Finding Your Better Half

STRONG LEADERS HIRE people who are smarter than they are. Do a quick Google search and you’ll find web articles from Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Medium, and Inc. all touting this business sentiment. The idea of surrounding yourself with those who are far more intelligent than you makes sense, and it works. Invest in someone who has similar talents and skills, and you’ll likely not get as far as you would if you were to work with someone who approaches problems differently and brings unexpected solutions.

Carmen Rad, president, CR&A Custom, and I were talking about this late last year. She said PSPs should “find people who are experts in the things that hold you back from being an entrepreneur. We waste too much time doing things we don’t know how to do.” Some of her suggestions include hiring an HR specialist, a social media manager, or a brand builder. “The money you spend is going to be worth the investment because it doesn’t affect your creative energy.”

Maybe you’re not in the position to bring on someone new – many business owners are still recovering from the whiplash that was 2020. So, why not use this same idea to find a partner. We’re so often told to find our equal, but what if we should be looking for a person who’s more capable, brighter, unrelated to your core market? Someone who has novel technology, unique customers, extra space, double the employees?

“Maybe your building doesn’t accommodate the tools for expansion, or you may not have enough money to bring in new equipment,” said Carmen. “Find a printer who does.” Carmen has done just that.

After our annual Editorial Advisory Board virtual meeting last summer, she reached out to Carol Yeager, owner/creative director, MY Prints, and fellow female business owner in the LA area, to collaborate. The two have been in communication and are playing off each other’s strengths to create prints they wouldn’t otherwise be able to without the new partnership.

After a year of uncertainty, finding someone, whether it’s a print service provider or a new hire, can be the assurance you need to help grow your business.