If you've just joined us, Oddpodz is a new online community for creative doers and problem solvers. Founder and branding expert Karen Post, who writes a regular column for fastcompany.com, brings you the play by play of a startup brand.
When I started this series, I promised un-candy coated stories and honest hard lessons learned on my journey to start-up success.
I have many, many sleepless nights thinking about everything my company is doing and all that we still need to do, within the confines of our limited financial and human resources. I see new competition, I field hard and fast questions from investors, and I come up against cold shoulders from companies my fledgling wants to do things with, because it is a young, unproven kid on the block.
Even with all the stress and anxiety, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. If you are nurturing a start-up or thinking about one, here's the deal -- it's a scary, hard and character building process. Don't give up, don't freak out. Most of the great brands went through this, too. It's not what hits you in the head, it's how you deal with it and whether you can keep standing.
In this column, I'm going to share realities and solutions that can keep you moving towards building your brand and securing and leveraging smart, strategic partners to achieve your goals.
It is highly likely that you will try to do too much at once, especially if you have a leadership style like mine: productive, intense and overachieving. Pressures will surround you. A common outcome is creating complications while aiming to please everyone.
Revisit your brand essence and business plan weekly. Stay on brand, but include being flexible as a key growth strategy. You will learn and gather insights from your market. Apply what works and don't be afraid to make an occasional u-turn.
As a brand and business leader in your start-up organization you have to focus on how to get from A to B in the most efficient and fastest manner. Cash and time are precious. And every thing takes longer than you think.
Identify and reach out to influential strategic partners before you need them. The process of securing them will take time, and the bigger the company the more time it will take.
Your sales skills will be tested as a start-up. Unless you start with a bunch of cash, you will likely be selling using the chicken and egg method. This is not unethical -- it allows you to hone your product offering while in development to meet the needs of your customers. You are selling an unproven idea and the future straight from your crystal ball.
Accept this notion, with full and complete belief in your dream. Believe you have already achieved -- and that everyone you sell to is darn lucky -- they got selected to participate in your opportunity. Beyond your conviction, you must have credible tools that support your story, your vision and your brand.
Our tools included
With this formula, Oddpodz has successfully scored some incredible strategic partners. I will discuss two of them from first hand experience and then tap into the valuable insights of a fellow Social Network CEO, Michael Sanchez of Cafemom.com.
Back in October, Fast Company along with other forward thinking organizations sponsored the Sarasota International Design Summit. The event was billed as a summit for transforming people, places and products through ideas, design and innovation. This was Oddpodz's first public outing as a sponsor. We underwrote the giveaway bags and gifted all attendees with one our branded T-shirts. It was a great investment of time and money. Not only did we make tremendous new networking contacts, but we were also introduced to Bill Strickland, Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Bidwell Corporation (MBC,) a consortium of organizations that use the concepts of creative learning, empowerment and transformation to work with inner city at-risk youth. Bill was the opening keynote speaker. After hearing his inspiring story and invitation for any one in audience to make the trip to Pittsburgh, PA, to witness his organization's success -- a strategic partner light went off in my head -- this was someone I needed to reach out to.
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