Our Story

Charles and JoAnn Gardner incorporated Sterling Ideas Inc on June 30, 1999, but its real history started much earlier than that.

Charles’s interest in technology began at an early age. His father taught him not to be afraid of taking something apart to look at it. Even as a preschooler, Charles would sit on his father’s lap and “help” take apart cameras—the tech of that age—examine the pieces, and put them back together again. A few years later, his mother surprised him with his first computer, a TRS-80. Then, like almost every child in the 80’s, he had a Commodore-128 for gaming. As Charles grew up, so did the technological world, and he saw the potential of the computer industry to provide not only for his young family but local businesses. This permission to examine and explore, lovingly given by his parents, sparked an entrepreneurial spirit within Charles that never left him.

That spirit had to wait, however. As a young husband and new father, Charles worked for several large corporations to make ends meet. During that time, he worked on complicated computer systems, learning about administration and automation. The knowledge Charles gained from managing complicated systems was exactly what he wanted to bring to small businesses, so, in the summer of 1999, he decided it was the right time to follow the entrepreneurial path and start his own business. It seemed fitting to the Gardners to honor their firstborn son Sterling by naming the company Sterling Ideas. After all, they knew if they could convince small businesses to protect data better, it would indeed be a sterling idea.

The beginning was hard, though. The phones didn’t ring. There weren’t any clients. No one was knocking down the door to hire Sterling Ideas. In fact, one company Charles taught for went bankrupt and left its instructors (including Charles) with thousands of dollars of unpaid pay. It was devastating to a family with young children, but, by the grace of God, Sterling Ideas survived. Client by client, the company grew. Charles worked alone for almost two full decades, acquiring clients through honest business practices with integrity, hard work, and many late nights. It is a badge of honor that several of his original clients are still on the books today.

Sterling Ideas grew because of Charles’s desire to help other businesses succeed. Charles knew efficient IT services that protected clients’ data would be a catalyst to small business success. He has always believed small businesses to be the backbone of this great country, and he worked hard to make sure his clients thrived.

In 2018, Sterling graduated from the University of Florida and joined his father at the family business, finally giving Charles someone to work alongside and share the day-to-day demands. There was a synergistic effect with father and son working together, and soon more and more work came their way. It was obvious that even more help was needed.

The first quarter of 2020 saw the Covid-19 pandemic shutting the entire country down. Never had technology seemed to matter more. With businesses and schools closed, more and more people were working from home, and people’s technology needs soared.

At that time, JoAnn, a middle school English teacher of ten years, started working from home just like everyone else across the globe. It was in those quiet days when the world was waiting that she realized just how much her husband handled every day. She wanted to join him and help him. It was not an easy decision to leave teaching, but JoAnn made the choice in the spring of 2020 to retire at the end of the school year. She started working in August with Charles and Sterling in the company’s first non-technical role: Service Manager.

By the beginning of 2021 even more help was needed, and a new employee was added to the ranks. Hannah Gardner, Charles and JoAnn’s middle daughter, began working for the company part-time while finishing up her nursing degree at the University of North Florida. Her love for order and documentation helped keep the company running smoothly.

Then, on a momentous New Year’s Day in 2022, Sterling Ideas joined forces with Jireh Consulting. Jireh’s owner, Todd Long, has been a faithful, trusted friend of the Gardner family for decades. Todd and Charles worked together when both were starting out in the industry, and now they enjoy working alongside one another again. Todd has a great love of technology and business efficiency, but it’s his respect and care for client relationships that outshine everything else. What more could you want from a business partner than to be on the same mission, to have the same vision?

Sterling Ideas continues to grow. Todd’s son Jonathan joined the company at the end of 2022. Then Jonathan’s wife, Harleigh, was hired. Just weeks later, the company was fortunate enough to get Jacob McCravy, and though he’s not a Gardner or Long, he’s family. All three make work not only more productive, but a heck of a lot more fun.

Team members like Jonathan, Harleigh, and Jacob make the company stronger. The outcome of their good work is that even more clients thrive, just as Charles envisioned so many years ago.

This is the Sterling Ideas story so far, and it’s just the start of great things to come.

Our Vision

Our clients thrive. The world becomes a better place.

Our Team

Charles Gardner

President & Senior Service Delivery Engineer

Todd Long

Director of Technology & Senior Service Delivery Engineer

Sterling Gardner

Project Manager & Senior Service Delivery Engineer

Jonathan S. Long

Service Delivery Engineer

Jacob McCravy

Service Delivery Engineer

JoAnn Gardner

Compliance Manager

Harleigh Long

Support Specialist

Hannah Gardner

Support Specialist

“The team at Sterling Ideas provides professional service at a level of excellence. As an IT Director, I know my IT Infrastructure is in great hands. In the Healthcare Industry, technology rapidly changes, and Sterling Ideas is always ready to help us with the next big project.”

- IT Director • 12-Office Medical Practice across Central FL • Client since 2006

"Sterling Ideas assisted us in ensuring we are compliant with the new FTC Safeguards. This was a huge undertaking for our company, and we couldn't have accomplished it without their excellent support, guidance and leadership. The staff at Sterling Ideas are always so helpful and patient with all of our questions and needs!"

– Operations Manager, 2-Campus Cosmetology School, Client since 2019

"The Sterling Ideas team has provided dedicated support to our healthcare organization throughout our continued growth. They are knowledgeable, insightful and always reliable to ensure we are protected and able to focus on our mission of caring for patients."

– Vice President of Operations, 250-Employee Medical Client, Client since 2011

"Charles and his company have provided IT services for my company for over 20 years, and I've never had a time where he or his staff didn’t respond to my emergency needs. They have treated me like family, and they will continue to have me as a client for as long as they will have me."

– Owner and President, Land Acquisition Firm covering the Southeast, Client since 2001

"Sterling Ideas has an amazing and supportive team. I have worked with them for many years and would highly recommend their services."

– Owner, 5-Employee Title Services Company, Client since 2014

“We have been using Sterling Ideas for our IT needs for over 20 years. From the beginning when they rescued us from disaster to our continued expansion to over 250 computers on our campus, they have been there. We have had very little downtime over the years compared to my peers. If you do what Sterling Ideas says to do, your system will work. They always respond to your questions or needs the very same day. I’m sticking with Sterling Ideas!”

- Operations Manager • Large Local Church • Client since 2002

- IT Director • 12-Office Medical Practice across Central FL • Client since 2006