Hi! Kati here! As 2019 is coming to a close, Kelsey and I have been discussing how awesome this year has been for Oh Happy Day Booth’s growth. While reflecting, I thought it would be fun and enlightening to do a little recap on what I’ve learned this past year in a blog post! I’m not talking about the technical things like sending proposals and calculating quotes, but more personal things and how I’ve become an asset to the Oh Happy Day Booth team. Specifically what I’ve learned about myself since taking on this position. My goal is for this blog to be relatable but also a measuring stick for me to look back on towards the end of 2020 to see what else I’ve learned!
A little backstory on me: I have six years of experience in direct marketing sales and managing teams of five to 30. When I made the decision to shift careers in late 2018, Kelsey and I met serendipitously through Bumble Bizz and became fast friends, sharing the mutual love of Schitts Creek, women in leadership and all puppies (literally ALL the puppies). When Kelsey decided to hire me, there was definitely risk involved. Kelsey risking to invest a lot of time (and money) in hiring someone that had literally no experience in her field and for me, used to being surrounded by a team everyday and confident in coaching to independent remote work in a totally different industry.
But at the end of the day, we both had the same goal: growing Oh Happy Day Booth.
I’m happy to report, as of now, we have not only grown Oh Happy Day Booth by staff, more events, new technology, and new systems but we’ve opened up a sister company, Pop & Drop. I think it’s safe to say Kelsey and I both exceeded the expectations we had originally set out to achieve, which gets me really excited about 2020! Without further adieu, here are seven things I’ve learned about myself and my environment that I feel can be translated to any industry:
Remote work is not for the faint of heart: Honestly, this was one of the things I was most concerned about! I have only worked in teams my entire life (even dating back to my first job in high school!) and as an extrovert, I absolutely thrive in team settings. I was nervous about working by myself and not having anyone to hold me accountable, or worse.. getting bored! I’m a true #Ennegram3. Turns out, working remotely is not about playing with my dogs all day and sleeping in everyday. It’s hard work and you’ll be just as busy as if you went into an office. Boredom doesn’t exist if you’ve got a stacked schedule like we do! What I really enjoy is that I don’t have to call in sick or when I have an appointment, I don’t have to ask for time off, I just shift my working times in the day, not limited to a 9-5. Although there aren’t physically eyes on me daily, I’m just as self managed as I was when I was a business owner with a team and I’m thankful for my past experience in a leadership role to help me stayed focus when my office settings fluctuate.
Communication is EVERYTHING: Cliché? Maybe. Accurate? You betcha. Not seeing your coworkers or boss everyday (see point above) can lead to easy miscommunication. Kelsey and I are so similar (literally down to matching outfits unexpectedly), but we can’t read each other’s minds. Who knew?! We pride ourselves in over communicating, to a point that I’m sure our spouses have eavesdropped enough conversations about our scheduling logistics for upcoming events, that they could give us the answers. Haha! In all seriousness, keeping your boss and coworkers in the loop on a daily basis is super important, whether that’s where you’re at physically or mentally.
You don’t have to be the first one to do it, you just have to be the best one to do it: In our industry, there is quite a bit of competition. Coming from my background, I thrive in a competitive environment so I’m consistently excited for the opportunity to show clients what we can do. Although there are many other companies that do what we do, I’m very fortunate to be part of our business model that deems a lot of its success on customer satisfaction, high standards, and follow through. We pride ourselves in not just offering a one of a kind photo booth and installation service but a one of a kind customer service, which keeps this business growing. We believe every step is just as important as the next for our clients. Just check out our reviews!
Patience with myself: It truly wasn’t until month ten of working with Kelsey that I felt 100% confident with decisions making entirely on my own that wouldn’t hurt the company. I know what you’re thinking.. TEN MONTHS? Yup. The reason for that is because everything what we do is so customizable. There’s not one answer that fixes all questions or problems. I would get frustrated with myself when I didn’t know the answer to something that I feel like I should’ve. Kelsey reassured me (on the 15th call everyday) that this was new for me and I’ll get to a point where I don’t ask her every question that runs through my head. After awhile, I learned to rely more on my resources (and lots of notes!) to make executive decisions and it still feels good when Kelsey celebrates my little wins, because for the majority of this year, I questioned myself a lot.
Focus on the positives: Every entrepreneurs mantra, right? But it’s true! You can’t control every event, but you can control your response to it. This industry can be cut throat and things can change literally a moment before execution, so it’s important not to get held up on all the small details but instead focus on the really great things that are happening! It can take time and be difficult to find a positive in almost impossible situations, but I promise it’s possible. We are surrounded by positivity daily, we just have to shift our mindset to find it.
Listening to your clients needs: Honestly, this is one of my favorite parts about what I do! I absolutely love catering our services to each client. Whether that be for a wedding, a huge corporate event, a bat mitzvah, a sorority formal, you name it! Typically, when people think “sales”, they easily assume that it’s someone on the other side trying to make money and pushing them towards a decision. But because this business is so customizable, it’s my responsibility to find the right service to them, which may mean no service at all. Granted, I would love for every lead I connect with to turn into a full paying client, but that is just not feasible in this business. There have been several times this year where I’ve had to tell someone that what we offer just would not suit their event and although that’s not easy nor fun on my part, I think it is refreshing for the other person to not to be pushed into a service just to make a sale.
Know when to call it – Like I mentioned in the first point, there is no 9-5. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve sent while watching a movie on a date at 10pm on a Friday night, or reply to an email when I wake up at 3am randomly and see an email I’ve missed because I was asleep. Work/life balance is just as important when you set your own schedule. Although it’s important to respond in a timely manner, not every email or phone call is an emergency and can be dealt with in several hours (or in my case the next morning!). This also applies to working with a potential client and knowing our services won’t be a great fit after all, or over committing ourselves to projects. It’s important to know when you’re at capacity and when to turn on your vacation responder!
Overall, my brain has exploded with knowledge this past year! It’s been incredible to see us surpass our goals and what the business has gained in 2019. I cannot wait to see where we are this time next year and all the new things I will learn! We’re excited to continue being your go to vendor in this industry and looking forward to making your event one of a kind!
XO,
Kati
