10 Years & Counting: An Interview with Ambit Consulting’s President

We couldn’t be prouder of this 10 year milestone. 

Achieving this is truly a testament to the individual hard work of our team members, and what we’ve been able to accomplish as a team. It’s been a crazy year, a wild way to end this first decade as a business, but this year really proved just how resilient, resourceful and downright kick-ass our team really is.

We sat down with Ambit President, Matt Ford, to gain insight into the drivers of Ambit’s success and key lessons he’s learned as a leader over the last decade.

Q: Tell us about your humble beginnings? What spurred the idea to start Ambit?

A: For the first couple of years, I worked with a partner at Ambit.  Having experience in the industry, we saw a need for a standalone land survey company focused solely on wireless telecommunications. We were aware of other firms at the time and what they were doing, and we thought that we could do it better. Once an opportunity presented itself, we went for it.   

Q: If you could do it all over again – would you? What would you have done differently?

A: Absolutely! I’ve had a blast, met some amazing people, and learned a lot over the past ten years. I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything.

We learn & grow from our experiences, especially from our failures. Looking back, I wouldn’t necessarily change anything. That said, if there was going to be an Ambit 2.0, I’d spend more time up front on setting up a structure, procedures, etc. to facilitate growth. Rapid growth and change can hurt if you and your team aren’t prepared with a solid plan on how to adapt accordingly.

Q: What advice would you give to other business owners / entrepreneurs hoping to achieve this milestone?

A: Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy, never give up! Also, spend as much time and money as you can investing in yourself and in your team. You’ll never regret hiring the right coach, taking the right class, or attending the right seminar regardless of the cost.

Q: What elements do you primarily contribute to Ambit’s success?

A: Great Clients, Our Team & Teamwork! We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had so many Survey Geniuses – and just awesome people – be a part of the Ambit Family over the years. It’s truly amazing to see what a relatively small group of high performers can accomplish when working together as a team. 

We’ve also been lucky to have the opportunity to build relationships with clients who share our values, and mesh together well with our team. It’s not only productive, but it makes work enjoyable when it feels like you’re working with a client towards a common goal and not just for them.

Q: This has been an incredibly tough year for most businesses. How did you and your team address the challenges that the year brought to come out of #2020 alive?

A: I believe that my previous answer sums it up for this question as well. No looking back, we’re on to 2021 & beyond!

Q: When times were tough, what got you through as a business owner?

A: As a leader, I have an obligation to my team and our clients to do the best I can every day and I’m not going to allow myself to let anyone down regardless of how difficult things may be. I think that, along with the support of my family & friends away from the office and my Ambit family, and a little meditation & exercise can get you through about anything. Oh, and bourbon, sometimes bourbon helps too.

Q: What have you found to be the most rewarding part of leading Ambit to this incredible milestone?

A: About 75% of our team have been with us for five years or more. Seeing my teammates grow and develop in their career as professionals and/or as leaders has easily been the most rewarding part for me. I also love the fact that our team is so charitable. We’ve been blessed most years with the resources to give back and support nonprofits that we sincerely care about, giving us a deeper feeling of purpose when we show up for work every day.

Q: You’re in a competitive industry. What has Ambit done to solidify their success in the market and set themselves apart from competitors?

A: We pride ourselves on providing the best possible customer service, we are and will always be a helpful, friendly, responsive and client-centric company. 

Because we were built for the wireless telecommunication industry, and that has been our only focus for the past 10 years, we can confidently say that we’re experts. We understand scopes and timelines required so well that we can typically anticipate the needs of the end client and advise, as necessary. 

We also effectively cover a huge geographical area, so our clients know that if they have a need for land survey services in the Western USA, we can likely get it done for them, which I guess is really just a different kind of customer service. 

Q: Any other secret ingredients to the success story of Ambit that you’d like to share?

A: There’s a statement on our website that we do our best to live by at every level at Ambit, & along with some of the other things we’ve discussed today, really sums up our culture and why I believe we’ve been able to stick around for as long as we have. It reads: 

“Mediocrity & complacency are our enemies! We are obsessed with improving ourselves, our teams, & Ambit as a whole to separate our elite team from any competitor – and best serve our customers. We are passionate about focusing on building a quality and efficient workplace through superior management, with collaboration and shared resources at the core. We celebrate individual successes, team commitments and our ability to provide the highest quality of survey products in the industry. Our mission? To exceed expectations with everything that we do because who wants to be average?!” 

Well doesn’t that sum it up nicely! To learn more about our team and services or to request a quote visit our website at ambitconsulting.us.