silverfish & silverlinings.
If you’re seeing this, I’m still alive and kicking. If you’re seeing this and I owe you a response, that’s coming after May 1st. Scouts honor. 🫡
If you’ve ever moved, plan to move, been sick and didn’t know why, or are just in for some interesting tales that may help you at a later date, keep reading. If not, all good. This is my free form of therapy. 😅
October 2023
Moving on up
Mark and I upgraded to a 2/2 townhome (TH) in October 2023. We were so thrilled for the extra space, a private driveway for Gronk the Bronc(o), and garage for yoga times. However, shortly after moving in I got super sick with a sinus infection. Then Mark.
February 2024
Sick of being sick
Fast forward, we were sick on and off for 5 months following and didn’t know why.
Monday February 19: On President’s Day, the weather had just changed from being wicked cold, to brisk and sunny. I ran around the house opening all the windows thinking fresh air could do our sick some good. To my surprise, each and every single window was covered in black mold and spores. 🤮
I typically do a window cleaning once a quarter because I am mild-OCD with this sort of stuff, but since we just moved in October (it had a supposed “turn” cleaning), it had been cold, and we were not opening windows, I didn’t even think to pull up the blinds and check. 🤦🏼♀️
I spent 8 hours on the holiday cleaning with 2 bottles of bleach, 6 paper towel rolls, and 1 tile/grout scrubber. I could not go to sleep knowing we were surrounded by mold.
Enjoy this super stellar moment Mark captured for me. The original video this is snapped from is just me swearing LOL.
Tuesday February 20: After sharing this alarming information with the leasing office over the holiday, the next day one of the maintenance guys came over with 1 paper towel role and a spray bottle. I laughed and said I already did it and that would not have been enough. He couldn’t believe the photos vs how cleaned up it was now.
Tuesday February 27: Another week went by until a mold expert came out. We needed to know if the quality of our air was OK as mold could also be hidden behind walls that are unseen to us. He said he needed to give our complex a quote on next steps and that I should run dehumidifiers upstairs and downstairs, in addition to purchasing Benefect disinfectant (kills mold, but people and animal safe! Order it if you get a mold pop-up.).
Thursday February 29: 2 days later, leasing brought over 2 industrial dehumidifiers. Our TH was 70% humidity when plugged in. For reference, the average home should be 30-50%. We had to run these 24 hours a day, dump the gallons of water it captured 2x/day, just to maintain the high end of 48-50% humidity. This implied to us moisture was not going to stop entering our apartment no matter how low we ran our AC or how long we kept these suckers plugged in. Our electric bill was going to be obscene. To top it all off, we found silverfish in our apartment. Silverfish are not harmful, but if there’s one, there’s plenty more. That was the breaking point. GTFO, y’all.
In the midst of all of this, we were given permission to break our lease with a 30 day notice until a solution was found. Leasing offered to come do an air duct cleaning prior to conducting air quality testing. We wanted the reverse in the case that construction had to be done to remove any mold, that the air ducts would be cleaned after the dust storm. We were denied. We were also denied any reimbursement of the provided health bills, cleaning supplies, or surplus on excess electric usage due to the dehumidifiers. 🫠
So I started packing. Thankfully due to my flexibility with work (& with any of you reading that have been trying to get in touch with me since this all started), I began the thing I was good at in another lifetime and began packing things in waves.
📌 – if there’s interest, I will write a step by step moving article since I’ve done this 18+ times in my life from watching my parents as a child, to my mom as a badass newly single mom, to myself post-college all over SF, LA, and now St. Pete. If you want it, holler. I’m happy to outline it in a much better fashion than this therapy session you’re reading.
First things to get packed are those items that are decorative and you don’t need on a daily basis. That was picture frames. Get this – each and every photo I took off the wall had rusted nails. MOISTURE problem, friends. I was rocked, but vindicated. I left the nails in the walls during our move as my constant reminder to get out and move on. I then chose to leave them in the wall after turning in the keys so that Management could see for themselves. Don’t worry, we had a zero-balance bill at move out! 😉
Mark and I spent the next 2 weeks hunting for a rental in the area. After seeing over 15+ apartment complexes and a few Single Family Homes (SFHs) & THs, we selected an apartment complex that we didn’t even have on our list — total drive-by find and in an area that’s super convenient to the beaches, our favorite places, downtown St. Pete, and Tampa. Plus it was close to a Wawa! (IYKYK!).
We signed the lease to move in March 15th. It checked all our boxes except for garage/dedicated parking but after a few night time drive bys, we decided it wouldn’t be an issue for Gronk. The complex was built in 2020, the end unit had concrete block exterior (wood interior, which I’ll get to shortly), double pane windows (which made my heart sing after spending 8 hours cleaning mold off crappy old windows and muttons!), tall ceilings, gorgeous grey vinyl wood plank floors, and all new energy efficient appliances. Coming from our TH in the other community our electric bill was higher than average being an end unit with older appliances (we’re 72/73º AC people), this was exciting to us.
Best part, it was a 3/2 meaning now we had a dedicated guest room and separate office for Mark. But lucky for y’all I still choose to sit at my cutie set up in the dining room. Being in a dedicated room gives me the ick. I love being able to move around the house (or post up on our big wrap around screened porch) as I wish.
March 2024
Part 1 // Navigating the new
Friday March 15: I picked up the keys mid-day to start bringing over some of the valuables/delicate items that we’d rather move ourselves. After taking the first round of items into the new apartment, I heard running down the hall above our unit and then their front door slam. My heart dropped. Coming from a concrete block TH where we never heard anything made this quite the jarring experience.
I sucked it up and figured this was my chance to meet the upstairs neighbor. Maybe we’d be friends (?!) LOL. I too ran outside and caught him in the hallway as he was coming down the stairs. “Hey! I’m Ashley. My husband Mark and I are moving in below you tomorrow. Wanted to let you know that if it’s loud, that’s why.” OH THE IRONY. He tall like Mark, dressed for the gym, had a nice brief conversation, and then he took off. Cool. Met the neighbor. Check!
Saturday March 16: The movers came and loaded our TH and we headed over to the new apartment. From the moment they finished unloading around 2PM until AFTER midnight that evening, an absolute CIRCUS ensued upstairs. Bangs, drops that sounded like hand weights, and runs (but no voices) all occurred. We sat and shook our heads in disbelief. Was this a fluke? But all I could do was cry from pure exhaustion.
To summarize the issue before fully diving into the last 4 weeks, here’s a calendar of noise I kept until April 4th (when I finally gave up). This has been ongoing for almost a month alongside the back and forth with the new Management/complex.
*names removed to “protect” the innocent (but oh so guilty). 🙄
Monday March 18: We promptly spoke with the Management company regarding our immediate move-in concern and how it happened the entire weekend.
Beyond them being obnoxious, remember when I said the exterior was concrete block but the interior was wood, above? Welp, the construction team likely didn’t lay down the padding required to prevent excess noise between each floor. Huge flaw. It’s as if we live in the same house.
Knowing our floorplan is the same as theirs, we put two and two together that it was KIDS running. Those short, staccato, heavy footed steps. Hey, nothing against kids (it’s been an active topic for us lately 🥰), but we needed answers as to why this was happening if these buildings were new.
At one point, we even googled options for soundproofing tiles for our ceiling. But due to my husband having a background in music production, those installs were expensive and wouldn’t prevent the “knocks” from above.
Management reached out to the family that same day and reported back to us later that they were defensive at first but then quickly apologized that they had just gotten back from a vacation, were doing laundry, and getting back to normal life. Management also introduced their new favorite saying – “this is apartment living.” This phrase has continually been thrown at us since day dot.
As a resolve, Management then suggested we have a Dr. Phil-style meet up to meet face to face with our neighbors to discuss our concerns. We thought about approaching them without involving Management like mature adults, but were unsure on their temperament (hey, I only met the husband 1 time for maybe 30 seconds), so we agreed to this style of meet up.
Friday March 22: We met with the husband only in the clubhouse (the wife continues to hide yet is the largest offender being home solo all day doing gosh knows what) and naturally he got defensive since it was seen as 2 vs. 1. Mark and I just sat there calmly wanting to find a resolve.
We learned he is an ER doctor who has alternating schedules, 2 daughters (6 and 12), and a stay at home wife who’s maybe 80lbs (did I tell you she loves to walk around in heels? LOL). They’ve lived all over but most recently from NY. They had a HUGE house (his inflection, not mine) and property prior so the apartment life is new to them. We left the meeting feeling semi-hopeful that this has just been a time of transition for them and that it would get better.
Sunday March 24: Just 2 days later, we heard the sound of high heels clanking the floor all over the house at 10:45PM and then bangs and throws above our bedroom (still no voices) until 5AM. I was furious. Here we are, dying from exhaustion of poor sleep the last week since moving in, trying to get over this mold crap, yet the upstairs couple is having a special bedroom event. I left them a note early that morning and we received this text in return. 🙃
As if that red circle above didn’t make me want to punch a hole through the ceiling.
📌 – Health Check: we started feeling better, just a little over 1 week being removed from the mold! #win
Friday March 29th, my birthday a couple days later, we had the most epic sound extravaganza. My mom had just come to town the day prior (will explain in the next section) and she was floored by what was going on. At one point it sounded like the kids were diving into the floorboards above her guest room and we’re going to land in her bed.
📌 – if you’re wondering, no we still had not unpacked. The only thing we unpacked at this stage were essentials and I did 12 loads of laundry (yes, 12!) to ensure all the mold was rid from all our clothing. Mold spores don’t just die, so we had to ensure anything that was cloth was cleaned in its entirety. We also had our washer leak twice and dishwasher not wash. Just adding salt to injury. Thankfully, the washer has now been replaced to uber brand new (maintenance visit #3) and the dishwasher guts replaced (maintenance visit #4).
March 2024
Part 2 // Just keep swimming
So where do we go with all this? Ha. Here’s the thing friends… due to fair housing laws, as long as the family is not intentionally blasting loud music or hosting a party during quiet hours of 10PM-8AM (per the county), there’s not a single thing that can be done. No legal notice. No eviction. No nothing. “It’s apartment living.” The lesson here… if you don’t want to live with sound disturbances around the clock, you gotta shoot for a top-floor apartment/condo, concrete block TH, or SFH. Period.
Here were our options laid out by Management:
Any new resident can put in a 30 day notice within the first 45 days without facing lease termination fees ($6,150 in our case).
Take that policy above & Management would give us an extra 30 day extension due to our issue. Ie: give notice on April 29 and have 60 days to find something, but doing so means we risk being homeless if we don’t find something as our unit goes on the website/market.
Wait for a top-floor unit to open here.
Option 1 became the goal. Find a freaking top floor apartment/condo, TH, or SFH before April 29th.
But here was the caveat, Mark and I have Cali trips planned April 15th through the end of the month. And for personal reasons, we can’t move our trip back. So we had less than 30 days to leverage the 45 day policy.
March 18 - March 27: Mark and I went back to our previous list and called every single apartment complex we visited looking for a top floor unit. With no luck in that department, every day from 8AM to 3PM I scoured the Zillow-type sites for options, following up through the dumb automated AI systems, investigating the agents, finding their emails and cells, and making appointments.
4PM onward, Mark and I would go view the homes either by self-tour (a nightmare system of hoops you typically have to pay for) or with an agent. At night after I went to bed, Mark would play my lead BDR (business development rep) and send me new listings to reach out to the next morning. We continued this cycle every day.
We saw 30+ homes during these ~2 weeks. None of them would work.
If you’re not familiar with the St. Petersburg/Tampa area, the homes were mostly built in the 50’s and 60’s. The ceilings are 7-8ft tall (unless you find a newer build gem). Mark is 6’6’ so he’d find himself ducking through some doorways and step downs and I would find myself (5’8”) palming the kitchen ceiling. Or the ceiling fans we’d both run right into walking from one room to the next. It was so claustrophobic. Not to mention that 9/10 times, the photos NEVER looked like the actual unit once inside. They were disgusting and not well maintained. Photoshop is one hell of a drug.
March 28 - April 4: It wasn’t until my mom (a licensed FL Realtor for 19 years) came down to help (& to celebrate my 35th birthday!), that we finally had the ah-ha moment.
We needed to avoid what she coined “button homes” (the 50’s-80’s builds littered everywhere) and only focus on visiting 90’s buildings onward with 9ft standard ceilings. Otherwise we were going to keep running, pun intended, into properties that we’re not a fit.
This narrowed down a few key areas: Safety Harbor (where we want to hopefully buy a home next year), NE Clearwater, parts of Dunedin, or Oldsmar. Everything south of that would be a rare find, and from our boots on the ground experience, those were gorgeous new construction homes on scandalous streets.
With this, a TH popped up in NE Clearwater area. We will call this Stony Brook. To sum it up, we were a part of a scam/ethics nightmare with just normal everyday people, but FL licensed realtors themselves!
Here’s the letter I sent to FREC (Florida Real Estate Commission), and now plan to send to NAR (National Association of Realtors) next as it’s more an ethics concern:
This message is to inform the FREC board that there are 2 agents that are utilizing deceiving and deceptive marketing practices by leveraging an address they personally own as being for rent and reposting it in both the MLS and various other rental websites, in what appears to be a scheme to capture new leads for the intent to covert prospective tenants into house buyers. My husband and I are searching for a new rental. My mom who is a licensed FL realtor for over 19 years drove 4 hours down from St. Augustine to St. Pete to help us. We wanted to proceed with ADDRESS. We viewed the unit twice via Showingtime app. After our first viewing on 4/2 via Showingtime app, AGENT NAME, the listing agent (HIS LICENSE # & BROKERAGE) had his wife and fellow agent, AGENT WIFE reach out to my mother. And then to myself. During our first interaction via call, AGENT WIFE verbally shared that there was an additional $310 HOA fee that the tenant would be responsible for monthly, and in addition to the rent posted online. This was disclosed after the fact and NOT present on the listing then, nor is it now. PDF from today is attached. Our second call on 4/3 was regarding questions about the unit prior to scheduling a second showing. Even with this non-disclosed $310 fee being a red flag, we viewed the unit for a second time on 4/3. That same evening, we spoke with AGENT WIFE the 3rd time @ 8:08PM for 12 minutes (see photo) and asked to have an application sent to us before they left for their travels back to Houston, TX. They assured us they would send it, but never did. We called, emailed, and texted them on 4/4. Finally we got a call later in the afternoon from AGENT NAME himself claiming that they had chosen to move forward with another applicant (and we had still never received an application). AGENT NAME told us he would have his AGENT WIFE reach out to local homes for sale in the area and see if any would be interested in renting to us. I played along as I suspected their deception (see text message from AGENT NAME 4/5 & AGENT WIFE 4/8). Over 3 days later, the listing remained online. Per the rules, it should have been removed as of now and it is considered a deceptive marketing tool. I reported it to Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com Today is 4/10 and they just reposted the listing as “new.” We are more than qualified financially, pay higher than average rent now (& their listing), no background check issues, and have stellar credit scores. We are alerting FREC of this as it can not happen to other couples/families who are searching for a new home with them, or any other agents practicing in this manner. I am unsure how many other properties they are doing this with, but given that ADDRESS is owned by them directly makes this unprofessionalism even worse. We’ve seen other agents admit to using vacant homes to lure in potential customers and try to convert them to a buyer. I suspect the same is happening with AGENT NAME & AGENT WIFE given our experience and documentation.
Once the Stony Brook TH was removed from the equation, we were back to square one. And after a week of being together, my mom had to get back home to St. Augustine, FL.
During her time with us, we viewed 53 TH and SFH. 53 in a span of 1 week! I kept track of the rental listings in a Google Sheet so we could remember what areas were good/safe and which neighborhoods/communities had newer built homes for ceiling-sake – now for renting and for future home buying.
❤️ Mom, thanks for being MVP. Sorry for being the most impatient and bratty 35 year old during this experience. Your support, love, and expertise is invaluable. I love you so much and can’t wait til our next hang so we can do absolutely nothing stressful! ❤️
April 2024
Game time
Friday April 5: a new listing popped up. Another TH in the Clearwater area close to Safety Harbor. We’ll call this one Sebring. Ironically, it’s 10 minutes walking / 2 mins driving to where my father lives (haven't seen him since I was in high school). Of course this would be the case right? Nothing was shocking me at this point.
But knowing the situation we’re in, knowing that we have a deadline, and knowing that this newer TH community looked like a winner online, we made an appointment with the property Management company. Lucky for us, we were the first to see the unit on that Friday and the agent Sharon (a total doll who I left a 5 star google review for) promised us she would not show the home to anyone until we told her “we’re out.” Bless her. She got to hear our whole story to this point and was dedicated to helping us.
Monday April 8: We scheduled a follow up to view/measure and were then going to make a final decision. Should have known better than anything labeled “final” in design-land – that’s always a big joke to the designer.
The TH option was beautiful, but not an apples to apples scenario. Yes, we’d be escaping the noise (only having one wall of neighbors) and getting a garage for yoga times back, but the house was on top of the community pool (hellllloooo summer and kids yelling while we’re trying to work), and the patio on the back had no privacy/screen/plants so you’d be on display facing the entrance of the community and pool at all times.
The showers were narrower than the standard (dumb construction move!) so I was googling shower rod options that bumped out, but due to the wall placement, we couldn’t drill those types in either. It felt like a whole new world of claustrophobia. Plus, we’d have to buy a new couch since ours wouldn’t fit correctly in the space. The “solves” plus the moving expenses (the 3rd time since October) were starting to add up.
Despite our “issues” we applied that evening. It’s all we had at this point. We felt like we were backed into a corner due to this 45 day policy (30 days in our case due to travels). We went to bed not feeling right.
Tuesday April 9: Woke up the next morning also still feeling off about it. Then we got the acceptance letter to move forward.
They say the universe works in mysterious ways, the system was having issues so we were not able to pay the security deposit and sign the lease. I used this time to ride back up one more time to see it. Maybe I’d feel better about the steps we were taking to resolve this?
I got home. Threw my purse on the counter and looked at Mark. He knew, I knew, we couldn’t move forward with a rental that could have similar issues.
I emailed Sharon that although we paid the app fees and we’re accepted, we couldn’t pay the security deposit or sign the lease. I asked her what I could do for her since she was the best person we interacted with. She said if she got a google review with her name, her boss would buy her lunch. I said consider it done!
Then we texted our families the update:
After this text, I went into some of the boxes and began unpacking things to make this feel more like a home. Gosh darnit, if I’m paying to live here, I need to feel like I live here. Things that didn’t require nails and hanging, are slowly being put out.
Thursday April 11: We got an email from Management here that a top-floor was opening in August. YES! But after getting excited and calling them to discuss, we then learned it was $300+/mo more than our current, and we just upgraded $550+/mo when moving to escape the mold TH. So $850/mo more? FUN RIGHT? It was also right next to the basketball courts. I’ll let your mind wander.
So knowing we’d still be “stuck” here through the summer when the kids are home from school upstairs whether staying or signing for the top-floor August unit, we chose to make the most mature decision.
So WTF are Mark and I doing from here?
We’re staying put. Sometimes choosing nothing is the best choice.
We’re choosing to create our peace. We’ve now figured out the main times of banging above us (before school starts, 3:30ish when they get home, and 7PM for dinner). And as if we’re on Aston Kutcher’s Punk’d, they’ve been pretty quiet up there the last couple of days. 🤞
We’re choosing to not settle and are now empowered to know which areas are best for us – Gronk has the miles to prove it. By far the best silver lining!
We’re choosing to go on our trip to Cali because we freaking need it.
I’m choosing to move forward with my business and stop putting all my potential collaborators on hold.
I’m choosing to get back in the saddle 110% with my current clients and will continue to thank them for their patience and support with my wonky schedule the past 2 months.
I’m choosing to be back and ready for my normal life to resume even in nothing around me is “normal.”
If this didn’t send me over the edge, nothing will. LFG! 👊
To choosing resilience,
-Ashley
smacked agency syndrome.
The day came. It had been almost a decade since I entertained a RFP. Seeing it in my inbox, I archived it. But later that day went back to revisit it.
Even though the team I was supporting had won a previous RFP with them, I had a sour taste in my mouth.
I felt smacked. So I’m now coining this as “Smacked Agency Syndrome.” It is a real thing and often a telltale sign you’re in for it when invited to join the ✨ magical journey ✨ of the RFP.
But even knowing this familiar ick feeling, I hoped that things had maybe changed since my last RFP experience.
Spoiler alert: RFPs still suck.
The reviewing client spends a boatload on the process. Hence taking away from budget that could be utilized on said “creative project.” You can see that hefty report via ANA/4’As here as a free download - lots of nerdy stuff in there 🤓 : https://www.aaaa.org/cost-of-the-pitch-surprising-insights-that-may-make-you-rethink-the-process
It’s a time suck. You spend all the time following blueprints and rules without having the hard conversations in-person or over Zoom to get to the real WHYs.
There’s too much red tape. There’s always a disconnect with legal and the creative team that’s pushing out the RFP. What may seem one way, most certainly always comes with a surprise change that never benefits the bidding agency (you!).
Endless disruptions in staffing. “Oh yeah, let’s go get to work for free for the chance to win this bid. I’ll put off my paying client’s task and get to it later.” Cue: sHinY oBjEcT SynDrOme (yes, I love coining syndromes LOL.)
It’s a mental f***ery. Aside from coming up with your really cool idea, you spend a good chuck of your time thinking about how you will beat the competitive agencies and get wrapped up in the idea of competing on price. YUCK. Plus, don’t forget, you always sign something saying the idea is no longer yours once pitched — the reviewing client can take your idea (that was too much $$$) and get the cheaper bidding agency to do it. How lovely is that?
And to make it even more interesting…we won.
But here’s the kicker, winning is not even a guarantee. 😆 Months(!) later, there’s still no working agreement. Legal has made changes company-wide that would remove a chunk of the team’s responsibility making the pricing all goofed up since it was based on the full effort. And the team’s transparent payment terms, discussed prior to engaging in the RFP process, we’re considered null and void. 🙃 It’s practically back at square one.
Y’all, your IDEAS are worth GOLD. Stop giving them away for free or even a small pitch fee. Stop getting “smacked” around.
Instead, push to have MEANINGFUL conversations with people who are looking for PARTNERS - not vendors. You didn’t earn your caché touting a vendor title. Frankly you’ve likely never identified yourself as one either.
Here’s to ending the cycle of SAS!
-Ashley
Important Note: I recognize that avoiding RFPs is sometimes not possible in government and other miscellaneous industries. But when it comes to entertainment and/or brands, there’s almost always a workaround. How do I know this? That same mega corp who sent the RFP above to my client… has an OTHER division that works with my OTHER client – we’ve never had an issue. My OTHER client has a 1MM+ all-in retainer and the payment terms are NET-30, advanced billing. Meaning my client gets paid at the top of each quarter so they have the cash on hand to do all the work. Things are not always what they seem or are demanded to be. Stay vigilant. 🫡
“Mining” your own business.
I’ve been MIA the later half of this year minding & mining my own business. 🤓 While my share-worthy golden nuggets are brewing, here’s a quick one that may boost your business development goals.
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Life has a funny way of coming full circle. From staying up late submitting entries at my first gig in Hollywood, to helping other teams level up their award strategy at Brave Dog, to now being on my first official judging panel… I’m excited to share that I’ll be serving as a judge at the 16th annual Shorty Awards! 🐳🏆
So you might be thinking… WTF who cares about awards?! I dissected the “glitz & glamour” of it all awhile back here. Trust it’s worth a scan if you’ve created some awesome creative this year (or plan to in 2024!) and want to leverage it to win the hearts of new clients.
If you’ve got some stellar digital storytelling work, I’d love to see it at the Shortys! You can find the categories here. And if you need help leveraging those wins, in and beyond the moment, just holler.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & New Year filled with gold!
-Ashley
Change & Change.
Both are constant.
Both are possible at the same time.
Both can be opposing one another and still a reality (thx, quantum physics).
Last week I had two sales calls with their respective team leads. Both scenarios played out the same, so let’s dive into one.
The company is looking to rebrand their parent company and reconfigure their hierarchy due to a recent acquisition, in order to create a cohesive internal and external presence in the industry.
It may sound simple, but there’s too many unknowns that the team couldn’t answer. I won’t bore you with those. Let’s keep moving…
Was I speaking with the decision maker? Sort of.
Is there a deadline? Tossed out the idea of 6 mos.
Are they interviewing other agencies? Yup, we’re 1 of 4. Two of the companies promised bids by June 30th.
Big one, is there a Budget? “we don’t know and it’s likely small.”
Here’s the thing… the project at this stage isn’t real. I actually giggled on the line when the team asked for a SOW. Without the above questions answered, a SOW can’t be created – there’s too many unknowns.
So how do you still keep your hat in the ring without laboring over unknown answers and pretending to be something you’re not?
Change the expectation.
Wrapping up the call, I shared with the potential client that a full blown SOW was not possible at this stage given what we had, however (positive spin!) I wanted to be respectful of their time and my team’s. My idea was to put together phase-by-phase “buckets” of what one could expect at different price ranges (think: good, better, best). ie: GOOD Discovery, BEST strategy, BETTER design. She loved the idea and appreciated the honesty.
Rather than put together my infamous 1 page deal memo (grab it here if you’d like!), I created with the help of my team a collaborative google sheet with said “buckets” to imply that it was a starting place for our future collaboration.
We did get confirmation of receipt and that they were in the process of hiring a new creative lead who would need to review our share. #progress. But whether or not the team chooses to move forward with us, here’s why this is a win:
We educated: without knowing the budget (change), a true SOW was not possible. Any team now that sends them a straightforward bid is doing themselves a disservice and will likely find themselves in revision hell. The potential client will also now have small reservations on how legit the other agencies are.
We protected our space: by setting a new expectation (change, again), we didn’t waste time and resources on trying to beat another agency, but instead focused on the challenge at hand. Leading with good intentions and questioning everything is key.
To change & change!
-Ashley
P.S.: if you starting singing the Lyfe Jennings 2008 hit Never Never Land when seeing the subject line, did we just become besties? 😆
“no” is a long term game.
Potential clients say “no,” “not now,” or “not yet” to us all the time.
But, how often do we respectfully offer it right back?
Not often enough. We’re told time and time again to not accept “no” as an answer.
Unpopular opinion: I’m not opposed to the word “no” or any of its varieties. 🤷♀️
…
Last week, I was introduced to a boutique branding & design agency in Los Angeles by a close client/friend. They were eager to learn more about my sales process and how I could be their salesperson going forward.
I discovered within the first 30 minutes of the call that they were not ready to activate me. Any salesperson would be caught in an up-hill battle – struggling to convey what the company excelled in and what unique skill sets they brought to the table. The sales messaging and materials were not in-sync.
Knowing that this is super common for creative agencies – as they are so focused on the client’s creative that they forget to work on themselves – I had to tell them “not now” and dig deeper with them.
We extended the call another hour to discuss what was necessary before starting any sales outreach:
Determining their positioning in the industry
Getting clear on their target audience
Defining their favorite types of projects
Identifying projects they’d refuse to take on (equally important!)
Knowing their self-worth & express it boldly
Expressing all the above in their marketing/sales materials (visually & verbally)
So rather than diving into sales, the month of May is tackling just that! I’m leading discovery sessions so we can get clear on the above and develop key sales tools for the future. Then later this month, we can resume the initial salesperson conversation.
🔑: If I would have activated the client as-is, I’d likely be frustrated with my work, and they’d likely be frustrated with my results. That’s a total waste of time and investment. After this discovery phase, whether the client hires me or someone else as their salesperson (hey, no ego here!), I’ll know that they are much better positioned for success. And if it is me leading the charge, I’ll be that much more excited to see our hard work paying off in the long game.
To confidently saying “no,” “not now,” or “not yet,”
what’s in your pocket?
Gasp — I haven’t been in touch since October. So I thought I’d reintroduce myself. Hey y’all, it’s Ashley Tolusic Einhorn! Mark and I tied the knot. 🍾🦄
As I left the social security office today as a newly named woman, I had one of those car rides where my mind just spins. From what I was going to cook for dinner to how I needed to get my daily walk in before the sun goes down. Anything and everything in between.
But the one question I couldn’t stop asking was “how can I be the best help to others without spreading myself too thin here in 2023?”
Here’s what I’m thinking…
What if I could be your “pocket sales strategist?”
Let me help when you need me, and stay clear when you don’t.
Whether it’s via email, slack, or voice memo on your phone, you could ping me (during biz hours of course & if it’s late night I’ll peep the next morning!) that needs a separate set of eyes/ears.
You could think of me as your sales bestie who will always tell it to you straight. Someone has to be real with you, right?
Bouncing ideas off someone, outside of your echo chamber, can be the winning ticket. If this is something that sounds interesting to you, let’s chat and see what that might look like. Sometimes you don’t know what others need until you ask.
So I’m going for it and asking — do you need me in your pocket? 👖
the day i stopped faking it.
The process of defining my lane was an easy task to avoid.
Not knowing where to start when I first became a solopreneur, I woke up every day and asked, “how can I help?”
That simple question, was the gateway. It might be the most powerful yet confusing question I’ve continued to ask. It allowed me to experiment my various skill sets in different environments. It’s connected me to people I never thought I’d have the opportunity to collaborate with.
For years I OWNED that question. I probably could have put it in my IG bio, email signature, and LI summary and thought “YES this is great! I am SO helpful!”
But what’s the risk in overextending this question? What’s the result that people don’t often talk about?
The simple “how can I help?” became a catalyst to a bigger problem.
The longer I put off defining my lane, my future became my today, and then I was stuck asking myself “WTF is happening?” Do I even enjoy what I am doing right now? Am I really giving my clients the best part of me?
As 2021 was coming to a close, I was completely and mentally drained by my efforts. I was so clouded (more or less hiding) behind asking this question every day instead of identifying and harnessing my innate superpower.
When I went away to reinvent myself… I paused all client engagements except one (there’s a reason for that) and went into pure hibernation mode on all other ways of “helping.”
I emerged with with my thing that brought me the most joy all along: rainmaking for teams/brands I believe in. 🎉
Announcing this in July was the day I stopped faking it. It was scary but necessary. When asked to do something that isn’t in this lane, I confidently say “No, but I can help with…”
Looking back, those 6 years brought to light the projects/scenarios I DON’T like helping with. And trust me, that’s not a bad thing at all. It’s immensely valuable and will be my fire that keeps me on track going forward.
To scaling back & looking inward!
growing up? or doubling down?
Launching my biz in Jan 2017 was a scary thing. I often joke “TALOOP is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up.” 😏
Over the past (almost) 6 years, I’ve done everything from:
Biz Dev/Sales (white-label with client email addy)
Helped launch online courses
Curated and hosted IRL events
Provided social media strategy
Designed/art directed websites
Created email marketing sequences
Implemented cold outreach cadences
The list goes on.
The common denominator? Orchestrating a vision and putting those pieces together, whether people and/or services, to solve a thing.
In almost all cases, sales was that solve and my FAVORITE part. Hence listing it at the top.
Moving forward, I’m doubling down. My sole focus is being a rainmaker. If your business is:
Caught in the weeds of your sales rather than focusing on what you do best…
Needing an additional sales person to ramp up revenue…
Looking for an unbiased opinion on how your sales outreach and retainment could be improved…
And I believe in what you’re selling…
Let’s chat.
IMHO, sales encompasses more than just the call/close. It’s how you’re presenting yourself to the world, conducting on-going outreach, and where I find the magic (yet often forgotten about) persistent yet friendly followups.
What pressing questions do you have in regards to sales? 🧐
Just ping me back with your questions and I’ll do my best to touch on it at some point in these Golden Nuggets. 🙏 There’s nothing too silly or too large to ask. #ForeverAStudent
To doubling down on your best self!
it’s that simple.
Did ya know… the average sales person sends 3 emails to a cold prospect?
Pro tip: If it doesn’t interest you, unsubscribe (if applicable) or just reply back with something as simple as “no thanks.”
It’s saves you time deleting these future messages, doesn’t clutter your inbox, AND is just the kind thing to do.
That’s it. That’s this month’s golden nugget. 😆
Here’s to a clutter-free weekend!
Taking the leap.
Helloooo from the other sideeeeee 😆
Hi ya from St. Petersburg, FL — the Sunshine City in the Sunshine State. It really is true as my fiancé and I have already joked how it only rains when the Tampa Bay Lightening are about to play at 8PM in the Stanley Cup (better luck next year, boys! ⚡️).
The past month here in St. Pete has been an absolute whirlwind. Now that we’re pseudo-settled, I wanted to share some of the key takeaways for anyone considering an uproot and transfer to new (& hopefully sunnier) pastures.
Note: I understand that not everyone has the flexibility and timeframe we had to make this happen. It was something we spoke into existence for a long time and are beyond thankful to both work virtually.
Without a doubt, it will be more expensive than you think.
I am a planner, tried and true. I had check lists for months, weeks, and days out. Whatever you think the all-in move is going to cost — it will be more than that. Our first trip to Target to get essentials (read: Toilet paper, Soap, Towels, etc. was $500 and we had to go back the next day for stuff we forgot 😂.) Thankfully, we found ways to justify or breakeven along the way. ie: turned in my car lease and got a check from the dealership that paid for a majority of the moving truck expense. Sold off/gave furniture to friends. It’s MUCH less expensive to offload and buy new. I give an example below.
From the onset, let people in on your adventure.
From a biz stand point, start letting people know of your adventure before it happens. Just like going OOO on vacation, if you’re up front about your schedule, everyone around you will be more understanding of your situation. It puts less stress on you and the relationships. It also means putting in the extra time and effort on the front end to ensure all loose ends are tied up before ✌️’ing out.
Purging is good for the soul.
And for improving the above moving truck expenses. Did ya know that adding the square foot of a desk would have been 3x the amount that we paid for it in the first place? Whoa. We went a couple rounds with the moving company to ensure our quote was as accurate as possible. Start small and start early. Pick a room and little by little purge things that you won’t even remember are gone when you get to where you’re going. Give to friends, neighbors, NextDoor, and my favorite Goodwill. Be sure to contact your tax advisor as they can help you navigate these tax deductions. If you’re looking for someone who can handle your biz across the country, here’s my guy Mauro in Glendale, CA.
Your expectations need to be flexible.
Like anything in life, have high hopes but be willing to go with the flow. I know from my project managing days that the ideal timeline still needs a buffer — life happens. Same goes with the trek to your destination. For us, it was 5 days on the road (CA > AZ > NM > TX > MS > AL > FL) with two cats. Although we didn’t get to do all the sightseeing most road warriors would do along the way, we did find ways to seek adventure with our furries included. And of course, mom and dad had the evenings out once the kitties were snuggled in the hotel. #bucketlist
Document EVERYTHING.
We were warned that some moving companies gouge you. Welp, along the way I recorded everything and threw it into a Google Drive folder. Photos, documents, emails, and texts. It proved to be helpful. Many less-than-acceptable things happened and we were without our stuff for 2+ weeks (luckily nothing was broken!). For example, we were promised that any furniture taken apart would be assembled back together. We shipped our bed frame and when it arrived, the parts were missing. And the drop off crew said that they were not licensed to assemble it. Had to trash it since we’re not Home Depot gurus. With some major followup and pushback, we were reimbursed for the bed debacle.
Was the adventure worth it? 1000%. Would I want to do cross country again? Ha, my new motto is “never say never,” but for now… TALOOP digs will be in St. Pete — come visit!
To ☀️ days!
P.S.: Considering a big move yourself? First off, congrats! Moving is stepping outside of your comfort zone and I am all about that. For reference, I’ve moved 16+ times across 3 states. 5 times during my California residency. When I moved to CA after college, I had just 2 suitcases. It’s a ride no matter how you slice it. Happy to give you a pep talk and some tips. Just holler! 🥰
The power of personality.
Some say, you are who you hang around with. Ok, maybe that was just my mom, but the older I get, the more true that statement becomes.
Same goes for business. Thankfully, there’s so many different personalities and work-styles out there, that it is possible to find your match.
For example, about 5 years ago I met with a client in their West LA office. I’ll remove the name to protect the innocent. The meeting went off without a hitch. However, post-meeting, they asked us to respond to a RFP that was muddled with hourly rates and team members who would be on the account. Seemingly taking away from the WHY and the HOW we were going to make their life more seamless and efficient.
Looking back, I wouldn’t even entertain this type of request.
But alas, we did it. Sent over that 5+ page proposal (big yuck — quick refresher on why those don’t work here.) and then our main point of contact went missing. Welp, after a quick search on LinkedIn, she was let go.
A year later… similar scenario. Got called in to present, did a big ‘ol refreshed proposal, and he too was let go. Then I was chased to come back as a new person was hired in their place. You know what happened next… 🤮
Since then, it’s been a big joke with my client that if THAT company were to call again, we would just send them over one of the 3 proposals we had already shared and tell them to “pick one.” 😆
So guess what happened next? I got pinged by a NEW contact at THAT company back in March. I got a good giggle when it came into my inbox. But this time, the personality of the guy jumped off the paper and one of my good entertainment connects recommended us to him by name. I was intrigued…
This time, we did Zoom (like every other meeting these days). And rather than jumping to do a proposal for them, I started off the call sharing our past experience with pitching and how my client wasn’t in a place to be doing rounds again. Let’s be real, it’s me. I wasn’t having it. Ha!
To my surprise, the client claimed he read my “no asshole rule” article and assured me this wasn’t him. He had me. It also helped that he’d been at the company for over a year so I was confident this wasn’t a fly by night contact. #littlewin
The result… they are now a client. There was no big proposal. Just a 1-page deal memo we worked out over a Zoom conversation. Did I also mention there was no scoffing at Net-30? 🥳
Sure, we’re going through the legal schmegal onboarding and red-tape on the backend, but this time it’s worth going through the motions because him and his team are a REAL pleasure to work alongside.
🔑 Power of personality people. Be forthright. Be genuine. Don’t write off a company because of a particular person. Hold your standards and be patient. Sometimes the right contact comes along and it changes everything.
To finding your match!
You’re more than a zip code.
If you would have asked me a decade ago where I’d be now, I likely would have said a top executive at a creative agency/firm.
I also would have likely went to my grave saying that it could only work out that way if I was in Los Angeles, CA (NYC too, but this girl can’t handle the snow and all that comes with it 😆).
Funny how life works out the way it does.
I am not a manager of anyone or any team (proud company of one!) and in just over a month, I’ll no longer have that zip code that I believed for so long was imperative to my success.
But how did I finally get to this place of feeling secure that my plans didn’t work out in any way that I had imagined?
Like many, 2020-2021 was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. My fiancé and I took a step back to identify our blessings, yet also see where there might be room to grow. The world is such a big place to only stay put because of familiarity and convenience.
For me personally and professionally, I was finally able to admit that California wasn’t the end all – for a number of reasons. And if you follow me regularly, I am SO thrilled to rid CA income tax and the daily receipts that are starting to resemble CVS (IYKYK!) 🤣.
Although I am beyond thankful I got my career start here, met my fiancé, and all my wonderful friends who I now call family, it was time for a change. 2021 specifically felt like some sort of a “breakup” with my first love: California. I wanted to live here from the moment I said goodbye to the shores of Santa Barbara in 2007, but those feelings were fleeting as each day passed.
Now 33 years young, I know to “never say never.” I am opportunistic that the world now supports any hard worker regardless of zip code. We’re limitless.
So where to now?
Welp, it’s officially official. After a 11+ years calling California my home, my SoCal native unicorn and I are making moves back to my home state, but in a completely new area to us both — St. Petersburg, FL!
That’s right — TALOOP will be reincorporating in the Sunshine State come June.
We’re feeling a wave of emotions, but know that staying put doesn’t change our circumstances or bring new opportunity. Moving forward on our journey, even if unknown, will only bring new adventures together.
I’m hopeful that when I look back on this note in another 10 years, I’ll be proud to say that the goal was simply welcoming the space to grow – within myself, within my relationship, and within my business.
To never saying never!
Your sow is not the pitch.
Back in 2013 when I entered the creative industry, I was hired at a boutique branding & design agency in Hollywood. This is where I first learned how to develop a proposal for potential clients.
The “standard” was 3+ pages, filled with flowery language of what we were going to create, timelines, hourly rates tied to individuals, images, & reasons as to why they should hire us. It wasn’t until the last page of the proposal where the straight-forward SOW actually lived with a signature slot. Completely buried if you ask me.
Over the years, I learned that these proposals I had been creating were a total time suck and had zero benefit to earning the trust of the client. After working with various companies globally, I discovered that the long-winded proposal days were inefficient – and in many ways lazy.
The secret sauce?
I save my pitch, questions, and negotiating for Zooms, phone calls, and emails. Only once the decision maker and I agree on a SOW do I send over the official document — or as I call it a “Deal Memo.” That’s when I know it’s likely a real deal.
Sure, the company may need to copy/paste it into their fancy schmancy corporate MSA with all the legal stuff… but by no means should your SOW/Deal Memo be your company’s pitch.
Here’s a template of mine for you to peek.
So the next time you get all pumped up to put together a SOW for a client, be sure you’ve already verbally agreed to the goals, workflow, budget, and terms prior to sending it over. Otherwise, you’re asking this document to do the selling for you. I know you’re better than that.
To being efficient & straight-forward!
-Ashley
The “no asshole” rule.
First off, pardon my french. This was the title of a book penned by a Stanford professor Robert I. Sutton (here).
Back in the day when I first started working with Brave Dog (hi guys! 👋), the partners let me in on their golden rule. They told me that there was a “no asshole rule” policy — meaning that if someone was being one, you call them out. Including them.
This sentiment stuck with me over the years. Almost like a secret playing card. Welp, spoiler alert. I finally had to use it on a new client I had engaged at the beginning of February.
To be fair, I didn’t listen to my gut during the exchange of calls and emails before making it official. I was blinded by the excitement to offer my expertise in business development/sales via a whole new industry (a total 180º from brands and entertainment — mergers & acquisitions). Not to mention the commission structure looked mighty fine.
But was it worth it?
⛳️ Red Flag #1: Our initial exchanges.
If you know me personally or follow my IG, you might know that one of my furry babies Nugget was diagnosed with diabetes in October. This requires a morning and night routine at the same time every day: 9:30AM and 9:30PM. Oh yeah, super fun for someone in their 30’s to have a cat curfew.
The M&A client was on the East Coast. When I shared with him my availability for new sales calls was (Pacific) 8AM-9:30AM and then 10AM-beyond, he flat out said this was a “flaw.” A thirty minute window and time zone difference was a “flaw” to him. He pursued ME! Not the other way around. I work with teams across the globe and this has never been an issue. Against my greater judgement, I explained my situation to him (looking back, yuck!), he agreed to make it work, and we proceeded. But if you’re wondering, it wasn’t the last time during those 2 weeks that I had to hear about it.
⛳️ Red Flag #2: He appointed me lead on a 12-month retainer that already expired.
This retainer client seemed like a complete doll. But the M&A team took on this below-normal-budget retainer and had seemingly failed at providing a buyer. My monthly cut would be equivalent to a Trader Joes trip, and I was expected to bring it home. Sure, I believe you have to do some grunt work in any new industry to learn the ropes and be comfortable during client interactions, but this seemed like a total dead end because I wasn’t sure that my client was actually the best fit for them.
It was even more apparent when I started speaking with the client over email. Her description of the business was not at all highlighted in the 10 page CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum a.k.a: a lengthy 10 page report). He wanted me to curate a new industry list of prospects. I was just getting my feet wet. How did he miss this after 12 months of conversations?
⛳️ Red Flag #3: He talked to a potential client like they were scum.
I offered to edit copy for the client’s weekly Sunday email blasts. The signature at the bottom was mine (he asked if I wanted it to be penned by me so I could receive the direct replies). However when my client sent it out, the sender email was incorrect. It looked unprofessional and confusing for anyone reading.
In the email was a link to a quiz created by MIT grads that would allow the business owner to learn more about the status of their company financials and what improvements it needed in order to be sold. The result was a 3 page report and it was free. I love a good lead magnet.
However, my client decided to respond to one of the prospects who completed the assessment before I had a chance to Monday morning east coast time — while I was sleeping. He said their business was “dreadful" among a few other nasty things. Mind you, my full name is still penned on this message. When I got to it in the morning, I was horrified! And so was the potential client. He wrote back a super nasty email to my client calling him a used car salesman. I got a big LOL from that.
What happened next?
I’m sure you can guess. At 7AM Pacific… I pulled out that “no asshole rule” card I had been hiding deep down. I fired him.
Morning [client] – I have been sitting on this a few days and haven't been able to find resolve. To cut it quick, I'm not confident [M&A company] is for me.
The icing on the cake was the email to the potential client. I was aghast reading it. Reminded me of how I felt reading your email about my schedule "flaw."
I am not sure our communication styles are in line and with that, I want to wish you and the team the best of luck in finding the right person to support you go forward.
This isn't the result I was hoping for. I am not a quitter. Frankly I was really excited to take my talents and expand them to a new place. But the communication I've witnessed and requests over the last two weeks don't seem like a fit for me.
Attached is a zip file of all the documents you've shared with me / I've created. If you want to update any passwords you've shared, feel free to do so.
-Ashley
So I didn’t call him an asshole directly, but I did drop him with grace — even if it was 2 weeks too late.
🔑 If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to ask yourself “is this person/team going to increase or diminish my reputation?” Because at the end of the day… money can’t rebuild that for you.
To eliminating the assholes!
I caught the ick.
But, there was a positive takeaway…
Welp, the last time I got sick was back late 2019/early 2020 – a 2 month stint prior to Covid tests and antibody checks. Pretty sure I had the ‘Rona.
Fast forward 2 years, a glorious 24 months sick-free later, I got the ick early January – seemingly like everyone else did. Now, I’m unsure if was ‘Rona or just a good ‘ol fashion cold (yes, those are still real!), but I was down and out for 2 weeks. So I stayed home, ate the soup, made the witchy tea, and did the right thing by resting.
In the midst of all this, I had to email potential clients to cancel scheduled Zoom calls. And I had to check on current clients who I thought were waiting on me. Bad timing, right? The beginning of the year is the time everyone is hungry at their desks to chalk things off the to-do list and start new initiatives.
Rather than getting standard “feel better soon messages, let’s reschedule",” I was ghosted. This. Never. Happens. To. Me. But I stayed focused on mending so I could come back full force. I didn’t even write my monthly email – did ya miss me? 😉
Truth be told, we’re now in February and business is BONKERS. Everyone I know was either sick, waiting on a superior for approval who was out sick, or had to postpone the “heady” budget planning meeting when everyone was done being sick.
🔑 The lesson here? Sometimes it’s not about you. And if I am being a straight shooter… it’s almost always NEVER about you. #sorrynotsorry
The next time you feel like you’re being ghosted, don’t freak out. Take a deep breath. Send a message letting them know that you’re thinking about them and you’ll follow up in a couple of weeks. Stay persistent, but also stay human.
We’ve all got some sort of “ick” we might be dealing with that moment the message hits the inbox. But carrying that defeated feeling to your next call or meeting won’t serve you or your clients. Remember that.
Here’s to not getting bent outta shape!
overcoming network terror.
Networking events and conferences make some people cringe. But even as a sales-focused professional who’s an “extroverted introvert” (say that five times fast!), I often cringe at them too. 😖
How do you get over the hump to make networking events pleasant and full of meaningful interactions? After all, networking is just people.
With the world opening back up and company holiday parties, award shows, and happy hours landing on your calendar… I thought I’d resurface this little cheat sheet for your next event outing.
Here a few of my go-to methods that set me at ease and also make the experience worth getting out of sweatpants for 😅...
📌1. Work the schedule to your favor
I find it most helpful to view the schedule of the event or conference in advance, and highlight the top events that interest me. It’s so much easier to attend seminars and be around people who have similar interest as yourself — and makes for a much smoother conversation. Plus, with a schedule in place, you won’t be running around manic, trying to attend everything.
Once you’ve identified a few key events, if it’s possible, see who’s attending that may be a beneficial connect. Pro Tip: Don’t aim for overcrowded rooms (unless there is someone there you are dying to meet). Instead, pick smaller sessions for a greater chance at 1-on-1 conversations without shouting over a huge crowd.
📌2. Be unforgettable
If you’ve identified a particular contact you want to speak with, make sure you spend a couple minutes doing your research. A quick LinkedIn browse and Facebook peek may be all you need to find some commonality. Rather than leading with “Hi, I’m Ashley and I’m from X,” I find that people remember our brief interactions if I lead with something I learned about them. Example: “Andrew, I know you’re slammed, but I heard through the grapevine that you know Sam. We worked together at X — what a great guy. I just had to meet you as well!” Or, “Your campaign for XYZ was awesome — I actually bought the product for my mom and it’s great to hear that your team did that campaign.” You’ll usually get some great banter about how awesome Sam is or how much they loved the product too. At this point, you’ve eased the conversation and don’t look like a networking shark on a mission.
📌3. A strong handshake matters
I can’t count the amount of times I’ve received a “dead fish” handshake from both men and women. If you’ve taken the time to walk up to them, make it count. Body language is so important. Starting off with a nice firm handshake is the key to building your own confidence (even if you’re shaking on the inside) and getting the conversation off the ground. Then, you can always hand sanitize later 😉.
📌4. If the conversation isn’t flowing, don’t force it
The best working relationships are built on people that vibe well together. When you work with people you enjoy, you’ll naturally do better work. If the conversation feels like you’re pulling teeth, let the person know how much you appreciated their time, but that you have to cut it short to head to whatever your next appointment might be. Thankfully, with conferences, there is so much going on that cutting loose isn’t awkward for either party.
📌5. Keep your business card in your pocket
Not visible in your hand. I’ve seen this happen time and time again, especially at seminars where people rush the stage to speak with a panelist. Instead, refer to step 2: Be unforgettable. You have a better chance at them offering you their business card or gasp you exchange a text message right then and there — which is the ultimate slam dunk.
📌6. The bar is your friend
And so is self-control. There is a reason that people gravitate here — they want to take the edge off. But instead of seeing this as a place to drink your fears away, channel that energy, and see this opportunity as a way to help someone feel at ease.
Sure, in this situation you’re not equipped with research, but it’s a greater opportunity to start a conversation about something outside of work. Maybe you both ordered the same drink, or maybe you like their shoes. Simple things can be the catalyst to an awesome conversation. At a Promax Christmas event a couple years back, I ended up having an hour-long conversation with someone after discovering we’re both Croatian and loved cabbage dishes. Neither of us even knew where the other person worked until the end of the conversation! Sounds silly, but it was memorable.
📌7. Use your manners
Growing up, there wasn’t a day that I brought a friend over and my mom didn’t offer to make us lemonade or coffee (when we were older), or whip us up a quick snack. That hospitality always made an impression. I attribute that hospitality to my strong Croatian roots, and utilizing that hospitality in my interactions is ones of the best life-lessons I’ve learned. People love hospitality, even when it’s not in the confines of your own home. Offer to grab someone a coffee or a water. A little gesture like this goes a long way.
📌8. Thank you’s (and thank you cards) are very much still a thing
I have a rule to always send an email “thank you” within a five hours of meeting someone. That may sound a little obsessive, but it’s my way of ensuring the person that our conversation was meaningful.
But if you want to go one step further, consider this: In a digital world, it’s such a treat to receive a handwritten note. Many times, the other person will be so impressed by the gesture that they’ll keep it on their desk. And this, my friends, keeps you top of mind!
I’d love to hear some of your best networking tips! Drop me a line 🤓
Here’s to overcoming terror and making networking fun again!
it starts with us.
[This is a long one. I debated sharing it, but I believe it takes a village. Bookmark and come back if you’re in a hurry. Or during Sunday NFL commercials 😉]
Do you get a pit in your stomach when a client says their payment terms are Net-60, or even gasp Net-90?
Let me share this little story…
A client of mine this 2021 year spent over 250K working with my team (not paid directly to us, but in total for the initiative).
When we first put together our agreement in early 2021, the terms I provided were Net-30. All my clients are either PIF in advance or Net-30. Sadly, this was a no-go for them as their company terms are Net-60 (read: large conglomerate with a lot of red tape).
I reallllly wanted the client so proposed 50% on start (Net-60) and 50% on completion per project outlined (Net-60). Plus a +10% interest fee on the total. We agreed and proceeded.
Over the course of the year, they turned out to be one of the highest paying clients. Our recommendations were based off true benchmarks and realistic ideas. But the client pushed to do more, and with the paychecks coming in, it was hard to say no. I’d guess the client blew 50K of that 250K total spend due to unnecessary requests.
Fast forward to last week. The client, his finance guy, and my colleague all hopped on Zoom as we needed approval on our 2022 rates. The client wanted me to go line by line and explain each increase or decrease. I stopped him at the pass.
ME: “Naturally, some things went up due to demand and inflation. We haven’t raised our rates in a few years. Ironically some things went down, too. But I have to ensure my team is compensated for their time and value.
*the things that went down we’re actually things that their team did the most of. So I would have never thought there’d be a problem. It was pretty much a wash. 🙃
CLIENT: “I see… “
FINANCE GUY: “Also I want to add that no other vendor is bothered by the Net-60, it’s pretty standard. And the +10% addition wouldn’t fly again in 2022.”
Gulp. Long pause.
ME: “What are you proposing?”
FINANCE GUY: “To add to that, we also only do payments PIF Net-60 upon completion. Never 50% upon commencement.”
I said nothing.
Then he backtracked a bit.
ME: “I understand this is a fundamental difference of process, but we can not be any company’s bank or lender. We’re a small team that’s stellar at what we do. We understand if it’s a total deal breaker and can’t proceed – no harm no foul.”
Both teams continued to discuss how the payment terms were the elephant in the room that needed to be addressed before engaging further. So I shared that after the call, we’d discuss internally and find a way to meet in the middle.
After an internal regroup, here’s where we landed. Below is a copy of my email (with names removed to protect the innocent). Feel free to steal any language for yourself. And between me and you, I think this counter was generous:
Hi [main contact] and team! Thanks for today’s regroup call.
To get settled up on the elephant in the room (re: rate card & terms), I spoke with the team and here’s where we’re at...
We understand that Net-60 is non-negotiable with your team. We also understand that the 10% add on per project due to the delayed payment is not favored per [company]’s accounting. However, as a small team, we can not be any company’s lender. We’re too small to do so.
To meet in the middle, we’ve accepted the Net-60 terms with 50% upon start, 50% upon completion & baked in 5% into the fees (rather than being an additional line item at 10%).
See [company]’s 2021-22 revised rate card attached. Please let me know if you have any questions.
We’re confident that if you trust our initial recommendations and we get in a good flow of getting the work in advance, budget won’t be an issue. [insert detailed example of how they blew money]. We pride ourselves on being selective.
If this is approved, kindly sign and return.
We’re ready to get rolling as the projects come through and hope that this middle ground proves fruitful for both teams in the New Year.
Thank you!
-Ashley
The reponse? Don’t know yet. 😆
But what I do know is that us small creative folks, shops, and teams can’t sit wayside and let the big dogs (who need us!) dictate how we work.
And if the client doesn’t come back for 2022, that’s OK. We just opened up more space for clients who value our pricing/recommendations. I wrote about “welcoming space” previously here.
Silver lining: 1 client this week (who is a dream to work with) is upping their renewal as we speak. And 2 brand new clients are in the process of onboarding. 🙏
🔑Remember friends…we’re not lenders. We’re not a bank. We’re strategists, creatives, and heros without a cape, providing a service that matters. It’s up to US to draw the line on what’s acceptable and stand by what we deserve.
Here’s to sticking to your guns!
-Ashley
🔥UPDATE 12/14/21: Client accepted the counter-offer 😉
i’ll likely get flack for this.
I love automations. I have them set up for new client outreach, for marketing, for my house air-fresheners, and beyond. They make life real smooth.
But there is a time and place for automations.
Nothing turns me off more than when someone sends me their calendar booking link.
I’m not talking about scheduling a vet appointment, a Task Rabbit, or an out-of-the-box digital service (ie: FB ads manager expert), I’m talking about a potential client who you aim to have a long-term biz relationship with. A significant investment is likely to be made.
To me, grazing over this highly simple and personal step is a missed opportunity. That manual step might be old-fashioned to some, but it’s that super small real connection, that supports a growing relationship.
So while you’re saving all those extra seconds/minutes/hours with automations made of pure gold, be sure to save some time for real moments of service. Both ends deserve it.
To being human!
start owning it.
How many times today did you subconsciously open your phone and click the Instagram or Facebook icon and get an error message?
Admittedly, I did it too many times to count. 😂
But you know what else I clicked a zillion times and it refreshed without fail?
MY EMAIL.
When people ask me “I don’t have much time or resources for marketing… what’s my best bet?” I always say email marketing.
To be frank, email marketing is amaze-balls. It’s the next best thing to getting a prospect on a call/Zoom.
Best part – you OWN those leads. Even if they unsubscribe, you can always try a personal approach, via your chosen email client, to revive them.
Or if your list is a tad unengaged, try a win-back campaign! Compliments of my fav email marketing tool Drip. Happy to answer any questions on this, too!
On social media, your followers are swimming in a distracted pool with brains the size of a goldfish. Half the time they’re all mindlessly swiping. #GuiltyAsCharged
Don’t get it twisted – social media is a valuable part of the marketing/sales ecosystem. It’s where your community publicly hangs out. Rather than it being your end-game, leverage this community to build your email list.
This is the long game my friends, but it’s what withstands fads, algorithms, and scary blackouts. If you haven’t been prioritizing your email lists, it’s time to start! 🔑
To owning your leads!
(no subject)
[👆that subject line is intentional. The below Golden Nugget was sent via email — get them by staying in the loop!]
+++
You’re now in the loop with one of my favorite communication tactics. 🤓
Anytime I find myself stuck in a 1-sided communication vacuum, I’ll go ahead create a new message with “no subject” (literally, blank).
The message inside is something along the lines of this:
Hi [insert name],
I haven’t heard back from you regarding [insert thing you were discussing]. I’m thinking [said thing above] isn’t a priority at the moment – and I surely don’t want to hit the pain-in-the-butt threshold. Please contact me if I can help you in the future.
Cheers & Best Wishes!
-Ashley
Why no subject? Because no one does it. 😆It stands out in your inbox.
Why a fresh thread? Because it takes out the previous check ins. It eliminates the guilt that they have not responded.
Why this tone of message? It’s a bit silly mentioning you don’t want to be a pain-in-the-butt. Then it packs a punch implying you won’t be reaching out again.
What’s the result? 9 times out of 10, I get a response. 💥
If it’s a “no,” great – no & next is my favorite! No need to waste anyone’s time.
If it’s a “yes” it’s usually because they got busy and we can pick back up or we can set a date to reconvene in the future.
That’s it!
What’s your go-to move when stuck in a communication vacuum? I’d love to hear it. 💡
And if you try the “no subject” move, let me know how it worked out for you.
Here’s to efficiency!