I was up at 1:30 last night banging my head against a wall.

Okay, not literally, but that was about as effective as I was being. We’d grown out of the web hosting service we’ve used for years and I was configuring WordPress and the SQL Server backbone on the new server.

Something was wrong, and I didn’t really know what, so I assumed that the database extract file I had uploaded was corrupted or incomplete.

So I kept uploading fresh files . . .

and hitting the “restore” button. . .

and waiting (it takes about 45 minutes each time) . . .

and still not having the database resolve.

A long night was getting longer.

Finally, I called a contact that knows SQL databases (who I knew was working nights, thank goodness) and he told me to try changing one variable in my configuration file. No database restore required.

It worked the first time in less than five minutes.

I was dancing (quietly) around the house. At 2:10. In the morning. And then I went to bed and slept until about an hour ago.

“Do Your Own Work!”

Now, understand that I was one of those kids that was raised with the “you have to do your own work” ethic. Questions were not encouraged. “Go to the books and find your answer.” My teachers used to say. “No talking in the classroom – keep your eyes on your own desk.”

I used to dread group projects because I was afraid I’d be stuck doing all the work, if we wanted to get a decent grade. In the fifth grade, I stayed up all night (are you seeing a pattern here?) on a group project because I REALLY wanted an A. The other four people rode on the coattails of my ambition.

Reluctant Collaboration

I was in my twenties before I ever had a really satisfying collaboration on a project. It opens a whole world of possibilities when you can rely on people that have different skill sets than you do. A great marketing project may require strategists, writers, artists, website technicians, printers, and stakeholders to work together in a way that makes the most of everyone’s skills.

My early suspicion with group projects is still intact, I’m still pretty self-sufficient. I do most of my own writing, billing, agreements, basic designing, and basic technical stuff (I don’t usually dig into databases!) but I also have a great accountant, and a great lawyer. I know technical people that know just about everything having to do with the Web. (Like my SQL friend, to whom I owe a steak dinner.)   I know fantastic writers on particular topics and I have a list of artists I can call when needed. There is a printer in my town that always has great ideas on how to do a mailing in a more creative or cost-effective way than I would have thought of myself. I’m happy to pay people who provide something I need and can do it better (or faster) than I can do it myself.

The Difference Between Success and Frustration

I found that there were several key points make the difference between frustration and really powerful collaboration:

  • You have to trust your collaborators
  • Collaborators have to communicate very, very well
  • Each party has to be very skilled at their task or competent to do their part in the collaboration
  • It helps a lot when both parties have a stake in the outcome, or at least an equal (or close to equal) level of motivation

I’ve sought out great marketing projects with aviation professionals, in part because it works, and in part because I really enjoy these successful collaborations.

I like watching their traffic and sales numbers go up. I enjoy getting phone calls and emails about new deals they’ve landed.

I’m one of very few people I know who can honestly say that I really like every one of my clients and really enjoy the success that we’re building together.

P.S. – Want to find out if a collaboration with ABCI is right for you?

Email me (Paula@AviationBusinessConsultants.com) and ask for my “new client questionnaire.”  You’ll probably learn a lot about your marketing campaigns just by filling it out.

Return it to me and I’ll write you a detailed set of marketing  recommendations that might lead to a great collaborative relationship, or at least a fresh perspective on your marketing that might make all the difference for you.

(Like the change in my configuration file that had me quietly dancing around the house at 2:10 this morning!  I would have been up all night and never would have thought to try that!)

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