"Also, businesses will have to understand that they will have to become more dependent on technology solutions."
Nik Froehlich Tweet
Nik Froelich is the CEO and Founder of Saritasa. His passion for technology and the incredible enhancements it brings to our everyday lives is what inspired him to start Saritasa back in 2005. He recognized that many businesses are often afraid to adopt new technologies and sought a way to bridge the gap between innovation and business.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Nik Froehlich: I’m Nik Froehlich, the CEO and Founder of Saritasa, father of four, a devoted husband, and dog-dad. Saritasa was born out of a lifelong love of technology and determination to build a business that helps others see the value of innovation. We provide custom software development services to a wide range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to start ups. It’s an exciting space to be in because we work with a variety of technologies, from mobile apps to virtual reality.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Nik Froehlich: I think employees were hit the hardest during the pandemic. They felt a lot of fear and uncertainty from all sides – their employers, their families, and the world in general. It’s important to remember that we are all just people trying to make the most of our lives. The best thing a business can do to thrive is give their employees confidence in the future, their jobs, and accommodating the “new normal”. Treating employees well to keep them motivated and passionate about their ability to contribute will help a business thrive.
It’s up to the business leaders to figure out how to deal with uncertainty, so they can project confidence and retain the talent they depend on to provide their clients with great products and services.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Nik Froehlich: Our company was fortunate that it was not affected negatively by the pandemic. However, we have adapted to allowing those employees that are more productive working remotely to do so. We continue to encourage our employees to decide if they prefer to work remotely, or work in an office with their colleagues, or a hybrid model. I’d advise other businesses to do the same – there’s no need to force employees back to the office if they can work just as effectively at home.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Nik Froehlich: In our industry, it used to be mostly face-to-face transactions. The pandemic made it possible to transact business, and win new clients, across the US. It opened up new markets for us! We just had to work on making our video conferences easy and professional by implementing new technology and policies.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Nik Froehlich: Don’t rent office space or get into a long term lease for more space than you will need! Right before the pandemic, we signed a several year long leasing term… and then everyone stopped coming into the office. In 2022, and going forward, it will be flexible work location arrangements.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Nik Froehlich: Increased utilization of all these things, which will allow people to relocate themselves to places that have a lower cost of living and a better quality of life while keeping their current jobs. Also, businesses will have to understand that they will have to become more dependent on technology solutions.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Nik Froehlich: All of my working time is now in front of a screen. So, at least 8 hours. Before the pandemic, we still had in-person meetings which reduced time in front of a screen, but now, with all meetings being virtual, and on screen, there is little if anything I could work on if not in front of a screen.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Nik Froehlich: I always tell my employees, and customers, the story of how I came into starting this business. I understood the communication gap between business leaders and technical engineers. It was like I had the gift of understanding two different languages and acting as a translator between them. I helped business leaders that were in my network solve technology problems, and that became the vision and mission of my company. The story makes it easy for my team to understand what I expect of them, and why we exist. Our job is to help educate and solve problems. It is the basis of the culture, told through a story.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Nik Froehlich: Controlling costs is always a challenge. In the tech industry, demand for quality talent is very high and the supply is low, so controlling those costs will be challenging. It’s a double edged sword – demand for our services are high, but so are offers made by competitors to our employees.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Nik Froehlich: How to maintain a close culture and team without having everyone in the office and without the company events and lunches, etc. I want to excel and keep and motivate a team that has the opportunity to work remotely, yet still feel the closeness of working together. It’s a hard balance to find.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Nik Froehlich: The leaders that think “that’s not me” are the leaders that have these problems. The change needs to happen with the leadership! Leadership’s responsibility is to foster a positive work environment and keep people motivated. The second a leader stops trying to hear their employees or improve – that’s where they’ve failed.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Nik Froehlich: The ability to “read the client’s mind”, so that we could properly / internally set up and deliver on their expectations. We understand it may be difficult to align 100% with expectations, and especially in technology. If I knew what clients “really” are asking for, it would be easier to align a team to deliver to their expectations.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Nik Froehlich: Keeping the best talent motivated, excited, and growing in their personal / career growth. The result would be leadership coming from within, higher compensation for everyone, and more clients that appreciate what we provide to them.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Nik Froehlich for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Nik Froehlich or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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