This Friday, we'll be down in Kortrijk, Belgium, for Velofollies. Say hello if you'd like to meet up!
Well, it wouldn't be a Twotone newsletter without starting with some useful advice, and this week's actionable intro was inspired by an article penned by Brian Honigman. He had freelancers in mind, but I'd wager that both entrepreneurs & even salary employees should take heed, indeed. I put my own take on each of his tips:
- 🔎 DEFINE YOUR NICHE – Long-time readers will remember that Twotone did startup sales consulting early on. Focusing on bikes changed the game for us!
- 🗣️ SHARE YOUR IDEAS PUBLICLY – that's what this newsletter, talks at conferences and shows, as well as interviews, are all about. Be a resource!
- 🤝 FOCUS ON YOUR NETWORK – "show up for the people in your network consistently and intentionally; you’ll build a reciprocal support system of like-minded people who will happily refer clients to you, support your projects, champion your successes, and offer guidance when you’re struggling." This!
- 📈 DIVERSIFY YOUR INCOME – I never really considered this out the gate, but the opportunity to take over a coworking space in 2017 enabled this for me. Thank you also to everyone who supports this newsletter & buys merch!
- 🧱 BUILD YOUR CREDIBILITY – initially, this ‘social proof’ that Brian references in his article was my many years of racing & riding but also having run a bike shop in the USA + startup experience in the tech scene. Successful Twotone projects + handing out 1000s of stickers at every tradeshow, ride & event helped too! The first three points support this one too!
- 🗝️ BE RELIABLE – Do what you said you would when you said would & do it good! Live and die by this. Stick to deadlines & deliver each & every time. You aren't anything if you aren't reliable!
- 📚 GROW YOUR SKILLS – We've always pursued projects that push our comfort zones: from tackling rebranding briefs, producing international shoots, wrangling pan-European campaigns and who knows what more in 2024! Last year, for me personally, it was ensuring our mail server worked, CNAMES calibrated correctly, and our website nuts & bolts worked alright. Keep learning!
- 😬 LEARN FROM MISTAKES – oh, we make these too! And we learn as a team every week. Communicating early & often avoids many snafus, but when we mess up, we fess up and do what we can to fix it, learn from it, and keep rolling.
- 🙌 PRIORITIZE WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY – Twotone will be 10 this year! Wild to write & wild to think about all the awesome adventures it has afforded the team & me over the years. Grateful for the stoke this work brings!
- 🙅♂️ DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO – This should be easier, and it's where transparency in our sales process for the team & parameters for what makes a good client/project really matter. Don't sign up for headaches if you can help it!
Hopefully, these tips are useful for you! Have a good week & see you here next Monday!
Thank you for reading,
Jon
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Cycling
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Friends
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My friend Jonas Klock is a Berlin-based architect. His work ranges from pure architectural and urban projects to complete interior design and fabrication with a strong focus on product and furniture design. His studio, Deture Projects, is based on the founding principles of Design and adventure. I love this feature about him on the Cicli Bonanno Blog!
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Bengt is a friend of mine who epitomizes stoke & determination. He had scratched when I did form the race, then decided to rejoin. Then, I felt like that was going back into Jumanji. And he finished the race! Beautiful photos, a triumphant story & well-deserved glory, Bengt!
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Some great nostalgia in Mike's stories. My shop did a MASH screening & alleycat in 2007!
Radness
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In the film by Antonio Piepo., Allan Shaw recounts his awe-inspiring experience in the 2023 Silk Road Mountain Race, a 1880 km ultra-distance cycling race through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. We're considering a screening event & ride at our office next month. Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading!