You might be currently reading this while you are waiting for your coffee to brew. If so, this is going to feel like a really meta topic. But even if you aren’t waiting for a fresh cup of coffee you are probably waiting for something, and that’s why today I want to discuss patience.
The process of building Ruby Media has had many firsts for Calen Wolfskill and me. Like many of the business owners we collaborate with, we are well-versed and knowledgeable in our craft, but have treaded new ground with certain business aspects. We have taken strides to build and develop that business here at Ruby Media, but we always need to be mindful that there is one element that we can’t control. Time.
Building a business and a brand takes time. We can help it along with this strategy or that concept, but some things just take time. Building Ruby Media has been a great way to develop patience, because if I judged my success based on the first 30 days of this business, I would see it very different compared to now, some six months after our website launched.
Along with the equipment, production schedules, and the occasional Red Bull, patience has been a key tool for our productions during this pandemic. Shoots have been delayed, revisions have more hurdles than usual, and it’s been challenging to shake hands with potential clients from afar. But we don’t let these affect us from doing our best and reaching our goals because we know it will come in time. The new shoot date will arrive. We will work through all the revisions needed. We will one day be able to truly shake your hand.
This past week I had two moments that echoed the value of patience. First was with a current partner of ours. We had already needed to delay their shoot date once, and right as the new shoot date arrived the largest snowstorm of the season put everything on pause. While our partners were anxious and disappointed about moving dates again, we knew they would receive a final product far greater than if we tried to fight the weather.
The second moment was one that also showed how businesses are beginning to rebound. Before the launch of the website, we had a relationship with another business who created informative content for medical companies. In March, when the pandemic became the focal point for most of this country, our relationship went dark. I later found out that everything this business was working on stopped on a dime. We didn’t know what the overall outcome of this business was going to be, but that mystery was put to rest this past week when we had learned that they are steadily building back to where they were before.
Businesses are beginning to rebound, and as that happens, I hope that business owners approach our changing obstacles with the same patience that we’ve built over the past year. Whether it’s new sales tactics, new marketing strategies, rebranding, or an entirely new venture; patience is a key part of your future success.
Now go get yourself a cup of that coffee.
Dan Zalewski III
President, Ruby Media