#34 - Seeing The Forest For The Trees
Reluctant Executor News
Throughout this journey with Reluctant Executor, I've learned things I never thought I would about what families go through after a death. But I'm also learning more than I expected about how to run a business. Even with an MBA and decades of working at all types of companies (startups, large companies, non-profits, and more) there is no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and figuring out how to execute.
Most of these posts are meant to help families through the difficult times after a loss. But the big picture? Continuous and lifelong learning. The posts below focus more on business challenges that I encountered.
LinkedIn post from May 22, 2024
30 seconds for an elevator pitch? That's too long.
Can you clearly explain your role in less than 5 seconds?
Someone recently asked me "What do you do?"
I knew this person did not have 30 seconds, let alone minutes, to stay and chat. So instead of talking about how I help families reduce stress after a loss, I told him I do consulting work.
His response?
"That's what everyone says. I don't know what that means."
Ouch.
So not only did I miss an opportunity to tell someone about my business, I also created disinterest by being super generic.
The "What do you do" question is easy to answer when you're in a company with well-defined roles.
When you're on your own building a business, the answer isn't so short and simple.
But you need to make it short and simple in order to grab attention.
If I had had a better answer, it wouldn't have changed the fact that this person only had a few seconds to chat. But, he may have asked for a card or followed up later.
Instead, I'm working on my 5 second elevator pitch.
Can you explain what you do, not just your title, in less than 5 seconds?
Click here to comment or like this post on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn post from June 15, 2023
When I chose the name Reluctant Executor for my site, I committed a cardinal marketing sin of not researching domain name best practices.
The farther I get into this project, the more comfortable I am with my decision.
I chose Reluctant Executor simply because it perfectly describes the job.
Being an executor to a will is a job that nobody wants, but also one that nobody will turn down.
Nobody wants the job because:
•It means somebody close to you passed away
•The work is long, tedious, redundant, and stressful
•You may need to step in and resolve a family dispute
•It almost always makes sense to not be paid for this work
On the other hand, there is one major reason you don't turn down this job:
•Your family member placed their trust in you
The stories that a lot of you have told me reinforce my decision, and the equity being built from this name outweigh the small boost in SEO I would have gained.
Click here to comment or like this post on LinkedIn.
Legacy Planning Session
This newsletter is titled, "Seeing The Forest For The Trees." When I googled this phrase, I had always thought it was "Seeing the Forest From the Trees." This isn't only another personal learning point, it's also a classic case of thinking something is one way for so long, you're shocked to find out you were wrong.
Now, imagine something you think you know is true about your parent's estate. What if you're wrong? The best way to clarify is to talk to them while they can still answer your questions. Schedule some time to learn how to start these conversations.