Valter Klug, founder of Samba Rock, an ad & e-comm agency. 25 years of experience working with global brands. Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
Many people say Easter is about new life, a time of significant life changes. That’s what happened to me in 2015. I was working at an advertising group, for the agency’s top client. All the employees working on that account were invited to a meeting. We were informed that our client was consolidating their business with a single agency group, and they decided to go with one of our competitors. They gave us 30 days’ notice. The agency CEO told us that if we had another job opportunity, to take it right away.
We all went home early that day. The first thing I did was open my laptop, go online and start my business. I had this idea of starting a boutique marketing agency, but I never had the courage to take the leap of faith. I had a great job, was paid fairly well, was the sole provider for me and my wife and we had a good lifestyle. I was always afraid of risking everything for something so uncertain.
But now, life decided to give me “a little push,” and I had 30 days to make it happen while still employed or to try to find another job. As we get older and climb higher in the hierarchy, it can become harder to find a good job. So, I decided it was my “make or break” time and went all in. That month, I worked really hard, leveraged all of my connections, friendships and contacts and was able to close two monthly retainer deals that would at least pay our bills.
Easter came, and the next day, my life changed. I was laid off for the first time, along with my colleagues. It was bittersweet—I was ready to do my own thing, but I hated that it wasn’t my own decision to leave. However, it was also the best thing that could happen to my career.
Even when things are tough, just the fact that I have control of the outcome and know that I only depend on myself (and, of course, my own team, whom I have the chance to handpick and who are ultimately my responsibility) is much less stressful than the type of stress I had to deal with when I was working in a corporation.
So that moment when I got laid off for the first time, as horrible as it may sound, was actually a turning point in my career. Life gave me lemons, and I knew exactly what to do with them.
What really helped me?
1. Have a plan.
I had the idea long before the layoff and never had the courage to execute it. Once I needed it, I had a business plan ready and a chance to bring it to life. Always be prepared.
I suggest keeping your ideas in writing, a simplified version of a business plan. No need to go too deep into the details since you will learn a lot once you start executing it—and if you plan in too much detail, it will likely all change in a few seconds. You will discover that some of your assumptions were wrong once you get your hands dirty.
But the skeleton of the idea, the DNA of what you have in mind to achieve, shouldn’t change. Entrepreneurship is the best MBA you will ever attend.
2. Act fast.
I opened my business the day I was told about the issue. I didn’t wait until the layoffs happened. I didn’t take a sabbatical to rethink my life. I simply had a plan and was quick to take action.
But acting fast does not equal being careless. That’s why you need a strong foundational plan, so when the opportunity arises, you are ready to take action. Have you ever had a conversation where you said something and then a few seconds later, you thought about it and said, “Oh no, I should have said this instead!”?
Sometimes the window of opportunity closes really fast, so the more prepared you are, the better positioned you will be to make the right decision at the right time.
3. Cultivate great connections.
My friends, colleagues and connections all helped me find the clients I needed when I was prospecting, especially during that first month, but also throughout the past 8 years. These are friendships I cultivated throughout my life, so I suggest to always make friends wherever you are.
You can’t wait until you need connections to make them. Do it now. When I look back, I wish I was more “social” during my early career; I believe I could have cultivated even more connections. But that’s a never-ending process, and even as you grow your business, showing the quality of your work, meeting new clients and hiring new people, you keep your connections growing.
4. Embrace the learning curve.
I recognized that I had a lot to learn in order to manage my own business, from finances to administration and HR. Instead of shying away from these challenges, I embraced the learning process and acquired new skills, which ultimately contributed to my success as an entrepreneur.
Learning a new skill can be stressful. And sometimes, we may not have what it takes to do some of the job, so it’s very important to learn what and when to delegate at an early stage. Your time is precious and limited, so focus on the things you like doing and that you do well. For example, if you hate math, hire someone to do your books.
5. Think positive.
Many people tend to feel desperate in situations like this. Take a deep breath, look at the current situation from a bird’s eye view and adopt a positive attitude toward the issue.
By following these steps, I managed to turn a potentially devastating life event into a new beginning and a fulfilling career. Remember, when life gives you lemons, making the lemonade is up to you.
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