About
Twenty years of IT experience. One straightforward approach.
Hi, I'm John Rhodes.
I've spent the last 20 years in IT — not in one lane, but across almost every role the field has to offer. That breadth is what makes me useful to small and medium businesses that can't afford a team of specialists.
I started at an ammunition plant supporting government contractor operations. Then K–12, where my official title was "Technology" — which meant that if it used electricity, it was my problem. Network switches, projectors, servers, security cameras, phone systems — all of it. From there I moved to the University of North Georgia as a systems engineer, and today I work in the technology division of an industrial automation company.
Along the way I built a deep interest in AI — not the hype version, but the practical side. I integrate AI into my own workflows daily and help businesses do the same. I build with the same tools I recommend, so when I tell you something works, it is because I have already built it.
The TheZenThinker approach
The name comes from a simple idea: the best technology solutions come from thinking clearly about the actual problem, not chasing whatever is new. We build things that didn't exist before — and we do it with clients who stay.
Most businesses do not need more tools. They need the right tools, set up correctly, with a partner who will be honest about what those tools can and cannot do. No vendor incentives, no overselling, no solutions that require a retainer to keep running.
Experience Highlights
- Senior System Administrator Industrial Automation (confidential) Current role, 2023–present
- Systems Engineer University of North Georgia Higher education enterprise IT
- Technology K–12 School District Full technology ownership
- IT Support Government Contractor Ammunition plant, defense
Core Skills
What Drives Us
We move fast, see patterns others miss, and turn ambiguity into momentum — but the work only means something when it's built alongside people we're committed to.
Loyalty
We take on a small number of clients and show up completely. We choose who we work with carefully — and once we're in, we give everything to that relationship.
Creativity
We come alive building and solving. If there is a better way to do something — even if it means starting from scratch — we will find it.
Impact
We build things that actually change something. Not deliverables for their own sake — outcomes that still matter to your business a year from now.
Let's have a real conversation.
No intake forms, no automated responses. You get me — directly — on a 30-minute call to talk through your situation.
Schedule a Free Call