Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: The podcast for those who find themselves immersed in adversity and choose to write their story instead of having others write it for them. I'm Drew Duraney and I'm your host.
Today's guest is David Quick. David Quick is the founder and CEO of Total Coverage IT, a managed IT services company based in Parsippany, New Jersey.
With over 25 years in the IT industry, coupled with a heavy grounding in accounting and finance, David brings a unique blend of business and technology experience into every client engagement. Enjoy the show.
David Quick. Good to see you, my friend.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: Yeah, likewise too.
[00:00:51] Speaker B: So it's, it's funny, David, of all the guests I've had and you're going to be like, probably episode 170 or something like that, I think you're the one I met the longest ago back in. In 2020, which leads me to. To thank. I always thank the person introduced me to my guest. So Chris Lipper is going to get a direct public thank you right now. Thank you, Chris. I remember being on one of your networking Vang V A N G. Virtual. Do you remember what that stood for, Dave?
[00:01:23] Speaker A: Virtual Area Networking Group.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: There we go. Vang. Never heard that word before, but it's a cool acronym. So thank you, Chris Lipper. So. So, David, the. My audience is always in the beginning. They always know. I talk about how when we're young, we're taught that life is linear, that life is a straight line. If we do A plus, B plus C D is going to happen. It's not malicious thinking. They want the best for us. And for the most part, life is linear until it's not. Until ultimately there's an external circumstance that gets in the way of one of those letters and derails our straight path in life to a more circuitous one.
When that happens, that's when adversity rears its ugly head.
Sometimes we see the adversity and sometimes we don't. When we see it, we have a choice.
With that, I say there's three types of men. You have man number one, who's got a ton of blind spots. He doesn't even see the adversity. He's just living life the way he's told to live and he doesn't change anything. I don't have man number one on this show.
Then there's man number two. Man number two sees the adversity, yet he says it's a barrier. He's the victim. Everybody else is to blame. Life's doing it to him and he can't change anything. It is what it is. And he lives on autopilot on his deathbed. Boy, does he have a ton of regrets. I don't have man number two on this show.
Now I do have man number three on the show. That's David Quick. Man number three has a heightened self awareness, sees the adversity and says, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
This adversity is not a barrier. It's an opportunity to do something different, take massive action and become a stronger man on the other side.
So with all of that, David, if you could reach back as far as you need to for that defining moment in life, whether it was the tap on the shoulder, the whisper in the ear, or what I needed two by four upside my head, that transformed you from the man you used to be, man number one, or two, or both, to the man you are now and how that transformation has impacted you personally and professionally. Would you care to share that defining moment with us?
[00:03:32] Speaker A: Yeah, sure, Drew. Yeah, thinking about it and I gave it quite a bit of thought.
My biggest transition was when I left my full time job back in early 2018 to go into business full time.
Because prior to that I had been running the business kind of as a side gig and I started this is in 2008 but it was more of a side job to the real business and I was a very, shall we say, very reserved person. I liked having a full time job.
I was, I was not much of an extrovert.
This goes all the way back to my childhood. I never talked in school, always took the sure and easy path.
But deep down I had always wanted to be entrepreneur.
Went back to my teens when I, when I helped my uncle in the flea markets that I kind of got the bug then I believe, looking back on it, but I didn't do anything with it. I just went to college.
What's expected of you? You got, got a full time job, got a full time job.
And while these were great jobs, I was comfortable. But there was still something that was unresolved is I had given into my timidness and just kind of just took the easy path.
So it came to a head in around 2017 where my job was a great job and the scope of the job was actually increasing which made it such that I had to devote more time to it and less time to buy business.
[00:05:19] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: So I had to make a choice. Did I want to continue being in a job or say the next 15 or 20 years working for somebody else or did I want to go full on into my business and just dive right into it and, and take the risk.
And there was a pivotal moment for me because my natural inclination is not to do it because I want, I want to be comfortable.
[00:05:51] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:52] Speaker A: But I made a decision and I think in the end it was the only decision I could make because it was inside of me all along.
[00:06:03] Speaker B: Right.
[00:06:04] Speaker A: That I wanted to be an entrepreneur.
So that overcame all my interpretations and I just did it.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Wow. So what was, what business were you in working full time?
[00:06:20] Speaker A: Total Cover it. I, I had started Total Cover it as a company.
[00:06:24] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:06:25] Speaker A: In 2008. So I basically I, I filed the paperwork and I had a company. But there's more to, I learned there's more to it than that.
[00:06:36] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:06:37] Speaker A: And again, I thought that I could build the business while I was working full time.
Again, the saving easy route.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: Right.
[00:06:48] Speaker A: I had the, the steady income and I could, I could, I could go out and get clients and do the work and grow the company. But it's what I realized is the two that were not cannot coexist.
[00:07:03] Speaker B: Right, Right.
[00:07:05] Speaker A: They cannot coexist.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: Were you in I, Were you in I T full time while you had the I T business on the side?
[00:07:12] Speaker A: Yes, yes. I, I, I been in it for dating myself close to 30 years.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:07:21] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. About my last full time role was as IT Director for a regional accounting firm here in New Jersey.
[00:07:28] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:07:29] Speaker A: I had started that in 2000 and that was the job I was working when I finally decided to just go into business full time.
[00:07:37] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:07:37] Speaker A: And again, it was a great job. And it was when I landed the job, I was in IT for only three years.
I got my first full job. That was a really wide scope as IT Director. I was very excited about it early on.
It was a great job and we accomplished quite a bit and we transformed the firm through implementing technology upgrades. It was great. And, but the job was a job and I was, I was building someone else's dream and not mine.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: Ah, that's. See, that is a wonderful point right there because we don't often realize when we're doing it that we are building somebody else's dream. So. So, Dave, when it got to that point where you wanted to work full time on your own business, and I know how different, how challenging it must have been to leave that job.
How did you approach the boss and, and how did they take the, the news that you were going to leave to go on your own?
[00:08:45] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I was very low key about it. I mean, I pulled the managing partner, the co managing partner Aside and I let him know that I wanted to leave and he passed it along to the partner that oversees the IT and we, I worked with him and that was not really, I think it, I think they were surprised a bit because I don't think they expected me to leave.
So was interesting and they had actually asked me to stay an extra month. Just make sure that everything was handed off in a very smooth way. They had hired another IT staff member. So it worked out pretty well that I was able to hand over my function to the other person and they took over.
I think there was some surprise, but my overseeing partner, he was very gracious about it.
David had a little party for me and one other person that was leaving.
So it was a very cordial departure. It was very love board and very, very cordial. And everybody, all the staff that I worked with over the years were happy for me for what I wanted to do. I, I again I said it's just I needed to grow and that was, that was the way I framed it, which was true. I wanted to grow by focusing on my business. Everybody was very happy for me.
[00:10:24] Speaker B: Good.
[00:10:25] Speaker A: It was, it was very, very fortunate.
[00:10:27] Speaker B: But that's great to hear because sometimes, sometimes those don't turn out cordial. But they understood and I like the way you put it, you're looking to grow and, and I'm sure the individuals there had been at that spot sometime in their life where they needed to grow. So after you made move and do you remember the day like you when you actually left for the last time and you went home and then you looked around and say okay, I have an existing business at home now. I'm here full time now. What. How prepared were you to be a full time entrepreneur?
[00:10:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean I literally also I walked out of the building and got my car like, wow, I'm not coming back.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: Oh, yep.
[00:11:09] Speaker A: Yeah. So it was, it was interesting.
We, it got off to a good start. I actually had had a consulting appointment the day after. So we just got into a good jump start and I guess got into it, got into the business.
It got a little bit, bit of getting used to. Yeah, it was a bit of getting used to for me not having to frame my day in getting to my employer working to the kind of the 9ish to 5ish time frame.
Very often I, I stayed late, worked work weekends for them.
[00:11:53] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:11:54] Speaker A: Emergencies and such. Not having that, it was a big, a big lift off my shoulders because I don't. It was great that I didn't have to live Two lives. I was living two lives.
[00:12:08] Speaker B: Yes, yes, yes. Again, very good point with the living two lives.
And it's very different. I remember when I ended up making the move, managing my calendar was my biggest challenge. It still is a challenge for me.
How'd you, how'd you handle managing your calendar where you owned it now and someone else didn't own it anymore?
[00:12:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
What I learned to do is to schedule my time on my calendar, even if it was not a formal appointment per se.
This block of time was for doing this. This time was for doing content creation. This time was for technical development.
I just framed it on my calendar. Scheduled box of time.
Do certain things.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:12:58] Speaker A: And this way, when I actually did schedule appointments with people, I still had that block of time.
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Right.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: Double to me, I have lots of time that, that I dedicate solely to business development and working in the business.
Because one of the things I learned is that people who start businesses, they get so, so caught up in the business that they don't focus on working in the business. They just focusing on the day to day.
[00:13:28] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:13:29] Speaker A: Working the clients, servicing the clients.
And they get in a, in a never ending loop of selling and doing.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: Right.
[00:13:40] Speaker A: They sell, they can, they get the client and then they do the work. And then while they're doing the work, they're not selling. And all that time they're not in business development.
[00:13:49] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:13:51] Speaker A: Working. Working in the business.
[00:13:53] Speaker B: Right, Absolutely.
[00:13:54] Speaker A: So have boxes high on my calendar. That's something I learned over time to do the first. I mean, the early days might have been more challenging, but I got into it.
[00:14:05] Speaker B: Yeah. That's the tactic of putting it on your calendar is good because it solidifies it as part of your day rather than forgetting about it. So definitely putting tasks on the calendar is important.
Tell us about Total Cover It. And I love your tagline, Our eye is on your T. I've always liked that and I've always liked hearing you deliver that. Tell us about Total Cover It. What is Total Cover it and how do you service your clients?
[00:14:32] Speaker A: Well, Total Cover it is a managed IT company focusing on professional services firms, accounting firms, not surprisingly, because I have quite a bit of experience in that area because I, I spent almost 20 years working with accounting firms.
[00:14:49] Speaker B: Right. So.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: It is industry focus. But not to say that we don't do other types of industries.
[00:14:57] Speaker B: Right.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: But that's our specialty and we can deliver very high value because I know the workflows that went through 17 tax seasons. I know all the software they use, I know what partners care about. What worries them and that sort of thing.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Right.
[00:15:11] Speaker A: So.
So we're IT company or accounting firms mainly, but other professional firms as well.
[00:15:20] Speaker B: So if you were to tell me one of your favorite client success stories, what would that story be?
[00:15:28] Speaker A: Yeah, this was an interesting client, a little bit outside our normal scope, but they are an assisted living company, very large one. You would know the name if I mentioned it probably at the time. This goes back to probably around 2014, 2015.
We got in touch with them through the CEO.
The CEO was the owner of a care facility that we had done some work on installing wireless to their facility. And he was one of the partners in that business.
So he had some challenges with his it.
Interestingly, they didn't have many IT people. He was basically. He was the IT and he brought us in.
It was interesting case of we.
They had outsourced everything.
But one of the challenges when doing that, it's great if we outsource to another provider because then they can handle everything and handle your whole structure.
[00:16:39] Speaker B: Right.
[00:16:41] Speaker A: But problem is that if there are challenges with that provider, you're kind of in a trap, so to speak.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: Yep, very true.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: And they were in a trap.
The services were less than stellar and they want to get out of it and they wanted one of their own infrastructure.
Bear in mind they had at the time, they probably had about, maybe about 15 locations at the time that believe they have more now.
So they're growing.
So we had to work on. We put together a project plan. It was eight month engagements.
So my team put together a plan and we worked with the CEO and the management and we built out infrastructure for them. Okay. In all their locations and firewalls, Wireless, you name it. We did was a very, very wide scope project.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:17:46] Speaker A: And while we were doing that, we were providing, we're providing help that support for all their users numbers at the time. About 300 or so users. Wow.
[00:17:57] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: So we were having support issues while we were rebuilding, while we were building out.
[00:18:04] Speaker B: Right.
[00:18:04] Speaker A: All the infrastructure.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: Right, right, right.
[00:18:07] Speaker A: And the engagements, they were pleased and we handed it off.
We helped them get a IT director own, internal IT director.
I handed it off to them and they were very pleased about it. And this is again, this was back in 2014, 2015.
[00:18:27] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:18:27] Speaker A: And they have grown tremendously since then.
[00:18:29] Speaker B: Great.
[00:18:30] Speaker A: And they now have a full blown IT department with a cio.
There you go.
We laid the foundation absolutely. For them to grow and to get their IT infrastructure in order to. And structure it in the right way.
[00:18:43] Speaker B: So that's a great way to put it, you, you help them lay their foundation. So you could be, you could then go to a different contract and help them lay their foundation. And any organization needs a strong foundation because if you put something heavy on a weak foundation, it's going to collapse. So if nothing else, I mean something that you provide, building that solid foundation for an organization is so crucial. Especially, especially when places are starting up like where the, the, the partner was his, his own IT person.
That's a great way to start.
So thank you for sharing that. That was, that was, that's, that's a great success story.
[00:19:21] Speaker A: That's what we're all about.
[00:19:23] Speaker B: Absolutely. And now they're over your left shoulder. For those watching, there's, there's a picture of something and I'm assuming it's a cover of a book because I have a copy of it. Let's see if we show people Winning the Tech in the Age of AI, the Small Business Owner's guide to leveraging technologies like AI to grow your business and make more money. The author is David G. Quick.
So since you are David G. Quick, tell us about the book. What made you want to write a book, what's it about and who does it help?
[00:19:53] Speaker A: Yeah, sure.
Yeah. This book is a culmination of my close to 30 years in IT and in the course of my consulting work and IT experiences, I've seen many small businesses. I've seen their setups and more often than not, it's been a disaster.
I remember one occasion we were doing assessments for a title company in Central Jersey, I believe, and it was like spaghetti. There were wires everywhere. There was networking equipment hanging by a thread by the networking cable, like a router I was hanging by networking cable was like that. It was, it, it was, it was a disaster.
And I, at the time, when I saw that, I wondered how that all continued to work.
And it was, it was amazing. And, and they were using a IT consultant who was living in another state and had another job. So this was kind of like a, a part time job and they were in another state.
[00:21:00] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:21:01] Speaker A: And ultimately they decided not to go ahead with us. So they did not engage us. So we just moved on the course.
And maybe about a month or so later I got wind that their network crashed.
[00:21:22] Speaker B: Jesus.
[00:21:24] Speaker A: No surprise.
Exactly. I was not surprised. And they didn't call us, which we were probably about an hour away from them. Could have handled emergency perhaps.
[00:21:35] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:21:36] Speaker A: But they called their existing IT company.
[00:21:39] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:21:39] Speaker A: IT person, I should say.
[00:21:41] Speaker B: Right.
[00:21:41] Speaker A: It was just one person who was in the other State and so he had to work to get time off from his job.
[00:21:48] Speaker B: Oh boy.
[00:21:48] Speaker A: So he can drive down from Maryland. I believe it was. Right. Which is about a four hour drive to fix their problem.
So I don't know how many days they were down or how it was ever resolved, but it was, it was not. I was not surprised that the network crashed, but at the same time I was doubly surprised that they called their, their part time IT person to try to fix it and wait for him to come fix it.
[00:22:19] Speaker B: Right.
[00:22:19] Speaker A: It's a pretty extreme example, but it's things like that which led me to thinking that small business owners need to be educated how to properly, properly manage it.
[00:22:29] Speaker B: Sure, absolutely.
[00:22:30] Speaker A: That it's not just an expense. I mean they, they seem to be more in the IT expense, do things a cheap way kind of thing. But it's not uncommon. It's very common as small business, small businesses working to grow their business and make money. And I appreciate that thought.
But at the same time you got to give attention to things that have an impact on your business and it more often than not doesn't get that focus.
And so the purpose of the book is to educate small business owners on the importance of it to a business and not to think about it. It's just an expense, it's a strategic asset.
[00:23:10] Speaker B: Very true.
[00:23:10] Speaker A: That can help your business to run more efficiently and grow. And that is a combination of this book to help to be the guide to the small business owner.
[00:23:19] Speaker B: Right. No, it's, it's a very good point, David. It's got to have a mindset shift going from an expense category to an asset because it is an asset. When it's working for you, it can catapult your business. When it's working against you, it can crumble your business. So, and I know you mentioned about the examples you have in the book and you just mentioned a couple right there. Pretty powerful, David. So David, the audience has certainly captured the essence of David Quick and they're going to want to get in touch with you. So folks, very simple.
You go on David's website, total cover it, meet David Quick. There'll be an online calendar so you can set up time to chat with David. Very enjoyable conversations I've had with David over the time. So please take him up on reaching out to him and getting on his calendar.
Do more. I want to hear more about the book. Whatever you want to tell us.
[00:24:13] Speaker A: Yeah, if you want to, you want to find out more about the book and if you want to buy the Book you can go to again, I made it very easy. Total cover it forward slash winning with tech.
[00:24:25] Speaker B: There we go. I would suggest you pick it up. It's a, it's an easy read. Easy in a good way.
And let me see, he even has a card in here which has a barcode on it and that you can set up a 26 minute executive book summary with him, scan the QR code to schedule.
[00:24:45] Speaker A: Actually, there's actually some information in the back of the book to get in touch with us.
There's a URL you can go to to get more information.
[00:24:58] Speaker B: Oh, there you go.
Wonderful.
David, I have a couple questions to ask you before we head out here. All right, first one, you're sitting down with 7 to 10 year old David and you want to give him advice about life. What are you going to tell him?
[00:25:16] Speaker A: Start talking. Meet. Meet your. Meet people. Meet your. Meet your classmates. Build friendships.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: I love it. Start talking. That's, that's, it's like, that's like the Nike. Just do it, will you? Start talking. I love that. What a great advice. Because there are so many extroverts and kids that are afraid to talk. And the best way to, to, to get connections is to start a conversation.
All right, so now, now you're sitting down with young entrepreneur, young businessman David Quick. And I'm sure you've got some good advice for him. What's some good advice you got for David?
[00:25:55] Speaker A: Be persistent.
Be persistent.
Go get out there and talk to people.
Be persistent.
[00:26:03] Speaker B: I love it. Absolutely. Well, David, I want to thank you for coming on. Thanks for coming into my life, my friend. You're a good man. And it's almost six years since we met and we still haven't met in person and we're both in New Jersey. We got to make it is. It is. We got to make that happen.
[00:26:19] Speaker A: Indeed.
[00:26:20] Speaker B: But anyway, I want to thank you again. You're doing some great stuff for your, for your clients and for the individuals who get to meet you and, and learn how much of an asset it is and, and it's the, your persistence has, has created a wonderful company, published a wonderful book. And I know you have more to come, man, and I'm looking forward to following you.
[00:26:44] Speaker A: Thank you for having me, Drew.
[00:26:46] Speaker B: It's my pleasure. Everybody out there, please take care of yourselves.
Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and give us a review to help others find it.
I'd like you to answer this question.
Are you living the life you want to live or are you living the life others want you to live. I'd like you to think about that for a second, because I strongly suggest you live the life you want to live. If you want to learn more about what I stand for and my services and how I'm able to help many men get out of their own way, please go to my website at www.profitcompassion.com.
feel free to also email me at drewrophetcompassion.com I'd love to have a conversation with you. You take care of yourself and choose to write your own story instead of letting others write it for you.
