Business lesson of the week - Know when to walk away.

Before getting into why walking away is such an important thing to do and should not be considered a business loss (although on paper it might seem so), let me tell you a bit about myself and Digital 55. We recently moved into full time operations and boy, let me tell you, what a wild ride! There is a crazy backstory to that decision but that is for another time, another blog post.

As for myself, I am the CCO and Founder of Digital 55, having a very creative background that intersected with tech about 10 years ago and landed me in a very cool digital interactive space where I get to flex not only my creative muscles to a very high level but also my tech and digital chops as well. Exciting, exciting space to be working in. I am going to be posting semi-regularly about some of the experiences that happen as an entrepreneur and CCO. I want to be really real about what those experiences look like because sometimes it is messy (like really, really messy). I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, having started 3 companies to varying degrees of success over the past 10 years and even when working for other companies throughout my career (what do they call that, an intrapreneur?), I stayed true to looking at every project, every client, every strat ask, every creative output as an opportunity to think outside the box and push further, harder, better, as a true entrepreneur always does. You can’t fake that kind of drive.

Sometimes life is ridiculous, sometimes glorious, sometimes awful and last week was a week where I experienced all that within a few days but hey, that’s startup life right? The week started off great, with an amazing client. A client that believes in what we’re doing and has been a true partner and collaborator, going to bat for Digital 55 and our unique touch of badass rebellion, trusting us to do great, inspired work. Fast forward a few days later to the polar opposite of having to walk away from an opportunity that was very near and dear to my heart because something was really, really off. Those are hard decisions to make and it doesn’t get any easier. Especially when you truly believe and care in a project and have invested time and money into the contracting process. Some people just won’t get or respect you no matter what you do. They won’t understand that warrior fight for things you believe in. If your integrity is misconstrued for something else, it is tough but it is a clear, no-brainer walk away moment.

Check in with yourself. No matter how much you might believe in a project, in an organization, in a cause, if something doesn’t feel equitable or right. Know. When. To. Walk.

Don’t be afraid to take your talents out of the equation if your value is not being treated respectfully. This can be hard, you always want to do right by your business and saying no to a contract is tough stuff, especially in the startup phase. Not for the faint of heart but never undervalue the pure raw talent that you bring to the table.

And don’t forget, the right clients will warrior fight for you too!

Author - Lauralee Sheehan, Chief Creative Officer (CCO)

Blog Cover Photo - tim-mossholder-212047-unsplash

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