post by Stephanie Nelson
Having someone to bounce your ideas off of is essential when you work in any part of the marketing industry. But when you work for yourself, by yourself, that’s not always the easiest thing to do. Take this situation:
A friend of mine called in a panic. She’s also out on her own, business-wise. She’d made a mistake in a tweet she sent out for a client, and the client was upset. (Hey – we’ve all been there, right?) So there she was, mired in the problem and upset about having an upset client. She needed an ear…or just someone to run some things by and talk the situation and options through with. When she called, it took us less than 10 minutes to reach the perfect answer.
When you’re a solopreneur, having a tribe is fundamental. Having a tribe you can count on is a necessity. Having a tribe you can call for brainstorming and “brain picking” (though I HATE that term) is a non-negotiable. Even though we had a political candidate claim recently that he alone can fix things, that’s not possible – not for any of us. Even though we may be responsible for our own paychecks and sales and deliverables, none of us have all the answers all the time.
I find a bit of beauty in social media here. While I do have my tribe members that I call in a panic, and pay in a dinner or a donut or such, there’s a larger tribe for me on social media. Whether it’s posting a question on Twitter or LinkedIn or via one of the multiple Facebook groups I belong to, I have folks I can count on to help me see what sticks when I throw something out there. And I try to help as much as – or more than – I ask.
So how have you built your tribe? Fellow solopreneurs, what are your brainstorming strategies?
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