withdrawal pain: Outsourcing Yourself To Small – Town America

Weekday Dot-Commer, Weekend Farmer? At first, the resume reads like a gag – Programmer, Dot-com Entrepreneur AND weekend Hobby Farmer? True, an odd combination for most, but David Bryant is living his dream. By day he and his wife Kim manage their high-tech firm in rural Virginia. They play the roles convincingly, with Dave as lead programmer cranking away at his laptop until the wee hours and Kim handling sales calls and customer demonstrations via state-of-the-art teleconference tools. If not for the unusual setting of their workplace, a renovated 100 year old country home in the sleepy town of Lovingston, Virgina, one could easily be convinced they were observing a Silicon Valley operation…with one major distinction.

After the whistle blows, rather than jumping into a Euro-import sedan and returning to a city loft, the Bryants pile into their American-made diesel truck and amble 30 minutes up a country road to their 46-acre, working ranch. On weekends Dave and Kim tend to their farm. Despite what they may say about farming as a “hobby”, a barn full of well-used heavy equipment tells otherwise. The Bryant’s unique story began in the late 80s, when David was working as a programmer for a consulting firm outside of Washington, D.C. “Those were hectic times when programmers weren’t exactly held in high regard. That’s long before Google, or even the Internet. Lots of hours, lots of traffic and lousy pay”, said Bryant.

He decided to start his own company and opened shop in Richmond, the distinctly Southern and slower-paced capital city of Virginia. They developed web-based software called www.trainingforce.com, a learning management system for internal and for-profit training organizations. The firm grew, then shrank with the boom and burst of the dot-com era in the 90s. Although working for himself suited Bryant, his surroundings did not. In early 2000, when high-speed Internet became accessible throughout rural VA, Bryant had a bold idea.

He whittled his organization down to the bare essentials, which included his Business Manager and then-girlfriend Kim, and moved the team to Lovingston (population: 900). Lovingston was Dave’s childhood hometown and still home to many of his friends and immediate family. The company made the transition successfully, though not without some big-city withdrawal pains. Not long after the move, Dave and Kim married and began construction of their dream home on a lovely mountain-view estate.

Today, along with livestock and several crops, they also raise three children in this tranquil, small town environment. Admirably, they are able to balance the rural pace while still doing business in the fast lane with multinational companies around the globe.

Kim Bryant said, “It’s really been the best decision we made, both personally and professionally. It’s allowed us a healthier lifestyle, more time with our kids and has made us more self-reliant in business.” Of course, there are some disadvantages, like access to airports, high level talent and overcoming the “small town” image that some customers associate with companies operating outside of urban areas.

“I’d be lying if I said there was zero downside, but it’s just no match for all the benefits. We’re living a dream.”

As the Bryants sip homemade iced tea on a porch swing, admiring a view of a hundred year old oak tree, one begins to think…maybe they’re onto something.

 

 

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