While we were living in Cape Town, I met some interesting new friends… Charise and Shane (whom I now miss). Shane runs a successful online business and I quizzed him about how he got started – and what made the business a success.
One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from our conversation (and what I have been chewing on – obsessively – ever since) was Shane telling me about his business partner, Andrew. Shane and Andrew started the business together a number of years ago. As far as strengths go – they are polar opposites. Shane is a creative creature. He’s a visionary… he always has a new initiative up his sleeve… he’s an optimistic generator of ideas.
Andrew, on the other hand, is the sensible, logical one. The stable money-guy. The budgeter. The grounded strategist who can implement Shane’s magnificent ideas in a no-nonsense, makes-lots-of-sense kind of way.
Their business is a success because they both operate within their specific strengths. Their business needs BOTH of them. It wouldn’t be the success it is without Shane’s creative input and ideas… but, as Shane readily admits, he needed Andrew’s business and money skills. He needed Andrew’s strengths… as much as Andrew needed his.
I need an Andrew in my life.
I neeeeeeed an Andrew in my life.
I would absolutely love to partner with somebody who is NOTHING like me.
My Andrew (or Andie) would need the following strengths:
- She would need to be organised! Somebody with strong project management and organising skills. Somebody who can sit down and hear me out… hear my ideas, my plans, my projects – and who can somehow help me to implement them!
- She needs to be able to organise… compartmentalise… strategise… and make sense of the massive mishmash of creative ideas and projects that lie half-completed on my desk and on my studio floor. (This includes… but is not limited to… the illustrated books… the unique themed zines… the Shine! Camp for Girls… the short film… the creative workshops for adults… the online course material with-a-difference… the art… the illustrations… the stationery design…. the Songs & Stories evenings… the CD… and on and on it goes…)
- She needs to be able to *get* my vision… and then, help me take it to the next level.
I would love to work with this Andrew on a project-by-project basis – where we share the profits of whatever project we’re embarking upon.
I imagine that the Andrew-person would need to be Joburg-based… because I’d love to sit down over a cup of coffee and have long discussions. But then again – maybe that’s limited thinking on my part. Maybe – with the joys of technology and things like Skype and Google+… an Andrew could work with me from a long distance. Who knows. I’m open to ideas.
Also – I’m not always going to be in Joburg anyway. We’re here for another couple of months, then we’re on the road again. So… there’s that.
Here’s what I don’t want my Andrew to be:
- Bossy! I’m looking for a partner… not a parent. Not somebody who sees me as a strange arty child that needs to be whipped into shape. I don’t want somebody to try and change me… to try and make me more like them. I want somebody that understands… and *gets* the anomaly of the Creative-Creature that is me… and who is strong in the areas where I am weak.
- On the other side of the bossy scale… I’m also not looking for a yes-person… an employee… an assistant who sits around helplessly until I tell her what to do. I don’t want to *tell* the Andrew what to do. The Andrew needs to know what to do. The Andrew needs initiative. We need to have regular meetings (whether online or in person) where the Andrew and I discuss the project at hand… and the Andrew says: “Okay… this is what we need to do first. Then this… then this… then this. You handle those 4 things… and I’ll handle these 3 things. Cool with you?”
Anyway.
So… does anyone here have any suggestions on how to uncover my Andrew?
Where does one even find Andrews?
Thoughts and suggestions most welcome!!! 🙂
If you find some Andrews, send one here!
You already have Andrews in your life, Mom. And secretaries! You even have a full-time secretary!!! And volunteers. And…
I really do hope an ‘Andrew’ comes out of the woodwork for you Heather. Oh the things you guys would do and accomplish together!!
Oh, I just *KNOW*…. that the right Andrew in my life…. would make SUCH a difference! I know it! Now I just need to unearth that Andrew! (I already have 1 interested person… we’ll set up a coffee meeting and see how it goes!)…. 🙂
Heather, I love that you asked for this kind of help! You put it out there into the universe which is a great start. I wish I could be your Andrew, but I’m just like you–creative and unfortunately, totally unorganized! But I love your ideas and hope the perfect Andrew comes into your life soon to help realize all of those great projects you mentioned. Good luck!
Thanks for writing Ellen…. I’m also glad I wrote the post. If you don’t ask – you won’t get… and I am prone to NOT asking. I recently read a book by Amanda Palmer called “The Art of Asking” and it gave me a lot of food for thought.
Interestingly – it seems as though I might even have sourced 2 potential Andrews! I’m having coffee with one of them on Friday…. and then next week, will catch up with the other. SO… hopefully something wonderful comes out of this!
Thanks for your lovely supportive comment… and… carry on doing what YOU do (I have subscribed to your blog and enjoy the posts I get in my inbox – lots of similarities, I think). 🙂
I just discovered your blog and have been devouring it… and I absolutely love how you put out this post! I’m at a similar place, but I’m a twofer- I can be the you or the Andrew, but every time I try to be both, I can’t. get. anywhere.
Alas, I am nowhere near you, but hopefully, one day, I’ll find that partner!
I’m happy to report that I have *FOUND* my “Andrew”…. (thanks to this blog post). I just haven’t blogged about her yet. She is a breath of fresh air and is already making my life soooooooo much easier! I’m going to post about her soon-soon….. 🙂