When Josh Cochran’s dad first started his telecommunications business in 1984, he made it work through sheer determination and exertion. Josh watched his father persevere endlessly to get his company off the ground, heading into Oklahoma City each day with barely enough gas in the car to get to work—and definitely not enough to get home.
Today, Josh keeps this legacy alive at Diverse CTI with the same perseverance and passion as his father. The company provides robust technology and telecommunication solutions—along with exceptional customer experience—to businesses across Oklahoma.
Rise And Grind
Though Diverse CTI is now a thriving, successful business, its establishment was an uphill battle for Josh’s father. “Growing up, we were dirt poor,” Josh begins. “My dad used to be the national top salesperson in the U.S. for phone systems at RadioShack, but after being told that the massive national deal he had landed couldn’t be completed due to franchising issues, he resolved to create his own business. There were many days when he would have to find work and get paid on the same day or he wouldn’t have enough gas money to get home.”
Although Josh ended up taking over the family business, there was never any pressure from his father to do so. “I was raised in this very bootstrap-type of environment. But if there was one thing my father wanted, it was for me to find my own passion,” Josh recalls. “He would always say, ‘Josh, don’t just grow up and take over the family business because it’s the only thing you know. I want you to go get a degree, follow your dreams. I don’t want you to be limited because you’re just stuck in a family business.’ And I took this to heart.”
Upon graduating high school, Josh fulfilled his father’s wish and went to university. “I worked at the family business during summers, of course, but I went to the University of Central Oklahoma and did two years toward an electrical engineering degree,” Josh explains. “But then the dot-com boom happened in late 1999. My best friend and I looked at each other and agreed that we’d be morons if we didn’t start a business. So, we quit university and started a company in the automotive industry.”
The Joy Of Going On ‘Field Trips’ In Other People’s Companies
Around this time, his father was having heart surgery. “So, he suggested that I could run his company for some income while my other business was launching. I thought it was a good enough idea, so I started coming in and ended up falling in love with the business.”
He explains, “The part that intrigued me the most was that, as a technology firm, your job is to constantly be in other people’s companies. You’re basically going on field trips all day long. You get to see behind the curtains, walk through the buildings, meet the people. That was what really drew me to the business as an entrepreneur. Not to mention, you actually get to partake in what they’re trying to do and help them the achieve the goals and dreams they’re pursuing.”
The Shift To Managed IT Services
After agreeing with his best friend that he would stay part owner but that he wouldn’t be involved in the day-to-day operations of their automotive company, Josh jumped headfirst into Diverse CTI in 2000. He and his father got straight to work reconfiguring the business to match the evolving technology landscape. They expanded services beyond telecommunications and built the brand into the robust technology firm it is today.
“Right about the time I came on, we decided to bring in IT services,” says Josh. “My dad had always been doing kind of hourly services anyway. So, shifting the focus to managed services made sense for the brand.”
Today, they’ve become the go-to firm for help with telecommunications, technology, and turnkey compliance solutions. “The name Diverse CTI comes from the fact that we offer a diverse range of services,” explains Josh. “We work on computers, phones, printers, networks, internet connections, fiber optics, and more. We’ve become known for our extensive expertise. Plus, having such an array of services allows us to support our clients in all the various ways they need.”
Delivering Unmatched Customer Experience
Diverse CTI gears everything around the client to create an exceptional customer experience. “One of our core values at Diverse CTI is we always strive to deliver an unmatched customer experience,” says Josh. “The only way to consistently deliver on this is by having the right team and a strong company culture where everyone is anchored in the same vision—and we’ve certainly done that here.”
He adds, “This business is all about creating partnerships. We want our customers to look at us as a critical component in their success, which is why we only work with clients who know what their strengths are and realize that in order to drive the success of their business, they need to get up and do what they do best every day and leave the tech to us.”
Growth Is The Name Of The Game
Looking ahead, the name of the game is growth for Diverse CTI.
“We’ve been experiencing a lot of growth for the last three years,” Josh notes. “We’ve been growing at 20% year-over-year, which is something that we want to continue in the future, as well as staying on the cutting edge of technology.” Ultimately, the journey of Diverse CTI from a small, single-operator telecommunications company to a robust, well-known IT provider was a path paved with persistence, hard work, and an unwavering dedication to putting the customer needs first, proving that sometimes the best things come to those who persevere.
For more information about Diverse CTI, visit here.
