Your Roundtable

This spring I was lucky enough to be part of a fellowship program that featured speakers from around the state discussing a variety of topics. On one of the program days, we had a speaker who shared insights on leadership, in business and in life. She stressed the importance of surrounding yourself with the type of people who will tell you that you have spinach in your teeth. Naturally, we all got a good laugh out of that.

She then went on to stress the need for surrounding yourself with the kind of people who will not only tell you when you have something in your teeth, but also will tell you when you don’t have spinach in your teeth.

We were then asked to share with our table the five people we would name to this list, and in reporting back I halfheartedly shared that this new list of people was my “Spinach Club.” While this exercise was clearly meant to remind us of the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will inspire you personally and professionally, it got me thinking about the types of people I now lean on in since starting my own company.

1. The mentor

Most of us can recall without hesitation the first person we considered our mentor. Whether it was a college professor, our first boss, a family friend, or a colleague, our first mentors were usually those we looked up to for insight, guidance and career advice. But as we have progressed in our careers, have we lost sight of the need for discovering new mentors?

In starting my own company two years ago, I was surprised at how quickly I was in need of that mentor, that person who could direct me on the necessary first steps, and provide guidance on navigating the first few obstacles that came my way, and naturally, to give advice when faced with something I have never experienced before.

2. The confidant

This also led me to the discovery of needing that inner circle person who I could go to for sound business advice, particularly in discussing sensitive matters that most of us learn early on are not for open discussions: money.

One of the first things I had to determine in my line of work was what to charge clients, whether it be an hourly rate or a contractual rate. I would rate this on par with writing your own letter of recommendation — it is incredibly difficult to put a price on the value and worth of your work, especially when starting out on your own. It has been immensely helpful being able to talk to other business owners about this in order to understand the best approach to figuring out these numbers.

3. The whine club

Without question, you will need someone who you can straight up whine to, vent to, scream to. For fun, we will call this your whine club. It’s up to you if you make this an actual whine and wine event, or keep it low key over coffee or a quick phone call; but I cannot stress enough the importance of having one or two people that you can vent to that you don’t live with.

For me, it has been incredibly powerful to have this person, and someone who is not only a friend, but in a similar industry. Your spouse and best friends will be there for you no matter what, but having that go to person who knows the players and inside baseball on your stressors makes a major difference.

4. The booster

This is the person who will cheer you on, and tell you that, yes, you can take on a new client, or yes, you can take on a new scope of work, or yes, you can put in for that project. The booster is a friend, a colleague or maybe it’s one of the other “Spinach Club” members who took off their “mentor” hat to put on the “booster” hat.

Sometimes all we need is a little encouragement, and a nudge, for us to believe in ourselves, and see ourselves — even if momentarily — as others see us. When I first started my company, a business acquaintance asked me to partner on a project. I was excited at the opportunity to work with them and to take on a new project, but equally scared to take on something new. The boost of confidence I received pushed me into taking on the client, and turned into one of the most rewarding projects.

5. The reality check

This is really the unicorn of all the people in your “Spinach Club.” This is the mentor who will share advice with you on things like how to manage your accounting. This is the confidant who will tell you to rein it in when you may be overcharging on a pitch. This is the member of your whine club who will remind you that it is okay to have the woe-is-me moment, and who will share in your frustrations over a project or client. This is the booster who will give you that pep talk and encourage you to keep working hard and trying new things.

Even while I write this, I am reminded of who exactly these people are in my life, and how lucky I am that I have a roundtable of people who I can go to both personally and professionally. Also know that over time these people might change hats, or you may find new people for your inner circle. Either way, write down the members of your “Spinach Club,” and maybe send them a quick note to thank them.