Pat and DJ Virtually Toasting (via Skype)
I’m not really a big believer in luck; however, I do think that things happen for a reason.
For those who read this blog regularly (thank you!), you are well aware of what’s been happening in my professional life over the past 5 1/2 months. If not, you can catch up by reading this, this, and this. The part of the story that most people do not know is that buried within those 112 comments on my original “Hire DJ” blog post was this one:
That one comment, from the faceless avatar named Pat, is a huge reason Waldow Social is as successful as it is today.
I remember reading the comment at the time and thinking, Who is Pat and what is she talking about? The very next day, I received an email from Pat that read:
DJ,
You need to bite the bullet and take the leap into starting a new business!
I would be pleased to give you my two-cents worth on the phone…Pat
I figured I had nothing to lose. I called Pat – who lives in New York City (I live in Salt Lake City). Pat Hall made me an offer I could not refuse. The rest, as they say, is history.
The details of our agreement are private; however the gist is that Pat proposed a way for her to act as my full business partner – to help me build Waldow Social – until we met a certain financial benchmark. Pat said that she would, “undertake all the business-building activities, provide all the guidance, suggest solutions to daily/weekly issues, keep us on track.”
Pat sent me an email outlining her proposal and we spent the next week hammering out the details over the phone, on Skype and through email. Shortly thereafter, on August 1st, Pat and I started Waldow Social. It was not until meeting at a client’s office in October – 3 months after we started the company – that Pat and I met in person, face to face, for the very first time. In case you were wondering, we bear hugged.
Why Pat Is So Fabulous
Over the past 6 months, Pat has not only been a business partner, she has become a good friend and a trusted mentor. She’s challenged me to push harder, to be more efficient, to be smarter, to say no when it was necessary, to ask better questions, to operate in a fun, yet professional manner. Pat has taught me the importance of staying on top of finances, how to write a proper proposal, how to follow up and wrap up a client assignment. Pat Hall has worked her tail off for me – for Waldow Social – since before day 1. As I said above, Waldow Social would not be where it is today without the guidance of Pat Hall.
Unless you are a past or current Waldow Social client, it’s very likely that you thought Waldow Social was a one-man show. Why? Well, unlike me, Pat prefers to work behind the scenes. She doesn’t seek out approval and praise. She simply gets it done. She works her tail off. All of the areas of growing a business that I was not good at, Pat was exceptional in. From financial to legal to simply keeping me on track and focused, Pat was there every step of the way.
Recently, Pat and I reviewed her initial proposal for us to work together. In that email, Pat outlined the three main areas our revenues would come from over the first 3-6 months. What’s amazing is that she was 100% spot on.
What’s Next for Waldow Social and Pat?
It’s been an amazing run. I could not have asked for a better business partner than Pat Hall over the past 5+ months. Now, it’s time for me to move forward on my own. So, starting February 1 2012, Pat and I will go in different directions. Pat has more than fulfilled her promise to me. She has met and exceeded every goal we have set forward to achieve. Personally, I just know that it’s time for me to run Waldow Social 100% on my own.
While I will not be kicking off a formal “Hire Pat” campaign, I ask that you please pay it forward and share this blog post about Pat with your network. Share it with your family, your friends, your colleagues. Most importantly, please share this story of Pat with people who are looking to take their business to the next level.
If you know an organization that needs a strategic options review (SOR), an assessment of what shape their company is in, what its valuation is ,what needs fixing and, mostly importantly, what their potential for growth in revenues and value is and how to realize that potential … then you need to speak with Pat Hall immediately.
As Pat told me in one email,
most business owners have never built a company before and stumbled along by trial and error, wasting time, money and energy trying to get it right. Whether they were six months, three years or six years old, they were operating inefficiently: the biz model needed tweaking, cash flow needed to be increased and flow in a steady, predictable way, contract pricing was out of alignment, employee comp was out of whack, new biz dev opportunities were being missed.
These are all areas that Pat can help with. The best way to reach Pat is emailing her: pat@smallbizace.com. If you include “HELL YEAH” in the subject line, she’ll open and read it immediately. I promise.
I’m honored to call Pat a business partner, a mentor, and most importantly, a friend.
DJ Waldow
Waldow Social
@djwaldow
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