Work With People You Like
Important, only work with people you like.
Life and business are hard enough already. The people you choose to work with can either make the journey better or make everything heavier than it needs to be.
Today’s post is about something that matters more than most business owners realize, working with people you actually like and trust.
This topic is personal because I have worked with people I really did not like. Even when I knew it was probably a bad idea, I kept going.
There were always reasons. They had a good skill set. It seemed like it could work out. We were making money, so why rock the boat? There did not seem to be any better options.
Those reasons may sound familiar, but they do not change the outcome. If the relationship is wrong, it gets harder and harder to move your business in the right direction.
Your business is important, and its future depends on your ability to guide it with clarity and confidence.
That becomes much harder when you are dragging around someone who creates friction, ignores concerns, or adds stress to every interaction.
Simple truth: It is hard to steer the boat in the right direction when there is an anchor hanging off the back.
You might ask, “How do I know if I am working with someone who could become a problem later?”
A big warning sign is how they respond when you bring up a concern. Healthy partners try to understand, ask questions, and solve the problem. The wrong people get defensive, dismissive, or lazy.
Bad response example:
You: “The contact form didn’t work properly for one of our customers, can you please verify it’s okay and working right?”
Developer: “It works fine for us, we just tested it.”
That response is a problem. Your developer should care deeply about your customer’s experience, not just about what happened on one internal test.
When someone brings you a real issue, the right response is curiosity, care, and follow-through.
Good partners investigate: They do not brush off the issue. They dig in, ask questions, test properly, and make sure the customer is taken care of.
Here is a real example from one of our clients.
A nonprofit heard from a donor who said they could not make a donation on the website. Even though we were fairly certain the website itself was not the issue, we still dug deep and spoke directly with the donors.
It turned out they were trying to use an entirely different website. We helped get them to the correct place, and the nonprofit received the donations they needed.
Real service means caring enough to solve the actual problem, not just defending your own work.
Look for value: Work with people who want to help, improve, and create better outcomes for your business.
Look for service: The best working relationships are built on responsiveness, respect, and a real desire to do right by your customers.
As you continue building your online presence and growing your business, keep your eyes open for people who bring value and genuine service to the table.
That is where the magic happens.
Cheers!