In this episode of Unconventional Wisdom About Conventional Wisdom, I sit down with Arash Shokouh, founder and managing principal of Off Tech, a managed IT services company supporting small businesses across the West Coast.

Arash shares how cybersecurity has become one of the most urgent priorities for modern businesses and why “zero trust” is no longer optional. From business email compromise to AI-powered scams, we talk about how threats are evolving and what leaders can do to protect their organizations without becoming paranoid or frozen by fear.

But this conversation goes far beyond technology.

Arash opens up about leaving corporate life after watching his division disappear overnight, what it was like to start a business with no revenue, and how persistence — not perfection — helped him build a team of eight and a thriving company culture.

We explore:

- Why writing a business plan can be less useful than talking to real people

- How networking is really a crash course in learning how to sell

- The hidden cost of saying yes to the wrong clients

- Why leading from the front matters more than delegating too fast

- How imposter syndrome is something you move through, not around

- The systems and habits that help leaders stay organized in a noisy world

Arash also challenges the idea that “the customer is always right,” arguing instead that the right customers are the ones who fit your values, your culture, and the way you want to grow.

This episode is a reminder that leadership isn’t about avoiding problems; it’s about building the confidence to face them, learning from them, and choosing progress over panic.

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