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Byron Middendorf
August 23, 2021
Last week our newest employee, Chase Haley, sat down at his desk for the first time. Fresh out of college, Chase has his full career in front of him. I still remember when I sat at my first desk at AT&T in 1982. Everyone seemed so much smarter and experienced than I, so comfortable, so confident. My new shoes were pinching my feet, I had too much starch in my crisply laundered shirt, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that everyone was staring at me and already recognizing every one of my shortcomings. Truth is that most people didn’t even know I was there.
On Chase’s second day, I saw him working with two of our most senior developers, David Bastin and Chad Henke. Between the two of them, they possess close to sixty years of experience and wisdom that only comes from having been there, done that. When I interviewed Chase, I told him that he could go work for a larger company. Amazon and Oracle are building large headquarter facilities here in Nashville. Or he could come work for us, where he would have the attention and responsibility that comes from working closely with senior employees on significant projects.
That is one of the secrets of Equinox’s success over thirty-five years of existence. It starts with who we hire and why we hire them. It goes without saying that we hire smart, capable people. But there is an intangible quality that does not appear in any of our job listings but is an integral part of our DNA. We hire nice people. Individuals who care about others. People who do not lord their seniority and experience over others. But rather they remember when they first sat at their desks and worried they did not measure up.
The pandemic of the last 18 months has had a significant impact on jobs and work environments. One of the costliest casualties is what Steve Jobs called “serendipitous interaction”—the informal interactions that happened at Apple. Informal conversations that imparted wisdom. Nothing you would schedule a zoom call for or dare insert into a tightly controlled agenda. These interactions shape who we are as a company, that show by example who we are and how we work.
Over the years of my lifetime and my career here at Equinox, I have witnessed the enormous impact that mentoring relationships have on individuals and organizations. Just as David Bastin was providing guidance to Chase last week, twenty-six years ago, one of our first employees Dennis Wynne was doing the same thing for David. Tools to use, philosophies for solving problems, habits to cultivate, how to treat others, how not to treat others. We learn by example. We teach by modeling.
When I was a child, my family, like many, experienced some turbulent circumstances. At age 12, I found myself without a father in my life. Fortunately for me, a man in my church named Donny Biggs recognized the loss and decided to step in. He gave me opportunities to belong, small jobs that boosted my confidence, big jobs that stretched me. He provided guidance and embodied the caring spirit that I so desperately needed. His personal involvement changed the course of my life.
A few weeks ago, Donny passed away and his widow asked me to speak at his memorial service. What an honor to tell his friends and family about the remarkable transformation his kindness wrought in me.
Whether in our personal or our professional lives, there is no more powerful force shaping the next generation of citizens or employees than looking beyond yourself and caring for others. I have witnessed it in my own life, and I witness it every day at Equinox as we come back together in our office. To the employees of Equinox over the last thirty-five years, thank you. Thank you for being my family away from home. For caring for each other. For teaching by example. And most importantly for countless “serendipitous interactions” that not only delivered wisdom, laughter, and care, but also set the stage for the next 35 years!
Byron Middendorf is the CEO, owner, and founder of Equinox Information Systems, where he oversees the company’s sales, marketing, implementation, and support initiatives. With almost 40 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry, Byron provides vision and long-term strategic development for the company and its suite of software solutions. Although he enjoys those tasks, he is most passionate about his mission to ensure Equinox is a great place to work. To learn more, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.
