When Lester Kirk is looking for technicians, he looks for one thing in particular: integrity.

“I believe integrity will always lead you in the right direction, no matter what’s going on around you.”

It’s a belief that strengthens Lester’s relationships with clients at his company, Tek-Genius IT Solutions, which currently offers service in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

He also looks for curiosity:

“If techs have the will to learn, and if they’re open and patient during the learning process, chances are they’re going to make it in this industry.”

This much Lester knows from experience. An experienced technician himself, Lester got involved in IT services as a side hustle. Lester has experience taking on a variety of types of work on Field Nation, including point-of-sale, networking, and low-voltage cabling. His willingness to try new things and learn along the way made him a perfect fit for the industry.

“While I was applying to jobs post-college, I fixed computers on the side. Simple stuff mostly: removing viruses, laptop repairs,things of that nature. After a while, as I was gaining traction through word of mouth, I realized this is actually something that I’m good at––and it pays enough for me to make a living.”

One day, while out running errands, Lester noticed a technician performing some maintenance work. He struck up a conversation and learned that the tech had secured his current project through Field Nation.

“The rest is pretty much history, at that point. He gave me the website, I signed up, and I took off like a rocket ship.”

Now, Lester is able to employ and collaborate with other technicians across a broad spectrum of service offerings and geographies. Since starting his business in 2016, Lester has built key relationships and grown his network to include major companies. A standout Tek-Genuis IT Solutions contract entailed working on one of the largest ground shipping facilities in the world.

His success relates back to the premium he puts on integrity, and the way that integrity creates a productive bond between technician and client.

“Today, technology is pretty much the backbone of the corporate world. But a lot of people either aren’t computer savvy or they don’t have the time to be computer savvy, so they need help from someone like me. Seeing the level of satisfaction and relief they get from our services––I can say that’s something I see consistently, and I’m grateful for that.”

When mentoring technicians, Lester likes to remind them that the key to a successful job is having the right outlook.

“When we’re in the field, I tell my guys: there are no problems, there are only situations. If you focus on some sort of resolution, your path to a solution will be much smoother. You’re able to think with a clear mind because you’re focused on the solution and not the problem. Positive over negative.”

Lester fortifies this outlook with podcasts and audiobooks, which he listens to as he drives to and from worksites. He cites The Magic of Thinking Big as a particularly good read.

His extensive background as a technician helps keep his relationships with Tek-Genius technicians strong.

“I know it’s a cliché, but I really do view them as working with me as opposed to for me. I always look at it as a mutual relationship. I think that alone gives us a lot of leeway. It makes learning easier, and that means the work gets done right.”