Jared Knisley’s fascination with technology began when he was still in elementary school. As he grew up, his interest deepened and transformed into a vision to revolutionize the business technology landscape. Driven by this ambition, he founded Fizen Technology. Now, as Managing Principal of the company, he is steering it toward new heights in the IT space, focusing on innovative, client-centric solutions that address longstanding industry pain points. Under Jared’s leadership, Fizen aims to offer specialized services across various verticals, from professional services for system conversions and integrations to comprehensive technology support.
The Beginning
Computers were being introduced to classrooms in Florida in the 1980s. Early on in his elementary school, Jared still remembers how he and his classmates were standing around a new Apple computer, provided to their classroom at Riverhills Elementary in Temple Terrace, Florida. At the time, he was too young to fully grasp the significance of a computer; however, it was impressed upon him that it was an important tool to learn how to use. Jared also recalls attending a presentation on the future of computing and robotics.
The young Jared soon realized that technology was a career path that would open doors for him and provide many opportunities for growth. It became clear to him in college that learning Information Systems as an applied science would give him the skills needed to compete in a service-based economy. “Academia provided the tools and confidence needed to pursue a meaningful career,” Jared says. “It opened up doors for me.”
The Path Leading to Entrepreneurship
Jared’s decision to take the plunge into entrepreneurship was not out of the blue. He always aspired to run his own business. One summer, when he was very young, he and a neighborhood friend opened a lemonade stand. Jared recalls that they once earned $20 in a single day, which made them feel very excited. These fun memories, along with many others, motivated him to build something he could be proud of in the future.
While working for others, Jared simultaneously sought opportunities to advance his career and positioned himself to start his own venture. He failed multiple times in his endeavor to create products and services. Now, when he looks back, Jared feels that each failure helped prepare him for the next opportunity.
The idea to launch his company took root while he was working in the services sector as a software consultant. At the time, he noted that implementations were going over budget and clients were experiencing delays. Often, Jared identified better ways to implement technologies and serve client accounts. “I felt I could create an organization that met client needs and budgets while addressing many of the challenges organizations were facing through transparent communication,” he says.
In 2015, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a deep understanding of the financial sector’s software needs, Jared took a leap of faith and founded Fizen Technology.
A Brief Introduction to Fizen Technology
Fizen Technology is a portmanteau of the words – financial and Zen. Jared launched it to help clients experience financial Zen, stability, and trust in their technology relationships. This vision continues even today, he underscores.
The company’s goal is to be a trusted partner for businesses, providing ongoing technology support designed as an extension of their teams. Its decisions are guided by its core values, such as integrity, credibility, proactive, service excellence, accuracy, and more.
Fizen offers a range of IT services and products to enterprises, mid-sized companies, and nonprofits. These services include IT management, compliance screening, IT support, software development, IT staff augmentation, and cybersecurity. One of the company’s most talked about products is Verify, an out-of-the-box screening tool for origination workflow, vendor, and customer identification programs. This product was born out of Jared and his team’s understanding of market needs.
The industry has been experiencing a lot of cynicism and distrust due to long implementation cycles, expensive custom code, and budget overruns. Jared points out that Verify can help compliance teams digitize processes and take advantage of automation in a cost- and time-effective manner.
Achievement: Low Turnover
In an industry known for a high turnover rate, Fizen boasts of a very low turnover.
Jared explains it is because they learned this important lesson early on – to look for “why to keep and invest in employees,” rather than being “slow to hire, and quick to fire.” This lesson has benefitted them greatly.
At Fizen, some employees who had a really rough first year are now top performers. Jared points out that entrepreneurs often have unrealistic expectations about how others should contribute to their success, which is why they give up too easily on people. He is not that kind of an entrepreneur.
Jared firmly believes that people are the company’s greatest opportunity for success, not its biggest risk. He, therefore, invests first in people, not processes or tools. “You need great people to run defined processes and tools successfully,” Jared underscores.
On the Same Side as Customers
Jared has built Fizen into a client-first company, which drives his strategic approach as a leader as well.
“A strategy is all about having a plan. It’s a plan for what you will do, and more importantly, what you will not do,” Jared explains. “Knowing what you are not is very important in defining your company vision.”
He also points out that all businesses rely on technology to support their strategies, and there is a convergence between their business and technology teams. “There isn’t the business team on one side of the company, and the technology team on the other,” he says.
Both teams are on the same side as the company’s customers. For Jared, the needs of their customers’ business are their business needs. “The plan or strategy we put into place to support them fully aligns with our organizational goals and mission,” he says.
Overcoming Challenges
Jared encountered significant challenges in the initial days after founding Fizen. Despite these early setbacks, he ensured the company’s growth through his determination and steadfast belief in the potential of innovative solutions and services to bring value to business clients.
After becoming the company’s Managing Principal, Jared faced – and continues to face – another set of challenges. One of them is encouraging and motivating teams to embrace a unified vision for meeting client needs. For him, the hardest path to climb has been getting and keeping people on the same bus and pushing past momentary discouragement.
Jared says it has been a struggle to build business partnerships because not everyone follows the same definition of working hard or goal-setting. “Most of us are looking for immediate gratification and quick fixes,” he points out. People do not realize that success in their personal and professional lives—whether in health, family, faith, finances, or career—requires overcoming daily resistance and negativity from outside sources, according to him.
Maintaining persistence and consistency in pursuing solutions, not giving up on accounts, and inspiring employees to adopt the same approach are other challenges Jared encounters regularly.
Principles Guiding Leadership Style
Jared doesn’t like the term boss. He believes people don’t want to be bossed or told how to work each day. At Fizen, he acts more like an architect or collaborator – not like a boss – helping set up processes and teams for success. He is also a leader who prepares others to someday step into his place.
“Nobody wants to work for someone who really likes ‘being in charge’,” points out Jared. People prefer to work for those who encourage them to find solutions to the problems faced by the organization. They want to work for someone they can trust, Jared says.
“If you can be that person, employees will be loyal and supportive of your organizational goals and mission,” he adds. They will recognize how business decisions are really in the collective interest of everyone, not just in the interest of an owner or equity partner.
Jared also believes in not being a leader who treats people as stepping stones and then expects them not to treat their employment opportunities as stepping stones.
Managing Work-Life Integration
Jared believes that family support is a must for a leader who wants to run a successful organization. Without their support, it can be tough to focus on work.
“Family always comes first,” he stresses. He doesn’t neglect his family while focusing on building a business. He makes sure to take time out of his demanding schedule for them.
In addition to spending time with his family, Jared keeps himself active in his local community, church, and faith. He says that they are the ones who lift one up during challenging times.
Jared also makes sure to take good care of himself. He regularly exercises and gets a good night’s sleep as he believes that it is “hard to perform when one is running on an empty tank.”
Running a business can often be overwhelming, and it can affect a leader’s mental health. Jared tries not to neglect his mental health. He also surrounds himself with successful people who are willing to listen. Jared returns the same favor to them when they reach out, needing his support and guidance.
Future Plans and Legacy
Jared wants Fizen to maintain its position as a strong player in the managed and professional services industry. He and his team intend to continue consulting clients on technology initiatives. Additionally, they will help clients set up tools to aid their teams in being successful, while protecting them from organizational blind spots, such as constant and evolving cybersecurity threats.
Jared is a pragmatic leader. He does not see himself at the helm of Fizen forever, and he wants to see the company thrive in his absence. “My goal is to be able to walk away without affecting the business,” Jared says. “It should continue to flourish.”
Growth-focused entrepreneurs should know when to make themselves obsolete, according to Jared. “That should be their goal,” he says. He believes that founders have created a true legacy for the future if their businesses thrive even after their departure. Jared is currently investing in people who will help him make that dream a reality.
He highlights that when leaders build a trusting team and network of partners, committed to driving toward a unified vision of success, a business grows beyond what founders have been able to achieve.
Impacting the Future Generation
Under Jared’s leadership, Fizen will continue to impact the lives of not only its employees and their families but also its clients’. He explains that when their technology helps clients succeed, their businesses grow. This also positively impacts the lives of clients’ employees and community partners.
Jared says that they see themselves as providing a vital service to each company they serve. He also points out that every company in one degree or another is now a technology company. They, therefore, are always in need of people they can trust and lean on to understand the ever-evolving technology landscape.
“We are acting as a bridge for future generations and business leaders, helping them today and tomorrow,” Jared says, “so that 10 or 20 years from now, they would take advantage of opportunities that today they can’t even imagine.”
Message to Aspiring Leaders
Jared advises aspiring leaders to be involved in their community. He explains that success doesn’t happen in isolation; it is the result of being connected and engaged within a successful community. “Be willing to give back, invest in employees, and give clients the occasional break you’d expect if you faced challenges,” he says. He also encourages aspiring leaders to find ways to volunteer and be a force for good within their community and industry.
“Play the long game. Business is often a game of attrition, a marathon where you have to watch out for not just yourself but also others if you want to survive,” he tells aspiring leaders. “And be always kind and generous.”
