How IST Has Been Built to Last

For decades, my favorite book, ‘Built to Last’ by Jim Collins, has influenced my perspective on leadership. Let me tell you why it stuck with me….

Collins spent years studying successful companies, not successful for a season, but infinitely and consistently successful despite setbacks and unprecedented change. This idea, the idea of a company that endures for years, through trends and industry changes, caught my attention early in my career.

When I started IST almost three decades ago, I built it to last.

Collins’ Core Ideology



The central idea of the book is that ‘visionary companies’ embrace a core ideology. This belief centers on a set of values that remain, no matter what changes and evolve around it. IST’s core ideology is encapsulated in our mission statement:

“IST empowers our employees to lead with passion, purpose, and excellence in order to exceed the expectations of our clients and support our communities.”

Delivering strong service has always been the core of our business. Whether it was its small team all those years ago, just figuring it out, or the incredible national workforce we’ve grown into, the mission hasn’t changed.

Culture of Discipline and Preserving the DNA

This first chapter highlights building a company culture where people and values are aligned - from hiring to training. Every company has a culture, whether good, bad, or indifferent. I believe company culture is built from the top down, and it’s essential that my executive team and I, along with all our team leaders, set a clear example of how to serve with excellence. Our incredible PACE and SMART HR training programs ensure entry-level employees are successful in navigating their roles, managing soft skills, and delivering the 5-star IST standard of client service.

I think about our Admiral’s Club trip every time I read the next portion. Inspired in name after my sons and their experience in the Navy, every other year, we bring together our top sales and operations performers and our executive team for a few days of celebration at the beach. Nothing motivates me more than standing in a circle with my teams and recognizing them for the ways they’ve helped us build.

Collins explains that visionary companies protect their ‘DNA’ through intentional leadership development from within. Most of my executive team has been with me between 2 and 3 decades, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

One person doesn’t build a successful organization. I remember when the circle was 5, and now it’s closer to 70! This trip, at its core, represents an intentional culture of discipline in action.

Continuity and Change

Potentially one of the most important lessons from this book is focused on embracing change. You have to remember your core ideology and your relationships with your clients, vendors, and team members. Throughout our journey, we’ve expanded to include new divisions: eDiscovery, Court Reporting, and Managed Technology Services. The change within our organization has been great, but our commitment to delivering high-level, lasting solutions and growing trusting partnerships has remained.



What has sustained IST’s success for 29 years? Entire industries have disappeared or emerged. Technology continues to skyrocket, while security challenges grow. It’s pretty simple, and in the name…The Company with Passion. I built this organization to last through a lifetime of lessons and persistence, alongside our teams and clients.

Thank you for being part of IST’s story of delivering service excellence.