Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Friday.
Hi Mark, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I joined what was then RJ Telecommunication when I was 17 years old. The funny version of the story is that I worked with the previous owner’s daughter at Meijer, and she went home complaining that we were the only two people working hard. He decided he wanted to meet me, interviewed me and hired me. I also asked if I could take his daughter on a date, and he said no, so I guess I was good enough to work for him but not to date his daughter. It’s become one of those stories that’s still good for a laugh years later.
From there, I learned low-voltage cabling and the Nortel phone systems and worked my way through nearly every part of the business. As the company evolved from a telecommunications provider into a broader technology company, I grew alongside it.
In 2017, I became a part owner and helped expand our offerings to include network management and data center services. In 2023, I became the sole owner and began transitioning the company to have a stronger focus on managed IT services while continuing to build on the voice, cabling and connectivity expertise that got us here. Along the way, we changed the name to RJ Networks to reflect our growth as a company.
I’ve never believed in taking shortcuts. Learning the business from the ground up gave me an appreciation for every role and every customer relationship, and that still shapes how I lead today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Taking over an established business comes with a different set of challenges than starting one from scratch. You’re responsible for preserving what people already trust while finding ways to grow and evolve.
Like every business owner, I’ve made mistakes. The key has been learning from them instead of being afraid of them. Every setback has taught me something that has made the company stronger.
Despite those challenges, we’ve grown gross revenue by more than 70% since I became sole owner. I’m proud of that growth, but I’m even more proud that we’ve achieved it while staying true to who we are and continuing to put our customers first.
We’ve been impressed with RJ Networks, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
RJ Networks provides managed IT services, cybersecurity, business phone systems, structured cabling and internet solutions. Some clients come to us for one service, while others rely on us to manage their entire technology environment.
What sets us apart is our background. Many IT companies don’t have deep experience with telecommunications or cabling, while many telecom companies don’t provide comprehensive IT management. Because we built our business from that foundation, we’re able to seamlessly integrate those systems instead of treating them as separate pieces.
What I’m most proud of, though, is our team. We’ve built a culture where people genuinely care about the company and our customers. They go the extra mile because they want to, not because they’re told to. Finding the right people has been one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a business owner, and I believe our team is the reason we’ve been able to continue growing while maintaining the relationships we’ve built over the years.
Any big plans?
The biggest focus for us is artificial intelligence and helping businesses adopt it responsibly.
We’re actively developing and testing AI integrations across our voice and IT systems, but we’re taking a measured approach. We don’t believe in implementing new technology simply because it’s popular. We want to understand it, test it thoroughly and make sure it creates real value before deploying it for our clients.
Just as importantly, we want to help businesses use AI safely. As the technology evolves, so will the scams and security risks that come with it. We see part of our role is educating clients so they can take advantage of AI’s benefits while protecting themselves from emerging threats.
Technology will continue to change, but our philosophy won’t: Build long-term relationships, solve real problems and always put our customers’ best interests first.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rj10.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjnetworks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/RJ-Telecommunications-inc/61554279984531/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rj-networks1/posts/?feedView=all
