Success Isn’t Strategy—It’s Service

In my old life I was the Sr. Sanitary Code Inspector of Lowell. A fancy way to say health inspector. After I left, I actually took my old work number with me. All the connections I’ve made over 10 years I couldn’t just delete and even still till now, I get random texts or calls about inspection related thing. Inspectors often don’t give out their personal numbers, but I always did. It’s no bother to me helping out. As a civil servant, I felt proud of being in a position to do so. Lowell is a melting pot of cultures and I wanted to make sure everyone was heard fairly.

Another interesting thing about it were all the ideas people had for businesses. There were people who wanted to open up a sandwich shop inside of a hair salon, a cat cafe were you can get a coffee and play with cats, about 1000 bubble tea places, take-out caribbean food out of a car wash and a voicemail I got once from someone who really asked how they could open a brothel.

Today I met with an artist and his wife. They’re starting a Gelato Truck that serves only non-dairy products. It’s a coconut based product that’s supposed to taste just like the real thing. They want to focus on private events and on occasion drive around with the classic ice cream truck music playing. I walk them through the whole permitting process and give them some contacts for their commissary. We walk through their business plan and I make some suggestions I’ve seen other trucks have success with and all the insider tips.

You can feel it when people go from nervous to empowered and it’s really nice to be apart of it. At the end of all that, they asked what I did here at the studio and I explained how I made websites and they decided right there that they wanted to hire me. Next thing you know I’m onboarding a new client.

I really believe in that kind of marketing. Just come from a place where you genuinely want to help and organically you’ll get out there. Business strategy to me isn’t about all that stuff they teach you for your MBA. To understand business you just gotta understand people. What do people like? Someone honest, reliable, competent, curious and just happy. If you really care about their success then they’ll care about yours too. Deals are like relationships, they evolve over time and it’s your priority to make sure all these people who took a chance on you in the beginning, know that you’re still there for them.