October is National Women’s Small Business Month, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs and reflect on what it takes to build a successful business.
 
At Reach Partners, we’ve spent years growing our business and supporting others along the way. In the spirit of this month, and with a focus on securing new projects, we want to share insights from our own journey while spotlighting women-owned businesses in our network.
 
One of the greatest lessons we’ve learned over and over is that no one succeeds alone. Surrounding yourself with capable, knowledgeable, and inspiring people is a key part of the formula for success. I’m grateful daily for the leadership and excellence shown to me by Anita.
 
By surrounding yourself in a network of women entrepreneurs, you create a support system that has the potential to lift everyone higher. Partnerships can unlock new opportunities and help women-led businesses grow stronger together.

​Trust is a strange, living thing, isn't it? It breathes in the spaces between promises and deliveries, between what’s said and what’s done. It’s nurtured through small actions and gestures, yet it can sometimes feel as elusive as smoke.
 
Why do some clients trust us immediately, while others seem to withhold it forever? What is the alchemy behind trust?
 
Let’s start with a simple ingredient: delivery.

We recently decided to update our client testimonials and debated whether omitting a client name made the testimonial useful. The discussion was particularly valuable because it led to a deeper dialogue about the link between confidentiality and trust.
 
Trust is the basis of all successful relationships. Among the various elements that foster trust, confidentiality stands out as a crucial component, especially when partnered with integrity. Our commitment to respecting client confidentiality isn't just a box we check off — it's the cornerstone of how we build and maintain strong relationships.

How do you typically respond to conflict?

This may not be a question we are comfortable answering, but understanding the primary way you respond to conflict can help you become more aware of your tendencies. It also can help you make better choices when you don’t agree with someone.
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Whether it's a disagreement with a colleague at work, a misunderstanding with a friend, or a difference of opinion within family, conflicts are a natural and inevitable part of human interaction. How we handle them significantly impacts our relationships and overall well-being.

Asking for help is hard. Or, at least for many of us that’s true.

When we hesitate to ask for support, however, we unnecessarily suffer through difficult situations at work, at home, or even in a relationship.

The reasons we avoid asking for help vary.

Maybe we don’t know how to ask. Maybe we are too proud or scared to show vulnerability in our Midwestern culture. Perhaps we carry generational baggage that tells us we are not worthy of needing assistance.
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Whatever the barriers are, we need learn how to rise above them. Leaders who ask for help are the kind of people with whom Reach Partners thrives. They are humble and know their limitations. Leaders who ask for help tend to value expertise that others bring.
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To get better at asking for help, we encourage you to think about the obstacles and why it’s worth overcoming them.

After completing a post activity report (PAR) for a recent project, Anita and I discussed the wisdom of having a backup plan.
 
Yes, we complete a PAR for every project, which we talk about more here. But this post is really about dealing with yet another winter storm this long winter, and the plan we created to mitigate the risk of weather.
 
Creating a backup plan extends our strategic approach for achieving our client’s goal, which is our most important goal.

We have found one of the best ways to start a meeting is with an opening question.
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The simple act of asking a question at the beginning of a meeting builds a stronger, more effective team. It’s a great way to ensure that people who need to work together get to know each other better. Here’s how:

It can be hard to ask for help.

We have been programmed to believe that strength is individual, that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

This mentality, however, deprives us of the power that can come from working together, instead of alone.
At Reach Partners, we have observed that good leaders recognize that they can’t do everything alone.

We’ve seen that the best leaders take that one step further; they know how to ask for exactly what they need while empowering others to contribute.
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Here’s how that played out recently:

When a team invites Reach Partners to join them, we’re asked to provide focus on a project. Even if the team members work side-by-side each day, they often need help with the pace of the project – the way a project’s progress moves forward.
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Different than a timeline or milestones, pacing is about understanding when to pause or slow down and when to speed ahead. Every milestone in a project’s plan deserves its own sense of pace.

​There’s a common saying that fences make good neighbors.
 
The underlying assumption is that people get along better when there is separation, that relationships need defined space.
 
We disagree.
 
Our best work happens when people break down those fences and come together. We believe that collaboration leads to the best ideas and the best path forward. We know from experience that we can do more together than alone.