culture, and all that time they're taking away from

00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:31.870 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: what they are great at is, you know, that can affect their bottom line. So the Roi, for what we do is great for a small.

00:13:31.900 --> 00:13:51.040 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: So, having spent some time in the financial services world over the years, you know, I hear the phrase cantango like, and it's, you know I I I hear it being passed around certain audiences which i'll i'll talk about in a little bit. But yeah, the this idea of of of kind of continuous improvement. And and really think thinking about it.

00:13:51.090 --> 00:14:10.000 you know, proactively right? I'm always trying to tell You know business owners to be proactive as well like. I talk about the difference between being wise and being smart, where a smart person has to think their way out of situations that a wise person doesn't walk into. In the first place, it's like, you know, you can't necessarily predict what's going to happen, especially with cyber security and everything. But

00:14:10.150 --> 00:14:13.740 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: you know to have somebody on your side Who's

00:14:14.140 --> 00:14:25.000 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: who's really kind of more of a like? You call yourselves a fiduciary. It company, right? And I I have that kind of background in those designations as well, you know, advocating on the best interests of the client.

00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:39.820 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: which it's funny like, I think of the finance world. Some people like getting all weary of some of the changes that have come about with that, and I just look at it and go. If if you have a problem doing what's in the best interest of the client, and you work in kind of the service industry.

00:14:39.930 --> 00:14:49.860 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You might have a bigger problem with your business model that you need to revisit

00:14:49.900 --> 00:14:54.150 every Thursday as a team, and that we strive to

00:14:54.340 --> 00:14:58.650 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: do constant improvement, constant growth with not just us, but with our clients.

00:14:59.040 --> 00:15:00.530 And how can we do that?

00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:10.480 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You know, by having a technology roadmap that they know where their technology is going, and and what it needs to be done. So it's not a surprise.

00:15:11.160 --> 00:15:22.480 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Yeah, it's it's it's a hell of a lot more than than like being, an it help desk to me, which don't get me wrong. That's absolutely part of it. People need password resets, etc.

00:15:22.520 --> 00:15:31.860 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Yeah, they need to know they can't find a file. You know. We change your signatures. Little things like that. Those are the little things. But you know.

00:15:32.700 --> 00:15:39.290 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: knowing being informed, hey, Stephen, your computer, when we were updating it looked like it was lagging.

00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:50.980 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Which means it could be coming to end of life. Why, Don't, we order you a new computer. So you don't have that downtime, because nowadays, you know, downtime, there's so many people that do what other people do. If you have downtime.

00:15:50.980 --> 00:16:08.100 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Somebody will just go to somebody else. You know I need I need you now. Which which full transparency, I I updated the Zoom client. I restarted the Internet and the mesh system in my house and pissed off the kids because they weren't able to watch their screens for you know, a couple of minutes. And

00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:27.750 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: yeah, everything it's. It's always embarrassing if i'm talking to an it specialist and then not my Internet goes out. But you know it's live radio things happen sometimes. You know you don't. You forget how to talk in the beginning of your show. It it happens, you know, but we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back with Shelley Perkidani, vice president of client relations at Cantango it stay with us.

00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:50.390 Are you a business owner? Do you want to be a business owner. Do you work with business owners? Hi! I'm, Stephen, fry your small and medium-sized business, or Smb Guide, and i'm the host of the new show always Friday. While I love to have fun on my show, we take those Friday feelings of freedom and clarity to discuss popular topics on the Minds of SMS today.

00:16:50.520 --> 00:16:56.740 Please join me and my various special guests on Friday at 11 am. On talk radio and Nyc

00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:29.480 Are you a conscious co-creator? Are you on a quest to raise your vibration and your consciousness? I'm. Sam Leibowitz, your conscious consultant, and on my show, the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. We will touch upon all these topics and more. Listen. Live at our new time on Thursdays, at 12, noon, Eastern time. That's the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. Thursday's 12 noon on talk Radio and Nyc.

00:17:34.730 --> 00:18:03.270 How are you on edge, hey? We live in challenging Edgy time. So let's lean in. I'm Sandra Bardman, the host of the edge of every day, which airs each Monday at 7 P. M. Eastern time on talk, Radio and Nyc. Tian in live with me and my friends and colleagues, as we share stories of perspectives about pushing boundaries and exploring our rough edges. That's the edge of every day on Mondays at 7 Pm. Eastern time on talk Radio and Nyc.

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00:18:44.040 --> 00:19:02.010 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: welcome back everybody. It's Friday. It's always Friday, and it's me, Stephen Fry, your Smb. Guy, we're talking about keeping your smb in cantango with Shelley Perkudani, vice President of client relations for cantango it. It support and consulting, and much, much more.

00:19:02.010 --> 00:19:26.130 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Shelley, before we kick into the method part of the show. Here I just I typically like to sit out by my fire pit, I say, and give a quick perspective on the topic of discussion the whole situation, etc., etc. It's been too damn hot to make a fire these days, so i'll I'll sit in the middle of the upper west side here. I know you're in midtown, but it was beautiful out. The other day I sat there and had a had a solo picture from, you know, aside from the family for 2 s.

00:19:26.130 --> 00:19:28.210 just to give a quick perspective Here.

00:19:28.290 --> 00:19:35.130 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: there's a major difference between a vendor and a partner, especially with topics like this.

00:19:35.570 --> 00:19:49.360 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: You know a lot of times people will look at, you know, a a company like entango it, and what they do, and how they do it as as just a a a vendor part of their business operating expenses. If you will right in order for someone to do business

00:19:49.390 --> 00:20:09.290 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: a lot. 3 things have to happen. They have to. They have to like the the person in the team. They have to trust them, and they have to think they know what they're talking about now with. You know the industry you work in many vendors out there, they can project that image and sell their services. But this is something that will be a huge need for years to come.

00:20:09.290 --> 00:20:25.150 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and those needs they might be constantly changing, and, in fact, they are constantly changing with, you know, with this type of world it's one thing again to have the knowledge and expertise which I know you guys have, and others can can project that out there to the experience. But you said it right before the break.

00:20:25.270 --> 00:20:27.660 You guys have a passion for growth.

00:20:27.670 --> 00:20:30.430 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: right? So the passion for for growth

00:20:30.590 --> 00:20:53.630 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: like not, Nick. A lot of times when you're talking about an operational vendor, especially when you talk about this time of year, like accountants, right? A lot of accountants are very operationally minded. Everyone needs to pay taxes. It's the most maddening time of the year for them. They won't necessarily be emotionally invested all the time with who's growing? Who's you know who's like by how much percent and how like, if they're declining by how much percent.

00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:57.400 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: If you look at somebody through the lens of a partnership.

00:20:57.470 --> 00:21:14.520 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: partners will encompass things like sales and marketing initiatives in addition to operations. So, like, you know, being obsessed with growth as part of the differentiators that you guys really bring to this world is a huge, huge deal to me that I that I feel like a lot of people, miss in this space.

00:21:14.710 --> 00:21:28.800 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: you know again, Cantango, I I hear that in the finance world a lot from the Cfas and portfolio managers that I've hung out with along the way in the it world you can hear all kinds of geeks speak lots of lots of geeks speak.

00:21:28.800 --> 00:21:57.760 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and I I always like to act as a geek translator and be able to tell the story effectively between trusted advisors, the small medium-sized businesses, their employees and I really I get the feeling that you and the cantango team do as well. So, without any further ado, let's dive into the method behind the madness here. This is the scientific part of what you do. You know the idea of what do you do? How do you do it? And really how you go to market for it? I know you're a serial networker. That's how I was introduced to you, and I love it.

00:21:57.760 --> 00:22:01.100 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: but lay it on us. Give us some of the method behind the Cantango madness.

00:22:02.050 --> 00:22:10.790 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You know what we do is like we discussed early, as we take, you know, help take the fresh basin off of small. The mid-sized business owners place.

00:22:11.330 --> 00:22:19.620 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Now, you know a lot of that is, you know, walking them through. What what are they currently doing right now with their it?

00:22:19.710 --> 00:22:36.830 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: What are they happy with? What could be improved on educating them on the latest and greatest on what are the new and technology, you know. Antivirus now is antiquated. If you're looking to get cyber liability insurance. It used to be 4 questions

00:22:37.070 --> 00:22:48.530 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: like a few years ago, and now it's 37 pages it's. Like I've definitely seen that. So you know, when you're talking to a business owner. It's almost like I I kind of feel like

00:22:48.570 --> 00:22:55.440 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: a lot of time. you know, when I get leave from anybody it's usually from

00:22:55.590 --> 00:23:09.610 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: people that I've not worked with, or I've even got leads from just doing like a one to one that somebody's been like, hey? I just want you to meet Kelly. She's really cool all this kind of stuff. I start talking to them, and you know just kind of telling them this is how we help business owners.

00:23:09.750 --> 00:23:20.590 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You know. We take pretty much everything technology off their plate. If they're moving into a location extending their office, you know, we can take care of all the it

00:23:20.630 --> 00:23:28.870 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: aspect of a move or a new bill, or if you don't have anybody managing your it because a lot of small

00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:32.170 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: the mid-sized businesses. They started off with just

00:23:32.270 --> 00:23:38.040 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: 2 to 3 people, and because Steven, he had a little, you know knowledge on how to

00:23:38.070 --> 00:23:49.000 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: set up a laptop, you is now their it person. But now they're they're growing, and they're 10 to 12 and they have other security requirements that require them to have

00:23:49.090 --> 00:23:55.710 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: certain software on their devices. You know that it can manage

00:23:55.890 --> 00:24:05.140 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and update their system. And you know, if the system is lost or stolen, it could be wiped and locked down. Well, Steven doesn't know that because he that wasn't his

00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:07.000 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: that he was hired for.

00:24:07.490 --> 00:24:21.390 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know. So at that point it's good to like, hey? We're gonna need some extra hands here, and it really does take a lot off their plate, and it also makes Steven a happier guy because he was, you know.

00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:29.130 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: hired to be their Hr. And just because you know a little it he's now is paneling Hr. And it.

00:24:29.170 --> 00:24:31.970 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and now they're grown, and he can't keep up with it.

00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:39.310 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: And so it is very important. And the more I talk to people and they're like oh, you know, I really I really could do that. I really could.

00:24:39.540 --> 00:24:57.610 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: La! I would love to have a virtual CIO to help guide me. help, guide me on my roadmap on things that I've been looking to. Do you know, we're on Google, but i'm looking to move to Microsoft office, because that's where we that's where we have our files. Well, why not do the emails there, too, and

00:24:57.650 --> 00:25:00.520 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and you know, make it a complete platform.

00:25:01.190 --> 00:25:24.660 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: You You actually struck struck a nerve when you said Move before I. You know you talk about moving for office space and everything. So I know you network with everybody, but it's some of that audience commercial movers, because in the city those those huge referral sources for you it is, it is, it is. Commercial. Movers are great commercial real estate brokers are great for me also, you know, commercial real estate attorneys. I got a great lead

00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:34.540 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: from one, and it, you know it was a 30 person company, and they were moving offices, and they had just gotten rid of their it, because they weren't happy with them

00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:38.990 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: a lot of times it's over communication. They don't hear back from their it, like.

00:25:39.110 --> 00:25:50.770 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know, we have a 60 to ninety-second help desk response time. So you are going to hear from somebody when you should hear from somebody, because that is very frustrating for all of us with you. Don't hear back, and you can't do something.

00:25:51.130 --> 00:25:57.270 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Have I mean, Say, i'm still blown away by that. You might hear me say it a couple of months like 60 90 s. Really, Shelley, you're you're serious.

00:25:57.710 --> 00:26:16.580 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Well, you know it's not fast enough, i'm sure. Later it'll be 15 to to 30. You know, my kids were without Internet for like no joke. 5 min before, when I restarted everything, and it was a lynch mob on my hands. Yeah, yeah, you know. Think about it. That's the the society we're in today. I mean, your kids

00:26:16.650 --> 00:26:30.270 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: did not have the rotary phone where, if you messed up, you had to start off. I I love Chris Rock Hasn't been one of the movies or it's it's like oh, no! I messed up. Did, did, did, did, did, did, did it? Did it? Yes.

00:26:30.270 --> 00:26:53.410 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: they will never! They will never know that, you know, even even in the city, right like I I i'm not in the city every day, like I used to be, and that is likely to never happen again. But you know, just going at like taking a breath of I'm not gonna call it fresh air in the city, necessarily, but taking a breath of air and walking around to go get lunch and everything. It's like people, you know what? Yeah, Just deliver it to my face to my floor. Whatever like

00:26:53.410 --> 00:27:12.270 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: it immediately, I totally get that. But the again, the method behind the men is the scientific part of what you do again. I like to go back to the the idea of being a fiduciary. It company again. I maybe i'm a geek, but I just like the idea of of doing things, you know, in a in a client centric type of fashion, and the idea of being

00:27:12.270 --> 00:27:23.030 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: having a good fiduciary process, if you will, through some of the designations that I've worked with over the years. The idea is kind of organize, formalize, implement, and monitor.

00:27:23.030 --> 00:27:42.810 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and the the I love it, you know. By the way, Shelley, when a when a somebody I interview has their process, you know, a real, really easily laid out on their website. So you know, things like a needs assessment. Yeah, it's like to just kind of spray. And pray with your industry like it's. Every business has different needs.

00:27:42.850 --> 00:27:55.290 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Again, we're not all technical experts. Again, the the CEO is not going to be a technical expert. He may know some things, but we like to do what we call the needs assessment, which is a deep dive audit.

00:27:55.540 --> 00:27:56.430 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and we

00:27:56.520 --> 00:28:20.890 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: go into your bills, passwords, licensing, and then we'd look at your it infrastructure our senior consultant. Ask a lot of technical questions and does it deep dive to see where there's areas of improvement areas of weakness. Just so, we know. I mean, we've had clients that have referred to their clients, and they're like No, we just want to sign up for continue unlimited and like. That's

00:28:20.910 --> 00:28:24.640 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: no we need to do the needs of sentiment. First, because we need to know where

00:28:24.660 --> 00:28:33.500 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you are in your it. Environment, you know. Where is an area that needs to be improved, you know, before we start managing it, because

00:28:33.510 --> 00:28:37.840 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: it could be really yeah, we could have a lot of

00:28:37.890 --> 00:28:45.650 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: windows open, and we got to close those quickly before we start managing the services.

00:28:45.730 --> 00:29:05.490 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and then then moving on to something like a plan. Review like this is something that's you know, good executed plan like, and it's it. It's not. Listen there. There's going to be developments in the it. And the technology world, no matter what happens, but the having at least the the foundation to follow something so that it's not

00:29:05.490 --> 00:29:16.710 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: a fire drill every time is is very important with this, and I feel like I feel like I see people that have been in business for 2030 years, even lately, that has buttoned up as

00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:34.130 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: a as you would expect this like, I said, our text the virtual CIO of our techie that you know a computer or a firewall isn't updating as quickly. You know, they could see it lagging. That's usually an indication to end of life. So instead of having that downtime more proactively, they're like, hey, look!

00:29:34.290 --> 00:29:38.200 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: It looks like the firewall is lagging. We need to

00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:55.100 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: get a new firewall, so that you do not have that downtime. Also, you know, when last pass was hacked. are the virtual cios called all the clients that we're using. Last test, hey? Last pass has been hacked. You know how about one pass? This is a good one, this is, you know.

00:29:55.550 --> 00:29:58.540 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Let's move you over, because if something's being hacked.

00:29:58.890 --> 00:30:10.720 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: that's that is that you are using as a business owner, you know you don't want to have that left open too long, because that's where a hacker is looking just like the rest of us. Hackers have

00:30:11.080 --> 00:30:21.300 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: their way that they want to get to the client. They're looking to get to, just like the rest of us, so they know what doors to look through. So if you're leaving a window open, it's, you know

00:30:21.300 --> 00:30:49.890 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: not good. What I love about. You know what what you just said is that it's it's not about the product, right like, even if your team at 1 point, said, Here, what if you check out this last pass, You know, software like this idea? It's a it's a password manager. It's a process right. So like every, even the biggest of institutions with the biggest security, have been hacked right? So it's like if if somebody looks at you and goes oh, well, you recommended last pad like I can't work with you, or it's like that's re

00:30:49.890 --> 00:31:19.480 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: ridiculous. It's the people who are comprising the plan and the process and executing alongside of you as a partner. But you know, hey? Just so. You know this particular product has a vulnerability which is going to happen a 1 million more times in the future with other technology things. Yeah, this has a potential vulnerability. We support the idea of password management as opposed to the index card under the computer, or these spreadsheet or documents that I still see open with people's passwords this year. Anyway.

00:31:19.480 --> 00:31:28.010 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: we gotta take a quick break. But this is great discussion. We'll be right back with Shelley Perkidani, Vice President of client relations at Cantango it Stay with us.

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00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:49.790 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: welcome back to always Friday with me. Stephen Fry your Smb. Guy, we're chatting with Shelley Perkudani, Vice president of client relations with Cantango it keeping your smb in Cantango, watching your back from an it. Perspective some great sentiments from Shelley. Thus far, Shelley, this is where we kind of

00:33:49.790 --> 00:34:02.430 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: move on to the madness part of your world. This is the artistic, observational view of what you do. The stories you have from the field. No subject to taboo anything goes I know there's been plenty to talk about in the last couple of years.

00:34:02.430 --> 00:34:16.300 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: just to kind of round out what we were talking about from the method piece, you know you get the projects implemented. You go. It let last phase, you know. I I think of it in the fiduciary it world as as like Monitor, you know, from the financial services perspective.

00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:40.460 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know, unlimited support. I go back to your your 60 to 90 s response time, which I still can't believe. Is it? So? This kind of goes right along with that like unlimited support, like they want to stay on the phone with you guys. All the 23 out of 24 h. It probably won't, please you. But but yeah, like that's totally doable. Unlimited support it is, it is totally doable. But what we do is we're more practice. So we, you know.

00:34:40.460 --> 00:34:49.650 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: try to make it where they're not on the phone with us, and when they're not on the phone with us. That's great, because that means we're doing our job. If they're constantly on the phone with us. That's time away from their business.

00:34:50.070 --> 00:35:01.490 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and they're focusing too much on it, which they are not the it provider. We are. So. Yeah. So so one thing that you know, I don't know if this is part of the stories you have from the field. But

00:35:01.580 --> 00:35:14.900 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: yeah, and as in any sort of you know, manage service that that I see out there, like, you know, people will will sell it based on on there, or we have great service. And and we're doing things proactively.

00:35:15.010 --> 00:35:32.620 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Yeah, which a lot of times they're not. Let's face it, but also selling based on on scare tactics which it's super easy to scare everybody with the cyber security side of things these days. So it's like you, you know. You even like on some of the content on your side. You gotta protect what you what you built, but you work so hard to build right.

00:35:32.620 --> 00:35:51.220 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: But it's it shouldn't be a scary discussion, right like even the fact that that if you have 5 employees and your business is completely dependent on technology. Almost it's not. It's not out of the realm of possibility to work with cantango. It right?

00:35:51.220 --> 00:36:09.900 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Story is scary, like you know, one of the clients that pull to mind is a women own law firm out of Washington, DC. They're one of my favorite clients, as they were one of their favorite providers. We first met them, you know. They were just unhappy with their it, their it wasn't getting back to them. They had one of these.

00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:26.390 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know professional services that had Hr payroll, you know, and it well, the it part of it wasn't working, you know they weren't getting the attention that they needed. They weren't, ordering the right products, everything like that.

00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:39.750 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and at that time they were only 17 employees as soon as we took over their it because they we spent so much time like trying to get on the phone with it. The printers more printing everything that

00:36:39.810 --> 00:36:43.540 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: once we took over the it.

00:36:44.290 --> 00:36:47.220 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: They then

00:36:47.600 --> 00:36:52.580 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: took over another law firm. So now they're up to 45 people.

00:36:53.170 --> 00:36:57.120 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and we've been managing their it for 2 years now.

00:36:57.220 --> 00:37:04.430 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and that's me. That's great, because we have. They've given us clients. They've given us recommendation.

00:37:04.580 --> 00:37:20.420 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know, and that me is a good story, because it's like it was about growth. It was about growth. They were stuck in a place because they couldn't think of anything else because they were like. Oh, the printer is not printing. We haven't heard back from it, you know, and and that actually

00:37:20.640 --> 00:37:26.370 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: can cause frustration and company culture. Once you remove that you have the mindset of hey?

00:37:26.750 --> 00:37:38.610 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: We don't have. We're not worried about it anymore. Let's grow. Let's focus on. We want to build a bigger law firm. We want to grow, and they've opened up a second location.

00:37:38.610 --> 00:37:51.910 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: So I those stories like that. That's not a scary one. I do have other scary ones, but that's not one. Let's look at them as entertaining, too, because some of them definitely are. Some of them might not be. But there, there's definitely some good material generated from all of this.

00:37:51.910 --> 00:38:13.270 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: But let me let me let me throw another another wrench in there. I I I keep, you know, bringing it back to the the fiduciary side of things which I I almost feel like it's using the f words like people here, you know, fiduciary, and it's immediately everybody gets gets like terrified of what might be said. But I just I just think about you know again my world, that I've I work in, and that I created here.

00:38:13.420 --> 00:38:30.810 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: The idea of being a trusted adviser can take on a lot of different roles right? It could be a a marketing agency. It's not like it could be a financial advisor. It could be an insurance broker. It could be a franchise consultant. There's so many different ways. You could look at the lens of a trusted advisor.

00:38:30.810 --> 00:38:38.470 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: But if I ask the average person like the average business owner, even right now, right? Say, hey, do you have a financial advisor?

00:38:38.700 --> 00:38:53.360 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: The most of them are going to say yes, especially if they're a small medium-sized business owner. Right? But then, say, hey, do you have, you know, a a virtual CIO. Do you have an it support function? Do you have an it, partner?

00:38:54.060 --> 00:39:05.060 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: And and they go? No, I've never like, you know, always felt like I was too small for that. Whatever the objection is, the idea of you know your success depends, you know, on the client, right

00:39:05.210 --> 00:39:11.580 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: very, very similar to the concepts of being a good fiduciary and best interest of the client, and

00:39:11.680 --> 00:39:19.430 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: definitely to being a financial advisor. In a lot of cases where your money is based on how well you're doing for the client. Exactly.

00:39:19.430 --> 00:39:36.930 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Exactly. So. Yeah, I mean. And that's one thing, too. I think we also consider ourselves a great resource for our clients, because in the periodic Business Review, sometimes the CIO is us, hey, you know. Can you build our website, or who do you have you, can you?

00:39:36.930 --> 00:39:45.300 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Who do you guys use for your marketing, or you know. And so in that case, because I do not work a lot, they'll come to me and be like, hey?

00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:57.200 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Who do you know that could build a website? Who do you know that? Can you know, help with marketing this this client is asking, and then I give them a few. So not only that we've now become a resource for that client.

00:39:57.380 --> 00:40:02.770 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and I actually have a client that I have. He has actually come to me. He'd loved us.

00:40:03.110 --> 00:40:06.320 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: He would hire in a new business development

00:40:06.830 --> 00:40:31.200 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: person, and he's like, hey, you network a lot. Do you mind taking her networking? And I did, I, you know, introduced her because guess what they're a happy client, and whatever I could do to help them grow their business. Because again, that's what we do. We continue moving forward, and that's what we want our clients to do. So. If it is something that as a team we can help out with. And again

00:40:31.470 --> 00:40:35.200 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: he refers those clients to, because he's not happy with us.

00:40:35.490 --> 00:40:47.000 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: you know. If you hear some of the tag lines of the radio station of talk radio, Dot Nyc. Here, Professional serving community? I also, I hear, like you know what you say about, you know, being

00:40:47.000 --> 00:41:06.790 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: being an incessant, a networker, which I am too, and everything it's it's it's it's professionals, building community, too, especially when, if you're. If you're speaking to somebody who just entered the respective business and be like, hey? You know what your serial network or go out and and hang with them, and that's that's that's kind of flattering, almost in a certain way

00:41:06.790 --> 00:41:16.380 it is. It is. I took it as flattering because I was like, okay, if I could, you know, help someone else out. I'd love to do that because you know that's the thing I mean when people always say, oh, networking.

00:41:16.380 --> 00:41:39.460 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: What is it we you're now working. You're not working to build good referral partners. That's what you're doing, you know. If you find business out there, you're lucky, but it's to build great referral partners, because that's what we are to Our clients with referral partners and and just like anything else. Not all of them is going to look the same like a lot of. There's a lot of different networking groups that I belong to, and they all have kind of a.

00:41:39.460 --> 00:41:55.240 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: You know, a certain purpose in the in the mosaic of everything, of of where they can really, where where everybody can really best help each other by the way, in one of the weekly networking groups I was in along the way one of the funniest tag lines I heard for a managed it service specialists at it with No. Bs.

00:41:55.370 --> 00:41:56.690 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Yeah, that's a good one.

00:41:56.920 --> 00:41:59.490 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: That's a good one. I like it. I like it.

00:41:59.830 --> 00:42:19.530 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: So let's let's talk about some other a like some fun madness things for a second. So I I saw the cantango Cares aspect of the business. Yes, yes, we do get back, so we get back to our clients, we give a certain percentage to to for them to donate to certain charities that are

00:42:19.530 --> 00:42:26.700 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: that are on our website. Also, if there is a charity that they already contribute to, we'll reach out to that charity to see about.

00:42:26.810 --> 00:42:28.650 you know, helping to

00:42:28.660 --> 00:42:36.860 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: bring them more funds from a. From some of our clients. So that's what we do. We love to get back to the community.

00:42:37.590 --> 00:42:53.350 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: There you go, professional serving community, professionals, building, community, good good community feeling comes from all this. I I think, back to all the folks that I've interviewed over the last 2 and a half years, and how many of them are sent like kind of centric to this topic in a number of different ways.

00:42:53.350 --> 00:43:09.560 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: like some of them, might be in a similar vein of business to you, but for the most part e even they, they might be some good strategic partners for certain aspects of the business. But yeah, the other ones all great, all great ways to build the community it's all about.

00:43:09.620 --> 00:43:20.950 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know. Bring me back to the you and Karma, you know you want to get back. You want to get back where we are blessed. and having a very successful it consulting business.

00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:40.780 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and I mean we do it with our. You know our employees, too. We have, you know, success, and and they get positive feedback. They get crew who points, which then they can. You know they get money to spend at crew that has different, like, you know, Apple Products, Starbucks lunches, days off.

00:43:40.850 --> 00:43:43.370 and it's just fun, and everybody gives.

00:43:43.410 --> 00:43:44.780 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know they're

00:43:45.070 --> 00:44:03.750 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: colleague a bad, and it has points attached to it. And also you know why they're given the bad. Why, what did this person do? Are they, you know? Are they charging for it? Are they professional? Are they doing the right thing? Are they up with the customer experience?

00:44:03.810 --> 00:44:25.060 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: What is it that they did to get that badge, and we talk about it every Thursday. So it's Not only are we giving back to our community, but we get back to our team members as well. Are they? Are these virtual badges, or they are they real like you? Get up like that. They're virtual badges, and we actually because you can also donate to your favorite parity to the amount of money that you've given, like

00:44:25.090 --> 00:44:42.280 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: our colleagues can, and a few of them have given to their fairies charities. Others have get, you know, gotten gift cards to like Starbucks and Apple and Amazon. You know they probably needed to purchase something from themselves, which is well deserved as well.

00:44:42.590 --> 00:44:58.920 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Absolutely. I I know. No, my buddy, Tommy D. Who does philanthropy and focus is, you know, definitely got plenty of things he could talk about with you as well. Yeah, but it's it's definitely especially with my kids at this point. After spending a week and a half with them, chasing them around. Being off the school, is

00:44:58.920 --> 00:45:20.260 they? They? They need to be doing some more to to give back to the community. So it's it's it's it's it's awesome to hear folks in your type of position who are not. Only, you know, you know you could consider it a small medium sized business yourself, but a trusted advisor to small medium sized businesses, and then giving back to the community as well. It's it. It actually makes me feel like, there's some humanity left around here.

00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:26.590 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Yeah, yeah, no, we're we're pretty proud of it. It's it's, you know it's, an it's a little way. But it's an awesome way to get back

00:45:26.730 --> 00:45:35.520 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: absolutely. We gotta take a quick break, but we'll be right back with Shelley Perkidani, Vice president of client relations at Cantango. It. Stay with us, everybody.

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00:47:09.470 --> 00:47:19.410 This need to talk radio. Nyc: at Ww: talk radio and Yc: now broadcasting 24 h a day.

00:47:42.840 --> 00:47:59.950 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Welcome back to always Friday with me, Stephen fry your Smb. Guy. Not just me. We're hanging with Shelley Perkudani, vice president of client relations at Cantango it keeping your smb in cantango continuously, improving having the it support, consulting that you need

00:48:00.130 --> 00:48:09.780 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: very popular topic nowadays. But nice to have a team that can really bring the human element to it. This is not something that should just be done by a robot somewhere, right?

00:48:10.220 --> 00:48:27.980 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Right? The robots might be causing a whole lot of the problems actually, for every I that taking over and whatnot. So, Shelley, this is the message part of the show, the whole idea from weekend insight to Monday impact before everyone starts getting loaded this weekend and hanging out.

00:48:28.250 --> 00:48:44.110 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Yeah, we want them to really take home some sound bytes that they can take action on. Come Monday morning, and you know this is something that you know whether folks have like an it solution that they partner with or not. It's it's on their mind all the time it has to be, because

00:48:44.110 --> 00:48:57.880 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: the whether your business is like, you know, closer to 100% technology dependent. Or if it's just 50% technology dependent, it. It's a it's a crucial part of the process. But some of the things that we talked about real quick.

00:48:57.880 --> 00:49:11.080 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: you know, do the basic stuff? Well, this is something that you know. Again. You know, even relating things back to finance. People don't do the basic things well, right, and that's that. They start asking about the wildest things, and they're not doing basic things well.

00:49:11.190 --> 00:49:30.610 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: But you, you know, when you said, eliminate the it, distractions which I you know, I definitely take take that to heart as well. It's something that again, while it might be on the mind for various reasons for the business owners, it it shouldn't be, you know, operating expenses, taxes, and health insurance, understand, on top of growing the business and all that. But

00:49:30.610 --> 00:49:40.540 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: but this stuff, like, if if yeah it's it they should be able to get a 60 to 90 s response time. Right? So i'm just going to keep asking you until you tell me it's impossible.

00:49:40.680 --> 00:49:55.190 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: all right. But the also the idea that we were just talking about, you know community, and that's something that you know a lot of times. You, you might not. You might not hear about, you know, having this world, you know, especially in the city, like there's tech meet ups and things like that I've definitely attended those before.

00:49:55.190 --> 00:50:03.250 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: but you know, enjoying the journey together. It's like when you think of an operationally minded vendor that's not focused on growth like

00:50:03.710 --> 00:50:09.770 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: it's. You don't hear that they can't enjoy the journey. How who thinks of their it? Department? It's far like.

00:50:10.440 --> 00:50:13.580 or you, you know you should. You should think of. Well.

00:50:13.770 --> 00:50:31.590 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you have to realize communication, and so enjoying the journey together. You know it's because there's going to be tough times. There's going to be tough times, you know, where things are out of our control, but we're able to be there for them. So you know, if Microsoft is down for 8 h. We're there to communicate

00:50:31.590 --> 00:50:43.450 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: with Microsoft to let them know. Hey, look! It's down. This is gonna this is gonna be your downtime. This is what's gonna happen. It's out of our control. But let's we're going to continue to be on it. you know, so that

00:50:43.510 --> 00:50:48.990 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know what's going on. Not just like well down. We'll let you know when it's back up, you know.

00:50:49.020 --> 00:50:56.340 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Oh, thanks! That's another thing, too, especially with our access to information these days. The amount of

00:50:56.530 --> 00:51:00.940 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: you know, Service provider types of folks that'll act like it's oh, like you have to.

00:51:00.940 --> 00:51:19.080 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know. Speak to the delicate genius behind the great OS behind the curtain, and the great OS will let you know, and you know it's things are all good to go like that's that's crazy to me. At this point, the more transparent that you can be, the easier the conversation will be with everyone involved. Period. Exactly. Exactly. You know we all like

00:51:19.080 --> 00:51:28.090 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: communication. We all like to know, even if it is bad news, we still would like to know. Hey, look! This is where we're at right now.

00:51:28.180 --> 00:51:31.280 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: But this is the estimated time, and we're on it.

00:51:31.500 --> 00:51:32.580 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Or.

00:51:32.580 --> 00:51:56.220 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: yeah, you know what I what you said that just now all I could think of was somebody to go, and I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first? Every single time somebody says that to me I always take the bad news first. Oh, yeah, got it? Yeah, you have to, right. Yeah, cause you're like, I got to know what what? What? Well, it's not even so much that which yes, it's like curiosity killed the cat absolutely. I got to know what's wrong, but

00:51:56.220 --> 00:52:01.020 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: I do that because I like to leave on a high note, so it's like, All right. Give me the bad news first

00:52:01.060 --> 00:52:08.630 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: through the bad news first. Yeah. Yeah. So it is the you know. It is that communication that, I think you know.

00:52:08.630 --> 00:52:22.680 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: sets us apart, and it really does help with, you know, enjoying the journey together because it is part of that, hey? Look, you know we're in this together. Something happened. There are challenges. There are life challenges there. You know our times where

00:52:22.680 --> 00:52:33.340 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know companies have to downsize or we've even had companies that we have worked with, and they about grown us, and we've actually helped them under their internal it person.

00:52:33.730 --> 00:52:40.150 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know that's bad news for us. We're losing you. But guess what good news we're gonna help you find your internal

00:52:40.350 --> 00:52:49.280 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: It Person: yeah, Absolutely With a group like yours. I could see where that would be. You know. You know part of the part of the thoughts of of of being a good service provider.

00:52:49.280 --> 00:53:11.300 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: The the idea of. You know the success depending on yours, too, though, that you know that again. Just it. It kinda takes away the operational mindset to me a little a little bit, and like makes it focus more about putting yourself in the business owner's shoes, and I again, it's like it. I I didn't really think of it this way until I started talking to you and thinking thinking about the concept of a fiduciary it company. But

00:53:11.300 --> 00:53:13.760 you know, even positioning it to people as

00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:43.750 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: it's like, hey? Like this is a trusted advisor for you. It's like this is a topic that's that's a big deal nowadays, and it's stuff that really your business is semi-dependent on, or completely dependent on depending on where you fall in the spectrum so you can't. It's hard to eat virtual food these days, but taking the order, taking the orders and booking the deliveries and everything. Yeah, there's there's an infinite expanding amount of technologies around all of that. So right right? And some of them Could you help build? Do you like you guys do programming and custom app development, don't you? We do. We do do that.

00:53:43.750 --> 00:53:55.960 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: We do do that. So you know, like, if there are, you know certain things that you can't get off the South that you want it to do certain things. We can do that for you as well real quick. Tell me about some of these awards that you guys have won.

00:53:56.320 --> 00:54:06.210 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Well, you know we we're in a fortune 500 fastest growing companies, You know. We were one of Microsoft first partners to

00:54:06.270 --> 00:54:18.130 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you in their partnership program, and we also have. You know, when Dropbox first came out we were. We were one of their first partners. And so, you know we have.

00:54:18.320 --> 00:54:21.070 We've been ahead of technology

00:54:21.350 --> 00:54:27.790 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: since we started, and that's our goal to always to continue to be ahead because technology is always painting

00:54:27.820 --> 00:54:37.380 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and the only one it always is change. I mean you. And that's one thing we like about technology, right? It's in theory, Yes.

00:54:37.680 --> 00:54:53.790 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: except when it's not working well. Also, when when people decide that it's going to act like a magic wand, and it's going to fix everything without proper people and proper implementation, and all of that, and it just like that doesn't exist anywhere. I'm sorry to burst your bubble.

00:54:53.800 --> 00:54:59.080 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Yeah, no, it doesn't it doesn't and that's the thing you know. It's it's it's a you know

00:54:59.460 --> 00:55:09.390 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: I always like to tell people like, you know we all like that. We could tell our garage door open to open, or you know our refrigerator to tell us what we're out of.

00:55:09.690 --> 00:55:13.770 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: But guess what? They're also connected to the Internet

00:55:13.970 --> 00:55:40.290 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: and unless properly manage that's how a hacker gets it. Yes, the whole thing about, you know, hooking everything up to a Alexa, which I I actually don't have one in this room, so I don't have to worry about spelling it out, but it's it's it's kind of troublesome out there. You have industry, affiliations with vistage and places like I. I I looked at this on the website, and I I've considered this the Shelley department.

00:55:41.210 --> 00:55:59.890 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Well, we do see. That's one of the things, too. We run a very, you know, structured, you know, crew here at Contango. So we belong to you. We have an Eos system. So we have goals for each other. We have rocks for each other. We're always meeting, discussing. You know how to, you know.

00:55:59.890 --> 00:56:10.790 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Are we gonna ideas that we're gonna talk about? What are some of the issues you've had. So even at that on our weekly, you know, reviews. We go over that. So if i'm having a problem like.

00:56:10.850 --> 00:56:30.730 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: you know, my CEO will be like, okay, so let's the idea that let's discuss that. Let's work through it, and that's kind of like what we do with our clients to in those periodic business reviews. Hey, let's discuss this. What are you thinking of doing? And why are you to get doing this? And i'll tell you our recommendation and say, hey, this sounds like a great idea. It gives you somebody

00:56:30.750 --> 00:56:33.170 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: speak to technology-wise.

00:56:33.170 --> 00:56:59.410 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: Yes, a person. Surround yourself with the right people first. Everything else will follow to get in touch with the right people. Who is Shelley Perkudani, who we've been chatting with today? sp@cantangoit.comwillhavehercontactinformationintheshownotescantangoit.com some great content that we've shared from the website today. Get in touch with Shelley for all of your it needs before I let you go for the day on the weekend, Shelley, we're going to revisit your answers to my questions of

00:56:59.410 --> 00:57:15.030 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: who was your favorite movie or a TV show character. What's your favorite movie, your TV show what's your favorite musical instrument, and who's the artist? You'd like to hear play it. So you're apparently a very big Sandra bullock fan. Because you, said Sandra Bullock is your favorite character, I said, which which Sandra Bullock character.

00:57:15.040 --> 00:57:33.580 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: and you named Leanne from the blind side. You named Agent Ashburn from the heat you named Margaret Tate from the proposal, and i'm sitting there waiting for you to say Angela Bennett from the net, and you didn't say it I was. I was so shocked

00:57:33.630 --> 00:57:36.390 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: he doesn't mean i'm going to say that. Answer

00:57:36.430 --> 00:57:55.330 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: I was. I was totally waiting for it. You said it was one of her more serious roles and everything which I totally get, because she she does tend to put the comedy, spin on everything. And yeah, anytime, if I can make myself look like Ryan Reynolds, especially after his 1.3 5 million dollar mo 1 billiondollar mobile sale. I'm totally down for that.

00:57:55.330 --> 00:58:11.900 But great great stuff, Your favorite movie, you said, is practical magic with Sandra Bullock as well, to which sisters raised by their eccentric ants in a small town. They face all kinds of prejudice and a curse which prevents them from finding everlasting love. You're into definitely some of the love stories. Huh?

00:58:12.150 --> 00:58:16.750 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Yes, I do like that. I love it. It's funny, too. I like the I like the

00:58:17.860 --> 00:58:46.490 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: you said TV. The Santa Clarita diet which I haven't gotten into at all yet. But after I read what it was about i'm actually semi intrigued. They want to talk about yeah, that's one of them. You You also said that sometimes I think it was you said your kids compared due to Nancy Botwin from weeds, saying, Not because you sell pot. Let's not get the wrong idea, but because you could figure out how to navigate almost anything, even the impossible situations, which I gotta say, for you know an it specialist and cyber security, and all of the above.

00:58:46.610 --> 00:58:49.630 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Not a bad reputation to have.

00:58:50.120 --> 00:59:15.950 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Then, as far as the instrument and the music side of the world. You said Guitar, played by Carlos Santato, which struck a nerve with me because I passed a huge billboard the other day that said, coming soon to Prudential Center. June 20 first. This year, Carlos Santana. The one is only awesome, awesome. So hope to catch that maybe maybe be a good field trip for me with the cantango. It team who knows? Weird things have happened. But, Shelly, thank you so much for for coming on the show today. Really appreciate you being here.

00:59:15.990 --> 00:59:18.460 Schellie Percudani Contango IT: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. It was fun.

00:59:18.510 --> 00:59:36.570 Steven Frey @alwaysfreyday @smbguy: We're gonna talk to my friend Kelly from social stamina next week on how I could do better with all my social media, everything because I blatantly stink at it. I hope you guys got some weekend insight to make a Monday impact. Thank you for joining us here on always. Friday. We'll be back next week, Friday, 11, a M. Eastern time right here on talk radio and Nyc. Bye-bye, everyone.