Latest / The Life-First Solopreneur / 04. Why Solopreneurs Must Master the Art of Saying "No" With Amy Triandiflou
Transcript
- Amy Triandiflou (00:00): Amy, you're going to work less and you're going to make more when you go out on your own. And boy, that step in that direction is a hard one to take. But once you take it, it is just bliss. But he said, you know, you just have to stay on top of that Joe Rando (00:18): Bigger. Doesn't always mean better. Welcome to the One-Person business podcast, where people who are flying solo in business, come for specific tips and advice to find success. As a company of one, here are your hosts, Joe Rando and Carly Ries. Carly Ries (00:36): Welcome to the One-Person business podcast. I'm one of your hosts, Carly Ries Joe Rando (00:40): And I'm Joe Rando. Carly Ries (00:42): And today we're talking to another successful solopreneur. Amy Triandiflou. Amy is owner and principal at ATPR and has been a public relations strategist for more than 20 years before flying solo. She was previously the director of brand communications at Colorado's largest, locally owned advertising and public relations agency, Vladimir Jones. Amy has extensive experience in all facets of communications, including media relations, internal relations, government relations, event planning, community relations, social media, and crisis communication among a cross-section of industries. If you want to see her extensive client list, be sure to check out our show notes. Not only does she have quite the resume, she also happens to be one of my most favorite people on the planet. So Amy, welcome to the show. Amy Triandiflou (01:30): Thank you for having me. Carly Ries (01:32): We're so excited you're here. Can you expand upon what you do and the background, like do you want to be a One-Person business? Amy Triandiflou (01:39): Sure. I'm a public relations practitioner and that is often a really fuzzy term or job description. People always ask me, what is public relations? You stated it in the intro, Carly. It's media relations, community relations, social media, crisis communications, it's anything that impacts how a business or organization communicates with the audiences they want to reach. So for a good 10 years I worked on the agency side. I loved working on the agency side. I loved collaborating. I loved ideation. I loved working together as a team and probably my favorite part was the variety and mix of clients that came my way. I got to work on so many wonderful projects. I was new to town. So being at that agency introduced me to a lot of people, places, organizations, nonprofits, and businesses, that was really great in setting me up for success. But I'll tell you, I started to have kids. I have three children now, 14, 11, and 8, and I was really struggling with work life balance. Although I loved the competition of pitching new business, I really was starting to feel the pressure of balancing being a mom, great mom, and being a fabulous PR practitioner. So I started my own business about eight years ago ATPR and that is what led me to the path that I'm on today. Joe Rando (03:29): You know, I have to say, I really love this because there are so many podcasts and blogs about people that go in and become solopreneurs to make a million dollars a month. You're just a great example of someone who has done this for other reasons, not so much to get rich, but to have the life that you want to have and that's just so perfect for what we like to talk about. I'm so glad you're here. Amy Triandiflou (03:55): Thank you, Carly Ries (03:56): Amy. Is that your why for staying small or is there another reason that you haven't hired out or added to your team? Amy Triandiflou (04:05): Well, I have to tell you Carly, I feel like I'm a little bit of a control freak. I have a lot of pride and passion for the work that I do and for the clients that I take on. So out of the gate, yes, I needed more flexibility in my life. I needed to make sure that I was present for my family, but I was also enjoying working hard. I really like work and I wanted to try to find some balance that brought me to a place where I could still enjoy working new communications but I also could be a good mom. So that is my initial, why for being on my own. I really do love staying small because it allows me to have a lot of control over my work. I'll just share an example with you. Amy Triandiflou (05:01): I felt like when I worked on the agency side, I would often go in and pitch business and I put a lot of energy and a lot of emotion into learning about the client that we are pitching. I would get so excited about going in and trying to win the business because I had learned so much and been super passionate about their brand and their mission. But a lot of times on the agency side, when you do win the business, you kind of bring in your team to handle the account. I felt like time and time again, clients would get frustrated with that. They were like, we met Amy, we met this person. They were the one who was supposed to be on our account. So when I started my own business, I really wanted to, and we all know this in sales, it's about selling yourself first. I felt like to be true to my own own brand, ATPR, you are going to get me. And that's why I've stayed small. I feel like people are really investing in me and what they know that I can do and my reputation, not a second or third party. Of course, if I ever went bigger than me, I would introduce that to clients in the right way, but I love being able to control my own reputation, my own work. And that's really why I've stayed small. Carly Ries (06:29): You mentioned that selling yourself is the number one thing. So what do you do to distinguish yourself from other people in the industry? Amy Triandiflou (06:37): That's a great question. I really feel like you can't be a Jack of all trades. You can't be general. You have to draw a line in the sand about who you are and what you do. I often get asked if I will work on road projects. I get asked if I will try to get a client in the New York Times or in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. As you know, I'm based out west in Colorado. I really bill myself as a regional PR practitioner who knows the state of Colorado and the Pikes Peak region specifically. Clients often come to me and say, I think we've got a really big story here. We think that we can get some local ink, but do you think we could pitch it nationally? I'm really honest with my clients that that's not really who I am. Amy Triandiflou (07:37): I know Colorado so when it comes to national media, I may not be the best bang for their buck. I always try to distinguish myself as a regional PR representative. I also will tell you, I have a lot of background in healthcare, so when I go to talk to possible new business, I really outline a lot of my healthcare experience. It seems to be what falls into my book of business. You'll see that a lot in my portfolio. So I always tell healthcare. And healthcare can be anything from nutrition, behavioral health, mental health, exercise, fitness, not just the hospital setting. I feel like health impacts many parts of our lives so I can certainly integrate myself into different categories, but that is a niche of mine. I would encourage solopreneurs to really think about why they are different and celebrating that and not being a Jack of all trades. Carly Ries (08:51): Absolutely. Yeah. I think that is the name of the game, nicheing down. How do you translate nicheing down into getting clients? How do you actually go about getting those clients once you find your niche? Amy Triandiflou (09:03): Well, I'll tell you, I feel like I'm so lucky that I had a base of working for an agency. I have to give my agency props that they helped introduce me to a lot of individuals in this community. When I left the agency setting I went to work, under my first contract, which I still have today, eight years later, I worked for one of our former clients. There was no conflict of interest there. They had been gone for a while. But word of mouth, I feel like, is such a huge part of my business. I don't even have a website. Is that crazy Or what? I mean, people ask me about that all the time. But I feel like I've built such a great network of clients who tell their business associates about me, that I've been able to really maintain a robust portfolio for a really long time. Amy Triandiflou (10:05): I feel like word of mouth is really important. Working hard is really important. That reputation gets around. But I will tell you a second tactic that I use to get clients is being involved in my community. I feel like volunteering and sitting on boards and being part of my neighborhood association and really being active in the community is a really important tool in building new business. For instance, I served on a Board, an Arts and Cultural Board for about six years. We were going to celebrate in arts and cultural month in our community. As you know, nonprofits do not have big budgets for marketing and PR. So I jumped in on a volunteer basis because that was my area of expertise to help the board successfully launch one of the first arts months in our region. We were extremely successful in getting press. Amy Triandiflou (11:10): Of course it was the first year so everyone was interested in what we were doing, what this was all about. But I ended up getting three contracts eventually from different people that I sat on that board with. That volunteer experience allowed me to demonstrate what I do, free of charge to 16 members of that board. And then, it wasn't like they were taking a shot in the dark on someone that they didn't know or investing in an individual who they hadn't seen results from before. It was me, it was their colleague on the board and I had just stepped up to help us successfully launch this event. So business falls out of being involved in your community. I always encourage people who are freelancers and looking for new business to find a passion they love. Consider volunteering for an organization and then stepping up when your number is called in terms of your expertise and how you can those are my two pieces of advice in terms of getting business. Make sure you have a strong reputation and word of mouth is so important. Then also being involved in your community. Carly Ries (12:39): Amy, I'm so glad you touched on that. Joe Rando (12:42): I just had a question. Would you say that the fact that you've done such a great job of focusing your efforts on particular areas and saying no to others is one of the reasons why the word of mouth works especially well for you given that the people that you're dealing with are kind of talking about you in a way that makes sense for other people that have the same need. Does that really play in at all in your opinion, Amy Triandiflou (13:08): I think it plays a really important role in my business being in demand because I do say no a lot. I say no when it's not a good fit. I say, no when I don't have the bandwidth to take on a project. I say no when there might be some misalignment in terms of ethics. I am really picky about my business. I don't take on everything. It's not about the money. So I feel like being picky is really important. Being true to who you are, being true to your brand, knowing who you are, is so important. I'm not interested in catching a million fish. I really need to focus on where I think I can contribute the most and saying no is part of that. Carly Ries (14:10): Amy, you are so busy between work, the kids, being involved in the community like you were just saying, but working alone, do you ever feel lonely day to day or does all that stuff kind of cancel the isolation out? Amy Triandiflou (14:25): Well, you know that I'm a mom of three, so quiet is just like a sanctuary for me. I really love, I mean, isn't this horrible, I really do love being alone a bit. My kids go to school from eight to three and that is my time to work. I mean, we know as a service provider, I'm generally on the clock all the time, especially when it comes to crisis communications and the work that I do. But, I really do enjoy the time by myself. I try to make the most of it, but I'll tell you, I probably say that because I feel like I do a great job of thinking of myself as really an adjunct to all my clients' teams. I connect with them weekly. We have status meetings, whether it's in person or over zoom, I really do make sure that my day is filled with their voices. We know that happy clients are clients that feel informed and are involved in what their results are looking like. They're part of the process of brainstorming and that takes time. So I do enjoy working by myself. The isolation has not really bothered me being a solopreneur, but I also am really thoughtful about making sure I connect with my clients regularly, whether it's over lunch, coffee in person or digitally. Carly Ries (16:09): At this point, it sounds like you have everything down to a science. You know what suits you from a work standpoint? You know what clients to go after, you know how to get those clients. But is there anything you wish you would've known ahead of time before starting the journey that you didn't know? Amy Triandiflou (16:25): I feel first and foremost that we have to have a growth mindset as solopreneurs, as entrepreneurs that we can always learn something. I can always get better. I don't have it mastered, but I will tell you, being on my own, one of the biggest challenges is technology. It really is. I have put some supports in place that help me with the tech side. When you work for a big agency or you work for a company, you have an IT department, you have individuals who can step in and help you with any kind of issues you might be having. I really underestimated the impact technology was going to have on my life as a solopreneur. That was one thing that was a huge gap when I first started, but I think I've kind of filled the hole to make sure that technology is taken care of. But, I underestimated how important that was going to be. Carly Ries (17:35): Yeah. I think that makes two of us. Would you say that's your least favorite thing about a One-Person business, or I guess what is your least favorite thing. What is also your favorite thing about running your own show? Amy Triandiflou (17:49): Well, I would say of course my favorite thing is the fact that you get to have so much control over the work that you do and flexibility. I can't imagine I'm not the first person who has said that on your podcast, but it's the flexibility that is the game changer for me. As I mentioned, I am a mom of three. I have a husband who is very busy. He's a principal, certainly during COVID, educators are working long hours and really stretched. So for me to be able to have the flexibility to take on the clients that I want, the workload that I want and also have a healthy work life balance, that's my favorite thing about being a One-Person business. My least favorite thing might be that collaboration piece. Amy Triandiflou (18:53): I feel like I work great by myself, but I also love being part of a team. I think it is important to have a network of individuals that you can brainstorm with and ideate with. I really do keep in touch with other PR practitioners in town. Being able to refer work to them is really important to me. I oftentimes will go to the well of my PR colleagues when I have a challenge or when I'm trying to really solve a problem for our client. We brainstorm. So that's the piece that is my least favorite thing. That brainstorming effort, because I feel like good ideas come from everywhere, not just my own brain. That's a gap that I try to fill by meeting with colleagues throughout the region and really partnering with them on brainstorming efforts. Carly Ries (19:53): Absolutely. I want to go back really quick to, when you were talking about your favorite things. You mentioned work life balance, the kids, husband, and all that. I know that when we were working together, I would get emails from you at like 11:30 at night while you were on the treadmill. So I'm curious, how do you separate your work life and personal life? Or do you, Amy Triandiflou (20:14): You know, I'm not so good at this Carly. First of all, in the work that I do in communications, especially when I have a special team crisis communications, crisis tends to happen at night or over the holiday. I will tell you that that is kind of always the case for me. Carly Ries (20:36): That Murphy's law, Amy Triandiflou (20:37): It's Murphy's law, give me a holiday, I'm going to have a crisis. So I feel like I'm probably not so good at work life balance in the sense that I am checking emails. I want to be available for my clients. Quite honestly. I feel like that's why they love me . Because I treat their brand as if it's my own. I understand that things happen at 10 o'clock at night or at five in the morning. I try to really make myself available. I think it's one of the selling points of my business. But I will tell you, I oftentimes, and I mean, technology is really one of the joys that has allowed me to be a solo. If it weren't for a smartphone, I would be tethered to a computer all day at a desk or at my home. Amy Triandiflou (21:37): That phone gives me so much freedom. I embrace it and try not to complain about it, but when I really need to focus on what's happening, from a personal standpoint, I put that phone away. I close my computer. It is one of the joys of being in charge of your own business. You are able to shut it off when you want to. And although we sometimes in our minds talk ourselves out of that, we truly do have the power to stop working. We can easily set autoresponder and tell people you'll be back online in the morning. I think work life balance is important, but it's also one of the reasons so many of us can be solopreneurs. Carly Ries (22:24): Amy, I think I'm going to have to fact check the fact that you can turn it off if you need to. I don't know if that's Amy Triandiflou (22:32): Right. Carly Ries (22:33): Well, you were talking about technology. How do you manage your business processes? Do you do it all through email or do you have any platforms that you'd recommend? I do use tools. I'm a member of PR Newswire, Cision. I need the ability to send out wire releases for many of my clients so I do subscribe to that tool. I told you, technology is one of my challenges. I'm a geek squad member through Best Buy. They are who I go to if I do have any tech issues. I will tell you, I have an accountant who manages my finances. I'm really sensitive to the fact that with so many, 1099s coming in, because I do have more than a dozen clients currently and throughout the year I probably have about 35 to 50 clients. I have an accountant that I use to help me manage my business. It just gives me the confidence that I'm doing it right. I do believe you do need to lean on some other people and make sure that you're getting business done right. We have to invest in our businesses to make them successful. I think that's a learning and something we all need to accept. To do it right, you have to spend some money. Joe Rando (23:56): Now, did you get the accountant from the very beginning or did you learn that over time that this was not a good thing for you to be spending your time on? Amy Triandiflou (24:04): I really engaged the accountant when I started my business. I've never done my own books for ATPR. I've always done them through my accountant. Joe Rando (24:15): That makes a lot of sense, Carly Ries (24:17): Smart thinking. Carly Ries (24:19): You know where you need help. So when you're first getting started and I guess now, how do you embrace the uncertainty? Not only in regards to the areas that you can't focus on or don't have the skills to focus on, but in regards to income and regards to schedule. Being a solopreneur, there are a lot of ups and downs. How do you handle that? Amy Triandiflou (24:41): Uncertainty is really part of what we do. We make the decision to go out on our own. Wow, it's really nerve wracking. It's really stressful because you know that there will be rainy days. You have to know that that's going to be part of it. So first of all I have a great husband and he is understanding of my schedule and the work that I do. So first, marry the right person, marry the right partner and make sure that they understand that as a solopreneur, you get pulled in a bunch of different directions and they need to be flexible too. That helps me so much to manage my schedule because I have a good partner in my home who helps me do that. When it comes to income, I think that you just have to, as I said, remember that there are going to be rainy days, there are going to be dips. Amy Triandiflou (25:37): So plan ahead. It sounds so basic, but put some money away. I'll tell you, trend wise sometimes, in November, December, aside from the crises, my clients can be really quiet because they're enjoying the holidays with their families. I always encourage freelancers to think ahead and maybe launch your business in the new year or the spring, because the holidays can be a bit slower, but just plan for that. I often from a financial perspective, put together really creative retainer packages for my clients. A lot of times I may do a ton of business for them in the summer and in the fall. And I remind them when I send them their billing, that my hours are 13 hours over what I originally estimated. They're 25 hours over what I originally told them my monthly hours and retainer would be, but I let them know that again, we know that we'll be a little quieter in November and December, so that's when they make up those hours. I just try to really be creative about how I set up my finances with my clients so that there aren't any huge holes in the year that I can't manage Carly Ries (27:12): Amy,That is just so smart, especially to set it up on retainer. I feel like finances are kind of a big place and pricing is where a lot of solopreneurs and freelancers kind of make the biggest mistakes. I have to ask you what has been your biggest mistake as a One-Person business Amy Triandiflou (27:28): It's so funny you say that because my brother is in business. Joe, he actually lived in Andover, Massachusetts for a long time. He is set up in the software business, CEO, and he told me for years that your prices are too low, your rates are too low. I would tell him that you know, I've looked and compared my rates to others, to agencies, to freelancers, I've talked to my friends, but he said, if you are putting out scopes of work or proposals and the client is signing it right away, you've got a problem. Now isn't that funny? That's so uncomfortable because negotiating a contract or a proposal can be really uncomfortable, but he said, you do great work. You are never looking for business. Amy Triandiflou (28:38): You're usually referring business to your friends in the industry because you've got a full plate. So he said, don't undersell yourself. Maybe in the beginning of starting your business, if you take on a big contract, you give them a great competitive rate. Or if you take on some business in the beginning of being a solopreneur your rates can maybe be a little lower. I do a lot of short term contracts with my clients, which they seem to love that they don't need to make that long term commitment. I'm so confident in my work that they'll sign me on again, that I'm really comfortable doing that. So, the price might be a little lower, but I communicate with clients that if we continue working together, on an annual basis, my rates go up or this is kind of my entry rate. Amy Triandiflou (29:40): I love for you to give me a try. And then, my standard rate is this. I think over communicating with clients about the billing is really important, but that is a big mistake of mine. I can't tell you that I don't still struggle with it today. I kind of feel like I low ball my estimates a bit. So I think that maybe an annual rate check is a really important thing to do because as a One-Person business, sometimes we either undersell ourselves or are not familiar with what the going rate is. So stay on top of it, be proud of your work and make sure that you are getting the right compensation for the work you deliver. Joe Rando (30:32): You kind of alluded to it with your brother's advice. My dad, he was a great businessman and he always said, if you're too busy, raise your prices. And it sounds like you've got that situation going on to a point where you're getting more work than you can take and having to refer it out. Amy Triandiflou (30:50): I know it. My brother told me, "Amy you're going to work less and you're going to make more when you go out on your own." And boy, that step in that direction is a hard one to take. But once you take it, it is just bliss. But he said, "you just have to stay on top of that. You have to make sure that you are billing appropriately because everybody seems to come back and says yes to you really quickly and that might not be so healthy for your business." Joe Rando (31:25): Great advice. Carly Ries (31:27): Yeah. And Amy, would you say that was your biggest aha moment as well? Or does another moment stand out where you were like, "oh, that clicked!" Amy Triandiflou (31:35): I will tell you, my biggest aha moment for myself, yes. Billing of course, is something that I'm sure you are going to provide solopreneurs some great advice for. It is a big topic of conversation when you're on your own as a freelancer. But I think that one of the aha moments for me was, and we kind of touched on this earlier, don't say yes to everything. We're so tempted in the beginning when we start as a solopreneur to say yes to all business that's coming in, because you're so nervous. Then when you go to deliver and perform for the client, you feel that misalignment. You feel like, why did I take this on? So my biggest aha moment was really to be thoughtful about the clients that I take on and I don't have to take on everything. Carly Ries (32:41): So let me ask you, because you are giving out such great advice because you're so good at what you do, I want to know what was your biggest, I've got this moment as a One-Person business. Amy Triandiflou (32:54): Probably my biggest, I got this moment is related to crisis communications. Crisis happens at all times of the day. Sometimes it can be really emotional and overwhelming, and I feel that those who are closest to a business that might be in crisis or an organization, sometimes don't make the best decisions for their business. So having a third party consultant or PR strategist come in and help them navigate that is really important. But I will tell you, I feel like there are times that I have to deal with some really difficult moments that affect human beings in a way that changes the trajectory of their lives. Healthcare is one of my niches. I do deal with a lot of situations in a workplace where there might be loss of life or there might be mistreatment of care. Amy Triandiflou (33:58): and you're dealing with people. So I think one of the "I got this" moment was probably during my first crisis that I had to deal with. Carly, you may remember this in our community that there was a nurse who was stealing painkillers and narcotics off of the operating carts at a local surgery center. She was injecting those in the bathroom and then she would fill up the syringe with water, put it back on the cart for a doctor to do a surgery, and she would be in the surgery with them. She did that for probably about six months at two different facilities here in Colorado. It was a really devastating news update when we found out that the nurse had hepatitis C and she had spread it to 16 individuals in the state of Colorado, that's really emotional. Amy Triandiflou (34:59): But in that moment, I also feel like I can be helpful in the situation. I can help cool some heads. I can help make the right decisions, not only for the organization, but for the patients who are impacted. I can bring a perspective to that crisis moment that could really be a game changer for a lot of people. So I feel like when it comes to crisis, I try to internalize that "I got this" moment because I feel like I can make the situation better by clear and crisp communications, and can really help everybody see clearly in that moment, Carly Ries (35:45): Amy, I can't get over some of the things you're saying. I feel like you're being so helpful for people that are listening to this right now. I've known you forever it seems like now, and I'm getting new information that's helping me and how I think about my career. So I have to ask you, what is the best piece of advice that you've received along the way? Amy Triandiflou (36:04): Well, the best piece of advice I received along the way is really to be true to myself. Really to look, reflect and look at what my business stands for and align with work that matches those characteristics and my company's personality. The biggest piece of advice that I got was really about being true to the clients that I take on. I don't have to take on everyone. I think that's really important advice to get, saying no is sometimes the best thing for your business. Carly Ries (36:48): Absolutely. I'm going to blow it up and put it on a billboard. Carly Ries (36:53): What is your favorite resource that has helped you along your solo journey that you think could help others? Amy Triandiflou (37:00): My favorite resource would probably be what I mentioned before, going solo can be really challenging from a technical perspective. So I reached out and made sure that I had technicians in place that would be able to help me with technology. In public relations, things move really fast and furiously so I needed a team in technology that would have my back. For me personally, I use the Geek Squad. They have been wonderful in helping me just make sure that I can keep my business running when I might have a glitch or I might have a dog push my computer off the couch or a child drop my computer out of the car when I'm picking them up for school. I feel like that's been really helpful to me. It was really stressful for me in the beginning when I started my business but just making sure I have that piece in place was important. Carly Ries (38:02): Amy, why do I feel like those examples you gave actually happened with the dog? Amy Triandiflou (38:08): Oh, they did? Carly Ries (38:13): Oh yes. Well, Amy, we're actually down to our last three questions. These are questions that we ask everybody just cuz they're kind of fun. Sometimes when you're working alone, you kind of get in a rut and you need some things to cheer you up or get you motivated. So what is your favorite movie that always puts you in a good mood? Amy Triandiflou (38:30): Well, my favorite movie that puts me in a good mood, and I feel like it really represents the solopreneur's spirit, is Rocky. I feel like Rocky Balboa was the underdog. He really wanted to be successful at boxing but it didn't look like he had a chance. Then somebody gave him the chance and he rose above all the criticism and became the world heavyweight champion in his division or whatever it was. Rocky is one of my favorite movies because I feel like you love seeing the underdog win and sometimes, the biggest challenger in the ring is ourselves when we're solopreneurs. I feel like beating that, "no, you can't make this work. No, this won't be able to happen. No, I won't be able to make a living" is really important. Sometimes there are doubters on the outside, but on the inside it's ourselves that can sometimes defeat that spirit of wanting to go in the direction of being a solopreneur. When I think about my business and the people that might have told me that it couldn't be done, and one of those people was myself, I think about Rocky and it really inspires me because he really was successful in the ring ultimately when many people were knocking him down, Carly Ries (40:15): I love that. I feel like Rocky is one of the few movies where you hear the name and the soundtrack immediately starts playing in your head. That's our next question? What is your favorite pump up song, which it could be Rocky, but is there another one? Amy Triandiflou (40:28): Well, you know, it has to be, Eye of the Tiger, right? I want to say it was when he boxed Mr. T, maybe Rocky in the ring. Joe Rando (40:44): I think that's right. I think it was the Mr. T movie where they had Eye of the Tiger. Amy Triandiflou (40:48): Yeah. I mean Eye of the Tiger is still one of those songs that I don't care if you're in the car and it comes on the radio, you turn it up and it brings me back to so many of those great reasons I told you that I love the Rocky movie. The underdog coming to life and being the champion. So I Eye of the Tiger has got to be my favorite song that pumps me up. Carly Ries (41:14): I love that. I am in the same boat. Carly Ries (41:18): Okay. Amy, last question. How do you define success? Amy Triandiflou (41:22): I really define success personally through happiness. And I made the change that I made from an agency setting, which was the right thing for me at that point in my life. To work in an agency, to moving into a solopreneur. My happiness index is way up because I made this change and what brings me happiness is really being able to be a really spectacular mom and balancing that with my love of communications and being a topnotch, reliable, public relations practitioner in our community. So I define happiness or success as how happy I am. I really define success on how happy I am and being a solopreneur has brought me so much happiness and so much balance in my life that I'm really able to be more of the person that I want to be Carly Ries (42:37): Amy, I can attest you are a fantastic mom and a fantastic PR specialist. I hope you've reached your goals. I know you're continuing to achieve great things, but just knowing those two categories, it is clear you have been successful in those well, Joe Rando (42:52): I want to add to that, also a great podcast guest. This was really, really good. Carly Ries (42:57): Yes, absolutely. So Amy, where can people get a hold of you? You have such an open schedule, but if they want to get a hold of you, where can they connect? Amy Triandiflou (43:05): Individuals can find me on Linked In. I have a really simple name to track, right? Triandiflou, it's pretty distinctive, but you can find me on Linked In under Amy Triandiflou or individuals can email me with questions if they'd like at AmyTriandiflouPR@gmail.com. I always entertain questions from individuals who are thinking about taking the leap to being a solopreneur. I love talking to young PR professionals who are wondering what their path is going to be in strategic communications. So I would welcome any of your listeners to reach out, not only for advice or mentorship, but I'm sure that they could probably teach me a thing or two as well. Joe Rando (44:07): Amy, I have to say, we have a community for solopreneurs and freelancers for just that purpose. People helping other people, maybe not as far along on the journey. It would be great if you would take a look at joining our community and maybe doing some of that giving back that way. Amy Triandiflou (44:28): Well, thank you so much for that invitation and you can bet that I will. I feel like COVID has had a really devastating impact on our communities in our country, in the world, but there are some good things that have come out of it. I think it's that more people are going out on their own. So I love seeing that your organization is doing this and trying to create community around solopreneurs. Carly Ries (45:01): I spoke very highly of you leading into the interview and you did not disappoint. Thank you so much for coming on today. For you listeners tuning in today, if you like what you hear, don't forget to subscribe and we'll see you next time. Closing (45:14): You may be going solo in business, but that doesn't mean you're alone. In fact, millions of people are in your shoes, running a One-Person business and figuring it out as they go. So why not connect with them and learn from each other's successes and failures. At LifeStarr, we're creating a One-Person business community where you can go to meet and get advice from other solopreneurs. Be sure to join in on the conversation, community.lifestarr.com