Following multiple new cybersecurity related awards with the US Coast Guard, several internal staff promotions and exponential growth including multiple key executive hires and the 2021 acquisition of a DevOps and Data Analytics Firm, we caught up with Al Sowers, CEO of 8(a), SDVOSB and Elev8 GovCon Honoree OneZero Solutions; its Chief Growth Officer, Bob Burnett; Kyle Gahan, COO; Tanecia Canady, Sr VP Finance; and Joe Avant, SVP of Cybersecurity.
Specializing in five pillars of capability: cybersecurity operations, information assurance, Enterprise IT, Agile software development, and data analytics, with a focused portfolio that includes both Prime and subcontracting experience, the team shared how a mission focus, maturity in identity, and a multi-pronged approach to culture have rocketed OneZero forward.
Exponential Growth
From the hire of its first employee late in 2018, OneZero has grown year over year and now sits at just over 180 team members. While a portion of that growth came from its acquisition of Right Sized Solutions Inc. (RSSi) in 2021, the biggest impetus has been this company’s continuing wins and expanding scope with existing clients at the US Coast Guard, CBP, FEMA, DHS HQ, CISA, TSA, DOS and DOD.
Competing for talent against established firms, and large entities, OneZero worked to establish a presence, to be found and understood by clients and job seekers. “It’s important to have a visible presence, to have others be able to see who you are and what you’re all about. There shouldn’t be a mystery about who you are if you want to attract good people, and have potential partners reach out to see if there is an opportunity to work together.”
Watching and Learning
Understanding there are lessons to be learned everywhere, Al says he spent time observing others in industry, those who were successful, and those who were not. That included looking at large and small companies, seeking the mix of values, practices and approaches to people that made sense. Part of that focused on recruitment. “From the time we were able to drive revenue and really look to bring people in there was a focus on finding the best person for the role we had in mind and then investing to make sure we got that person.”
Knowing from the get-go the individuals they recruited were the best fit for the company and the task at hand, the focus then was on letting go, empowering the individual to run things as they thought best. Regular strategy and planning meetings ensure everyone is rowing in the same direction and set the foundation for forward movement. “That forward movement is embedded in our core value of mission first, people always. Our executive management team all have upwards of 15 years experience in GovCon so each is a SME in their particular area, has a confidence in themselves and inspires a confidence in those around them.”
OneZero has implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), based on the book “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” by Gino Wickman. “There are a number of companies who have implemented this and we learned about it from our mentor, Alpha Omega. It helps set goals, but also a process of briefing the team on, and tracking toward, those goals. It provides accountability but also establishes a peer-to-peer foundation. We implemented EOS with the exec team and now we’ll be rolling it out to the next level of management within the company.”
Maturity in Identity
Under its EOS program, leaders are empowered to run and build out their own teams, to really run their own businesses within the organization. “That level of trust, being given what you need to succeed, to make decisions, and understanding the ultimate goal is the betterment of the employees and the company as a whole is empowering.”
Unlike many smaller companies who seem to want to do it all, OneZero is focused on its five pillars of capability. “We know we excel at these, have depth and intimacy within specific agencies and we’re good to stay in these swim lanes. We don’t want to be a mile wide and an inch deep with the agencies we support. We have some great partnerships, including an SBA approved Mentor-Protégé JV with Alpha Omega Integration. As an 8(a) we have been very strategic about our growth and will continue to be.”
There is also a maturity in the company’s culture, described by this group as a culture of caring. “It is about the mission of the company and our clients but also focused on caring about the success of each other. That caring drives people to be there as needed for whatever they are needed for, to get in the weeds with whomever needs help, to share time and intel and context.” To ensure all new OneZero employees immediately get integrated into the company culture and understand that everything revolves around mission and people, Al meets one on one with 100% of all new employees. “I connect virtually on a TEAMS call with new staff within a couple of weeks of their first day to get to know them. We chat about my background, chat about their background, hobbies away from work, family, etc. We don’t talk about work; it’s more of a meet and greet and spend more time getting to know one another on a personal level.” This sets a strong foundation for the company culture and is instrumental in the high retention rate OneZero consistently enjoys.
Multi-Pronged Culture
With a large portion of its team working onsite for clients, regular interaction with Program Managers and the company’s COO is crucial to employee engagement. Wanting to ensure everyone feels connected and understands where the company is and is headed, there is a policy of openness and transparency, in which virtually everything is available to whoever wishes to see. The result? Engagement with senior leaders that is authentic, transparency across divisions, and communication that goes above and beyond what many on the team have ever experienced. It has also created opportunities for career development, for promotion from within because people can envision the long-term plans and position themselves to move forward as they wish.
Working hard, playing hard, and saying thank you through event tickets, group events, and recurring corporate engagement there is a culture that makes a deliberate effort to build relationships, both personal and professional. The company recently hosted its holiday party – yes, recently, in January – in order to allow people to come at a time that was more relaxed, less stressful than a December event might have been.
The development of a strong benefits package demonstrated in a financial way OneZero’s commitment to supporting the team. This evolved over time to include referral benefits, education and certification reimbursement, and performance bonuses. “Beyond the social connections, the all-hands meetings and so on, we want to invest in our team, to help them progress in their career. There are many ways to make sure people know they are more than just a number and we try to touch that in as many ways as we can.”
Partner Lens
Leveraging decades of combined industry perspective, this team has seen the benefits of strong purposeful teaming strategies. “We seek out like-minded firms that possess complementary capabilities that augment our own and deliver a more comprehensive solution to our customers. Whether we are the prime or the sub, we expect our partners to bring the same perspective, to come ready to collaborate, to deliver complimentary skillsets and a desire to actively help move the mission forward.”
It isn’t just about getting along and shared culture and mindset but the challenge and success that can come from creativity, from thinking outside the box and making things happen for our customer and our people.
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