Summary:
Welcome to a brand new episode!
The Startup Junkies welcomed Kenny Kinley on our 282nd episode! Kinley is the CEO of Edafio Technology Partners and has proven leadership experience in broad roles such as IT, sales, marketing, account management, and more. It was a pleasure to discuss all things tech with him on this episode!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(1:12) Introducing Kenny Kinley
(3:48) Edafio Technology Partners
(9:22) Angel Investing
(12:43) Figure Out What’s Important
(16:47) Anywhere Recruitment
(20:48) The War on Talent and Remote Work Benefits
(26:00) Global Privacy Regulations
(29:21) Future of Tech with Edafio
(32:37) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
“To start a business, not only do you need an entrepreneurial spirit, but you need the programs from the state and also investors.” (10:00) – Kenny Kinley
“Finding that cultural fit, where it’s people you’re going to enjoy working with and there’s good alignment and objectives is really important.” (12:32) – Jeff Amerine
“If you try to hire too fast, then you hire the wrong people, and instead of hiring 35, you end up hiring 45.” (16:16) – Kenny Kinley
“You still need to meet people and have relationships, but instead of four or five face-to-face meetings, there may be one or two, but then the rest of it, you can do virtually.” (23:35) – Kenny Kinley
“I would go back and tell myself, don’t worry so much about what other people think. It is just a vicious cycle… Through mentorships, relationships, and reading you try to soak up all the information and make the best decision you can and just move forward.” (33:10) – Kenny Kinley
Talking Tech with Kenny Kinley
Kenny Kinley joined us in this episode to discuss how his plethora of experience and skill sets landed him to where he is today as CEO of Edafio Technology Partners.
Like many entrepreneurs, Kinley initially did not choose this field. During his senior year of college at the University of Central Arkansas, he realized that account management was not for him. At the time, Axiom was hiring college graduates of any background and thus took a chance on him. Kinley would gain knowledge, leadership opportunities, and experience working with Fortune 100 clients from all across the country for his 15 years with Axiom.
When the travel and work became too much for Kinley to juggle alongside a growing family, his entrepreneurial journey began. He would become associate 13 at Edafio Technology partners and is now going on 26 years with their mission.
Edafio is a technology services company that helps clients run, grow, and protect their businesses. They have grown to include a cyber-security division and a private cloud offering alongside a full-service Microsoft offering.
The most considerable feat for Edafio was getting involved with the healthcare system early in the game. Industries such as hospitals require large complex systems that Edafio maximizes, runs, and offers consulting to.
Kinley also would go on to co-found Cadron Creek Capital, an angel/seed capital investment fund. Cadron Creek Capital is designed to capitalize on the growth in entrepreneurial activity and venture financing by investing in early-stage companies across numerous industries. By being member-owned and managed, they offer opportunities for active involvement in investments.
Kinley was quick to offer advice from his investor spirit. Before beginning anything else, define what you want in a partner. For him, this is writing out an actual list before speaking to a broker or potential partner. Next, find out your company’s core needs. Lastly, allow it to be a long process. There is no reason to expedite the search if you have not found what you want.
For Edafio, the future is a three-pronged approach. They begin by investing in salespeople to double the size of their salesforce. Then their vision is to build a regional platform through acquisition. The third piece is to figure out the channel sales opportunity of getting partners who lead to more clients as well.
The future of Edafio will focus on helping clients navigate the many cyber offerings and point solutions. Their mission is to extend the time and energy necessary to keep up with the ever-changing technological landscape. In order to keep up on both the application and health record front, Edfaio will continue to overcome the war on talent. With the ‘Great Resigngation’ and remote work that can offer you more than previous years, long-term talent retention has been a challenge for everyone. Edafio utilizes partnerships with local universities to acquire highly valuable interns from across the state. If you want to learn more, check out their website.
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