How Workplace Burnout Led Michael Einbinder-Schatz To Become A Creative IT Champion Making The World A Better Place For Nonprofits and Law Firms

In 1986, fresh out of college with a degree in filmmaking, Michael Einbinder-Schatz was working in the exploding videotape industry. Working for a distributorship called AAA Video Distributors, Michael discovered an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of computers. He was quickly promoted when it was revealed that he had more knowledge about computers than anyone else in the company, and he was put in charge of running a 40-user environment where his knowledge expanded exponentially. “I have a knack for understanding how the software works and also for understanding when there’s a hardware issue,” Michael said. Able to explain those issues to technicians who could then fix the problems, he soon began consulting on the side. “I was solid on the software, so people kept approaching me for help with things like WordPerfect and Lotus 123.”

His consulting work led to him working as a computer trainer for a 900-person law firm, the third-largest in Philadelphia. “I train ed people on how to use WordPerfect and Windows, how to customize databases, and how to use document management software — you name it, I trained people on it,” Michael said.

Highly creative and a strategic thinker, Michael was ultimately promoted to network manager, overseeing the firm’s six locations nationwide. While Michael was good at his job, there was one problem. “I hated it,” Michael said. “When I was the trainer, I got to work with people every day, but when I was promoted, I was in the server room with the mainframes. The work lawyers were doing was important, so there couldn’t be any downtime during the day. That meant I often had to work in the middle of the night when no one was around.”

Starting to burn out, Michael began moonlighting. Lawyers turned to Michael for help due to his deep understanding of computers, his creativity in thinking outside the box, and, quite frankly, the close friendships they had with him. “I’d built a lot of strong relationships with many of the lawyers at the firm when I was a trainer,” Michael said. “As these lawyers went out and started their own firms, they kept calling me.”

The Discovery That Reignited Passion

Michael had instant gratification from working with these smaller firms, something he did NOT get from doing big projects that often took months to manifest.

“When I went out and worked with the former associates, I could go into their practice of 5–15 people and, inside of a week, do something that made a huge difference,” Michael said. “Sometimes I made an impact inside of a day. And that gave me a dopamine hit. It just felt good.”

From this, Jobecca was born in 1996. Primarily serving the five county Philadelphia region, along with Central and Southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware, Jobecca Technology Group, LLC. has developed an interesting niche over the years. While the team has many years of supporting law firms and country clubs, Michael’s passion for making an impact has driven him to also grow a big presence in the nonprofit sector. The common denominator in all the clients he serves is that they are looking for a strategic focus and creativity, and they value the role of IT.

The Formula That’s Created Loyalty For Decades

Over the years, Michael drilled down on how to strategically improve his own business, too. In 2001, he decided to focus on the part of the business he loved that played to his strengths: the people side. He stopped working as a technician and hired expert engineers — the best he could find — who were not only extremely good at the technical side but who also loved doing it.

The formula worked well. The top 50% of his clients have been with him on average for 18.5 years. “Our average customer retention is measured in decades, not years,” Michael said. His team is no different. His lead engineer has been with him for 20 years, while his other engineers average 15 years. The Jobecca team doesn’t rest on their laurels, either. “We recognize that it’s the fastest moving industry out there,” Michael said. “We’re always auditing everything we do to protect ourselves and to protect our clients, and in doing, so we ensure our security is as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible.”

Dedicated to delivering what he calls a “WOW” experience, Michael is clear about his mission. “I’ve trained my team over the years to have a strategic focus,” he said. “We’re not just looking to solve a problem or implement a piece of software. We’re analyzing your business needs to deliver IT solutions that fit strategically with what you want to do. We talk about difficult situations and feel secure in operating and communicating with complete candor. We’ve learned from past mistakes that it’s best not to shy away from delivering lousy news or telling a client when we believe they are making a mistake.” It’s evident he’s hitting the mark and that companies appreciate his truthfulness, as his company has DOUBLED in the last five years alone.

“When we are granted a seat at the table to assist with our client’s whole strategy, not only can we help them more, but we are also way more enthusiastic about what we’re doing,” Michael said. “We have great client retention because it’s a synergistic, symbiotic relationship.”

Long-standing clients include organizations such as Academy of Vocal Arts, the leading postgraduate opera school in the country. He also represents nonprofits such as the SeniorLAW Center and CARIE, which provide important elder care legal and advocacy services, respectively, for the entire state of Pennsylvania, and Judith Creed Horizons for Achieving Independence (JCHAI), an organization that helps people with developmental disabilities achieve independence.

How Enthusiasm For Nonprofits, Storytelling, And Security Is Making A Big Impact

Michael’s passion for working with nonprofits with a strategic focus on the IT side extends way beyond the norm. For example, the mission of his company’s first pro bono client, Hope Loves Company, is one he’s aligned with because he lost his favorite high school teacher to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Hope Loves Company is the only nonprofit in the U.S. whose mission is to provide educational and emotional support to children and young adults who had or have a loved one battling ALS.

After extensive experience with grant proposals, Michael developed a program called the Grant Grabber. Specifically designed for nonprofit organizations, Grant Grabber began in 1998 when the executive director of the SeniorLAW Center enlisted Michael’s help to do research and refine a grant proposal. “After they won a large sum of money from that grant, people came out of the woodwork asking for my help,” Michael said. “Helping so many nonprofits with their grants, I had this epiphany moment, which led to why, today, if you’re a nonprofit and you’re working with Jobecca, you can come to us with your grant request. We’ll evaluate it and help you make it better, increasing the likelihood of you receiving the grant.” Michael also taps into his creative background in filmmaking and knowledge of the arts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he introduced clients to a virtual events software platform that delivers WOW virtual events and is perfect for organizations used to doing live events. “Live events are a big fundraiser for many of my non-profit clients,” Michael said. “When the pandemic hit, everyone was looking at how they were going to continue to raise money for the important work they do. The virtual platform is just one solution; there are ways nonprofits may even raise more money for the work they do.”

Today, aside from leading his team at Jobecca, Michael is a sought-after expert in the IT world. An award-winning inspirational and motivational speaker, he brings his passion for people and love of storytelling to the stages of venues such as Nasdaq, The New York Bar Association, West Point, The Harvard Club of Boston, and Rockefeller Center. He’s the author of “Simplify I.T.: The Business Owner’s Guide to Eliminating Technology Stress” and “23 Years to Seven Figures: The Business Book for the Rest of Us.” Michael’s been featured on TV around the country on the CW network in Chicago, Fox San Antonio, and CBS in Washington, D.C, to name a few. He’s also featured in the recently released documentary “Cyber Crime,” which is available on Amazon Prime. Plus, he was one of only 200 emerging business leaders selected nationwide for the Small Business Administration (SBA) e200 initiative.

While his mission continues to be focused on delivering a WOW experience, these days, he is looking to do it on a much bigger scale. “I know what we do well, and I want to do more of it,” Michael said. “I believe we can make a big difference to more businesses and nonprofit organizations, and by doing that, we can help them serve more people.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MSP Success Magazine is a print and digital publication dedicated to helping the CEOs and owners of managed IT services businesses build strong, profitable, growth-oriented businesses. Written and published by Robin Robins, founder of Technology Marketing Toolkit, this magazine is uniquely focused on the topics of marketing, client-acquisition, sales, profitability, leadership and personal development.

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