Ep. 27 - Exiting a Relationship (Without Burning Bridges) with Billy Moyer

Creatives Meet Business

Hi there folks!

Creatives Meet Business is an event and podcast series based out of Austin, Texas for creatives of ALL disciplines to get from zero to one in thinking of themselves as business owners (in the creative sector).

This episode features Billy Moyer, Author and Founder of SOS Leadership, who joined us in April during our roundtable event on Managing Professional Relationships. As you'll soon find out, he has so much to share about setting up relationships properly in the first place (to avoid burning bridges); and does it in just under 15 minutes! Because there's so much magic in this episode - let's hop in and hear what Billy has to say!

• 0:00 to 1:28 - Ashland Opening Remarks and Intro of Billy Moyer
• 1:33 to 3:33 - Introduction of Self and Topic (Walking Away Gracefully: Calling it Quits Without Burning Bridges)
  • Example with prospect that wasn't a fit and how Billy helped that prospect find the right provider for their needs.
  • Approach is to look at why he shouldn't work with a certain client instead of why he should
• 3:34 to 5:40 - The Conversation that Leads to Exiting a Relationship Really Begins When the Relationship is Formed
  • Start at the beginning with clear goals and expectations of what you want the relationship to be (i.e. contracts)
  • It's a lot easier to end a relationship if it was clear up front
  • Prenup is signed BEFORE the wedding, not after
  • Formalizing expectations later in the game brings time draining consequences and emotions into the equation
• 5:41 to 6:50 - Avoid Using the Word "Maybe"
  • Maybe means "No, but I don't want to hurt your feelings"
  • Example with t-shirts for an event
• 6:51 to 13:23 - When Having "the" Conversation, Utilize the Following:
  • Stay calm
  • Be mindful of saying and writing things you will come to regret
  • Be understanding of where the other party is coming from, empathize with them
  • Be direct
    • Things get messed up when you aren't direct
    • You want to know when it's ending
    • Having a repeat of the same conversation is harder the second time
  • Too much worry around burning bridges creates indirectness
    • The longer something gets drug out, the more likely it is to burn a bridge
    • If you have practiced directness, calmness, empathy, and setting expectations in advance and the bridge still gets burned - do you care?
  • Stick to facts, leave emotion out of it
    • Business itself is logic, though some parts include emotion (sales, sharing vision, etc)
    • Make decisions based on what's best for your business
  • Jerry Maguire quote - "It's not show friends, it's show business"
    • Friendship is an emotional relationship
    • Emotion trumps logic, it's very difficult when you mix those together
  • Don't dredge up the past or place blame
  • Be fair, don't leave someone with an unfinished project
  • Be reasonable, don't leave someone scrambling
  • Practice emotional maturity
  • Say "thank you"
    • Thank a person exiting the relationship for the contributions they made to the project, organization, etc. Shows emotional maturity and respects their involvement.
  • Always look for "win win" situations
    • Want for both parties (you and the other) to win
    • If you can't get "win win," then aim for "win"
    • What you don't want is "lose lose," it never works out well
  • Number one role of a manager - inspect what you expect
• 13:28 to 14:55 - Ashland Closing Remarks
  • Stay in touch, email us ([e-mail]) or connect with us on social (@createmeetbiz on Instagram and Twitter // Creatives Meet Business on Facebook)

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Get ready for info on Branding, stay tuned!

Thanks!

Ashland, Creatives Meet Business