The Columbus Chamber and Capital University have partnered to bring the first business-themed podcast to Columbus. During cbuzz, Columbus-based brand journalist Mikaela Hunt will speak with local business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders and allow them to tell their story and highlight their organization, while further inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit that is buzzing in the city.
Running a successful business for 27 years doesn’t come without some lessons learned along the way. From taking the leap, to knowing when to pivot, and keeping up with today’s trends, PSI Founder & CEO Keith Stevens doles out some wise words on the latest episode of the Columbus Chamber cbuzz podcast.
It was humble beginnings for what is now a thriving IT consulting firm offering executive oversight, program and project management, staffing, workforce management and more. As it turns out, playing the lottery wasn’t the way to find funding for his new venture. Instead, Stevens scaled back his expectations, and realized all he really needed to get started was a phone and a place to sit.
Stevens has kept things going and growing by being open to change and learning from failures.
“You can have a path that you think is…you know where you’re going, but based on client and customer input and opportunity, be open to change,” he says.
PSI has reinvented themselves two to three times over, most recently in 2008.
“Don’t waste a perfectly good recession,” Stevens says.
During the Podcast Stevens also discusses how trends are influencing both their team and their client work.
Working in a variety of industries, PSI encounters sectors like manufacturing and industrial services that are steeped in monolithic systems. The firm works with those companies to digitize their environment. It can mean the difference between that business owner working in their business or on their business.
The gig economy and remote work impact both facets.
“It’s no longer necessary to come into an office to play a significant role,” Stevens says.
It has taken some adjustment, but getting work done is getting work done – it doesn’t matter as much how or where it happens. PSI is looking at transitioning some of their staff to remote workers.
Keith Stevens of PSI
When technology is changing at lightning speed, PSI has stayed in the game by being agnostic to any particular technology. The same technology can have a lot of applications across industries. Stevens also says it’s about always being willing to hire people smarter than him. What the tech industry is seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg and he expects mind-bending advancements over the next five to 10 years in everything from facial recognition to augmented reality.
Listen to the full podcast to hear more about what Stevens is up to in Silicon Valley, how corporate social responsibility has always been engrained in PSI’s operations, and his advice for entrepreneurs thinking of taking the leap.
Never miss a cbuzz podcast! Visit the Columbus Chamber website for more great stories and advice from local business owners.
— The Columbus Chamber of Commerce offers news, information and other resources that are free and available to all businesses at columbus.org. —
