Welcome to R3’s very first Employee Spotlight! In this series, we’ll be highlighting some of the amazing individuals who make up our team and contribute to our success every day. We’re excited to share more about them with you!
For our inaugural post, we’re shining the spotlight on Ryan Bridgens, Technical Delivery Manager, whose hard work and positive attitude have made a hell of an impact on R3! And don’t just take my word for it, ask his boss… Lauren Tarkenton said this about Ryan: “Ryan embodies the ethos of R3 almost at a cellular level—he is the kind of person who rolls his sleeves up and says, “what are we fixing and how can I help?” He has a balance of technical knowledge and also fantastic soft skills that allow him to win over a client’s trust… thus giving R3 the ability to partner with so much beyond MSP services. His role as Technical Delivery Manager has had an impact on more than just some very happy customer—other areas of R3 have directly benefited from his quick-thinking, responsive and clear communication in Tiger situations, and input in technical compliance. He gets ALL of the stuff done… and with a smile.”
Let’s learn a little bit more about Ryan…
R3: How long have you been with R3 and what do you love most about your job?
Ryan: I’ve been with R3 for just under a year and a half, and my favorite parts about my job are the people that I work with, the fact that I’m never bored, and that no two days are ever the same.
R3: What sets you apart in your field?
Ryan: I’ve been in the MSP space for pretty much my entire career, so I’ve been able to learn a lot of stuff about a wide range of topics in a fairly short amount of time.
R3: What drew you to a career in this field?
Ryan: It’s funny. I kind of stumbled my way into IT. My first major in college was in Broadcast Journalism. I thought I wanted to be on TV, ideally at ESPN. Then I realized I didn’t want to do that, but also had no clue what I wanted to do. I knew I could make money somewhere in Business, so I switched to Business Management. Part of the business curriculum was a super entry-level IT class that I was required to take, and I did so well that my professor exempted me from the final. It was kind of a “well maybe this is what I should do” moment, so I switched to Information Systems for my third and final choice of major, got an internship at an MSP (with no clue what an MSP even was), and the rest is history.
R3: Mind sharing a career goal you have for yourself?
Ryan: A “C” in my job title. Being in a leadership-type of role where I can inspire improvement and change across an organization is super appealing to me.
R3: What’s your strategy for staying motivated during challenging times?
Ryan: Honestly, the amount of work to do is usually enough to keep me going. It’s pretty hard to get complacent with everything going on and falling behind sucks. I’ve said numerous times that if you’re bored at an MSP, you’re probably doing something wrong.
R3: What are you most passionate about outside of work?
Ryan: My family. My wife and 19-month-old son definitely are the primary focus outside of work. Beyond that, I love my sports teams—go Caps, Commanders, and Orioles!
R3: What song gets you most pumped up?
Ryan: I have a whole playlist of songs for this exact purpose, so this is a tough one. Most of the playlist is hard rock with a bit of rap sprinkled in, which is a big departure from the reggae and country I typically have on. For the purpose of picking one song, I’ll go with my beer league softball walkup song—Down and Out by Tantric.
R3: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Ryan: If you’re going to do something, do it right.
R3: What inspired you to join the DR3AM TEAM?
Ryan: There were a lot of talented and familiar faces here that I had worked with previously so between that and a lot of conversations with Beth and Rob, R3 felt like a perfect fit. I was also at the only job I had ever been at that wasn’t in the MSP-space and found myself getting bored there.
R3: What’s an important lesson you’ve learned from working with the team?
Ryan: Very rarely is it ever about one individual. It takes a team effort to do what we do.
R3: What’s your favorite aspect of our company culture?
Ryan: The people-first mentality, and the way people roll up their sleeves and get stuff done. When you’re at an MSP, there’s more work than time to do it all, so those people that produce results no matter what are critical.
R3: What are you most grateful for in your role at R3?
Ryan: The fact that I get to be involved in a little bit of everything and that I get to interact with so many different people here.
R3: What advice would you give to someone new starting at R3?
Ryan: (1) Ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable with everything. (2) Enjoy the few days of downtime you’ll have when you first start. Once you get fully ramped up, you’ll never have that much free time again. And (3), like any job, you get what you put in. If you’re willing to learn and work hard, R3 will be a very fulfilling place to be.
We’re thrilled to highlight Ryan’s journey and contributions to R3. His passion, expertise, and dedication embody the core values that drive our team forward. This spotlight also serves as a powerful reminder of the collective strength and unique impact each individual brings to R3. Stay tuned for more fun stories as we continue celebrating the kickass people who make our workplace thrive!
