Fueling Business Growth Through Partnerships with Michele Haugh

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of The Marketing, Media and Money podcast. And I am very excited today because we're going to talk about something that's one of my favorite topics, because we're going to be talking about building industry partnerships that fuel business growth. We all know what a great topic that is, because we know that no business scales in isolation, leveraging partnerships and strategic collaborations can reduce cost, increase efficiencies, open doors to new opportunities and markets, expand your reach and help you tap into resources you might not have on your own. And today, we're going to focus on how entrepreneurs and small business owners can cultivate meaningful industry relationships that can contribute and feel in your business growth. And I have the perfect person here with me today, like you are going to absolutely love her. Let me tell you a little bit about her. So Michelle ha has decades of HR experience in both corporate and consulting roles. She's supporting over 200 organizations in 2020 she co founded early HR solutions, a fractional HR consulting firm, and to sit to assist organizations with limited resources. She launched early engage, a subscription service focused on employee engagement, professional development and retention. Michelle holds a vs in business and a Masters in HR and organizational development, and she is passionate about fostering inclusive people, first cultures, values community involvement, and believes giving back is a great way to build relationships. And I agree so Michelle, thank you so much for being here with me today. Thank you,

Patty. I'm really just thrilled to be here. Thank you.

Oh, I just really feel like every conversation that I have ever had with you, I walked away going, oh my gosh, that was such a great perspective, right? You know, you have all these different insights based on all of those organizations that you have worked with in corporate and consulting. So let's just jump right in. So, from your experience, what do you think separates partnerships that succeed versus ones that fail? I mean, that's the million dollar question, right now, right?

Yeah. So, you know, I think, when I think of partnerships, I think a lot of a lot like just friendships, right? What is a good friendship? It's somebody that cares. They listen, they show up. They support, necessarily, without necessarily having to be asked or or when asked, Do you show up? So it's a lot of the same things. Is being a really good partner. And I think from a business perspective, it's also, you know, really important that there's some alignment around values, how you, you know, treat your customers, or how you like to show up, and what, what you value as your, you know, as a part of your brand. And so I think if you have some alignment on those things, that can be a really successful, you know, ingredient for a great partnership, I think, you know, as far as partnerships that fail again, you know, thinking of just basic relationships that fail is if maybe it's really lopsided. Now, again, it's not tit for tat. But if you have one person that's doing all the giving, and another person that is not reciprocating, that can sometimes really, you know, just create an environment where that relationship is not going to really blossom. So, you know, I've seen partnerships kind of fizzle out because of that. I also think sometimes when there's a misalignment in values, that can also really affect, you know, relationships. And again, this is one of, like, I probably 1000 or million, you know, wonderful stories of partnerships, but I will say one that did fail, that we experienced, was somebody had committed to do something, and then, without sharing that they wouldn't be there, they sent someone in their place who was at a much more junior level. And so, you know, just not honoring commitments or giving the, you know, being respectful of those commitments, I think, is where sometimes those partnerships can falter. But honestly, I would say that the positive experiences I've had completely outweigh, you know, the few situations that haven't been as as you know, beneficial.

Yeah, it kind of sounds like listening to what you were saying and in relationships of pretty much all types, right? One of the common denominators, really, is communication, right? Is, how are you communicating like in the story you shared? I mean, if they couldn't have been there and they would have told you that ahead of time, maybe something else would have been able to happen to have made it be a win, win, still, even though they couldn't. So I think communication, just like Al. Say is the biggest thing, even in marriage, right is being able to communicate. So I think that thinking about that, what would you say are some of the key factors that entrepreneurs and small businesses should consider so when they're trying to identify who those right partners are to complement their business growth? I mean, sometimes you don't always know alignment until you talk to them. I mean everything to check all the boxes if, oh yes, they look like they would be really great, right? Until you have a conversation with them, and then you kind of get to know them, you're like, oh, maybe not so much, which doesn't make them bad, it just means they're not in alignment with you, right? So what do you think are some key factors, though, that they should consider when they're identifying those partners?

Well, first of all, I think having an open mind is really paramount. I mean, I can't tell you how many times maybe I've had an impression where maybe this isn't going to be a great fit, and then you talk to somebody and you learn things that you you know, really surprised you. And so I would say number one, don't have any preconceived notions, you know, just approach conversations that you have with an open heart, with, you know, really listening and, you know, hearing their story. And I think from a technical standpoint, if you look at individuals that are in a similar industry or have the same kind of vertical, when you looking at the types of organizations or people that you serve, that's the best place to find individuals to partner with. We've had enormous success in finding individuals that really complement the work that we do, and even people that do work that's very similar to what we do, I still think of them as a partner, because, let's face it, we all have in a finite amount of knowledge and skill and bandwidth. And I can't tell you how many times things have come across my desk. That might have been a good opportunity for me, but when I really thought about it. I was like, you know, if I if I'm really being true to myself, this isn't the best fit for me, but you know what? It's the best fit for this other person. And so I've lobbed plenty of business opportunities over to other people, because even though you would consider them a competitor, they're really not, because we all have our own unique value propositions. We have our own expertise, and I like to call it our zone of genius. So, you know, I find approaching even folks that you would consider a competitor with sort of like an open mind, there are just enormous opportunities to collaborate if you just ignore some of those initial thoughts of barriers,

I think that makes a lot of sense for me. I personally have always believed that the best partners are people who overlap with you a little bit, right? And part of the reason is because a lot of times when people overlap with you. It doesn't mean that they serve your exact audience, and it's a great way to get in front of a a new market. Like, maybe, you know, like, I'm in marketing, and it's a huge market, right? Yeah. And so maybe the you know, somebody is like, Oh, we like working with boomers. And these was like, Oh no, we like working with startups and oh no, we like working with people who are established. Like, there's a lot of things, so you can't just say, Oh, they're in marketing so or in competition. That's I don't actually believe in competition myself. I actually kind of think it's an integrity issue. Either you have integrity or you don't have integrity, right, right? But again, when you're thinking about partnerships that fuel growth, really building relationships with people who do the same thing you do, but in a similar way. Because I have always believed that to get into a new market, the best thing to do is to build a relationship with somebody who already caters to the people that you want to get in front of. Right

Abolutely

I have brought in so many people who I could help them with this one thing that they said they wanted to do, but they're an expert at that. That's what they specialize in. Yeah, right. And so if you're really thinking about your client and doing the right thing for them, that is a big thing. And I have had people bring me in many, many times, for me to serve their clients, and for me, as soon as that happens, they are now the client, right? They are now the client. So one of their clients comes to me and says, Oh, Patty, I didn't know you did that. I would, I would love to think about talking to you about how you're I wouldn't even take them on as a client, because why would I ruin a relationship for a transaction like it's just never going to happen. So I think that being very abundance minded, like what you're talking about, and really thinking about it. And you never know in your business when you're going to want to expand in a new market, or you're going to want to try something new and having those relationships, and they're going to love you when you say, Oh, I'm going to refer them over to you. I mean, that's just a really great way to build trust and credibility. And. The marketplace. And I don't care what market you're in, we're all in a very small the world is very, very small sometimes. Yeah, right, yeah. So I think that is really important. So I love your concept here, and the way that you think, because I feel like that, is really how we need to be doing business nowadays, and it's how we're going to not just fuel business growth, but be successful.

Yeah. And I can't tell you how many times, you know, we've been able to, you know, a client may describe a pain point, and without them having to sort of sit there and wallow through that pain, or, you know, have to go searching for a solution on their own, I'm like, You know what? I think I know someone that can help you. And making that introduction not only helps them solve that problem, but it makes you even more valuable to that client, because you now are creating, you know, that sort of stickiness with, you know, just providing even more services and opportunities for your, you know, client relationship than was necessarily stated in your Statement of Work, or what have you. You're creating that positive relationship, and I've seen that just be so beneficial in so many ways. So

I think when we want to be thought leaders and an authority at what we do, which is wonderful and we do, right? I mean, but when we're thinking about you, like, look at these decades that you have been in business with over 200 you know, corporate, and all the contacts you must have and all the business that you work with, I mean, being known as the go to person. So people know, even if you're not the right person, that's okay. I'm going to be able to connect you to the right person and becoming that trusted advisor so that you are the go to. I mean, I have people in my life and in my business that even if I don't think they're the person I know, they're going to guide me to the right person, right and in the world we live in now, that's what we want, somebody that we already know, like and trust. So think of the vast amount of people that you have at your disposal that if somebody comes to you and says, So, Michelle, this is kind of what I work and sometimes you actually can help them. They just don't realize that you can right. So right? Being able to say, No, I can either help you myself, or I can introduce you to somebody. Who can? I have to tell you, having somebody do an introduction. I mean, a well done, intentional introduction is like the gift that keeps on giving, right? It's almost better than a referral. It is our building relationships. Yeah.

I mean, I've had some prospective clients that are just so excited to meet because they've heard great things and they're really sold even before the meeting. Now, of course, you know, I don't take those for granted. Do you still have to do your job and show up and and and sell and then ultimately deliver it and really make, make the person that referred you, you know, shine, but when you can have that partnership where somebody is talking about you and you're not even aware they're talking about you and spreading great things about you, I mean, there's really no better way to build a business.

Oh, there's no greater compliment than when you meet somebody and somebody says, Oh my gosh. Like, I was just thinking about you the day somebody told me about you. Or, Oh, I haven't really met you before, but I've heard so much about you. Those are the things, like money cannot buy that, right? Exactly, literally, like relationship currency. And I believe that relationships are the currency in today's business environment, I was like, Well, how fat is your wallet, right? You know, is it No, or is it nice and big and thick? Because you have taken the time to build those relationships. So I think that is really important. And I think the very first conversation that you and I ever had when we were introduced, right? That very first conversation, I was like, Oh my gosh. Like, I was really impressed with, like, the alignment and like the work that you did, and how much you like before you got on that call with me. And then it was so interesting, because then later on, when I was talking about you, to somebody else, like three people said to me, Oh, I know her. I'm connected to her and stuff. So it's really kind of interesting to me. And I actually really love that. And so getting to know somebody and taking the time, because really honestly, next to relationships, the next currency we have is attention, right? And so when you think about it, is if you're building relationships and you are building attention currency, I mean, you never know when that is going to come into play. And I think it is really important. And you were talking earlier about that alignment, right, alignment with your value. So. So being really clear on that. So how would you assess whether a potential partner aligned with your values? Like, are there certain questions you ask? Is there some due diligence process that you go through? What would you suggest that when somebody's kind of looking and identifying some people they think may be good potential, what is kind of a process you would suggest to see if they would align with their values? Because certainly, if the other person thinks they do, and you have to be the one to be like, not so much like, you know, doing your due diligence first is always a good thing,

Right? Yes, you know, first of all, you know, I always like to meet with people, talk to them, listen, hear, you know, their story. Hear what they are excited about, what they're passionate about. You know, that really speaks, I think, a lot, to what what they really care about, and what makes them show up and do the work they do. But, you know, let's face it, with social media and other you know, ways you can find out a lot about somebody by looking at some of their posts, their content. And I definitely look at that because I try to align myself with people that are very professional. I not to sound super old school, but I'm not one of these. Our clients don't appreciate people that are maybe a little bit too casual. I mean, I'm still, you know, in the HR space, things have lightened up a lot, but we're still need to put ourselves, put a professional approach to things, and so, you know, and look for that in in people's posts and in their content, are they building people up, or are they criticizing and tearing people down? I mean, that speaks a lot to their values and what they're about. So I think there's really just a multitude of ways of, you know, looking at their website, looking at their social media, but really, more more than anything, is just having a conversation and really just finding out a little bit more about, you know, not just what it is they do, but why they do it and how they do it. That really tells a great story.

I really love that, because I know that a lot of times when I get on calls with people, you know, they've already looked at my website and whatever, and then they're like, so petty, like, what is it exactly that you do? Right? And and not just me, but you know, when you've been in business for a while, you've done more than one thing right over time, right? You know? And so when people say, So Patty, what do you want to do? I don't want to run off and go, Oh, well, I'm a podcast host, and at night, out of events, and I publish magazine, and, you know, blah, blah, blah, right? Because those are just titles. And so one of the things I always like to say, well, I can tell you what I do, but more importantly, I'd like to tell you who I am at my actual core and what actually means something to me. Because I want them to tell me that too, right, you know, and so I feel like titles are just that, and people don't hire titles. They hire people. They work with people. Yeah, you don't work with brands or logos. They hire people. So really, you want to kind of get to know them as a person. And I love that the way you said that you like check out their social and even personal things. Can tell you, when people are talking about, you know, going on vacation, they're going to meet their best friend that they've had for 30 years, that says a lot about them, right? You know, when they talk about even family, when they're going to visit family, and they talk about how important that is and and stuff, you kind of get a sense of that, versus somebody being on a boat with a beer in their hand, right? You know what I mean? I mean it says a lot about somebody, and in the business world too, like you said, are they building somebody up? Are they spotlighting other people? And so I think that is really important. But would you say that one of the things that people should do is kind of be clear on what those values are of their own. Because I think a lot of times people actually me, they probably have them, but they haven't really thought about them, like aligning them. So would you say there's, like, some things that people should be thinking about? Like, ask yourself some questions. Have you like, I have a criteria for me of and here's what I think is funny. I think most people, myself included, when we think about what we're gonna do, we always think of all the things we don't want first. Oh, I don't want somebody. You know, you know what I mean. People do this. Oh, because those are probably all the places we've been burned or, or we don't like, right? But once you get past all of the No, I don't want that. I don't want that. Like, what's left? Like, what is it? Then? Are the really juicy things that are, like, super important to you? Align with it? Like, you know, for me, I really align with people who think more than just about the dollar. Like, it's important to me. I like partnering with people who want to make a difference to. They could be in a for profit. I'm in a for profit business, but I want to know that it's bigger than just making money. And I love it when they share those things with me. What is important to you? What do you look at? Let's kind of go behind the scenes. And you know,

I would say, you know, again, I mean, I love talking about collaborations, because community, to me, is really big. I think it's so important to, you know, have community, to to give back and, you know, to to lift others up, and especially you know, you and I are, have been in our careers for a long time. I almost feel like there's a certain duty of mine as sort of a somebody who's maybe a little more senior like now is the time to to really lift others up and and, you know, that's, you know, what is the kind of legacy that you want to leave behind? I think about that a lot more obviously now than I did probably 10 years ago. But, but now I think about, what is the Mark I want to make? What is it that really, not just excites me, but people will sort of think of me or remember about the work that I do, but as far as other you know, kind of values, you know, especially, I think this is why I gravitate towards working with startups, is I really value innovation and I love working with people that are not afraid of pushing the envelope a little bit in a positive way. You know, I'm not a pushing the envelope pushy kind of a person. I think that just puts, you know, the alarms go off and people get really scared and defensive. But if you can move things forward in a really positive way where you're making a difference. I love seeing other people that do that as well, and those are people that I typically get excited to work with. And you know that are not just doing sort of the same old, same old. There's lots of us that can do that, but anybody that's doing something a little different that's making a difference in someone's lives, or in an organization's, you know, health, I think that's really exciting.

And since we're talking about partnerships, what are some great partnerships for you? So like we've talked about some characteristics of those, right? Some characteristics of those. But what would you say? Are some, are there some specific industries that you really like working with? Are there some really great types of companies that really work well for what you do? Are there certain what you said startups, but I mean, like, when you're thinking about clients, but we don't always think the same when we're thinking about working with clients and partners, right? You know. So are there some revenue levels you'd like them to be up? So, you know, for all the people who are listening, we may know some of them, right? So who can we introduce you to?

Oh, gosh, well, anyone? So I'm in the Human Resources space, but specifically around strategic HR solutions and employee engagement. So we tend to partner with either people that are also in the HR space that maybe don't have the same expertise that we do, and they need some extra help, or it could be somebody in a similar vertical that's serving the same kinds of companies that we serve and and I say small and medium sized businesses, we've got clients that are have a handful of employees up to 1000 so it's really kind of a wide range, but insurance, Not necessarily insurance, but benefit brokers are usually wonderful partners for us recruiters. You know, everybody who's in HR doesn't recruit. I don't recruit. I recruited many years ago. I don't do that now, because, guess why? It's evolved in such a way that you really need somebody that's doing it all day, every day, because there's so much technology involved and expertise, and I could do it, but I wouldn't do it justice. And so I look for people that are doing things that I'm not doing, and those are great partners for us. But as far as you know, again, when you think of a successful partnership, going back to some of the ingredients that make it successful. The one thing I didn't mention is it's so important to really look at relationships and partnerships as a long game. I think where I've seen things fail is when you meet somebody and you get off the call, and if you don't have an immediate thing to give them, like a referral or an introduction, you never hear from them again. And I approach things as you know, it's much more of a relationship. And again, a relationship isn't just a tit for tat, it's you. It's a nurturing it's an ongoing data

Deal, not getting married on the first date.

But I think there are some people, when they're very early in their their early entrepreneurs, there's almost a desperation to find the right person to get that business. And they can lose sight of the long game because they are so intent on making a sale. But I can say that you've if you approach these partnerships and relationships with more of like I said, that long game perspective, looking past today and what might happen a year from now, that's when you're going to really see the payoffs. And I know it's painful at first, but I use this analogy. I love flowers, so I love planting flowers, but I'll tell you, I'm more of a tulip gal, right? I like to plant a bulb. And you know, you know, whatever, six months later, you're going to get a flower, right? You plant it, and the flower comes up, and that's like, I think many of us are geared towards, like cause and effect. If I do this, I'm going to get this business. Unfortunately, what I have found in the past four years of being an entrepreneur is it's not that linear. It's much more of like planting wildflowers. And that's not really me. I'm not like a wildflower kind of gal, right? I don't like just spritz, you know, seeds everywhere, but I have to say that, at least in those early stages, it's going to feel a lot like planting wildflowers, where you're sprinkling seeds in a lot of different places, and you've got to nurture them. You've got to water them and tend to them. But guess what? You know, they're going to pop up, but sometimes when you least expect it. So again, I think we all wish we could be tulip farmers, where you plant the bulb and later you get that, you know, wouldn't that be easy?

That's a great story I have to tell you, Michelle, that is, and it's so visual, right? You know. So whether somebody's watching us on YouTube or listening, right? You know, that is a really, really good visual. And it is true in the networking world, you know, they always say that you're planting, you know, seeds and stuff, though. Now, one of the things that you said that, I think, is really interesting. So one of the things that I've done early on in my business, I would have calls, you know, coffee chats, right? That was like, the thing, right? We were never, I'll go out and have coffee. I'm much more intentional now, but back then, I would go have coffee, and after I would have coffee with it, if I couldn't think of anything, like whatever, it'd be like, Oh, okay, I guess, you know, we're not good, right? You know? And so that was early. And then I remember this one particular time they had a conversation with me, and, like, I didn't see anything, like, I couldn't think of anything, but we were connected on social media. And then all of a sudden they were doing something on social media, and they were talking about something, and I was like, Oh my gosh, that's the thing. Like, that is the thing that really would have been the glue. And then when you burn something, and you don't now, it's like hard to go back and say, Oh, I heard you say this. And now I do want to have a conversation, right? So one of the things that I have really done is, whenever I have coffee or a phone call or meet somebody person, whatever case may be with someone, I actually really do, like due diligence first, and I'm really good at it now. But even if you're not, so for the sake of people that listen, I always like to say, if you don't COVID with somebody the first time and when you are done, there weren't any warning things that said no. So you didn't have any of the things come up. They were like, No, you just didn't really have all the yeses either you thought they were nice. And whatever, I always say, Okay, if I get off that phone and I can't refer them or introduce them to somebody, I need to have another conversation with them. And I will have another conversation. And I will do it three times. And if at the end of three phone calls, I can't find anything that I'm like, Okay, I've and each time I'll dig a little bit deeper, ask a little bit different questions. But I very rarely 99 out of 99.7 times, I can have a conversation with somebody, and even if it is not something that I see, that we could do, I could always think from listening and asking good questions, right input equals output, to introduce them to somebody, which makes it so easy to come back later and say, You know what, you know and so, so I find that that is really an interesting thing. You may not always find the thing, and especially nowadays, when people are so busy and they want to just have a call in 30 minutes, sometimes I've had people actually say, okay, I'd love to get to know you. Let's jump on this call for 15 minutes of it, I can't even barely tell you my name and what I'm what's important to me. 15 Yes, and hear what's important to you too, right? You know, so it's like, so for me, that wouldn't work. That's actually a screening process. It would actually tell me that wouldn't work right from the beginning. But with that said, I really feel like these things do take time. You know, sometimes I have gone on the phone with somebody, and within 30 minutes I know that that person. Going to be in my life forever. We're going to do all kinds of things together. My mind is like, Oh my gosh. Or sometimes you're going to get on you think you're going to talk about this, and then you have another call, and then when you get on the next call, you think you're going to talk about this, and then the conversation goes this way, and it just becomes bigger and bigger. That happened to me about a week ago with Jesse do, who I know that, you know? Yeah, we got on a call to talk about an idea, and pretty soon that idea became this and this and this, and then it was a huge i Yeah, so you just never know. And so I think that it's really important not to come to the table with preconceived ideas either and let things flow. But the things like values, really do matter. But like you said, business partnerships, just like any relationships that work, right? But not just work, but you want to be able to maintain them, not you want to grow valuable business relationships over time, and you want to be able to maintain them. So what would you say are a few tools or strategies that they can implement to do that, to maintain and grow them both over time?

Yeah. So again, this is one of those things I think, you know, when you see somebody that's really well networked, you think, Oh, they're just a very friendly person, or they're just, you know, they just love to talk to people. And quite honestly, it's a lot more than that, you know, if you really get down to it, I know I look like an extrovert. I'm actually an introvert who knows how to act like an extrovert, but I find relationships. I love connecting with other people, and I find that keeping relationships going is not something that happens by accident. It's not just because I'm friendly. It's not because I just like talking to people. It's because I make a very, very intentional effort to reach out to people, to connect with them, to provide, you know, thoughts, resources when I you know when I can, and even setting time aside. So like, for example, even if I'm doing and this isn't all the time, but I would say probably seven out of 10 times I'm doing personal travel. If I'm in a city where I'm you know, there are people that I know, I probably will extend my trip a day or so so I can connect in person with some people in my network. It's just an easy way to do that, because so I favorite way too. Yeah, you know, and that's how I've met Jess, right? Is Jess is out in Colorado, I'm in Texas. And, you know, we had first just known each other over zoom calls, and I was going out to Colorado skiing, and I made a point to set some time aside to meet and and get with her in person, and did that with a few other people on that same trip. And I do that as much as I can. Same thing. Tomorrow, I'm heading to Houston for an event, but I'll be, you know, I've reached out to a number of other people that I'm hoping to, you know, grab coffee with. So, you know, it's just really, really important to do that. It's also important to support other people. It sounds kind of silly, but you know, even just commenting on someone's LinkedIn post, that is a real gift, because no you cannot build followership on LinkedIn. The algorithm is set up in such a way that it's not your post. Just liking something is fine, but it's not really going to, you know, build, I guess, unless there are comments. And so one way that I try to give back is just by being generous, taking time every single morning to read through posts and try to comment on a number of them, just to support people that are in my network, that you know, collaborate with me and and that I want to support. So that's one thing. Another thing is, I block my Fridays out. I used to find it really hard to get away because I had so many client demands. So I started blocking my calendar on Friday. Part of the day I do deep work, but part of the day is that's the day that I go and have coffee, or I go and have lunch, or I go through my, you know, my contacts, and think about who haven't I spoken to in a bit? Who do I need to send a note to and just ask how they're doing, or is there anything I can support them on? So all of those things are very intentional and and then just showing up like, you know, when you see a partner who's doing something, if they're launching a book, or they're doing a podcast, or they're speaking at an event, you know, trying to build them up and just get excited, because those can be really nerve wracking times, and when you've got the support of other people, that just goes such a long way. So those are just some of the things that I do that have worked for me. And like I said, it's not just about being friendly, it's. About really making the time and setting those intentions.

I think that's really important. And you mentioned LinkedIn, and LinkedIn makes it so easy, too. But I know I also do a lot of traveling, mostly for business. You know, I always make it personal while I'm there too. But when I'm traveling, and I know, like, it sounds like you decide to go for business traveling, and you don't know, you know, a little while before, right? Man, it is so easy to just go into LinkedIn, put in a location where it is that you're going to go and see who you're already connected to, and then be able to reach out, you know, we just had somebody connect with us from Australia that says they're going to be in town in April, and they're going to come to our meeting and spend some time on this, right? You know? So I think that has that worked for you?

Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, that's what's bringing me to Houston tomorrow is supporting one of my colleagues who, you know, some other people might think of them as a competitor. I don't. I'm going to go there. They're going to be speaking, and I'm going to be there cheering them on, and I'm sure we'll also meet a lot of other cool people along the way as well. So it's just you've got to look for those opportunities and make it a priority. It's not an afterthought.

I think that's really important. So for entrepreneurs who want to stay ahead of the curve, what would you say would be one thing so far? This was one thing they could focus on right now to build strong partnerships for the future.

You know, I would say, just set some reasonable goals and just stick to them, you know, because it can be overwhelming. You're like, Oh my gosh. I you know, before you know it, you've maybe joined too many committees or too many communities, or whatever that may be, and you're overwhelmed. But really, if you just pick maybe three things that you're going to do and do them consistently, you're going to move the needle, whether that's, you know, making some new connections on LinkedIn or commenting fully on someone's posts or reaching out to a certain number of people each week. I think it really has to depend on the individual what they're comfortable with. But I think taking things in small chunks and making them habits is an enormously positive way to move the needle, to build your network, to start showing up more consistently, and before you know it, you're gonna be like, Wow, this was now, I just do this every day. I don't even think about it, you know. Like I said, my routine is, you know, I do go on LinkedIn every morning. That's now my routine. Four years ago, Patty, I had never posted a single thing on any social media platform ever, and I became an entrepreneur. I was used to being behind the scenes, you know, HR, people don't take, you know, we don't take the limelight. We make other people look good, and we stand behind the scenes. And that's what we've been for decades. And when I became an entrepreneur, it was like, okay, if I'm going to do that, I'm not going to have any clients, because no one's going to know who I am. So I got to put myself out there. So, you know, but you make those consistent intentions, and you start showing up, and before you know it, it's becomes habit and and it really starts to move the needle.

Well, I have to say I am so happy that we are connected. But I also want to say congratulations, because Michelle, you're a finalist, and not just one, but two awards with Dallas hrs, HR stars Awards Gala. So the first one's for diversity, equity and inclusion Leader of the Year, and the second one for HR, consultant of the year. So congratulations on being a BIOS. I can't wait to see how that pans out. I went and looked it all up and looked at a rest. Personally, I think you have it in the bag for sure. But congratulations. I think that is, like a tremendous honor.

It is especially in a city like Dallas, where there's 1000s of HR professionals. I feel really, really honored, but honestly, I'm one of those people. I'm just thrilled that, you know, just to be nominated, I'm absolutely thrilled, and just having the opportunity to, you know, do meaningful work that's making a difference in other, you know, people's lives. So thank you so much for the congrats, though. But like I said, I'm not Uber competitive. I'm just, I'm like, let's just have fun. Let's have a go. Have a good party. So it'll be a good time.

Who doesn't want to go to a gala? So, Michelle, how can people connect with you? I know they're going to want to connect with you. What's the best way for them to connect with you?

Well, you know, I'm very open to a variety of places. You know, email is totally fine, but probably the easiest way. To find me is on LinkedIn, just because I am very active on there, and you can look for my pictures. So you know, you've got the right person. But I am always happy to connect. And, you know, get a direct message. And would love to, you know, meet anyone that has questions about whether it's the HR space or whether it's just about building a business from the ground up. So I'm happy to be connected with really anyone that would like to

That is phenomenal. So for those of you that are listening or watching, maybe just look below. We have all the buttons with all the ways that you can connect with Michelle. So Michelle, thank you so much for being here today. I appreciate you so much. And for those that are listening to us, thank you so much for being here with us again this week. We appreciate you so much. We'll see you again next week.

Thanks so much, Patty. I appreciate you.