On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Delcie Bean, CEO of Paragus Strategic IT.
Delcie Bean started the company that became Paragus when he was only 13 years old. Although he didn't flourish in the traditional school environment, he found great success in entrepreneurship at an incredibly young age. By his high school years, Delcie's business required an office space and employees of its own to meet client demand.
Today, Paragus has become one of the most successful, fastest-growing IT firms in the region and was named a 2020 Forbes Small Giant: Best Small Companies in America.
Over the years, Delcie has worked hard to build a culture defined by fostering fun for employees and customers, a spirit of transparency, and humility. But that has also meant making tough decisions about transitioning out people who no longer fit the culture, and knowing when the organization has outgrown its talent.
Delcie also believes in giving back to his employees: Paragus has a unique Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) structure that puts ownership of 40 percent of the company in the hands of its 50-plus employees.
In this episode, hear Delcie's (very) early experiences in entrepreneurship and how he built the award-winning culture at Paragus today. Plus, hear Paul and Delcie discuss the hardest failure Delcie has ever lived through and what he learned from it.
Eric Rieger: Unpacking the Past
Andy Fowler: The Accidental Entrepreneur
Kate McCrea: The Sweet Side of Leadership
Angela Barbash: Empowerment Through Financial Literacy
Mel Gravely: Reframing How We Think and Talk About Race
Conni Reed: From ”Un” to Fun
Drew Patrick: The Company Is Yours Now
Leslie DeMent & Sabrina White: Dodgeball, Friendship, and Shonda Rhimes
Torey Carter-Conneen: Our Work Continues
Colin Quinn: Every Leader Needs a Sounding Board
Bonus Mailbag with Mackey McNeill: How to Thrive, Not Just Survive This Year
Jim Hume: The Harsh Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
Khalilah "KO" Olokunola: From the Block to the Boardroom
Ari Weinzweig: While the World Gets Louder, Humility Can Quietly Help
Jay Wilkinson: Fired as CEO of Your Own Company
Bo Burlingham: What Makes a Company Great?
Elizabeth Glasbrenner: Can a Leader Care Too Much?
Travis Slisher Interviews Paul Spiegelman: Take Care of the Person In Front of You
Lisa Wise: Empathy Is My Engine
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