Reflecting on 15 years

1. This month marks 15 years at Reflective IT, what does this milestone actually feel like when you say it out loud?

15 years! Honestly, it feels like a lot less, it has truly flown by. So much has happened in that time, both with the business and in my personal life. It's hard to even comprehend it all when you start to look back.

2. You spent four years living abroad in the gap between stints. Where were you, and what pulled you back to Reflective IT?

We did indeed. My wife was offered a job as a sportswear designer for Adidas, so we spent four years in the beautiful city of Nuremberg, Germany. We lived just outside the city walls, though above a bakery, next door to a nightclub and opposite a kebab shop probably wasn't the best for my health! Coming back to Reflective was easy, knowing David and Deborah personally, the door was always open for when the time was right.

Inside the day job

3. Your role spans everything from network infrastructure to cloud services. When someone at a party asks what you do, what do you actually say?

Parties… you mean the sort where 30 primary school kids are running around you?! Those are the only ones I get time for these days! Generally though, I'll say I work in IT mainly on projects, making sure all the fantastic things you don't see in the background runs well, and keeping it running for the next few years. It's a never-ending game of trying to stay one step ahead.

4. What’s a task that used to take serious time and patience when you started, but now feels almost effortless by comparison?

Spinning up a server. It used to take hours, once you'd acquired the hardware, that is, watching blue progress bars while the OS installed. Now it can be done in the time it takes me to pour a bit of latte art into my morning coffee. It's the small things that bring joy.

5. Is there a project or moment over the years that still sticks with you? Something that went brilliantly, or a hairy situation the team pulled off together?

There are always those moments when you remotely reboot a bit of kit and it teases you by not coming back online for the next 20 minutes, heart in mouth every time! Honestly though, I love the opportunity to set up a brand-new office infrastructure. Getting hands-on with new kit, rack-mounting it, getting it all configured and looking neat and pristine, that's a proper good day.

What's kept James at Reflective

6. You've watched Reflective IT grow through plenty of ups and downs. What's stayed exactly the same, and what's changed the most?

The culture has stayed the same, that's been the constant. What's changed the most is the maturity and approach to everything we do. I'd also say processes. As much as we can all hate a bit of red tape, it's there for a reason, and it's helped us achieve our ISO 9001 and 27001 accreditations.

7. If you could give your day-one self some advice about working here, what would it be?

Be confident in your own abilities, you're hired because of them.

Life beyond the inbox

8. You're dad to two pre-teens. How do they keep you grounded, or on your toes, outside of work?

They like to remind me of my age and that my dancing is embarrassing. I keep it in the back pocket though, ready to deploy on the school run when I need to embarrass them right back.

9. Piano and CrossFit is a brilliant combination, strength and dexterity in one person. Which came first, and what does each one give you that the other doesn't?

Piano is my first love; I don't think I've ever lived without one. It's the one place I can go to truly switch off and be creative, any time of day.

CrossFit is something I've started in the last 18 months, after being pestered to join by a friend and putting it off for a very long time. I can honestly say it's one of the best decisions I've made for my fitness, and now I've got the whole family involved.

10. For anyone curious about CrossFit but a bit intimidated to walk through the door, what would you tell them?

I've heard people say, "I can't join because I can't do a press-up or a pull-up yet." But once you're through the doors, you realise there's an amazing, supportive community of all abilities, from 6-year-olds to 80+, all working towards their own goals without judgement. It's initially humbling, but that only motivates you more.

What's next

11. Finally, what does the next chapter look like? At Reflective IT, on the piano, in the gym, or at home. Anything you're particularly excited about?

At Reflective, it's exciting to see the internal growth, roles being created that never existed before as we grow alongside our clients, some of whom I've known since my first stint.

On the personal side, Bank Holiday Monday brings CrossFit's annual "Murph" workout: a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 press-ups, 300 squats, and another 1-mile run. I'm targeting sub-40 minutes this year, but with 30 degree heat forecast, it's going to be tough!