On May 1, 2015, I decided enough was enough. I was tired of coasting. Had you asked me if I was coasting in January, I would have denied it but I was absolutely positively on auto pilot and the thing is, I don’t know if I knew it. Not really. I knew things weren’t going well but I just kept plugging away hoping it would get better.
Being on auto pilot is boring and the truth is, I was bored. I once wrote a client of mine and said I was bored and he hired me to do a $100,000 project. Best time of my life. I had purpose and meaning and people to do it with. I was on a mission. Life was great. But this time, nothing happened – just the tick, tick, tick of the clock and problems. There were problems every day.
Owning a business, serving others and leading people requires far more of us than we could even begin to imagine and sometimes, if we’re honest, we get tired, too. You probably get a little tired too now and then. Everyone acts like they don’t but we all do and with good reason. On any given day, there’s a whole lot that isn’t in our control beginning with people. People have the freedom to choose and its our responsibility to make sure we’ve surrounded ourselves with people who choose well. I had and I hadn’t. It was on me.
I own a book called “The Mathematics of Marriage”. It’s a textbook for psychologists. I still haven’t read the whole book. I bought it because of one simple idea. The idea is that is that all relationships are mathematical. They are similar to a bank account. The deposits must outweigh the withdrawals or the relationship will fail. The author, psychologist John Gottman, has found that marriages fall into the danger zone for divorce when the ratio of positive to negative interactions falls below five to one. If you remember just one thing from reading this blog – remember this point – 5 to 1, that’s the secret. Hit that number and you’ll be golden. Miss it and that relationship will go south.
In my business, the negatives had outweighed the positives for six to nine months.
It either needed to change or I needed to do something different. Twenty-five years at the helm is a long time. Frustration and boredom had taken root. In the spring, I took time to write and think. I spent some time with some people I admire just because not because I had to. I stopped “doing” long enough to ask some tough questions. I’ve learned so much since then and I hope by sharing it with you, your life will be better for it.
The honest to God truth is – I didn’t know where it would land.
#180in120 was born out of the decision to work the problem until the positives outweighed the negatives.
I am, after all, 100% responsible.
I started by doing some things that were scary. One was actually taking the time, by myself, to write down what I loved and what I didn’t enjoy about this business. I also spent some time playing with ideas and thinking about “the crazy ones” as Steve Jobs wrote.
I thought about the many things that make me want to get up in the morning and wondered how I could bring more of that into my business life again.
I thought about the things that drain me, cause problems, and cost money and about how I could remove those from my business.
I told all of you what I was up to as well as my employees so I had 100% accountability from every corner.
Creating a “Yes, and….” Culture
I also began to spend more time with people who are successful, who believe and act in a way that creates success. I began to create a culture that says, “Yes, and” instead of “We can’t because….” I moved far, far away from the naysayers, the critics and the haters or they moved away from me. I’m not really sure which came first but the people in my life changed. I did speaking engagements and panel discussions with people who live in the world of possibility and action. This was in direct contrast to where I was a year earlier where some of the people in my circle were so consumed with petty little problems that they couldn’t find their way out of a wet paper bag. I closed that door quietly and respectfully and moved towards something better for me and my company. It took time but real change didn’t happen until I decided it had to. Small changes daily lead to big changes over time.
A major impetus of this change was a man I’ve yet to meet. His name is James Altucher. He’s transparent and smart and funny. He has taught me so much this summer. James Altucher’s Blog is one you should absolutely read. He’s fearless in his commitment to helping you choose yourself. It sounds selfish but it’s not. It’s really about figuring out what makes you come alive and then going and doing it. If you’ve ever spent time with someone who is bored, frustrated or angry with their work, you’re already tracking with me.
“The world steps aside from any man who knows where he’s going.” – James Allen
I did a fair amount of management consulting work before the recession knocked the wind out of me and the rest of the world. So I brought out Kotter’s 8 stage process of change, dusted off the cover and dove in. I think the most important changes were in me though. By writing my ideas down, taking time to think, choosing to get closer to my clients and employees, and work and ultimately choosing myself first, I was able to be more productive and more satisfied. My life is infinitely better than it was a year ago. My work is better. My company is better. Better is good.
So what happened in 120 days? Here’s the short list:
- I fell in love again with what I do. I think this is the most important thing of all. I also began to have a much clearer understanding of my own gifts and contributions and why I’m here. Everything else falls into place once you answer that question.
- We measured culture, client success, gross profit margins, increased efficiencies, incremental sales, goal completion rate, social interactions and email marketing engagement. Without exception, we improved in every area, generally in the double digits.
- We cut expenses — double digit cuts on everything from IT to software to cleaning expenses. We’re operating leaner than a year ago, while simultaneously investing more in the things that actually give us a strong ROI, including client services and marketing. There were several off-site company retreats and dinners with clients. Best of all, I am pleased to report our net income is considered the gold standard for agencies our size. We experienced a nine-point increase in net profit in just four months.
- I went from being in the top 10 percent to being in the top 1 percent for professionals like me on LinkedIn. I like winning and I love showing that social media works. I was able to achieve both goals with these metrics. I published nine posts in all during the 120 days. Pulse is one of the best tools available on the web. Work it. Tell your story. Write about things that matter. Great content draws people in.
- Referral, organic, email and direct traffic to our website was up 341 to 471 percent over a year ago — and people, it was summertime in Wisconsin.
- I legally trademarked #180in120, secured my ISBN number for publishing the book on change later this year and wrote the marketing plan for incorporating management consulting and strategic planning into what we do at The Creative Company.
- We rebranded the agency. This will take longer than four months, but it’s in motion.
- We added 900 subscribers to our email list, an increase of 21 percent. We sent 11 campaigns over the last four months, compared to three the previous summer. Our reach was four times greater.
- We wrote a business plan for the next three years. I had written a plan every year for the last seven years and we experienced very steady growth. However, I hadn’t planned out beyond that year. I’m a big advocate of “Where there is no vision, the people will perish.” Just knowing we’re thinking about 2018 helps shape decisions today.
- We moved West. Well, 16 blocks West but still, we moved. It’s quieter, more professional, closer to the UW, downtown and we’re still on an island surrounded by water. Details about the move to 636 West Washington Avenue.
- We landed several terrific new clients in areas where I know we’ll shine so they’ll shine.
- I landed a number of speaking engagements: United Way Leadership Council, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, Periscope for Web Developers and Designers at Filament Games and American Family’s DreamBank, coming up on October 13, 2015.
- I was invited to blog for the Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin and join Madison College’s visual arts track advisory board. This will give us access to talent and give students access to real-life experiences.
- We improved processes across the board, resulting in higher gross profit margins and stronger client and employee satisfaction.
- I hired an office manager and executive assistant. I learned that hiring is the most important job I have and to take my time and choose very carefully.
So, what happens next? We do it all again – that’s what happens! Before the recession in ‘08, we wrote five-year business plans for clients. While that’s still important. I think its just as if not more important to keep your team focused – and yourself – on what you’re doing today to make your company better. My mentor James Altucher says its a 1% game. 1% better every day means a 365% improvement in a year. I’ve bought in and its paying off for me. I hope it does for you too.
So what do you think? Have you experienced focus change like this? What did you learn? Let me know in the comments below.
I’ll also answer any questions you have to the best of my ability – time permitting – completely for free by emailing me at laura@thecreativecompany.com or by messaging me on Linked In. You can also follow me on Twitter @creativecompany or follow me on Linked In.