Digging In is a regular series of blog posts profiling UDig employees. We hope this series helps you get to know our team and understand why we dig what we do! Today, we are sitting down with Andy Frank, Founder and CEO.
UDig: Tell us a little bit about your background before UDig.
AF: After graduating from James Madison University, I worked at Capital One. My focus was enterprise architecture and I worked in the call center doing internet strategy – essentially, I worked to architect the systems that the call center used.
UDig: Did you always know you wanted to be a company founder? Why did you start UDig?
AF: I started UDig for two reasons. First, I wanted to provide a better service to folks in this realm of the business world. At the time, I was buying consulting staffing services at Capital One. I saw the opportunity to do it better than the companies I was buying from, so I ran with it. Second, my parents were entrepreneurs – I had the entrepreneur bug, plus I knew I didn’t want to be a big corporation employee forever.
UDig: UDig was founded in 2001. What has changed? What has stayed the same?
AF: Every facet of the company has changed – our services, company culture, business processes, core focus – all of it. The one thing that has remained the same is that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to enjoy ourselves in the workforce and it’s important to all of us that UDig is a low drama, low politics environment.
UDig: In 3 years, what do you hope to see UDig accomplish?
AF: We’re currently working on a strategic plan that has four major components to it. Moving forward, I would love to see us execute that strategic plan – our goal is to better align ourselves with our clients while providing a more fulfilling work environment for our employees.
UDig: What is your favorite procrastination tool?
AF: Easy – Fortnight, I love playing it at home.
UDig: What did you want to be when you grew up?
AF: Well, when I was little, I wanted to own a farm for dogs. As I got older, I began to fall in love with technology. I got my first PC when I was 13 and I ran a Bulletin Board System (BBS), that was my first real experience with tech.
UDig: What’s the most played song in your library?
AF: Faith, by Bon Iver – he’s my favorite artist at the moment.
UDig: How would you spend your day if we told you to take the day off?
AF: I would start the day off by going to Starbucks with my wife and kids, then I would play a round of golf, and wrap up by cooking out and grilling steak with my family.
