A Reflection of Grit, Good People, and A Whole Lot Of Faith
If you own a business, you’ve been tempted to change your pricing to end in “.99” because it seems less than the full amount. It’s a psychological trick that has worked on you as a consumer too. BA Marketing & Publicity (BAMP) celebrates 9 years this month. Before this, someone called me a “job hopper” as an insult and it bothered me. I’d had a few jobs for 1-2 years at a time but now I see they all shaped BAMP’s trajectory. So, while I can’t say it’s been a decade yet, it basically feels like it because I didn’t imagine making it past one year. In nine years, we’ve worked with unassuming geniuses, shockingly juvenile adults, and everyone in between. We’ve had highs, lows and learned so much about life. Here are nine lessons, not exactly about marketing, I’ll share as a reflection during our celebration.
- Celebrate the highs because lows are coming too. It may feel self-indulgent to take in the win, but you must. Hard times come as surely as good times. The bright side of this approach to a frustrating season is that it will, in fact, end. An overdrawn bank account, a workplace kerfuffle, a lack of sales, disorganization, you name it, CAN be solved. Celebrate the good times and keep your chin up during the bad!
- Money is not an excuse for bad behavior. If you find yourself accommodating someone simply for financial gain, you are misaligned. Cut the line and let them go. If paying bills is your concern, Casey’s is always hiring. You may even be someone who acts badly because you can pay to fix the aftermath of your temper tantrum or negligence. Medicate both ends of the scenario with gratitude and a commitment to the goal of what you do or sell as a means to bless others. You can make money AND spend money without being a tool. Sorry, this is going to be a blunt list.
- Work to live, don’t live to work. This one is tricky because you should be passionate about what you do which might be simply putting food on your table! However, the moment your work causes you to not see that national park, that date night or kids’ bed time repeatedly, it’s time to course-correct. Your wellness matters for you and those closest to you who love you. If you leave your job, it gets posted in hours and you get replaced. If you fail your own wellness and the connection of those around you, you get trauma.
- You can’t be everything to everyone. Figure out what you do best (and ideally also what pays your bills) and stay in that lane. We have the internet, so we’re capable of doing lots of different things. You can’t master them all so at least master one. You’re welcome to grow that list but if you can’t confidently say one thing you’re marketable at, you’re inefficiently spending your time.
- Those customers or coworkers who nitpick you to death are almost always the ones who are the least worthy of your time and energy. For example, the most difficult pen orders, where we price numerous options, negotiate extra imprint colors and trim options, then receive delayed payment and complaints about shipping turnarounds are inevitably where we make a $15 profit. Plan your work, work your plan – you will not make everyone happy so don’t try. Politely let people down who try to get you to deviate from your system.
- Your time is valuable. The saying “time is money” is very underappreciated. The “you” in the equation is the most valuable part of a service. Bill for your time and don’t work with people who don’t appreciate it (give them a chance to understand first). Show gratitude and generosity to those who bless you with their time, in return.
- Own your mistakes. I used to be crippled by the fear of making mistakes until I discovered the power of an apology. It’s not that an apology is a magic wand, but people are very understanding of a correction if you own it and show proof of progress. It’s shocking how rare it is for people to own where they went wrong because they feel it’s an indictment on their personhood. No, it’s called life. When people know you’re trying your best, grace is only withheld by people whom it has been withheld from. So, be nice too.
- Busyness is not a metric of success. Be honest with yourself and you’ll be honest with others. If there’s something you keep saying “I don’t have time for”, just admit, it’s not a priority. Be willing to say that because otherwise, it’s a lie. When you face these tasks with honesty, you’ll quickly identify what can be delegated, done or simply deleted.
- Work heartily as unto God and not to others. We have this Bible verse from Colossians on our wall. I saved the best for last on this list. When we decide as individuals or a team on how to proceed, we do so through the lense of eternal purpose. We work hard when nobody is looking or giving credit. We do what’s right even when we stand to lose or hurt. A clean conscience is more valuable to us than what someone thinks of us, and frankly, we’ve had to hurt several times because people want to cheat the system of hard work. A correlating Biblical principle that drives us is ‘seedtime and harvest’. Instant gratification is a non-starter in marketing and in life because it will not bear long term satisfaction. It essentially underlines the previous eight points. Doing the wrong thing is always quick and easy. Sometimes, you simply have to grind.
Thank you to all our clients for every project big or small! We aren’t who we are without you. We get to do what we love every day we’re at work. We get to reap the satisfaction of hard work, investment and risk in your businesses as a behind-the-scenes partner. We’re honored by the examples you set. You motivate us and inspire us. Here’s to almost 10 years, and many more to come!
Owner | Bethann Tillman
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