This article was based on Episode #31: Timi Orosz’s valuable lesson out of her early-career-days, revisited here for Our Beloved Host, Morgan Friedman, and us, of course. Please watch the complete episode here!
“It’s not even like listening to the voice but to even hear that voice until it starts screaming at you [and] when you keep repeating the same mistakes, then, you hear it.” – Timi Orosz
I’m sure you’ve heard and seen many shocking revelations and horrendous accounts from our guests by now. Our new guest’s horror story is no different; perhaps some of you will relate to her experience. This episode will provide a wealth of further information and insights you can apply to your life. You may want to grab a bottle of whiskey or wine to relax as you read this because getting to the bottom of the story may be quite stressful.
Today’s episode features a conversation with Timi Orosz, who tells us a client horror story. She is a spiritual business mentor and the founder of Connect One Marketing. Before she became successful, Timi ran into a massive bomb in the early stages of her new business, which made her question her worth. In this article, we will discuss her back story and the experiences that led to a shift in her perspective regarding managing unusual or peculiar clients and contractors.
Our guest encountered not one but two people who have helped her understand that she should always trust her gut and that she will never again allow herself to be in such a frustrating and draining situation. There are two parts to Timi’s story, and the lessons you will learn are some of the most applicable and relevant lessons anyone could need to know. Let’s jump right in, shall we?
Timi embarked on a career as an entrepreneur at the turn of the year 2020. She was eager to make the most of her new venture and willing to do whatever it took, from saying “yes” to every potential client to including all work experience in her portfolio to showcase her skills and knowledge.
In addition, she was looking to hone her organizational skills and learn how to deal with a broader variety of clients for her fledgling business. Timi keeps her optimism and dedication to her career development intact, even though starting a business can be a nerve-wracking experience.
While planning her business, she met her friend, who became her first client. Timi’s friend needed assistance with launching his new business and asked for her help with developing a brand identity, marketing strategies, and other similar tasks. There was; however, a voice in her mind telling her that teaming up with her friend would be bad for business.
Timi was perplexed by that voice, but she ignored it rather than paying attention to what it had to say. Accordingly, she agreed to her friend’s business proposal. So what’s the worst that could happen, right? Some of you will probably argue that it is natural for new business owners to take on several clients to gain sufficient business experience. Before I tell you about her experience with the client, let’s look at what happened when she met a contractor.
Timi developed the initial concept for her client’s new business. Still, when it came time to build the website, she had to outsource a web developer to do the heavy lifting. Fortunately, she did and claimed to have found the “developer of the century”.
Everything was going smoothly, Timi was delighted with the web developer, from his personality to his skills to his portfolio to his attitude, and most importantly, they got along well. During the check-in sessions for the task, they had a lot of conversations about various topics, including self-awareness and finding one’s life’s purpose. It was all fantastic until he suddenly vanished without giving any explanation, and it turned out that the guy was going through an existential crisis.
Consequently, it delayed the task’s creation, and it took her two weeks to iron out the creases. In the end, Timi had to finish the job so she could give it to her client. However, as soon as she thinks she’s finished with it, her client presents her with yet another obstacle. Her client, unbeknownst to Timi, had instructed his team to contact her about the inconsistencies on the website.
Although she had not been briefed on the matter by her client, she was taken aback when she realized that some of them were asking IT-related questions. Despite this, she maintains her professional demeanor and provides her client with recommendations for a few individuals with expertise in IT and web development. Timi was also assisting with some fundamentals of troubleshooting the issue by searching Google.
Timi’s first client took her all the way, from the crazy parts to the exhausting and uncomfortable ones. At that time, all the other possible things that could have gone wrong with the project occurred. As a result, she starts to doubt her skills and question everything about herself.
In the end, the source of the issue boiled down to three factors: failing to establish boundaries, a lack of information, or poor communication. Timi knew she had erred by failing to set clear boundaries; still, neither the client nor the contractor could not address the problem and instead entrusted her with tasks outside her area of expertise.
Frustration built up on both sides, and after completing the task Timi and her client decided to call it quits to preserve their friendship. Well, it’s exciting to know you’ve teamed up with your pals in the business, but you must be prepared to lose them if things go south. Timi had encountered this early on in her business, and it became a client horror story.
1. Don’t hesitate to follow your instincts when you sense impending danger in your business.
It’s common to hear the regretful words “I should have listened to my gut” when people recount unfortunate experiences. That’s your gut instinct, attempting to warn you about a potentially harmful situation.
People frequently disregard these warnings; alternatively, they may choose to do so to avoid offending others. There are many unspoken rules and social conventions in the business world, but it is never a good idea to disregard the warning signs your gut sends you.
What we call “instinct” are our minds’ unconscious beliefs. They have a substantial impact on the choices we make every day, but we are usually oblivious to them. There’s nothing wrong with trusting your instinct. It will benefit you in many areas of your life, including but not limited to your personal and, most importantly, your professional life.
Following your instincts enables you to respond quickly and reduces time wasted pondering potential options. If you make the right choice, it can give you a massive dose of confidence. On the other hand, if you choose the wrong option, you won’t be as disheartened by it as you would have been if you’d ignored your intuition and then discovered that it was correct all along.
In Timi’s story, not listening to her instinct is one of her mistakes since the beginning of her business. However, it does not hinder her from stopping; she embraces it and makes it her lesson. She said, “I love making mistakes; call me crazy, but I love making mistakes because that’s how I can develop and correct things and do things differently”.
2. If an employee or contractor seems too good to be true, tread carefully.
A standard error made by business owners and managers is concluding that they have hired the ideal candidate for a position because of the candidate’s “perfect” portfolio.
Without a doubt, what is written down holds great significance. It will help you gauge their level of expertise and work history. However, you frequently wonder, on some level, whether you and the other members of your team will be able to collaborate effectively with the person who is sitting across from you.
The ability to make a sound decision is not enough when hiring a new employee; you also need to trust your instincts. Despite a person’s impressive resume, they could end up being the bottleneck that causes your company or project to fail. Furthermore, if you have a hunch that they aren’t a good fit or won’t be able to meet your requirements, you should act on that intuition.
If you decide to keep working with this person, however, it is crucial to ensure there is open communication and that they are competent in their role. This could make the process of managing your employees much simpler for you.
Do not be deceived by the promises made in their portfolio or resume. If things go wrong, you will have damaged your credibility by placing too much faith in an employee you mistakenly believe can complete the task quickly and on time.
Timi ignored the red flags raised by her instincts and ended up in a risky position. Consequently, everything fell apart because she was under the impression that she had found the ideal guy to work on the website for her client.
Nevertheless, the experience taught her to consider the individual’s circumstances before making any hasty hiring or outsourcing decisions, especially if an individual’s personal life is more pressing than the project.
3. Keep in mind that effective communication is crucial to the growth of any business.
Any process that involves collaboration must have strong communication as its foundational component. The same holds for conversations in the workplace or on the internet. Communicating effectively in business settings is critical to success in day-to-day operations. Workflows, as the name implies, are more efficient when everyone knows their specific roles and responsibilities.
To succeed in negotiations and reach your objectives, it is essential to maintain open and honest lines of communication. In addition to this, it can assist in the development of positive working relationships between you, the staff, and most importantly, your client, which, in turn, can boost morale and productivity within your company.
Listening to the podcast has taught me a few things, one of which is that failing to communicate a problem is, in some ways, even more problematic than the issue itself. If you are a contractor or employee, you must notify your manager or team leader if you are experiencing a personal crisis or emergency that will prevent you from performing your duties as expected. Ensure that all information is conveyed to avoid further complications.
Similarly, if you’re a manager or the CEO, you need to check in with your staff and see how things are going for them personally and professionally. Establish a relationship with them, make it a priority to care for their mental health, and provide them with an opportunity to take a breather whenever they are experiencing difficulty with their work.
To continue with Timi’s story, she made an effort to connect with the web developer. As she felt confident everything would turn out alright, a tragic turn of events transpired. To her, it appeared that he had vanished altogether when he stopped responding to her emails and refused to answer her calls. Hence, it has a detrimental effect on her work and the client’s perception of her credibility and trustworthiness.
It also came to the point wherein she doubted and questioned herself, like, “Did I create an environment for him that he couldn’t open enough” or “Did I create, you know, really hard expectations on him, or were the deadlines maybe too unrealistic for him.” But then she realizes it’s not her fault that she didn’t forget to communicate with the web developer guy every time.
Another issue is that Timi and her client have trouble communicating. Timi was caught off guard because the client did not provide her with information about what was happening on his company’s website. He only instructed his team to email Timi and fix the problem, and thus he ultimately put the responsibility on her.
When encountering such a scenario, it is in both parties’ best interests to communicate the issue to one another immediately to facilitate the development of a solution and prevent further errors. As Timi stated, “A lot of the mistakes you encounter in business could be easily avoided if people were better or stronger communicators”.
4. Establish clear boundaries.
Establishing clear boundaries within your organization allows you to support yourself, making you feel good about yourself and flourish while helping others. It is integral to look inward to develop a sustainable and aligned business.
The risks and rewards are both higher and more intimate when you’re the one taking the initiative and launching your own company. It’s often connected to your mission and serves as an extension of who you are.
When you launch a brand-new company, you automatically expose yourself to a significant risk. Consequently, establishing clear boundaries will significantly assist you in determining what is required of you and what is required of any other clients or staff you may have.
Due to their constant striving and mission-driven nature, entrepreneurs have a reputation for having weak boundaries. Setting clear boundaries can provide us with the necessary space and energy to present ourselves in the best possible light.
A healthy dose of downtime between calls and projects is all it takes to prevent burnout; that’s why boundaries are so important. You have a deep passion for what you do, but your job is not who you are. You have to make time for other things as well. Keeping your energy levels up will allow you to focus on the needs of others and give your full attention to them.
Timi admitted that she had made a mistake by not drawing boundaries with the client beforehand. Considering that the client is a friend of hers, she is debating whether or not she will decline to continue the unfinished task out of respect for her friend or if she will say yes.
Ultimately, Timi decided to contribute to the project’s completion by, for example, suggesting a few web developers or offering some basic IT troubleshooting. Although it went against her beliefs not to force people or herself to do the extra work because there was no agreement, she took a step back to think things through to find a solution.
5. Be careful when choosing a suitable business partner.
When starting a business, it can be difficult for new business owners to acquire customers and employees. This is especially true for start-up companies. They may, at times, turn to their friends or family members for assistance and make them into their business partners. When you work with a partner, you can divide the workload and the profits fairly, leading to fewer disputes and more success in your business.
A business partner can supplement your weaknesses by providing access to the resources and expertise you lack. You may know a lot about your company’s goods or services, but you’re clueless about managing a company. Similarly, your partner’s prior work experience may provide valuable insight that will guide your company to tremendous success.
However, it has a downside that could harm your relationship and business. While you and your business partner may share some interests and even some food preferences, it’s more likely that you and your partner approach problems from different angles.
Another consideration is that you may take pleasure in making all the decisions for your business on your own, but in a partnership, you would have to involve your partner in these crucial choices.
Ask yourself this question as you investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of entering into a partnership: Have you proven that you can, when necessary, give up on some of your preferred business methods to reach a mutually beneficial agreement? This might call for a shift in perspective, which is not something it can easily maintain throughout a lengthy process.
If things continue to go poorly, one of you will likely give up ownership of the company in the future; it could be you, which is the owner, or your friend.
Concerning Timi’s situation, they resolved everything amicably once they finished the project, but they are no longer friends. Although they are not estranged from one another, they have chosen to stop communicating to maintain their distance. After this experience, Timi decided she no longer wanted to work with her friends and instead would focus on having fun with them.
And that’s it! Timi emphasized how important it is to listen to one’s inner voice as this is like an invisible force that guides you in life. Also, establishing clear communication for yourself and others will make things much more manageable. We hope that you enjoyed this story as much as we do. See you in the next episode!
This article was based on episode # 31: Timi Orosz’s Story, please watch the complete episode here!
