Today we’d like to introduce you to John Fakhoury.
John, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ultimately, I am a Chicagoan who lives, breathes, and loves most everything about Chicago except maybe the politics. After graduating from Lane Tech HS and then University of Illinois with an Accounting and Finance degree, I went to work for the consulting firms like E&Y and then Alvarez and Marsal. I was a young consultant enjoying the perks of first class travel and lavish dinners, when one day while at the airport everything changed. I was desperately trying to get on the client’s network via a VPN connection that just wouldn’t work. After changing my flight twice to stay grounded, connected to an internet connection and (Remember this is the 2000’s) no closer to resolving my VPN issue, I (as kindly as I could muster) asked the young man how he did on his aptitude tests growing up. Not surprised, he humbly let me know that he did extraordinarily well. I then realized between the two of us we could build a nuclear reactor but couldn’t get my VPN up and working. I knew that day IT support sucked and that we could do it better. I knew that there were myriads of people just like me. Capable in their job but clueless on how to use technology to best deliver their duties. That day, without knowing what Framework really even was, is when Framework was born.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Odds were bleak being born youngest of four to a immigrant widow in Logan Square just blocks from where my father was murdered just months before mom gave birth to me. So I suppose it could have been a bit easier but not sure that I would have had it any other way. I often joke I spent most of my youth fighting to get out of Logan Square, then I fought like heck to move back to Logan Square which has somehow become the new hot spot.
Truth is, I have failed so many times I don’t even see it as a negative word anymore. It’s basically market research. In terms of business challenges — The obstacles we’ve faced have defined the company more than anything else.
-People
-Finding people
-Developing people
-Training people
-Managing people (See a trend?)
-Developing a consistent message for a rapidly growing and changing firm.
-Regulatory Changes like HIPAA PCI SOX
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Framework Communications – what should we know?
Framework Communications, the world’s best IT department. We are a leading single-source Managed IT, Cloud, voice and data services firm. The idea for the company, and our core mission, came from my experience as a consultant; it was clear to me technology had to be more user-friendly and approachable for businesses in order to help them succeed.
We are passionate and driven to deliver small and mid-sized businesses the opportunity to expand their business via affordable, quality access to technology solutions previously available only to large businesses. Using a client-first mentality, we use technology to drive solutions, not problems.
In short have made IT CareFree and affordable by simplifying it and aligning our interests with clients. Our clients pay a set monthly fee and are not “nickeled and dimed” no matter how many tickets they open or how many times we come on site to resolve an issue.
We have become a single source IT department. Our clients don’t even call AT&T or Comcast if their internet is down, they simply rely on us to handle that and every other IT support issue for them in a concierge fashion. We boast 3 minute response times, 30 minute avg resolution times and all of our staff are located right here in our back yard in Chicago. 40% of which are United States Armed forces service men and women.
We have also developed core focuses around Cybersecurity, HIPAA and PCI compliance to ensure our clients who are subject to those regulations such as healthcare practices. This ensures they are not only receiving affordable CareFree IT support, but that they are also staying compliant with the most important regulatory rules they are subject to in their industry.
We have accomplished this because we are 100% people focused. Ironically, in the IT services business it’s people (not technology) that set companies apart. We depend on people so we get the best people and invest and support them to be the best performers they can be! As a result, we have been named a best and brightest place to work for the last 5 years!
Some highlights and awards
• 2013-2017 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For
• 2014 & 2015 Inc 500 Fastest Growing Company in America (#442)
• 2013-2016 MSP Channel Partner Award
• MSP Mentor 501 Award 2014-2016
• BBB Complaint Free since 2008
• Top 250 Most Influential IT Executives – Penton Technology
• Featured in Chicago Tribune, WGN, INC, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, WBEZ
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Bringing talent together and empowering them to be their best. Helping them realize failure is not a bad word and that it should be seen as “market research” an “opportunity to learn”
When talented people are not focused on fear of failure they do pretty amazing things!
Contact Info:
- Address: 324 N. Leavitt Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60612 - Website: www.frameworkcommunications.com
- Phone: 312.265.8733
- Email: info@frameworkcommunications.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/framework_communications/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frameworkChicago/
- Twitter: @commframework
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/framework-communications-chicago
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/209344/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
