‘We Partner with Truly Great Companies’: Robert Hessel, CEO of Source 1 Solutions, Inc.

“As a mid-sized/tier 1 channel service provider, we have evolved into the go-to partner for some of the greatest organizations in the world.”

Source 1 Solutions, Inc. is a global IT solutions provider specializing in managed IT services. It is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOSB). The SDVOSB designation is one that is not easily awarded. With a rigorous verification process containing many layers, Source 1 Solutions qualified for this coveted designation after the intake, assessment, federal review, and decision process.

Source 1 Solutions, Inc. is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.

Interview Excerpt: Robert Hessel

Q. Brief us about the origin and evolution of your company?

Source 1 Solutions, Inc. was established in 2011, modestly bootstrapped on around $5000, and the office was the backseat of a Toyota Camry. Fast forward 10 years, we now have offices in three countries and provide services and support in 118 countries. In the early days, we were best recognized as a local commercial security company. As Source 1 evolved over time, we migrated out of being that start-up into what we are today; a channel-based managed IT services provider.

Q. With an elite technical network spanning 118 countries, Source 1 specializes in monitoring, managing, and maintaining enterprise infrastructure for enterprise and mid-market organizations. How uniquely do you address your clients’ pain points per this?

Our clients’ pain points are unique, as they are not often around technology. Their main pain point revolves around how to deliver services to multiple regions around the world. In many instances, they have already identified their pain point, which is why they are engaging/partnering with us to deliver services on their behalf. In other engagements, we provide the intellectual capital and our experts work with the client to identify the best design, best practices, and set correct expectations on the project. 

Q. Source 1 is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOSB). The SDVOSB designation is one that is not easily awarded. An incredible feat, I must say. How did you manage to do that? Briefly explain.

As a fourth-generation military veteran, I was injured while serving in the US Navy. Yes, the designation is hard to get because there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be filed. But we found the experience fair and reasonable and made that time investment to obtain the SDVOB status.

Q. Source 1 is a trusted IT partner, no doubt there. How exactly does your company transform an enterprise, and what are the various services it provides?

Because we are a managed services company, we offer a vast range of transformation solutions. Our projects could start in the data center, conducting large server migration projects. Or, they could be on the enterprise’s infrastructure, where we are transforming a wireless network, wide area network (WAN), or local area network (LAN). We might even be transforming down to the desktop level, where we’ll conduct a Windows migration project. From solutioning to global installations to proactive audits, we help companies with their entire digital transformation. And, if it touches enterprise infrastructure, we can manage, monitor, and maintain it.

Q. What are the key factors that determine your company’s success? Share an overview.

Three elements make Source 1 successful. First, we believe in a culture of safety. We believe in making our team feel safe enough to empower them to make good decisions, knowing that it’s not the end of the world if they make the wrong decision as long as they follow the Source 1 decision tree and defend their reasoning. In fact, independent decision-making is highly encouraged. Obviously, we can’t be making the same wrong decision over and over again. But when they miss the mark, as long as the decision was in the spirit of Source 1 and taking care of our customers, it is unlikely there will be serious consequences. We use those moments as opportunities to learn and grow. We believe that if our employees know they’ll have a job tomorrow, know they are working for a company with strong values in the community, and have an opportunity to thrive, they’ll feel safe. It’s when our team feels safe that they make our customers feel safe. When our customers feel safe, we don’t have to worry about attrition issues. Instead, our clients have the confidence to expand their business, which expands their relationship with us.

The second factor is data. Having been in this business for nearly 10 years and delivering projects worldwide, we have gained an immense amount of experience and data to draw upon. It’s given us unique insight into different regions and the complexities of those regions. The tremendous amount of data we’ve obtained can be analyzed when considering how we can best support our customer effectively, rather than speculating results. We use that data to guide us and share our data with our customers to help them make sound decisions.

The third factor is investment. Source 1 is a privately held company without any outside investments that we are beholden to. The company started intensely bootstrapped and has grown over the course of the years based on revenue-generated capital. As a result, we understand and respect the value of a dollar. We are grateful for having that experience because it makes us more mindful of investments that will benefit our customers while we grow alongside them. For example, we have a handful of customers that wanted us to become SOC2 compliant. We made this investment to support our growth and theirs.

Q. Briefly walk us through your plans. Where do you see your company a couple of years from now?

Source 1 has been on an incredible ride with incredible growth. We don’t see slowing down anytime soon. As our growth continues, our vision does include expanding with physical offices into other regions. At the end of 2019, we opened our EMEA headquarters in Ireland but put expansion plans on hold through the pandemic. We believe we are coming out of that very soon and will continue to consider expanding our offices into other countries.

The Valiant Leader at the Helm of Source 1 Solutions, Inc.

Robert Hessel, Chairman, serves as Chief Executive Officer of Source 1 Solutions, Inc. He has expanded Source 1 Solutions globally to employ full-time resources in 17 countries that serve businesses in 118 countries. With 25 years of experience in business management, he empowers channel partners by delivering world-class services in unified communications, data networking, WiFi, data centers, electronic security, and network security solutions.

Robert is the author of Safe City: From Law Enforcement to Neighborhood Watches, which debuted as the number 1 New Release in Privacy & Surveillance in Society on Amazon. He is also a 4th generation military veteran who served in the US Navy. A state champion student-athlete in high school, Robert is featured in “Beyond the Game”, a 2020 full-feature documentary film that follows the journey of celebrated athletes as they transition to second careers in business, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.

His goal is to empower and help others advance. With his entrepreneurial spirit, passion for technology, understanding of global markets, and willingness to give back to his local communities, he is doing just that.

"From solutioning to global installations to proactive audits, we help companies with their entire digital transformation. And, if it touches enterprise infrastructure, we can manage, monitor, and maintain it."