Ladies and gentlemen, Tracy Simmons:
Co-Founder of LeadPages; Imparter of knowledge; Wearer of scarves. She’s here to give entrepreneurs some invaluable advice:
Deal with your stuff.
We got such a great response from the clip in our post on Converted 2015, so we’re back with the full interview.
Be aware of your personal issues, and make sure you’re not bringing anything toxic into the workplace.
You want a work environment that looks like the LeadPages office: happy employees who are enthusiastic and dedicated.
Video Highlights:
0:25 There’s a bigger game being played than just tactics and strategy
0:45 Having a company that your team loves
1:15 Happy employees – It comes out in the product and in the content
1:35 Entrepreneurs, deal with your stuff
1:55 Many entrepreneurs have a high level of anxiety
2:25 Who you are in your business is more important than getting everything right
2:45 Employees will show up, work hard, and be invested in the company
Click Here For Video Transcript
Ezra: Hey, Ezra here behind the scenes with LeadPages Co-Founder, Tracy Simmons.
Tracy: Hey!
Ezra: Who has amazing scarves. If you ever see her anywhere, she’s probably wearing a beautiful scarf. Tracy, you gave a talk yesterday that blew my mind. I was so happy to hear this being talked about at an event like this, because most of these events are about tactics and strategy and Facebook ads, which is all good stuff.
But there’s a bigger game being played in companies that are over even 3 people. What you discussed was really about—and I’d like you to actually talk about it now, a little bit, just a hint or a couple tips on what people can do—but it was about culture, communication and relationships, and having people get along with one another. Because if you don’t have that, you can’t actually produce.
Tracy: Yeah, exactly. Our main goal is that we want to have not just a great company that produces products that our customers love, but we also want to have a company that our team loves. So many people have come out of toxic work environments, who had bosses that don’t care about them and who mistreat them, and they’ve worked with political co-workers. And we’re just determined to build a culture with all of that absent.
Ezra: And it shows, by the way. All the LeadPages people I run into are happy, which is something you don’t usually see. I guess I shouldn’t say that, but it’s true. People around here are having a good time, and you can feel that. And I think it come out in your content, and in your products. It’s definitely working.
Tracy: Yeah.
Ezra: So what’s like one tip who maybe has a small team, 3 people, 2 people, 5 people, could take away and use.
Tracy: The biggest thing I would say, which I shared at the talk yesterday, is, really deal with your stuff. I often say that most entrepreneurs, we have stuff. I mean, all humans beings, we have our stuff. If you’ve got that crap in your life, and you know it’s affecting your relationships, then you’re going to bring it into work. Not only is it going to affect your personal relationships, but now it’s going to affect your work.
Ezra: Totally.
Tracy: One example I like to give is the example of anxiety. So, a lot of entrepreneurs, because they are pouring everything they can into their business, a lot of times their life saving into their business, so they often times have a high level of anxiety. And if they don’t deal with that…
Ezra: And they’re bringing that in every day, and everybody can feel it…
Tracy: It makes everyone around you anxious, and it puts you in that lizard brain mode where you are shutting down creativity, you’re shutting down compassion, so then you’re not treating your team well and you’re not being as creative as you could to save the problems that your business needs solved. So that’s just one of those things, just deal with your stuff.
Because who you are in your business is more important that getting everything right. I often tell our leaders that, over and over again. You’re not going to get it all right, just accept that right now. You’re going to make mistakes. That’s okay. But if who you are is a great person, and you’re dealing with your stuff, then the team will be forgiving.
Ezra: People will show up, and they’ll work harder, they’re going to invest in you, they’re going to be enthusiastic.
Tracy: Yes.
Ezra: Deal with your stuff. Tracy Simmons, LeadPages behind the scenes Converted 2015. Thanks for watching. We’ll see you in the next one.
