Cut the Cord

Credit: Bill Gillespie

In 1992 I sold Gilipso III. It was hard to do. I had her built from the hull up in 1985. I worked out every feature, selected her engines, lined the walls with teak and signed off on the decorating. I even found a recently discontinued flagstaff for the top, had it painted and delivered it to the boat yard.

She was my dream, beautiful and finally a reality.

My second child was born in 1988. As any parent will concede, the second one changes things. A pal of mine says it this way. “With one you can play man to man. With two you’ve got to play zone.”

Keeping an eye on two kids, especially when one is a boy, is tough. Watching everything while driving a 60-foot boat is impossible. You’re going to miss stuff.

One time I had to turn the boat around to retrieve a set of tumblers that had been thrown overboard. Another time it was seat cushions. The best, however, was my business suit and dress shoes.

Apparently, we started using the boat less.

Her ladyship said, “we need to sell the boat.” I balked. She said, “we aren’t using it.” I argued that she was wrong as I unlocked the front door.

We walked in, Memorial Day 1992. The Labor Day dishes were still in the sink. I was busted and Gilipso III went up for sale.

So, why am I sharing this ancient story? What does it have to do with print and your career?

I’m sharing because there are times in business when you have to “cut the cord.” Sometimes value isn’t being realized or delivered. Perhaps the season has passed. Perhaps the location is wrong. Maybe the fit no longer fits.

It has certainly happened to me. I left an employer in 1981. They were a great company and they treated me well. I did a good job for them too.

But our directions started to diverge. As my sales grew, client requests became more complex. My employer was transactional. My needs were strategic. What had been a fit no longer worked.

I made a change. Their life got easier and my numbers exploded. We both won. It was time to cut the cord.

Another time I narrowed my client profile. That is to say, I decided what kind of companies I wanted to work with and focused, exclusively, in that area. I had to drop some clients.

This worked surprisingly well. I made the move (cuts) with price. The most marginal customers moved on. But most decided to pay extra for my time. I wound up with a mix of business that was less price sensitive. If you follow me, you know that this mindset defined my selling for years. It defines the work I do now as well.

I cut the cord, improved my life and learned much more about business.

Yet another time I left my career (gainful employment) to start my own business. It was time. My employer was great but they were only interested in 15% of my capacity. Their needs and mine didn’t line up perfectly.

I cut the cord. They moved on to someone more focused and I got to do exactly what I wanted. Once again, everybody won.

In your life you need to spend daily time in the mirror. What, exactly, winds your watch? Are you the best version of yourself in your current surroundings? Is it environment, market targets or your expectations? Do you like how you’re selling your life and to whom?

Now there are sure to be readers that will think I’m saying “if you’re unhappy, jump ship.” That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying know what brings you value. Know who deserves your energy.

Know when the best investment of your day is in self-discovery rather than criticizing your environment. Know when to cut the cord but by all means cut the correct cord.

I resigned a client a few months ago. I was bringing absolutely no value. We weren’t a fit. What they  needed and what I wanted to deliver were miles apart. Nobody was wrong but nobody was right either. Sometimes these things happen. When they do, they occupy energy you could invest better elsewhere.

So, I find myself at a cord cutting place yet again. Can you believe it? It has to do with boats…again. These two have been in storage since 2020. I keep thinking I’ll get back to them.

I’m not going to bore you with what Her Ladyship thinks.