Brandon Ames

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Brandon Ames is an American entrepreneur based in the Phoenix, AZ area. He has founded and/or owned companies in multiple industries, including information technology company and aviation.

After graduating from DeVry University in 1990 with a B.S. in business operations, Ames had difficulty finding a job and decided to start his own business, starting as an independent IT contractor.

He later went on to found Able Information Technologies, Inc. in 1993. Able is a Chandler, Arizona-based provider of complete technology solutions for commercial, government and educational organizations, with offices in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. His company was recognized as one of Inc.'s 5000 fastest growing companies in both 2008 and 2009.

Ames was also the owner of Safford, AZ based Jetcrafters Worldwide, the “best choice for aircraft paint, interior and light maintenance”, from 2008 until December 2012.

Ames is an Honorary Squadron Commander of 309th Fighter Squadron based at Luke Air Force Base, AZ and his personal interests include triathlons, skiing, horses and rodeo, and working with kids. He has been a member of the prestigious Entrepreneur's Organization(EO) since 1997, serving in a variety of roles.

Companies and Investments

Able Information Technologies, Inc. (Founder & President) 1993-present

Jetcrafters Worldwide (Owner) 2008-2012

Strategic Technology Communications, Inc. STC (Founder) 1999-2011

Lessons Learned

Build a vision of where you want to go. If you don't know where you're going, how do you know whether it's an opportunity or distraction?

Think about where you see yourself five years from now and how it is you want to build that business so it can take you where you want to end up. Build an exit strategy and decide what that check looks like a the end of the day. Why are you doing what you're doing? Also, think of how you can eliminate risk around your vision. Create a definition and a destination so you can create a way to achieve your vision.

Take care of your five constituencies - your customers, your employees, your community, and your vendor. Then your profit will take care of itself. Many corporations today get this wrong; it's all about the shareholders first, and everybody else second. Flip it upside down, take care of the people and profitability will happen as a result of that.

Inspiring Quotes

“	Go big or go home.	”
—Anonymous

Brandon Ames's Quotes

“	Absent values and vision, one has no ability to differentiate between opportunity and distraction.	”
—Brandon Ames

Influential Books

Jim Collins - Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

Eric Ries - The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Michael E. Gerber - The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Mentors

Don Daugherty

Technical

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