Tim Brothers, Innovative Enterprises |
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We invite you to sit back, relax, and join us for a great interview with: Tim Brothers, Vice President of Sales and Technology, Innovative Enterprises
Tim started by saying that his coming to the background screening industry was “a happy accident.” “I was looking for an IT job, and found a company that provided software to the credit reporting industry. Shortly after I arrived, that company started modifying its technology to fit the needs of the background screening industry. It was easy for me to stay, because I saw there was a strong connection between what I was doing and creating safer communities across the nation.”
Tim continued, “As far as joining Innovative Enterprises is concerned, I just asked. Over the past few years, I always spent quite a bit of time with Cliff Williams at tradeshows and other industry related events, and always admired what he was doing. Last year, I finally decided, ’I want to work for this guy!’ and asked him if there was a place in his organization for someone like me. He was kind enough to oblige, and it has been a fantastic opportunity to learn about another facet of the industry I’ve been a part of for almost 20 years. At the same time I like to think that I bring a unique and beneficial set of experiences to the table for Innovative as well. The result has been nothing short of a great fit!”
Are you ready for this? Tim was a full time musician touring a Midwest club circuit 200-250 nights per year. “I had been playing in a rock and roll band as a way to avoid flipping burgers during high school and college. Though I never had plans to play full time, once I graduated from Bellarmine University, I realized I was making a living doing something that was a whole lot of fun, so I continued on for a couple of years after graduation. In fact, I still play 4 or 5 times a month. Once you get that kind of thing in your blood, it’s hard to walk away from it entirely. It also provides a way for me to do some good, as the people I play with generally put together 4-6 charity benefits per year for charitable causes like The Center for Women and Families, Coat a Kid, Race for a Cure, and others.”
Focusing back on the background screening industry, Tim said one of the things he really enjoys about the industry is spending time with the people. “If you think about it, the background screening industry is a really diverse group of personalities. From starched suits and ties representing publicly traded companies to individual entrepreneurs in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops, from highly technical programming wonks to bean counters, we have someone in this industry that represents a unique persona. That makes for some very interesting conversation!”
Many of these conversations lead to the vision of Innovative Enterprises, which is to represent the Gold Standard in the background screening business. “We accomplish this by building lifetime relationships through the act of delivering more than is required, doing what we say we will do, and anticipating our clients’ needs, and on that note, we have some big news to share in the very near future so be sure to ask your readers to make time to visit with us at the NAPBS Annual Conference in Scottsdale.”
Tim added that Innovative’s goal is to create an ever evolving and improving set of services that is powered by the very best available data, along with the best tools and technology to deliver that data in the most efficient way possible to their screening partners. “Bill Bollinger, our Executive Vice President, has told me more than once that we want to provide the canvas, paint and brushes and empower our customers to paint their own picture. I think we have done that and continue to improve upon those capabilities for our customers. Our customers have the unique ability to turn the dial and we provide the results they expect.”
“In addition, we have a team at Innovative that shares an unmistakable passion for the background screening space, which is demonstrated in our commitment to our customers and to the industry as a whole. Three of our employees have served NAPBS as members of its Board of Directors (Cliff Williams, Dean Carras, and myself), and many more have volunteered their time to various committees and sub-committees. This kind of passion generates an overwhelming level of trust and expertise, which allows us to take care of our customers better than anyone else in the business.” Tim smiled and continues, “What else is there to say?”
Looking toward the future of the industry Tim remarked, “I see very uneven change throughout the industry as different states along with the federal government continue to modify the rules of the road.” He expects to see these changes continuing without any real unified plan by those agencies that are calling the shots. “This uneven change will create confusion for those who decide to bury their head in the sand, but for those of us who are up to the challenge and anticipate those changes in advance, there will be great opportunity to innovate and lead in the marketplace.” His enthusiasm regarding Innovative’s position in the future is contagious.
Before closing, I asked Tim about any interesting reading lately and he offered, “‘A Brief History of Time’ by Stephen Hawking is a really interesting book that I just recently re-read. It’s an older book as far as physics goes, but it takes concepts like string theory that are really hard to get your head around and makes easy reading out of them.”
He also said that the most interesting people he would have liked to have spent time with would have been Lewis and Clark during their expedition west. “The world is fast becoming a place where there are no secrets or mysteries. But back then the majority of the map of what is now the United States was a big question mark. To travel with the two explorers that unlocked the American West, venturing into the unknown and making it back alive, would be something I would have liked to have experienced.”
Finally, Tim closed with his favorite quote, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Click here to learn more about Innovative Enterprises
Contact Tim at tim@knowthefacts.com or 1.888.777.9435