Magic is traditionally perceived as a mixture of sleight-of-hand tricks and illusions created through smoke and mirrors. At Bit-Wizards, magic is a palpable undercurrent that lives at the company's core, manifested by how Wizards work with each other and our clients. Co-founders Vincent Mayfield and Louis Erickson took the elements of their commitments, from taking ownership to living the Wizard life, and channeled them into the last core value: be the magic.
For our Wizards, magic is an everyday feat our clients experience through our Managed IT Services (MITS). Through the culmination of the core values and each team member's efforts, we create magic from our first interaction that flourishes throughout every client relationship, resulting in stronger bonds and smoother collaboration. Unlike the unbelievability of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, our Wizards craft custom solutions that are as real as they are effective.
What does it mean to be the magic?
Mayfield and Erickson devised these explanations to demonstrate what it takes to be the magic at Bit-Wizards:
- The magic is everything that makes up our brand equity. From initial contact to customer support, our brand equity is our most valuable asset.
- Wizards know that first impressions are everything. It's the first impression that will open the door or close it.
- Wizards must wow our customers forever. The sum of all experiences with Bit-Wizards is what creates lasting magic.
- Wizards know that solutions are a balance: Time, money, and features combined with teamwork, dedication, hard work, and a little Wizard magic.
- Wizards are not just dedicated, they are committed to bringing our magic to everyone they encounter.
For our Wizards, the key ingredient in making magic is going above and beyond, even if it means doing something that exceeds what was requested. Instead of doing the bare minimum to check a box and call it a day, our team members deliberately accept and sustain the attitude that no task is beneath them. From our work with clients to philanthropic efforts with local nonprofit organizations through our Be the Magic Foundation, we seek to make magic by understanding needs and identifying ways to add value. On top of being committed to going the extra mile, Erickson muses that embracing the positive brainwashing of being a Wizard is essential to being magical.
"We want our team members to buy into our enthusiasm about being a Wizard, feel good about what we do, and want to do more than the minimum," explains Erickson. "By doing whatever it takes to fulfill requests willingly and wholeheartedly, we embody and become the magic that sets us apart for our clients."
While the idea of a business making magic seems odd at face value, the Bit-Wizards magic is sensible and understandable because it's built with a balance of valuable elements. Each team member's dedication to providing excellent services and optimizing resources contributes to the brand equity's magical impact. Even the smaller, seemingly insignificant decisions our Wizards make to delight and wow our clients create a lasting positive effect. Mayfield says this synergy contributes to a stronger sense of self and responsibility for each Wizard, encouraging them to “Make It So!” for their teammates and clients.
"Each person sees their impact on the team, making them feel like they can hold their own and be a part of some magic bigger than themselves," he illustrates. "The symbols, mantras, and core values we hold near and dear create a positive social pressure of not wanting to disappoint others, reinforcing the innate urge to go above and beyond."
How does our culture encourage Wizards to be the magic?
While it took significant time and effort initially, the Wizard magic people experience today is now part of the company culture's DNA thanks to the stacking of good habits incorporated throughout the company's existence. All six core values permeate our culture, whether it's in external social events or internal opportunities to be lifelong learners. In creating a culture permeated by our core values, each employee feels driven to collaborate with others and be supportive in moments when their fellow Wizards need encouragement. Erickson says each Wizard develops the attitude and routine required to make magic by uplifting others and serving as a safety net in trying times.
"Our Wizards feed off each other's energy in working as a unit and accepting challenges together, and we learn to sustain each other if we falter," he shares. "By creating that strong foundation that leads our team to believe in the magic we create, we develop a family that nurtures its members when they need additional support."
By fostering that innate commitment to doing more than expected, the company culture creates an environment where Wizards naturally feel compelled to strive for the highest. The desire to band together and create magic stems from the pride people feel in being a Wizard to those around them. Each member recognizes the value of treating others how they want to be treated. By committing themselves to treating their teammates and clients well and being encouraged by our core values, Mayfield says our Wizards create a butterfly effect of positivity that aligns with our culture.
"All the elements of our culture work together to reinforce each other and move Wizards to action, meaning our team aims to do things that others appreciate and recognize," he states. "With that groundwork in place, we propagate our magic to our fellow Wizards, the company, our clients, our vendors, and the community."
The company’s sense of community heavily influences the process of turning IT professionals into magic-infused Wizards. While Bit-Wizards is truly magical, it is still vulnerable to common issues like burnout and fatigue. Teamwork is a critical component of our culture that encourages our team to combat these obstacles and uplift those affected by them. In most cases, one Wizard's efforts to support another results in the recipient acknowledging and matching their above-and-beyond efforts. Erickson believes that to be the magic is to choose a can-do attitude and inspire others through their actions.
"Even if we sometimes feel like checking the box, we remind ourselves and each other that working together and inspiring others helps us be the magic," he says. "This infectious influence starts within our team and feeds on everyone's energy, which creates the positive cycle of always going beyond the bare minimum."
How does being the magic benefit our clients?
With the groundwork of exceeding expectations for teammates, our Wizards naturally extend their magical efforts to every encounter with clients. The MITS team recognizes and appreciates the importance of earning trust and providing a magical experience for each client, regardless of whether it's the first or last interaction, to help them offer better experiences for their own customers and employees. Mayfield feels that the typical routine of an on-site visit shows the manifestation of our team's efforts to be the magic for our clients.
"When our Wizards go in to fix a specific issue or two, they offer to help with anything else to make the most of their on-site visits," Mayfield says. "The goal is always to do that extra bit of work to make it easier for the client and whoever works on the same thing in the future."
In addition to doing the little things that create a lasting impact on our clients, our Wizards do everything they can to address the root causes of problems with thorough solutions. A significant part of creating the magic that sincerely endears and sticks with our clients is our consistent efforts to assess our team's performance and compare it to client expectations. Erickson explains that we regularly check in with each client, starting by asking them to share what we could do better and finishing by asking what we are doing that works well.
"While it's a not-so-subtle marketing tactic to end each assessment with what a client loves about working with Bit-Wizards, the entire effort to check in on our performance reminds them of our value while giving them an opportunity to share their feedback," he says. "We take that valuable information, share it with our team, and adjust our courses of action to ensure that we wow every client."
With our consistent efforts to create magic in every interaction and maintain client satisfaction, Bit-Wizards produces an environment many describe as having a true sense of wonder and distinction. Every effort from our Wizards that contributes to our brand equity results in clients and community members feeling transported to a world of magic when they step foot in the building or work with our team. Because of the strong influence of the company's culture and core values, Mayfield believes each Wizard's efforts culminate in an environment where both team members and clients feel equally appreciated and respected.
"As Wizards, we sometimes take our company's atmosphere for granted because we're in it every day," he admits. "It speaks volumes when people who have never been to our office or worked with us gush about how they can tell it's different, and it never ceases to amaze me that we've created magic that people truly feel."
Ready to start working with Wizards and let us be the magic your business needs? Contact us today.