IT and Ice Rinks: Problems Worth Solving | with Joe Zueger
On the latest episode of Behind the Business, Founders in the 605, Marcus and Alexis Mahlen sit down with Joe Zueger, founder of Workplace By Direct. Based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Workplace By Direct is a company that delivers managed IT services, business IT support, and security solutions to organizations.
Joe grew up in the Sioux Falls area, and started his career in the IT industry while planning to go to law school. He realized he wanted to continue working in IT and founded Workplace IT in 1997 after finding a gap in the market for pro-IT services for small businesses.
In this episode, Joe explains how Workplace experienced astronomical growth, his unique recruiting philosophy, and how he knew when it was the right time to sell the company. He also explains how he founded Ice Sports Association (ISA), which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded to promote the benefits of all ice-based recreational activities for youth and other ice users in Sioux Falls and the upper Midwest region, and how that led to the development of the SCHEELS IcePlex, which opened its doors in October of 2014.
Today, in addition to serving as the director of the ISA, Joe helps organizations from 2 - 42 employees effectively navigate business plateaus through his consulting company, TRUELUC Advisory. As he explains, each organization he’s founded has been inspired by building a solution to a “problem worth solving”.
Click below to listen to the episode on Spotify.
From left to right: Alexis Mahlen, Joe Zueger, and Marcus Mahlen.
Joe Zueger recording this episode of 605 Founders Podcast in the Loft Advisors Studio at First Dakota National Bank.
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Stay connected with ISA/SCHEELS IcePlex on Instagram, Facebook, or by visiting their website.
