I’ve made the commitment to more regular, less-calculated writing. But I still want and need anything I publish to be relevant, beneficial or intriguing to read. If it were up to me, I’d work on a 250-word piece for three months, rewrite it 6 times and get a few peer reviews before hitting “send”. This is a perfect transition into today’s piece.
One of the topics that has been in my head for weeks (well years, actually) is comfort zones. We all have them, and thank goodness we do. They’re essential for progress and peace of mind, but we also know that we can’t stay in them forever if we don’t want to improve. This theme can be applied to so many aspects of our life: work, relationships, family, physical health, mental health, hunting, fishing or any other hobby or passion we have. It’s hard to believe that it has been more than three years since I cut the cord on a corporate paycheck (or did corporate cut me?—that’s a fun one for down the road). This time period has been one of great learning, significant stress, big wins—and a lot of time outside my professional comfort zone.
Professional Comfort Zone Through My Lens
Personally, I’ve never really been a real big “seller” of me or what I do or can do (or did). However, this is not to say I’m passive, lack confidence or don’t hold what I’ve accomplished (and now what we’ve accomplished as a team) in high regard. I think a quick conversation with me, or those who know me, will tell you that I’m probably the opposite—a bit too bullish on many of the things mentioned. That’s another good one for down the road.
Selfishly, not selling myself was never an issue to start my journey that led to Murray Road and now involves a lot more people. When it was just “me” trying to get someone to listen to why I could be a benefit to their team, the stakes were relatively low. Either I’d get a few people to listen, or I’d go back to trying to find a job at a company that would pay me regularly as an employee.
However, very early on it became evident I needed to get out of my comfort zone and “sell” and add to “me”. I’ve learned many great lessons with Murray Road—and a couple of the biggest are that people aren’t going to line up to give you a contract/business, so you better be effective when you have someone’s attention and be ready to prove yourself right away. I’ve also learned (and still do learn) that some people/brands/opportunities aren’t worth chasing. Many of these lessons helped me get outside my comfort zone. But also from Day 1, I knew this would never be a one-person show. And I brought in assistance right away—because they could operate outside my comfort zones and bring great value to the team.
The Murray Road Team’s Comfort Zones
I hate to be so cliché, but business in our area of expertise is changing rapidly. I know people in most professions and industries can say the same thing, but when you’re living it, the pressure, challenges and opportunities are enough to make a company or organization put blinders on and stay right where it’s comfortable.
As a small agency, we can’t do it all. And we would never say we could. However, as a small agency, we need to provide many more services than a small agency did as recently as five years ago. This is not to say the business landscape is more challenging than it was for those businesses during that time (although recent conversations with fellow agencies and corporate personnel would say it is), but the challenges just look different. And right now, those challenges have our team constantly (but in a calculated manner) getting out of comfort zones, learning and demonstrating we aren’t the same team as 2019 and we won’t be the same as 2020.
To get us to these new places and outside our core comfort zones, we’ve added team members, diversified our client/partner base and now have specific plans to push ourselves. We’re careful not to overextend or overpromise, but we do need to reach. It’s early in 2020, but I’m really excited with some of the results we can already show.
Using One Comfort Zone to Break Free From Others
To bring this full circle and try to summarize these thoughts, 2019 was a very challenging, yet rewarding year for us as a team and me personally and professionally. But it was needed and successful. There was a lot of turmoil, a huge set of challenges, many changes and plenty of wins and a few losses. But, I personally found peace, calm and confidence by settling into an area very familiar to me: Industry Events and Public Relations.
Earlier in my career, I was blessed to have a few pretty cool jobs and responsibilities. There were plenty of challenges, lots of stress and big sacrifices that had to be made—but looking back (and being a bit forgetful of course) it was pretty awesome. In the office I had a chance to learn from some of the best and get an amazing amount of opportunities to prove myself. I also got a chance to travel and see the world—including dozens of places I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. The pictures, the memories and stories are great. But I remember, they all came at a “cost”—some were as literal and as “first world problem” as hunting the backcountry of British Columbia for work, but coming back from the trip with a $2,500 taxidermy bill (that wasn’t in the budget then, or now!).
But there were plenty of other costs too. Getting free bags, free upgrades and free drinks on flights sounds awesome and looks cool if your travel partner or friend is the one with all of those—but remembering the personal events and experiences missed because of those trips significantly reduces the allure. I know many of my fellow outdoor marketers, sales people and executives will agree. But then again, it sure beats the heck out of traveling to a random city, working 14 hours a day in an office and then retreating to a hotel room 200 times a year.
In 2019, I found a nice balance of getting back into what I did so many years ago—getting out in the field with friends, new acquaintances and clients and complete strangers. It was a trip back in time that was very beneficial for me personally and professionally. Both for the effect it had on me—but also because of the results it produced. After all, our field is changing rapidly, but there are still pillars of what we do to be effective.
And I will argue that this is industry agnostic—there is no substitute for face-to-face time spent, hands on experience with product and embracing the challenges and sharing the rewards and memories that come from everything. Getting back into the field, planning trips, cooking meals, hunting some game, sharing some drinks and being at the back end of a few jokes was good for the soul, and for the case studies and Murray Road body of work.
But this isn’t just a reflection on a return to my comfort zone—it’s actually a springboard to get me and my team out of ours in 2020. You see, success with a proven formula provides confidence and reminds us we have a lot that works well—but it also instills in us to go forward and create new recipes for success.
And with that, I am writing this on the way to the 2020 SHOT Show. Our new team descends on the show with more responsibilities for more clients than ever before. But we’re comfortable in the chaos. And we’ve also got more than a few ideas and opportunities that should lead us out of our comfort zones and into new areas of success with partners new and old. We look forward to all of those who are joining us and who come into the fold soon! And remember, it’s never a bad thing to review old notes and learn from those who came before us!