#CommunityOverEverything Milligan Partners

Welcome to our Member Spotlight Series, where we proudly showcase the businesses and individuals making an impact in our coworking communities and throughout the DFW metroplex. Today we have the privilege of highlighting Tyler Milligan with Milligan Partners, a technology and operations consulting firm out of CityCentral Addison. Join us as we learn more about Milligan Partners and the work they do for their diverse clientelle!

Tell us a little about Milligan Partners.

Milligan Partners is a boutique consulting firm focused on technology and operations in the transportation space. We serve clients all over the world through strategic planning, organizational management, procurement of services and systems, project delivery, operations support, and staff augmentation. 

What lead you to starting Milligan Partners?

My brother and I started Milligan Partners back in 2012 in an effort to create a technology and operations consulting firm that focused on the client rather than the company’s bottom line. It sounds cliche, but we were coming from a Fortune 500 company which was had their growth goal tied to mergers and acquisitions. The company we had worked for got bought by the big corporation, and they were constantly pushing hard on profit and efficiency. They would assign staff to projects because they needed to increase gross margin rather than assign the most qualified team members to the work. I worked on one project where a sister office would continually send staff over that had no applicable experience. The project team was nurturing a critical regional client and our team’s reputation was damaged because of the sister office’s attempt to increase revenues for reporting sake. Over the past 12 years we have proven that one can deliver a good work product, a good employment experience, earn a good living, and sleep at night because we are ethical in our business practices. 

What sets your business apart from your competitors?

We work to maintain a vibrant, creative, and cooperative culture. My brother and I want our staff and our clients to enjoy the work experience. This comes through starting with our employees, and how we treat each other. We also try to teach whenever we can, provide opportunities for growth, and make sure we listen to the needs of others (especially our clients). That helps us truly solve the problem at hand and have a good time doing it. What is the use of living if you can’t look back and say to yourself your time was well spent.

What is something you wish you’d known when you were just starting your business?

Do not give free work. A friend told me early on that I should show the full price and then discount the work if I felt the necessity to offer some additional support. That way my client always knows the full price and understands what my time and effort is really worth. 

How to do you navigate your work-life balance?

I suppose the assumption is that we spent at least 40 hours a week working and we somehow need to not get consumed to the point that our personal life isn’t neglected. I learned from a mentor that the concept of balance isn’t honestly possible. It’s a series of trade-offs we just simply have to commit to because that is what we and our audience deserve. 

This mentor was a CEO of a large and mature transportation agency. I was at a leadership academy where he spoke and the same question was asked by a news reporter who recently had a baby. The mentor had 5 kids ranging from 1 to 10. He stated he was staying at the hotel with his entire family. He said after this session he would go upstairs and spend the rest of the day with his family but then go out to eat at dinner with us at 6pm that evening leaving his family behind. He made sure that whatever space he chose to be in at that moment, he had decided to be fully present. That way, such as at that moment, he gave us everything he could commit to us while we had questions for him. Then after he walked out of the session, his family would be his focus. I make sure my family, staff, or friends know that when I am on their time I am committed to them. I just have to always be mindful of how the proverbial cups [of personal and work time] pour back and forth into each other. 

Lastly, time at the dinner table with my family is sacrosanct. There are no phones near, and we don’t miss dinnertime. It is a constant. My family needs to know we all share a commitment to be present and engaged to each other.
 

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Working with the people. I am an extrovert and love interacting with my staff or my clients.

How has being a part of the CityCentral community affected you and your business?

CityCentral has been a huge help in helping me perform my job. My office is a storage unit, a quiet place, a creativity space, and a mailbox. CityCentral offers a balance of a shared work space as well as a more traditional office space. This helps me as I consider employees of various generations because they can work in whatever space they are most comfortable. 

If you had a friend in town, and you could take them to one of your favorite restaurants or spots in your community, where would you take them to?

One of my favorite restaurants to go to is Whiskey Cake for guests who are in town. They have a creative but not too crazy menu and have a good cocktail and drinks menu. Atmosphere is always good as well.

We want to thank Tyler for his enthusiasm in participating in our spotlight series. If you would like to take part in our member spotlight, don't hesitate to reach out to your community manager. We are always eager to help your business in any way we can!