Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Henry Bagdasarian, Founder and President of Identity Management Institute, located in Chatsworth, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Identity Management Institute (IMI) is the oldest global certification organization dedicated to identity governance and access management. IMI was founded in 2007 to help redefine identity management in order to address all identity risks and support the professionals in the field to effectively collaborate and manage the identity risks facing their employees, customers, and organizations. As such, IMI has created training and certification programs, an active online community with some of the largest discussion groups comprised of thousands of global experts, as well as a leading identity management blog on the internet.
Identity Management Institute is a pioneer and forward-thinking organization in identity and access management (IAM) that recognized early on the growing IAM risks as companies moved their infrastructure, platforms, and data to the cloud, allowed BYOD and subscribed to various SaaS applications. While this trend reduced the security threats posed by traditional corporate networks, it introduced new risks as companies embraced distributed systems and dispersed users.
The IAM sector became even more important in the cybersecurity industry as users and their passwords were recognized as the root cause of many data breach cases, the number of system interfaces increased, Internet of Things (IoT) devices became mainstream, and finally, the global Coronavirus pandemic changed the remote workforce landscape forcing the majority of employees to work remotely across the world.
Tell us about yourself
I have served many public and private companies as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Chief Privacy Officer, as well as head of technology audit and compliance. My career started in information technology auditing, including system security audits to identify risks and propose solutions. As cybersecurity and data protection grew in importance, I gradually shifted my career into information security management.
As I progressed in my career, I recognized that "user identity and access" contributed to many security and compliance challenges that companies faced, including identity theft, system hacking, and data breach cases. As a certified member of many professional organizations, I recognized the lack of training and certification in identity and access management, which led me to launch Identity Management Institute. IMI originally focused on identity theft, fraud prevention, and compliance, however, over time, we launched many technical certifications in identity governance, access management, technology, data protection, and metaverse security.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of the benefits of leading a global organization is the ability to execute an idea. In the corporate world, there are many layers of review and approval to accomplish anything, which often lead to nothing. As independent leaders, we are able to think freely, develop or refine ideas, create teams, and launch projects quickly. This ability has allowed me to propose solutions and launch programs that have been embraced globally. IMI has thousands of international members who have joined our organization to learn, get certified, advance careers, and collectively solve many of the world's leading cybersecurity challenges.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The biggest challenge in launching and managing an organization is finding dedicated and qualified team members who are motivated enough to work hard, share the vision, and grow with the organization.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top 3 tips I can offer for starting and running a business are to work hard, avoid mistakes by learning from others, and never give up. People look at a successful business from the outside and think that it was an overnight success, but usually, it takes many years of hard work and dedication to be an overnight success. The smartest people try to learn from others to avoid making the same mistakes, whether in our professional or personal life. Finally, no matter how well we plan and manage our business, problems will show up, and we must be able to quickly find solutions and adapt to changing environments.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
If someone is still looking for a business idea and hasn't found one yet, keep looking. The idea is usually right in front of you and within your line of work. More importantly, you need to decide why you want to start a business because it usually comes with more challenges than working for someone else. This is important because if your decision is not based on strong values, you will not have the will to continue when challenges arise.
Write down your goals and commit to them. Read your goals daily and remind yourself why you decided to start a business to recharge and never give up. Your goals should be tied to serving others and improving their lives, whether it's your customers or your family.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://identitymanagementinstitute.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/identitymate
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IdentityMate
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/identity-management-institute/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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