While we didn’t know it then, SheHe Media started with “Strategy to work with others” and Shelby’s response “Working with Jim is a full-time job, but one I like.” After those two posts, the “She Said, He Said” project formed and we continued to tackle topics with our two unique perspectives on the world. Yesterday Shelby looked back over the last year or so of working together and wrote “How to work with Jim Raffel: A note to my 2011 self.” Now it’s my turn.
If I knew then, what I know now …
I’m going to take a stab at writing in the same style Shelby did yesterday. So what follows is a discussion between me of March 2011 and me of today. Yes, I know what they say about people who talk to themselves, but I’ve already admitted to being crazy so no worries.
2012 Self: Do you have any idea at all what you are getting yourself into?
2011 Self: Well, yes I’m already appreciating having more time to devote to sales and customer service with Shelby taking responsibility for ongoing marketing tasks.
2012 Self: No. Have you even considered how this professional relationship could grow?
2011 Self: Again, yes. I’ve learned that Shelby likes and has the skills to plan events and I’ve turned responsibility for the ColorMetrix event we are having next month in Las Vegas over to her.
2012 Self: Okay, let’s go there. While your all-day mini-conference will be a success, it’s going to be the after party you throw in the Super Suite that keeps people talking about the event for … well, they are still talking about it. Not only did Shelby end up bartending …
2011 Self: Wait, Shelby knows how to bartend?
2012 Self: Yes, but stop interrupting. You do that enough to Shelby and then she loses the great thought she was in the middle of telling you about.
2011 Self: But you just interrupted me.
2012 Self: Please be quiet and respect your elder self. Back to Las Vegas. Shelby worked the room and made sure everyone was having fun and meeting everyone else. She even had folks playing pool most of the night (and she’s a bit of a pool shark for future reference).
2011 Self: Okay, so the Vegas meeting was a success. How’s she doing with the rest of the ongoing marketing?
2012 Self: Oh, Shelby is so much more than a marketing manager …
The role grows
2012 Self: Nowadays you value Shelby just as much and maybe more for her project management skills. She manages all the key relationships ColorMetrix has that involve ongoing project work.
2011 Self: Wait a second. How did that happen?
2012 Self: You let a large customer down a couple times and then worked with Shelby to come up with a customer service system that was more responsive to the customer needs. That system involved using the company project management system and Shelby just grew into the role from there.
2011 Self: Hmmm, who knew? An artist who is also organized and detail-oriented. That’s cool.
2012 Self: She’d so roll her eyes and punch you in the shoulder for saying that.
2011 Self: Oh, so she’s figured out my sarcastic teasing streak I guess.
2012 Self: Yes and she’s better at it than you so you should probably just be nice to her most of the time. She loves getting even.
2011 Self: So she’s doing marketing and project management for ColorMetrix? Sounds like we’ve taken her on as a full-time employee instead of as a contractor?
2012 Self: Um, not quite. You’re no longer even her largest (or only) client but you two do work together almost constantly.
Growth of the She Said, He Said project
2011 Self: That doesn’t make any sense unless she has figured out how to clone herself.
2012 Self: Well, remember when you wrote those two blog posts about working together in early March? Those two posts turned into a business called SheHe Media.
2011 Self: Slow down. I run ColorMetrix and have other ventures under the JimRaffel.com Ventures umbrella – plus Shelby is just starting up Panoramic Interactive.
2012 Self: About that … Panoramic and JimRaffel.com Ventures folded into SheHe Media and you two are business partners on what you used to call your “side gigs.”
2011 Self: How does my public speaking work into that?
Are you sitting down Jim? Because Shelby is a standup comic too.
2012 Self: You convinced Shelby to get up on stage and speak with you.
2011 Self: There is no way. She’s a behind-the-scenes person. She even gets mad when I take her picture.
2012 Self: You need to stop underestimating your sales ability. You totally manipulated her into agreeing to speak with you based on the fact it would take six months or more to land a gig. You then went on to land one -and a pretty big one – in six weeks.
2011 Self: Well, what on earth do we talk about?
2012 Self: You get up on stage and talk about utilizing social media strategies to grow business online, which is what you two have been doing together for over a year now.
2011 Self: Wow, I should be nice to Shelby. Sounds like she’s a key part of my future success. I’ve already figured out she is not afraid to tell me I’m wrong or going in the wrong direction with something. Not many people close to me are willing to do that.
2012 Self: She has yet to steer you wrong or not act on behalf of your best interests.
2011 Self: Well, with that I don’t think I want to hear anything more. It sounds like we have fun working together and trust each other.
2012 Self: Very true. Oh, just a couple more things … She’s never going to drink shots of tequila with you again after Las Vegas (a man your age really should know when to say when) and she will teach you to like scotch (a good drink for a grown up like you are supposed to be).
2011 Self: Okay, unless she has changed a whole bunch from her 2011 Marcia Brady self, 2012 Shelby is so going to edit that last comment out.
2012 Self: Probably not. She even swears on Twitter sometimes now.
2011 Self: *runs away*
2012 Self: Don’t run too far. It’s Thursday and you have to do #SheHeChat on Twitter tonight at 8 p.m. Central time. Oh wait, that didn’t start up until May 2011. Never mind.
Back to reality
That turned out to be more fun as a writing style than I thought it would be. If you got this far, you should try to join us for #SheHeChat over on Twitter tonight.
