The Inspiring Benefits of Reaching Out and Opening Up

I posted an article a couple of months ago that openly related my poor decision to do an extensive amount of work for a non-paying client, and talked about the fact that the future of my business was in jeopardy as a result.

I immediately realized that I had forgotten to mention why one client had such a big impact. The cascading effect of one non-paying client can be huge. It causes shortcomings in cash flow and an inability to cover all the bills when other clients may be slow-paying. Was my business really that weak? Well no, it wasn't actually. Writing the article jogged loose some important thoughts that had gotten me stuck.

Shortly after I posted the article, I wondered was it a good idea to employ so much honesty in a talkative online business community?

The answer is an emphatic YES. It was a great idea, even if it made me feel a little vulnerable at the time. Writing that article opened me up in ways I had not envisioned.

The Biznik community offered plenty of words of encouragement, advice and similar stories. Giannina Silverman even sent me a valuable referral, angel that she is. Brandi Pierce also provided an enormous amount of support. Others added valuable advice and offers of collaboration. Those initial interactions got me back out to some Biznik events, and that in turn got my mind ticking on other ways to get involved, evolve my marketing and generate new interest.

Then I took my opening up to another level entirely.

Help Where I Least Expected It
Earlier this year, another Seattle brand designer called my office to see if I would be interested in renting space near his firm's offices. He also paid a huge compliment to me for some of my work that he had seen. At the time, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I wondered to myself if he was perhaps flattering me to get me to rent the space, so I didn't respond immediately when he suggested that we meet. I did, however, take some time to check out their work, and I was very impressed with what I saw. We seem to take a very similar approach, and I really liked their work.

Fast forward to six months later, to my non-paying clients dilemma, and the impending end of my agency, Train of Thought. I thought about this designer's offer to meet, called him up, and we sat down together the next day at his office.

Now, the design world can be a very competitive, cut-throat environment where firm principals are often tight-lipped about how their firms are doing and which clients they work with. A typical answer to the question, "How is business?" might be along the lines of, "Great, we're working on some very exciting projects and doing things we've never done before." And that's really about it. I've been as reserved at times, though I tend to be a tad bit more open than most. Desperate times being what they are though, I had resolved myself to doing whatever it took to claw my way out from the clutches of doom and survive. If that meant telling it like it was to anyone and everyone, then so be it.

An Inspiring Meeting
I had absolutely no expectations going into our meeting. I did not know if anything would come of it. If anything, I thought I might meet another tight-lipped designer, but something in the recesses of my mind told me that this was not going to be a typical meeting of design firm principals.

I sat down with my new acquaintance, just a little bit nervous because of my predicament, with no idea what I was going to say. Then, almost magically, I opened up completely. I told him exactly what was the state of my business and personal finances. I had nothing to lose, so I had no fear about speaking of my dire situation. He was very open with me about his own company, and he even showed me some of their design processes, often a much-guarded secret at design firms. He told me right on the spot that if he had the budget he would hire me as his brand services manager, but he didn't have the budget. Instead, he suggested that I work for him as a kind of combined designer/account executive, while maintaining my own agency, Train of Thought. It was a tremendous offer from someone I had only just met, and I could not have been more excited by the prospect. Still, it's a big thing to consider working for someone else after being self-employed for so long. The structure of his offer, however, afforded me the opportunity to continue running my business while getting a feel for the way his firm works and seeing if it's a good fit for us both.

The meeting was exactly the shot in the arm that I needed. I had gone into it nearly defeated and feeling pretty down, but I came out of the meeting with a glimmer of hope and a much-needed boost to my self-confidence. If this designer could see such value in me and pump up my morale at the same time, he is probably an exceptional boss and businessman.

A few weeks later, he passed me a couple of referrals that literally allowed me to stay in business. We are continuing to talk about the possibility of me coming on board with his firm, and I am still running Train of Thought. I am excited by both opportunities and making the most of them.

A Personal Brand Evolves
This experience of reaching out and opening up truly changed me. For one, I have a much better handle on recognizing red flags. I also learned important things on a personal level. I feel even more appreciation for people who reach out and offer encouragement than I did before. The experience of weathering a tough time has taught me important lessons about focus, self-discipline, the nature of giving, my goal-oriented nature, and knowing how to recognize when is a good time to accept a new challenge.

All of this learning helps evolve my personal brand. Even writing this article has helped me process thoughts that help me learn from this experience.

Thanks for reading.