When business gets personal – and everyone wins
It’s often said that you should separate your personal and professional lives, but in my line of work, that’s definitely not always the case. In fact, some of my best business wins come when friendships and client relationships intersect. An example of this happened recently when I spearheaded an initiative to support a personal friend, a local nonprofit, as well as one of my paying clients. It’s a story where chance meetings, past experiences and long-time friendships can all collide to make amazing magic happen, and I want to share it with you.
A love of reading
Growing up in the Midwest with parents who valued education, I have always been an avid reader. I always love to help our local nonprofits, too, and about a decade ago, I helped promote Spread the Word Nevada, which supports local literacy efforts by distributing more than 70,000 books each month to disadvantaged youth. The charity also partners with more than 80 Nevada schools!
Fast-forward 10 years, a friend of mine, Hayim Mizrachi, CEO of MDL Group, a local commercial real estate brokerage, mentioned his son Nathan, a middle schooler, was putting together a book drive as a good deed to help local children. Nathan loves to read and felt privileged to always have access to books, so he wanted to help children who were less fortunate. He started a virtual book drive with, to my surprise, Spread the Word Nevada, and was eager to ramp up efforts.
When I heard this, I immediately saw an opportunity for one of my clients, Dinosaur Outpost, a family-friendly local attraction with education at the core of its mission. Dinosaur Outpost Founder Tim Clothier is passionate about creating a hands-on experience for kids and families that allows them to put the phone away in order to learn and explore together. When Tim, a fellow avid reader himself, heard about Nathan’s book drive, he chose to help.
I reached out to Spread the Word Nevada CEO Lisa Habighorst and we created a partnership for the month of November with Dinosaur Outpost. Whenever a Dinosaur Outpost guest donates a book, they receive $4 off their same-day admission. The effort will add hundreds, if not thousands, more books to Nathan’s already growing total, help a local nonprofit, while also driving extra foot traffic for my client!
How business naturally expands my friendship base
As I said, in my line of work, separating business and personal relationships is difficult. In fact, it’s probably bad for business. And as I reflect on my career, I have realized that many of my personal relationships have also evolved from work.
In PR, it’s impossible not to get to know at least a little about the personal lives of my clients. When I onboard them, I become a student of their business. I ask a lot of questions to understand what drives them and how I can serve them. Inevitably, I’m gifted the experience of knowing all of my clients a little better as people, not just business owners. I’m also blessed to have gained so many long-term friendships through this work.
So, when I’m finding opportunities for clients, it is indeed personal for me – because in my mind, I’m really helping a friend.
