Meet Anthony Tichota, sales engineer at ALLO Communications.
Tell us a little about your business. – ALLO (allocommunications.com) offers fiber telephone, long-distance, broadband, internet, and television to residents and businesses. ALLO currently provides communications services to 27 cities across Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona totaling approximately 772,000 in population. It is our mission to create, connect, and serve Gigabit communities.
How did you get started in the business? – I was hired on as a customer service representative with the local cable provider here in Lincoln back in May of 2000. I started at a time when the cable company was just launching their first internet service offering, as would be the trend for years to come during my career. I found myself in a place where growth and opportunity presented a threshold that I could not resist crossing.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – Being able to see my environment and the people in it from outside my own eyes. It is very easy, especially when we get busy, to forget to take a moment to understand what others may be experiencing. Remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said: “You wouldn’t worry about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Finding a company I believe in and that I am directly helping push forward into the future fills me with a sense of accomplishment.
Tell us a little about your family. – I am married and have twin 10-yearold boys. My wife Sara and I have the most wonderful synergistic relationship. We work in symphony to get though the trials life brings, raise our children, and plan for our future. She is strong when I am not, she is my reality check when I need it most, and she is my foundation.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – Becoming a father changed everything. I had no idea what I was missing until we had our boys. Life became more about the big picture, and it helped me realize what kind of a man I wanted to be.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Spending time with family and friends. I am also a 40-something gamer who still enjoys draining hours away with the current favorite board, card, parlor, or video game.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – Most people assume I am a bit socially reserved, but I actually have a tendency to turn a small event into a much larger one without even meaning to do so. I love nothing more than to be one of the main reasons you had a great time or smiled and laughed harder then you have all week.
Who inspires you? – My parents, my wife, and a handful of peers/ mentors who I have met in the last few decades who have shaped the way I approach my personal and professional life.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Work smarter not harder.
If you could have a super power, what would it be? – Immortality. I love technology, and it is a bit of a bummer that I will eventually miss out on what is next.
Which talent would you most like to have? – Being multi-lingual, which I would like to begin working on soon.
What is your favorite movie? – Black Hawk Down.
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Blue Sushi.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 770-8635; anthony.tichota@allofiber.com; allocommunications.com.