#communityovereverything: Mario DiMarcantonio
People join shared spaces for a lot of reasons. Some join because the company they work for took space there. Others (entrepreneurs, freelancers etc.) choose coworking spaces for the idea and creativity fostering environment they create and to have an office space they call their own. Many of our own members fall into both categories, but a lot of newer members are a part of the latter group. Mario with Progressive IT Solutions is one of those members! Mario came to CityCentral after COVID made working from home one of his only options. We are so happy to have him as part of our community and we were fortunate enough to sit down with him to discuss, his life, career, and company, Progressive IT Solutions!
It’s the way we deliver IT services that really matters.
Progressive IT Solutions, founded in 2007, is an IT company that focuses on IT, cyber security, and compliance. They cater to niche clients such as private equity firms, venture capital, and family offices. Mario, founder and CEO, and his team focus on delivering the best service possible to their clients. They provide high touch concierge service to every one of their clients. For Mario, that is one of the most important aspects of what they do. The way they communicate and prioritize that communication with their clients sets them apart from other IT companies. Mario said, “Communication, quick response times, taking care of all the little details. We take care of everything so when our clients need something, they know it’ll get done right the first time.” Another thing that sets Progressive IT Solutions apart from other IT companies is that they allow their clients direct access to their techs. If you have a tech that is supporting you and you have a quick question, you can text them and they’ll respond in seconds. With their high touch model, and highly trained techs at their client’s fingertips, Mario and his team put a lot of effort into their customer experience.
I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a kid.
Business owners get started in business for a lot of different reasons. Some create solutions where they see a need, and others create companies for the love business. Mario has been an entrepreneur since he was young. We all had kids in our classes that would find every opportunity to create a business of some sort. Mario said, “I would find business opportunities, it was just exciting to me. I didn’t find entrepreneurship until later in life, but I was the kid in school selling gum.” Mario’s love for business led him to creating Progressive IT Solutions. Mario found that IT was a good fit with his personality, but if he were not in the IT industry, he would probably be working for himself in another industry. Mario said, “I like taking measured risk and trying new ideas. Even if I sell this company, I’m just going to do something else. I already know I’m never really going to stop.”
We need change and variety in life.
Like many people, Mario found himself working from home during most of 2020. He joined CityCentral in December of 2020 and ultimately found a place that helps him separate his work and home life. Work/life balance is something that a lot of people, entrepreneurs, and employees alike, struggle to achieve. When we asked Mario about his work/life balance, this is what he told us, “What is a work life balance? I struggle, that has always been a struggle for me. Being here has helped me feel like I have a separation.” Mario told us that having an office to separate his work and home life has allowed him to mentally separate the two as well. As an owner and entrepreneur, Mario has found that he is always constantly going, doing something for the business about 70-80hrs a week. Working from home just wasn’t working well for him. So, he came to join our CityCentral community! Mario said, “We need change and variety in life. We can’t be cooped up at home for 10 months straight and be okay. This has really helped me have better balance in my life.”
Working and growing a business - you make a lot of decisions every day.
Starting a business takes a lot of hard work. We’ve learned from a lot of our members that getting a business up and running is definitely a learning curve. As a business grows, it must adapt and change its processes and procedures to match the industry, and entrepreneurs don’t always have all the knowledge or skills necessary to run their businesses when they start. Mario shared that there are a few things he wished he knew when starting his business. One of those is having more business finance knowledge and focusing on net profit. Mario has gained a lot of business know-how from some great books. Reading books by other entrepreneurs and professionals has allowed Mario to implement new processes into his business. Be on the lookout for a book recommendation list from Mario coming to CityCentral’s blog in the next month or two!
We want to thank Mario for taking time to sit down and chat with us!
