None of my Business S5:E3 Tom Lajoie

On this None of my Business podcast episode I have Tom Lajoie, founder of eTTAviation on the show. Tom grew up as an Air Force brat and moved around quite a bit before landing here in Boise. He was in the Air Force for 15 years and had his sights set on becoming an astronaut. He followed that path until he realized one day what the actual life of an astronaut really is. Living in remote locations, doing a lot of PR work, family is secondary, all for the remote chance of getting a launch.

He took his skills and his love of flying and became a pilot for United Airlines in 1998. His career as a pilot and his entire industry was turned on its head on 9/11. Many changes followed and he found himself on the outside looking in.

Tom’s big move was to create a software company called eTTAviation that would assist airline employees with their scheduling. The way the industry had been doing scheduling was a confusing clunky experience. He had an idea to make it better. Tom started at home and recruited his 15 year old son Chris, to help him build the first iteration of this software. He used his connections with United to get in front of the right people and he soon had his first customer.

We discuss what it was like building his first business out of necessity. He needed to find something that would provide for his family of 7, pay the mortgage and put food on the table. Tom’s experience and skill set that he obtained while in the Air Force gave him a huge leg up on the path to success.

Another thing I found interesting was that they had 1 client for their first 8 years! All of their eggs were in one basket which is pretty risky model. He now has many clients and we discuss how he has grown every year but one over the last 15 years. My heartfelt thanks to Tom for coming and sharing his journey with me.