Dear Lovely Simplerista,

I've been an entrepreneur pretty much my entire life. I sold my first software product (not custom software, a product) when I was around 12, I was deeply concerned with presentation and packaging design, and had great visions for the product. I even created a logo from my own initials for the company. The product only ended up selling three copies, but still, it was a product business.

The one thing that I never managed to nail was building a team. I've always been one to go it alone, and instead of hiring other people with skills I needed, I'd just learn those skills myself. I've had some people working for me through the years, but it never really worked all that well. And not through any fault of theirs. There are a lot of reasons it didn't work, and they're all on my end. Reasons I'm now addressing one by one. 

For example: One was I had a belief that employees were people that I had to make money to pay for, so they could do things for me. Now my thinking is they'll make me money. If they don't, they're obviously not the right people for the role. I used to believe that I was lucky if anyone at all wanted to work for me, and I felt an obligation to hire them, even if they weren't a good fit. Now I realize there are lots of people who would love to work here, and the job is to find the person that's going to be the best match for me and the company.

Hiring a team for Simplero has high on my agenda since my beginning-of-year planning session. It was greatly enhanced during the Conscious Business Network retreat. And after I took the Wealth Dynamics test, it's become the number one thing for me.

According to the Wealth Dynamics framework, I'm a Creator, and I'm at my best when I'm not even involved with the day-to-day of the business. I'm in my flow when I'm free to play and create and come up with new ideas. They even suggest not giving someone like me a desk, or even a key to the office! Keep me out of there!

So that's my goal for Simplero. To take myself out of the day-to-day of the company. Not today or tomorrow, of course, but slowly and methodically. I'll need to hire a marketing genius, an assistant, a customer advocate, a developer, a designer, and eventually a CEO. I'm not about to bail on the product or the company. On the contrary. It's still my big love, and I still have big visions for the company and the product, and I need to give it the team that it needs to really execute and flourish.

I've taken to the task to learn all I can about hiring and leading the right team to success. I'm reading books, doing online courses, joining masterminds, reaching out to people who can offer advice, and I'm learning so much.

In the beginning of December, my dad visited me, and I served some cocktails for him and did a little tasting. Like me, he'd never heard of an old-fashioned, or of rye whisky, or any of these things. So I shared what I'd learned and arranged for a few tastings, and he looked at my extensive selection of alcohol, bar equipment, and books, and joked "when you get into stuff, you really go all in!".

That's exactly how I operate. And now, I'm feeling the same level of excitement around the whole process of building a team. It's like a whole new world has opened up for me. "You mean you can actually hire people to do things that you don't like doing but they love, and you can create things that way?" I love creating things, and my dream team has become my latest project of creation. I'm so passionate and excited about it, I can't stop learning and studying.

Co-creating products with your customers is a win for all

Did you check out the videos I sent a few days ago about the Course Builder's Laboratory? I think it's a great strategy, it's a great way to get started, making sure you create the right product, and creating a deep and lasting bond with your customers in the process.

The sale closes TODAY, so if you want in, or at least have a chance to learn from the free videos, your last chance is fast approaching.

Here's the link to the first video again.

New Features in Simplero

The past week has seen only bug fixes. No new features this week. Sorry.

High up on the list is segmentation and automation. Upsells are also still in-progress, and can hopefully be completed relatively soon.

But given that I'm so focused on building a team, that does take time away from development.

Random Links from Around the Interwebs

Don't use mouthwash.

Need a hipster logo?

The Shake Shack economy - article in the New Yorker magazine. I love shake shack. I can't believe they have three locations in Brooklyn, but none near where I live.

Have an amazing week.

With love,
-Calvin

PS. I was a little disappointed in the snowstorm. I was looking forward to some fun in the snow. Oh well.

PPS. Links to Wealth Dynamics and Course Builder's Laboratory are affiliate links, okay?

PPPS. Phoebe got her Wealth Dynamics report (she's a Star), and immediately got sick, such was her resistance to the information within. You've been warned. Can be powerful stuff.