As those of you close to me know, I made it past the one year anniversary of the founding of my company in May. That was a pretty big accomplishment for me as, despite my standard arrogance, venturing out on my own was only slightly scarier than the Exorcist (The original. Let’s not mention Part 2 though Part 3 is underrated). As I set sail on this voyage, I was pretty sure that I could help companies become better. The real problem was figuring out how to say that and make it clear in a way that I did not come off as the guy claiming to do everything. (Not only is that impractical and untrue but it is almost impossible to market). Well, after a year of trying and experimenting, I think I finally found myself (well, my corporate-ish self). It took the development of partnership and some sage advise to do so.
You can’t do it all
When I founded Plain Sight Strategy Group, my goal was to help small and mid-sized businesses grow. Ideally, that growth would involve some sage advice (consulting) as well as some complimentary services. As I formed partnerships, I realized that a virtual ‘mash-up’ was forming but had no idea how to verbalize that until a late night conversation with an old friend clarified it. As we sat in his basement watching hockey I lamented my inability to succinctly explain what I did. The development of a clear ‘elevator pitch’ had become a struggle for me. He calmly pointed out that because of the relationships and firms that I had built partnerships with, I should simply reverse the position.
Plain Sight Strategy Group had outgrown simply me.
This was a revelation! I knew that I had a partner firm that handled branding and full suite marketing services (tm+r Agency) as well as a staffing and technical consulting firm that could provide technical resources from basic data entry up to executive IT positions (Magenium Solutions). My most recent relationship is with a very exciting firm out of Orlando, FL that is redefining the way companies (both large and small) look at outsourcing and custom software development (DeCurtis Corporation). When I look at the portfolio of services that I can provide, the question is really about what a prospective client needs most at this moment in time. Discerning that is my passion and part and parcel to my consulting process!
The point of this blog post is two-fold:
- Point out how stupid I was and how simply sharing your plight with a trusted advisor (disregarding spelling correction here because I think it is wrong) can lead you to discoveries. Arrogant, head-strong people like myself sometimes just assume that if we don’t know, there is no answer. (yes, sometimes I am that arrogant in my inner monologue. Fortunately, I have a filter or two.)
- Raise awareness of the amazing partner firms that I am privileged to work with. If you or your company is in need of any of these services, you are doing yourself a disservice by not contacting me to discuss what we can accomplish together.
So that’s it for today. A little fleshy underbelly (stifle!) exposure and a small soft sell on what we do here. If I have piqued your interest, drop me a note via our Contact form and let’s see if Plain Sight Strategy Group can help your business navigate these dangerous waters!