Our Employee Spotlight for April is Ian Ryczak, our IT Support Technician. Ian lives in Blakely, a nice town where he enjoys the convenience of being close to things and where the neighbors are friendly. He is married to his beautiful wife, Maura, and they have a new baby boy, James. The furry members of Ian’s family are a dog, Lincoln, and a cat named Gaia. Ian has been a valued member of the Action Lift IT team for almost 4 years.  Let’s get to know more about him!

AL: Briefly, what does your job entail?

My job entails providing technical support for our company. Anything technology that breaks or isn’t working is where I will come in to help – on top of other duties associated with this position.

AL: Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?

My father is a huge inspiration to be a hard worker in whatever position I work. He nudged me to return to school, which I did to pursue Media/Communications (TV/Radio). I always thought it would be neat to be a DJ. My entrance into this career stems from playing video games as a kid and teaching myself to set up gaming systems on multiple TVs and VCRs. The adults trusted I knew what I was doing; their TV/VCRs always worked after I was done! I stumbled into IT through the Geek Squad at Best Buy, but I have been interested in technology since I was a kid.

AL: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself being a better version of my previous self. While I hope for better situations and opportunities to happen, the future is unpredictable. I live my life one day at a time- nothing is promised to us or guaranteed.

AL: What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?

Never stop learning (about anything) – Read, talk to other IT professionals, watch videos, and get as many hands-on experiences as possible.

AL: What’s your secret talent no one knows about?

This question is tough because I never considered myself to have any “hidden” talents.  I guess my secret talent is being a musician. I’m a self-taught bass and guitar player and dabble with drums and Ukulele.

AL: When you are at work, how do you motivate yourself?

Coffee, music, chatting with others, and devotionals are some of the tools I use to be motivated.

AL: In terms of successes, which accomplishments are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of becoming a father. Maybe it sounds cliché, but honestly, it's something I never thought I would want until I had my son James. Truly a blessing, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

AL: How have you grown professionally while on our team?

I have grown my experience in IT in an enterprise environment, which has allowed me to become familiar with servers, VMs, programs, and other tools I never had experienced before. I’m thankful for these opportunities to further my knowledge and understanding of the IT field.

AL: Tell me something about you that most people don’t know.

One band I was in opened for Vanilla Ice at a venue in Allentown called Crock Rock. Unfortunately, he was not an approachable person – he might have woken up on the wrong side of the bed that day, but he did perform the Ninja Turtles' rap song, so I can't complain!

Thanks for sharing, Ian!

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