Six channel entrepreneurs who quit to pursue their passions

Is jacking it all in to follow a dream worth it? CRN catches up with six former channel bosses to find out....

Exclusive Networks' founder and CEO confirmed in an interview this week with CRN sister title Channel Partner Insight that he is leaving the distributor after nearly two decades to pursue a "new career" in classic car racing.

But Olivier Breittmayer is not the first industry boss to exit stage left from the IT industry to follow their dream.

We catch up with six prominent executives that have jacked in IT sales to pursue new passions ranging from brewing beer and running gyms, to selling medicinal cannabis.

‘The fitness industry is very similar to the MSP industry'

Name: Paul Tomlinson

Best known in the channel for… Founder of MSP Mirus IT

Where is he now? Co-founder at Fierce Gym

What was the trigger for you leaving the IT industry and starting Fierce Gym?

I felt Mirus was at a point where we needed to consider external investment to grow, but at the same time I wasn't certain I was the right person to lead the business as it grew. We knew and respected IT Lab (now Content and Cloud) so it felt like a natural fit and the most logical step for the business. My wife and I had always wanted to open a gym in Milton Keynes as we knew there was an opportunity to do something different - the deal with IT Lab enabled that to happen.

How is your new venture doing, and what's been the highlight so far in your new career?

It's just gone 12 months since the sale but four months since I left the business. Due to the global pandemic gyms were not allowed to open until late July so it's very early days but I'm really enjoying the challenges a new industry brings. The biggest highlight was opening the doors on day one with my wife to 400-plus eager members who hadn't been in a gym for months. We've now grown the member base to 800 and keep seeing new faces all the time. Added to that awesome first day we've also seen two unofficial world records broken at the gym and the energy that brings to the gym floor is incredible (it almost matches the CRN awards night 😊).

Is the idea of pursuing your passion all it's cracked up to be?

I've always enjoyed the IT channel and working with the team at Mirus so a lot of the time I didn't see it as a ‘job' as such (we had a lot of fun!) but switching to focusing on something you've enjoyed alongside your main career is definitely fun. If I'm honest it's harder work than I imagined it would be! I thought after serving 20 years in the IT channel I'd being relaxing now, but I'm working similar hours for less financial reward (for now!)

Would you ever go back (to the IT channel)?

Once the new business is settled I'd like to return to the IT channel in an advisory capacity. The fitness industry is very similar to the MSP industry: it's all about recurring revenue, the customer journey, providing excellent service, having metrics you measure yourself by. I think with all the similarities between the two and the experience I have over 20-plus years I might be able to help some of the smaller MSPs in the channel see the results we saw at Mirus.

On the next page, meet the former channel bosses whose new passion is cheese...

Six channel entrepreneurs who quit to pursue their passions

Is jacking it all in to follow a dream worth it? CRN catches up with six former channel bosses to find out....

‘Frankly, cheese gives me more satisfaction'

Name: Mark Kacary

Best known in the channel for… Founder and director of IT security incubator CiRRUS Management Solutions from 2009-2012

Where is he now? Owner/Managing Director at The Norfolk Delicatessen Company

What was the trigger for you leaving the IT industry and starting your own delicatessen?

Did I lose my love for the IT industry or did it lose its love for me? In short I lost the love for conference calls, for painfully scrutinising sales forecasts. There had to be something I loved for and what it was was food!

How is your new venture doing, and what's been the highlight so far in your new career?

It's been seven years since I left the IT world and I genuinely wish I'd done so earlier. I love being my own boss, making the decisions, and creating a business. The deli has done exceptionally well, we've won many awards (on average one a year) and not only have we survived but grown year on year and have expanded the business with the addition of a cafe. We're looking to expand further in the near future.

Is the idea of pursuing your passion all it's cracked up to be?

I would say yes, but you've got to be prepared for a lot of hard work, to think on your feet, but more than anything using what you've learnt from working within the IT industry because what you learn within the fast moving world of IT is likely to place you and your business idea ahead of those who've only known the world you're moving into.

Would you ever return to the IT channel?

On occasions when I wish for a slightly easier life I think about IT, but I now know more about the cheeses made in Britain than I do about whatever is the current hot technology and frankly cheese gives me more satisfaction.

See next page to meet the reseller boss who jacked it all in to brew beer...

Six channel entrepreneurs who quit to pursue their passions

Is jacking it all in to follow a dream worth it? CRN catches up with six former channel bosses to find out....

'I was pretty excited about the idea of making something'

Name: Darron Anley

Best known in the channel for… Owner/managing director of security VAR Security Partnerships (which sold to Bytes in 2011)

Where is he now? Managing director of Siren Craft Brew

You started Siren Craft Brew two years after selling Security Partnership to Bytes. What was the rationale?

It seemed like a great idea at the time! I've been a massive follower of beer since long before I was legally allowed to be. I was a fan of Brew Dog. They were the first really to start doing some of the interesting stuff that took beer in a different direction and I just felt it was a fun and interesting thing to follow. And I'd never made anything. Being a reseller you're just buying and selling other people's equipment and maybe adding your messaging to it. I was pretty excited about the idea of making something.

Tell us about Siren Craft Brew

As a team we've grown to 40-odd people. Last year we produced three-and-a half million pints. We've had solid growth. In 2018 we won the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain (pictured above) which was a hell of a thing to win after just five year. We've been rated a top 100 brewer of the world pretty much every year we've been going. It's not been without its struggles, but it's been good.

Is leaving the corporate life behind to pursue a passion all it's cracked up to be?

Some of the skills I had from that past has definitely been helpful. On the whole it's been a really fun thing to do.

Would you ever go back?

No - absolutely not; done that, thank you. I was lucky enough that I owned a business so I appreciate it's not something that everyone in the industry has a chance to do.

Find out what new walk of life a former Softcat director has pursued on the next page...

Six channel entrepreneurs who quit to pursue their passions

Is jacking it all in to follow a dream worth it? CRN catches up with six former channel bosses to find out....

‘The opportunity to work with Liverpool FC was very appealing'

Name: Jamie Burke

Best known in the channel for… Softcat sales director (until 2017)

Where is he now? Founder of branded luggage firm Kitkase

What was the trigger for you leaving the IT industry and starting Kitkase?

I've always had a nagging itch that needed to be scratched when it came to setting up and running my own business. Two years after Softcat's IPO and the successful transition to a PLC it felt like the ideal opportunity to leave on a high and create Kitkase. I'm also a huge fan of sport/travel so the opportunity to work with brands such as Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, UEFA, England Rugby and MOTO GP was very appealing.

Nearly three years on from leaving, how is life, and what's been the highlight so far in your new venture?

Other than the obvious challenges we're all currently facing, life in general couldn't be better. I have two young children, my family/friends are safe and well and Liverpool finally won the league. It's not as rosy from a business perspective as we took the difficult decision to close Kitkase at the end of July due to COVID (it's a truly horrendous time for the travel industry). The biggest highlight other than some huge new business wins with global clients was seeing people at the airport proudly using one of our cases and thinking to myself ‘Wow! We actually made that'.

Is the idea of pursuing your passion all it's cracked up to be?

Other than the obvious disappointment of Kitkase failing, I've genuinely enjoyed the experience, acquired lots of new skills and built some fantastic new relationships. Lewis Carroll had the right idea when he said "In the end……We only ever regret the chances we didn't take, the relationships we were afraid to have and the decisions we waited far too long to make."

Would you ever go back (to the IT channel)?

You can ‘never say never', but returning to IT certainly isn't in my plans at this moment in time. Given the pace of change within IT, I've always believed it's similar to dogs in that one year feels like seven, and if this is true I've been out of it for over 20 years now. For some reason the saying ‘old dogs and new tricks' comes to mind! There are still days that I miss the camaraderie and I love seeing my ex- colleagues' continued successes but it feels like I closed a very enjoyable chapter in my life and moved on at the right time.

Find out on the next page how one former channel exec is now riding with his MotoGP heroes...

Six channel entrepreneurs who quit to pursue their passions

Is jacking it all in to follow a dream worth it? CRN catches up with six former channel bosses to find out....

‘The highlight is riding some of the tracks that my MotoGP heroes ride'

Name: Mike Bienvenu

Best known in the channel for…Technical director at IT security distributor Softek

Where is he now? Owner of motorcycle tuning and parts firm Bienvenu MotorSports

What was the trigger for you leaving the IT security industry and starting your new venture?

That is a long story of betrayal best left for another time. As it happens I had a software developer I had been nurturing for a number of years that had a great piece of software but not a good idea of how to bring it to market. When I left the IT industry it was to work as their European distributor and to help them with marketing and technical support of the product full time.

How is your new venture faring and what's been the highlight so far in your new career?

Because we had the business as a hobby first it was easy once I put in my full attention to ramp the business up to a healthy level of income, first building a network of resellers throughout Europe, Asia and Africa and then into Australia and the USA. Then we took on more products to feed into our established reseller channel. The big side benefit of working in the motorcycle industry is the connections you make to not just your dealers but race teams, so I have been blessed to be invited not only to attend race events as a guest but as paid trackside support for several teams. But the highlight is riding some of the tracks that my MotoGP heroes ride. With a business in motorcycle tuning and parts, what better way to promote your products than on trackdays with a captive audience of like-minded bikers?

Is the idea of pursuing your passion all it's cracked up to be?

I am a firm believer in karma. I would never have taken the plunge if it wasn't for the betrayal [mentioned above], but everything happens for a reason and I couldn't be happier or wish for a better job. In a weird way I owe him a big thank you for giving me the push I needed to turn my hobby into my new career. I spend most days talking to like-minded individuals about something I am passionate about: bikes.

Would you ever go back into IT security?

I still keep my finger in the IT and IT security field. I do some freelance work from time to time and never say never as there are certainly aspects of the career I left behind that I miss. And then on the other hand I could just book another trackday and enjoy my bike!

Which former PC builder boss is now selling cannabis oil? Find out on next page...

Six channel entrepreneurs who quit to pursue their passions

Is jacking it all in to follow a dream worth it? CRN catches up with six former channel bosses to find out....

‘I wanted to source CBD for me and my family'

Name: Nick Boardman

Best known in the channel for… Founder and CEO of system builder Rock Computers

Where is he now? CEO of cannabis oil supplier Lizard Green (among other ventures)

What triggered you to start up Lizard Green?

I had started taking CBD [cannabidiol] oil, but the products on sale either tasted revolting or were massively overpriced. I wanted to source my own product to primarily provide good quality supply for me and my family.

I do a couple other things. I trade crypto currencies, and have Lizard Green as a personal interest project. My main business interest is 0800 Asbestos. I am in partnership with James Bird, founder of Stone Computers, which bought Rock.

Six months in, how are things going for the venture?

Things are going well and we are seeing a strong repeat customer base. Once someone has experienced the benefits, they stick with it.

Is leaving a corporate 9-5 to pursue a passion all it's cracked up to be?

I definitely don't miss the rat race or flying around the world to all the various exhibitions. With two toddlers, it's all about work / life balance for me now.

Would you ever go back to the system builder market?

Every year for the last 10 years, somebody has come to me with a PC opportunity, the last being only last month. Nothing has convinced me yet, but never say never I guess...