Went for a walk during lunch yesterday to grab some things and get some fresh air.
When you work from home and live in Canada (the cold parts), going outside isn’t the most fun thing to do in the winter. And quite frankly, since so much of what we do now can be done online, I just don’t go out as much.
It’s probably not good in the long run, but it also helps productivity – when for months on end, you don’t do much commuting and so the sheer number of hours you can spend on your computer, working away, is pretty high.
Definitely good for knocking out a lot of work on the computer, having video calls, etc.
But I try to force myself out of the house a bit, because I think there’s something important about getting fresh air and natural sunlight.
Even if it feels like 15 below…
Anyway, I was also grabbing a card for my fiancé because tomorrow is our anniversary.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve thought more about dating, relationships, marriage, etc., and how it relates to solopreneurship.
Of course, everyone is going to have their own thoughts about relationships, and some might not have any interest in them at all. My experience is that I’ve always wanted a family of my own, and finding a life partner is both a way to start a family, and also a huge form of support and stability in an solopreneurial world full of uncertainty.
By contrast, when I was younger and mostly single, doing the whole “dating thing” took up a lot of time. Trying to meet people, texting, going on dates, etc. It takes a lot of time and energy, as I’m sure most of you know.
Now don’t get me wrong – you need to do some dating to find someone to start a relationship with. And it may take a few/many relationships to find the “right” person for you.
But now that I’ve found that person, it makes everything else that much easier.
I don’t normally talk about dating and relationships on this solopreneur blog, but they certainly play an important role in this crazy ride we call solopreneurship. And maybe one of you will find it helpful, or can relate?
Switching gears to cover solopreneur sales as part of this business blog, if you’re trying to start or grow a solopreneur business, you know there are plenty of different types of calls or meetings.
Sales calls, client calls, service provider calls, team calls, etc. etc.
But I think my favorite kind of calls are partnership calls. Meaning calls with potential business partners.
Quick caveat:
I actually think that you shouldn’t spend too much time on partnerships – depending on the type of business you’re trying to build. From my experience, and from suggestions of others, it’s very easy to spend a lot of time trying to close partnerships that never go anywhere.
I’ve seen it happen and learned the hard way myself.
So when I say that they are my favorite, I don’t necessarily mean you should have a lot of them, just that I really enjoy them.
Partly because 1 or 2 big partnerships can absolutely have huge impacts on your solopreneur business. And partly because in a good partnership, when it’s a true win-win (or win-win-win), it’s fun and exciting, because everyone is getting something from it, everyone is happy, everyone is growing.
It’s also interesting to get to learn more about these potential partners, how they think, how they operate, what their incentives are, etc.
I say this because while I’m not spending a lot of time on partnerships (instead I’m focusing more on raw marketing and sales), I had a great one today that went well, was fun, and will hopefully lead somewhere positive sooner rather than later.
But until then, I won’t hold my breath.
I will continue to pursue opportunities like that in hopes they pan out, but I will continue pushing the other parts of our business forward as if they won’t pan out.
Again, maybe partnerships are more promising or important in your business, or industry, or role – but keep tabs on them, and don’t put too many eggs in one basket.
Have a great day, make sure to get my daily updates here so you don’t miss my best content, and keep grinding.
