How US Marine Tim Conard Rose Above to Strengthen His Community

Tim Conard didn’t know that he was a “poor kid” until he went to kindergarten, where he realized not everyone had patches on their clothes like he did. Where the other kids used old cigar boxes to store their crayons and scissors, Conard needed the teacher to provide him with a white paper sack. A few times per year, the bottom of that sack would break open and dump all his crayons onto the floor. The other kids relished the opportunity to laugh at him, and in his heart, Conard yearned for a way to overcome the “poor kid” reputation and to earn the respect of his classmates.

At the age of 18, Conard found an answer to his yearning when he saw, in Dress Blue uniform, his first United States Marine. He understood, even then, that Marines were elite warriors well deserving of respect, and he decided then and there that he would become one. That would show his classmates and others who had disrespected him. 1 year later, Conard entered the United States Marine Corps recruiting office and enlisted. Conard served for four years in total. In those four years, he gained the confidence he needed to overcome his personal obstacles and pursue a hidden passion for IT. He had enjoyed problem-solving since throwing eggs off the roof of his school in middle school and trying to uncover how to build something that wouldn’t break. Furthermore, his experience with poverty had drawn him to the industry because he knew he could earn a respectable living and he wouldn’t have to go back to dealing with the preconceived notions of his youth. Not to mention, he had always had a knack for it.

In the years that followed, Conard’s passion for IT evolved into a love for service and he became enthralled with the potential for strengthening the community. After graduating with his degree in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems, Conard decided to put his education and life experience to work and open his own business. He knew he could help a lot of his fellow local business owners grow that way. So, in August 2003, TS Conard, Inc Technology Solutions was born.

Overcome, Adapt, and Improvise

TS Conard began as a one man show and Conard quickly learned that starting an IT business was no easy task. He worked 95 to 105 hours per week for the entire first year. Although it was excruciating at times, Conard abided by his Marine mentality to overcome, adapt and improvise.

Failure was not an option.

One great challenge emerged when Conard outgrew his one-man operation and began to hire employees. Although his Marine mentality had helped him persevere in business, Conard’s

Marine Corps leadership style often had employees in tears, which caused most of them to quit after a short time. That plagued his business until he read Dave Ramsey’s Entreleadership.
Upon reading Ramsey’s book, Conard shed some of his Marine mentality and drastically modified his leadership style. He adopted the core values of leading with a servant’s heart; encouraging a culture of teamwork, trust, integrity, and continuous improvement; and family orientation. The company then grew into a trusted, multi-million dollar MSP with over a dozen best-in-class employees.

Staying the Course

Today, TS Conard’s mission is to understand small business challenges and to leverage the right technology that is efficient, effective, and economical to help them. When it comes to the small business clients he and his team serve, Conard says, “We most appreciate their trust and that they know we are always working to do what is right for them. I love to hear clients say, ‘IT used to be the main thing that held us down, and now it’s the one thing we don’t have to worry about anymore.’”

The long-term vision for TS Conard is to help strengthen the community by becoming the premier provider of technology solutions that empower their partners’ success and IT services that help companies become more profitable and thereby able to hire more people.

Advancing the company’s purpose of strengthening the community, Conard recently founded the TS Conard Foundation. The foundation helps raise money to provide not-for-profit organizations with much-needed managed IT services. Conard also sits on the board of South Side Development Corporation to encourage business investment and growth.
Conard defines his ideal customer as a well-established business – like client Lifeline Foods, the third largest corn mill in the United States – that is growth-oriented and understands that investment in technology will strengthen their business. He is looking for company leaders who want a true partner and are open to honest and direct communication. Having a client partner like this makes TS Conard’s team become even more invested in their success because the potential community impact is significantly greater.

Even if a prospect decides not to work with the company, TS Conard is determined to help every company they encounter understand what technologies they need and what will bring value to them. “We educate the heck out of prospects,” Conard says. TS Conard’s team of specialists shares their knowledge freely, which is just one of the things that sets them apart from other IT companies.

TS Conard’s unique selling propositions also set them apart. When you call TS Conard you’ll speak to a live human with no geek speak and have a 60-day out “No Hostages” guarantee should you choose to sign. It all comes back to the purpose of serving others, serving his community, whether TS Conard works with your company or not.

Looking Ahead

Conard continues to evolve alongside the company through weekly peer accountability groups, coaching, workshops, and seminars. As he enters ‘Death Valley’ (the $2 to $5 million revenue range), he is determined to come equipped with his ‘conestoga wagon’ and plenty of food and water. “We’re not going to get stuck with all these holes because we’ve put in all this preparation up front,” says the US Marine. And when he comes out the other side, the community will be better for it.