PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL
MARCH 3, 2017
EXECUTIVE INC.
Playing ball with tech
TED SCHUMAN TAKES A SWING AT BUSINESS WITH PLANETONE COMMUNICATIONS
BY SYDNEY MAKI
[email protected]
602-308-6520
In the summer of 1992 — one of his first in Arizona after moving from the Bay Area — Ted
Schuman sat sweating in his 1978 Buick Park
Avenue.
With no working AC, the Scottsdale sun was
harsh after a day of going door-to-door in a full
suit and tie. As he drove home, his rear-view
mirror fell off.
The CEO and founder of PlanetOne Communications called this scene his “a-ha” moment.
“I realized there literally was no looking
back,” he said. “It’s funny how I remember that
moment and the message that I think was being
sent — and I got it.”
Twenty-five years later, Schuman has seen
his company grow exponentially. Last year, the
company received an Arizona Corporate Excellence Award from the Phoenix Business Journal, ranking 45th in highest 2015 revenue for
private companies. PlanetOne made $23.4 million that year. In 2015, it also took home another Business Journal honor when it was ranked
No. 1 in the Best Places to Work micro-size
category.
PlanetOne Communications provides IT
and telecommunication services, ranging from
online-based backups to scalable network solutions for its business clients. With nearly 20
employees, PlanetOne’s workplace vibe is both
focused and relaxed — not unlike its CEO.
It was impossible to ignore the hulking massage chair in Schuman’s office, complete with
crevices to rest both arms and legs for a fullbody experience. Although he said he didn’t use
the chair as much as he wished, it spoke to the
environment he wanted his employees to enjoy.
From taking afternoons off to volunteer with
local charity projects to getting everyone’s car
washed, the company tries to stay true to keeping its employees happy.
In his desk, Schuman keeps his original
business plan in a manila folder.
“At its core, it hasn’t changed a great deal,”
he said.
Although technology and time have pushed
PlanetOne to stay modern, Schuman said many
of his original ideas and core values survived —
even if some details evolved.
Schuman spent four years in the U.S. Navy,
TED SCHUMAN
Title: CEO
Company: PlanetOne Communications
First job: Cleaned pots and pans for a
German bakery
Family: Wife, Jocelyn; sons, Jake and Max
What makes you tick: I enjoy life and love
to travel – my motto is “Do what you love,
and love what you do.”
Three things always in your refrigerator:
Coors Light, ice cream and eggs
Wish you knew 20 years ago: How hard
it was going to be, how long it would take
and how much it was going to cost me.
was honorably discharged and said he made a
decision to punch his own resume. Growing up,
he wanted to play baseball for the San Francisco
Giants, but instead became the first in four generations not to go into the car business.
“My family was the largest Chevy dealer
north of the Golden Gate Bridge,” he said. “I
grew up in the muscle car era, so I’ve had gas in
my veins from an early
age.”
His passion for cars has not dissipated, and
Schuman said he still enjoyed driving, racing
and collecting cars. However, doing it for a living didn’t appeal to him nearly as much as technology did. To him, technology’s fast-paced,
ever-changing nature was an opportunity to
continuously learn.
His office reflects his life outside of PlanetOne, complete with signed baseballs and photographs of his family lining the shelves.
Schuman said his wife Jocelyn is the most
influential person in his life.
“She would be my best friend even if she
wasn’t my wife,” he said.
They have two sons: Jake, who runs a PlanetOne office in Orange County, California, and
Max, who plays baseball as a senior at the University of Utah.
“Ted has always been a really hard worker,” Jocelyn Schuman said. “He loves what he’s
doing, and that was my hope and wish for my
children, too — that they find something that
they’re as passionate about as their father is.”
Schuman coached baseball for his sons, his
wife said, and has kept some of those relationships alive, now mentoring former players in
business and setting them up for success.
Now celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary, Schuman said he is as motivated as he
was a 25 years ago.
“Where we come from, where we’re at today
and where we think we’re going: Those are
three very different pictures,” he said.
This article appeared in the Phoenix Business Journal on March 3, 2017 on page 27. It has been reprinted by the Phoenix Business Journal
and further reproduction by any other party is strictly prohibited. Copyright ©2017 Phoenix Business Journal , 101 North First Avenue, Suite 2300, Phoenix AZ 85003