At IT Nation 2015: The Profit host Marcus Lemonis, ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini, IT Weapons CEO Ted Garner and ChannelE2E CEO Amy Katz.
Recently, roughly 3,000 channel partners and vendors had the opportunity to sit down and listen to Marcus Lemonis ("The Profit") speak at IT Nation 2015. Marcus pushed for vulnerable moments, encouraging people to share their feelings more than I've ever seen in a public forum. His goal, it seemed, was to show the audience they weren't alone -- that many people had the same feelings of fear and/or inadequacy.
Then, Marcus asked the audience to stand if they felt like they knew what they were doing or something like that. I don't remember the words exactly, but I understood his question to mean "Do you think you are on the right path?" I stood.
Applying Some Context
Ultimately, I do believe After Nines Inc. (ChannelE2E's parent) is on the right path. I don't believe we've figured it all out. I don't believe we have all the answers. And I'm sure we never will; there's no fun in that anyway.
But I know these things:
- We are insanely passionate about our brand ChannelE2E
- We are equally passionate about the market we serve - the IT channel
- We know what we do - and don't want to do - and have structured our business accordingly
When I stood up I didn't expect to be pulled on stage to have Marcus drill me about our business. It was awkward; unlike the majority of the audience that was sitting among their peers, I was sitting among our clients and our readers.
But it was an exercise and an opportunity that I certainly wouldn't trade and I wouldn't approach any differently. I wanted to let the audience know what ChannelE2E is all about - sharing your stories about your business journey...
What Defines Success?
Ultimately, the most important validation our team looks for is not financial. Of course we need a sound financial model, but our daily focus is you: your readership, your interaction and your feedback.
We will continue to work hard to innovate, to cover the market responsibly and to earn your readership every business day.
We don't know it all. We don't have it figured out. But we are confident that we are on the right path and operating with honesty and integrity.
Amy Katz is a technology entrepreneur who has launched, built and sold a range of IT media platforms. As president and CEO of After Nines Inc., she oversees business development, sales and finance for the overall company and ChannelE2E. Read all of her blogs here.
