The Joy of Referrals
I’ll be honest: One of the worst and best parts of my business is that all of my clients thus far have come from referrals.
I’ll focus on the worst first because, in the scope of things, it’s a small gripe. You can’t decide when people are ready to work with you, or when they will make a referral for you. And you feel icky asking too frequently. It means that the path I chose isn’t always the steady one, even if it is definitely the right one for me.
Carole Ann Penney of Penney Leadership recently shared an article with me by the ever-inspirational Tara McMullin that so well encapsulates the upside and downside of this choice—namely, that there is an overall lack of stability in the field, which is an unaccounted-for downside. I want to walk the line of being at the front of everyone’s mind as your go-to fractional CMO or COO (thanks to Bev Feldman for helping me find that excellent language). But I also don’t want anyone to think that is the only reason I speak with them; it isn’t! More often than not, I’m networking or speaking with you because I want to help you more than I want you to help me.
This brings me to the upside. There is often no better joy than helping someone find the right resource and referring them to an incredible independent business person like myself. It brings you exciting new worlds that you never thought you would be a part of! Did I ever think I would work with financial advisors, grant writers, or coaches? Not necessarily, but boy am I glad that I am!
Why do I call it a resource? Well, because that’s what we are: We aren’t employees; we are your collaborators there to help you shine. We are like good books; if you turn to the right page, we offer you just what you were looking for. We work like partners, and the partnership ideally is so good that it feels natural. There is inherent trust there.
No one person or business is made alike, so I can’t stress enough the importance of the word right in that sentence. It’s not about finding just anyone, it’s about finding the one. This may seem like a lofty goal, and, certainly, when you are trying to support yourself, you have to weigh the importance of it versus the monetary upside some of the time. But, I’ve found that it’s rare that it’s better to work with someone who isn’t the right partner than to struggle to come to the right agreement or collaboration. I’d rather help you find someone who is the right partner and know I’ve done right by you instead.
I could go down that rabbit hole for hours, but I want to talk to you about the real joy: getting people to the right business to partner with! When you get the right partner, not only does the work flow, but it’s also impeccable. Plus, knowing that I’ve sent them to someone who is good and will treat them well makes rest easy. Developing relationships and a network of other small businesses who have the same values as I do allows me to send work to people who are working just as hard as I am to carve a different path, and gives them the same freedom I’m looking for. And I often get the joy of collaborating with them. Just some of my great referrals include Theresa at Little Flame Creative, Chassie at Chassie Bell Design, and Walker and Chandler at TinDragon Media. Not only that, but we all get the joy of becoming each other’s clients as well!
In this way, I know that at least I’m putting what I hope for for myself and others out into the universe. Here’s to you hopefully doing the same! Have someone I should meet? Drop me a line!
Lesson Learned: Spreading the wealth comes back to you in spades. And finding the right resource is like finding an outfit that fits perfectly. Let’s all help each other get there!
