Building A Million Dollar Business Part Time #6: Help Arrives

Pictured here is one of the team members selected for the Hot Mommas Project competitive internship. My first thought is “YAY. The cavalry has arrived.” Albeit, the cavalry looks like a Barbie doll. (No offense Jen). Why do I – and why should you – love Jennifer? We love Jennifer because she represents HELP. And a lot of you out there – you know who you are – try to do it all yourself. You just do, because you can. I did too. Now, I must stop if I want to build a million dollar enterprise part time.

Here’s me: 50 – 75%

Here’s Jen: The rest.

YAY! Also joining Jennifer will be Esther about whom you’ll be hearing soon.

First order of business – unearthing the action plan I originally authored in Post #3. This was a beast. Doing it by myself would have been impossible. Now, and have I mentioned this already?…the cavalry has arrived.

Jen and I discuss her action plan and decide on the following:

1. Overall training

- Give her download of project, history, future direction, and her part in this future direction.

- Do something relevant and semi-fun/different by having “mavens” (interns) participate in a power-chicks bookclub selection: “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” by Marcus Buckingham.

- Develop Action Plan and report out weekly. Here is the action plan with which we came up today in our first meeting.

2. Develop Objective: Global Case Study Competition with goal of ready-to-launch by end of summer and 100 cases end of 2008

CHAMPION: JENNIFER

3. Develop Action Plan for May:

5/19/2008	kkf/Jen	Intro and training/blog and tech netherworld
5/20/2008	Jen	Make mock up of case study competition page
5/20/2008	Jen	Look into domain name/blog format for case study competition
5/20/2008	Jen	Research tech models/tools
5/22/2008	Jen	Research: Women’s case studies (list sources – talk w/ kkf to get started)
5/22/2008	Jen/KKF	Meet with Luke and Dave (tech advisors)
5/22/2008	Jen/KKF	Talk with Neel (tech advisor)
5/22/2008	Jen	Training: Blog and social media
5/29/2008	kkf/Jen	Decide on going forward strategy (software vs manual submission)
5/29/2008	kkf/Jen	Develop list of social media/online marketing, and legal/publishing advisors

Jen has already had some brilliant ideas. I am happy. This is what I have asked her to do to facilitate our working relationship:

a. Manage up – I need to be managed. Remind me of stuff. Plan 2 or 3 weeks out and start telling me what I/we need to be doing to make the objective (stated above) happen.

b. Don’t assume I know everything, and am just delivering instructions over the course of the summer. We are figuring this out together. It will be a push and pull of brainstorming, mushing it around, and having something great come out. (Not unlike the experience of having children…did I just say that?)

c. I don’t remember. I need another coffee.

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Lil’ nugget (how g is that?) – Here is my token little bit of info to help you/us/we women because – Lord knows we don’t get enough of it. In fact, in the afterlife, I hope to be someone’s husband (see that past life regression on Oprah the other day? You might have been a man. Or a princess. Or a ferret. Anything is possible ladies.) Back to the lil’ nugget:

The concept of strengths. There is a little debate going on in the business community at large about scenario A vs. B:

Scenario A: Strengthen weaknesses – Employee sucks at spreadsheets, throw him in a “killer app” spreadsheet development class.

Scenario B: Leverage strengths – Employee is amazing at networking, throw him out there to develop business and build brand. Screw the spreadsheets.

This is massively over simplified, however, you can read more and do an online seminar. Click here for links to book, free seminars, etc. on “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” by Marcus Buckingham (mentioned earlier). Very easy read, and, makes you think a bit about – gasp – yourself!

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Parting Thought:

I actually think this is going work. It’s an equation. I’m at 50% or 75% in terms of time and brain space. From my mavens, I plan to get 50% work hours (and hopefully brainspace depending on how hard these gals party). I officially have a team. Jen says, “I’m blonde…so I probably have less than 50% brainspace.” (And FUNNY too!) My vibe is this will work. I’ve tried a lot of different permutations and combinations over the years – but, it was managing other people that the HR department helped bring in. Now, I AM the HR department. I’ve kissed a few frogs, but, I think these are the princesses.