The One That Got Away

This is the second in a short series of articles I’m writing about how my work at CARD Strategies is evolving. The first article, where I outlined my new vision statement, can be found here.?

People often refer to me as a solopreneur. I hate the term. Mostly because it sounds dismissive to my ear. I don’t think anyone necessarily means to diminish my business or what I’ve accomplished, but that’s how it comes off most of the time.

Anyone who’s run their own business knows that being the only employee is actually quite a challenge. Because you are the one developing new business, producing work for your clients, marketing yourself, and doing the operations required to keep the lights on. I’ve always hired outside help for bookkeeping and worked with incredible contractors for big client projects, and while those have been incredibly helpful, even having that help requires project management, yet another task.

CARD Strategies has existed for eight years, and most of the time, operating as a one-person shop worked out well. It allowed me the flexibility to do much-needed life things after years of nonstop grinding as a political staffer and consultant. It meant that I could plan my work around health issues, move when my spouse had an incredible job opportunity, and take time off after giving birth to twin boys three years ago. It was easy to scale down the business when the global pandemic hit, and my clients needed to pause. (And then to scale back up quickly when disinformation around said pandemic instantly became a different kind of pandemic.) There were a few points when I considered hiring staff, but the timing never seemed right.?

Being a solopreneur worked really well for years. Then, one day, it didn’t. My dream client fell right into my lap, and I fumbled. Because I didn’t have the operation needed to land them.

My new business comes from three primary sources: clients who know me from my work in politics, clients who read my newsletter, and clients who see or hear me quoted as an expert in the media. This particular prospect reached out after hearing me on NPR’s All Things Considered. He worked for a mammoth public health organization, an area I wanted to do more work in, and presented me with a problem that I immediately knew I wanted to work on solving. It was a bigger client than I’m typically asked to pitch, but I knew I had the perfect team of contractors for the project.

He also reached out a week before I was leaving for Ireland for two weeks, something that working for myself allowed me to do easily. We agreed that I would submit the proposal when I returned from my trip. But as I was working on it, my father had a medical emergency, and I had to fly to Kentucky for a few weeks. Then Dad passed away, and I needed a few more weeks off still. The prospective client was understanding about each delay, and I eventually got a proposal to him - two months after our initial conversation. Once he received the proposal, the prospective client ghosted me, and stopped responding to my emails. At that point, I wasn’t surprised and understood why. The delayed proposal made it clear why a one-person company isn’t ideal for serving a large client with timely needs.?

Much as I hated losing my dream potential client, the loss was a gift. It helped me realize three things:

1. I was capable of doing more. My brand and profile were strong enough that a client of that caliber was interested in working with me.?
2. I wanted to work on larger projects and solve bigger problems. Once it was on the table, I very much wanted to work with that potential client and find other projects that I could work on at that scale. I was hungry for it.
3. I wasn’t ready….yet. As a company of one, I didn’t have the company that I needed to pitch and serve clients at that level reliably. I also realize that some of the services I offer should be productized so that more organizations - with a broader range of budgets - could access my work

The experience made me realize how much I’d limited myself professionally and made me wonder what else was possible. I spent a good portion of my Obama Leaders USA Fellowship thinking through where I was vs. where I wanted to be, and what it would take to get there. Coincidentally, my personal goals aligned with how I saw my emerging field growing and the sectors I thought needed my help.?

I wouldn’t trade my years as a solopreneur for anything. They gave me the flexibility to fight this crucial fight for American Democracy and take care of some things in my personal life that I’d neglected for too long. It helped me create my job and gave me the space to get good at doing it. But I’ve outgrown being an operation of one. Next week, I’ll outline my blueprint for CARD Strategies’ evolution. A plan to help me enact my vision:

Build a world where we can all do our work, share our stories, and live our lives free from hate, harassment, and harm.