Team Culture: Dklutr's Secret Weapon!
“The spirit of working together seamlessly with collaboration, instead of competition being the main focal point - that should be the predominant culture that needs to be cultivated.”
Being part of a collective, whether it's a dynamic team, a creative agency, a small group, or a flourishing small business, takes us to a whole new level of thinking. We're not just individuals, but a force united by a common purpose.
Let's take a moment to appreciate the magic of community knowledge. It’s been hugely impactful in shaping our journey and continues to do so as we thrive in this industry.
The beauty lies in our strong support network. It's like having a superhero squad that uplifts and carries each other through challenges, paving the way for us to be the absolute best for our clients.
We believe that the tighter the pack, the more remarkable our effectiveness and efficiency become for our clients. It's the undeniable power of the collective, where we support, uplift, and succeed together.
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TDE Episode 7: Team Culture: Dklutr's Secret Weapon!
Thriving as a team
Carl: Team chemistry, team harmony, or team dynamics, whatever you may want to call it, or however you choose to define it.
That spirit of working together seamlessly with collaboration instead of competition being the main focal point, should be the predominant culture that needs to be cultivated.
Being part of a collective, a team agency, a small group, or even a small business, helps you attain a higher level of thinking in the sense that you are carried by the unified energy of your teammates. I think that's one factor that is often neglected.
It's the amount of energy that is being put out there in order for you to work as a team.
So it's not just about skills and time and commitment and dedication, but energy plays an important role.
Anne: I actually remember my first couple of years as a lone VA. Well, it was you and I, and back then we had separate projects, but there was definitely that yearning of connecting with people, especially for me because I am more on the extroverted side. Of course, you get to talk to your clients every once in a while. But they're all so busy with life.
So there's not really much chance to just jump on a call and catch up, but that's where the beauty lies. When we decided to team up with a couple of our friends back in 2020, you can tell there was really a huge difference.
The difference is astounding.
Working for yourself or by yourself versus working with a team or as a team. Makes a world of difference.
Scaling Together
Carl: And so operating from individual project managers and VAs to operating as a team was the fastest way for us to scale our business. When did we start seeing the changes?
Anne: Well, it's probably July 2020 when we started seeing more clients come in. And, as we brought on more clients, we also had to bring in more people, and that's how we continue to scale.
Carl: Remember we went from five clients that went down to just two during the onset of the pandemic. Then grew to a dozen by the end of 2020. It was so exciting to see and exhilarating a bit because there are times that you can sleep at night. You're thinking, how are you going to market your team?
And at one point in our agency, we had closed up to 30 clients, which is totally amazing.
Anne: It's always fun to relieve moments where you thought you'd never make it, and then you do overcome obstacles, you finish things with client colors, so it's always important to celebrate those milestones.
Carl: But truth be told, it wasn't easy. But it was a dynamic experience and paved the way for everything we're doing right now.
Anne: And actually, it's the diversity in skills. Like the talents of those people around us, different perspectives, and experiences that they were bringing in, they were bringing to the table.
It just really led to innovative solutions and breakthroughs for our business, and of course, more importantly for our clients.
Carl: Oh, it's good that you pointed that out. I want to emphasize how community knowledge help create. And even continues to create a thriving business environment for our team.
Anne: It's that strong support network. I mean, I always boast about that strong support network from each and every one of us, even before we recorded this call. We wrapped up a call with the team and it was an energizing moment for both of us.
Carl: The thing is, you can see their expressions and you can see how excited
And at the end of the day, you still have the energy to be excited about client meetings and team brainstorming.
Anne: It's the support network. It really helped our teammates on the individual level to just navigate challenges. it's always going to be challenging, which in turn of course, allowed us to be the best that we can be because we're not just doing legwork.
We are providing solutions.
I always make that distinction to our clients, like actual business solutions that help them declutter their workflow and streamline their processes because if we do that for them, they can focus on core business activities that in turn just help them reach their customers or audience base.
The tighter the pack, the more effective and efficient we can be
Carl: Now let me go back to that Game of Thrones thing. The tighter the pack, the more effective and efficient we can be for our clients, and the power of the pack or the collective lies in our ability to support uplift, and thrive together.
I just love how our teammates at Team Dklutr react when we're celebrating client success stories.
When our clients are able to book new VIP clients of their own get featured in the media. Some sell their course or even get a book deal.
Anne: And speaking of shared success, and this ties into past survival, I've really seen how we're able to just cultivate a culture where the team is very much used to carrying each other's load and not pointing fingers at one another because when we have team meetings, I can see egos just fly out the window, and it's always about being constructive, giving, constructive criticism, and how to better improve our systems.
Because let me tell you, we live and die by our systems. the systems are what have brought us this far. So we really remain faithful to our systems.
Carl: I've seen how we at Team Dklutr values the importance of earning clients' trust and at the same time confidence that they are working with individuals who are fit to be part of a team with skills that can take on task and projects that can help them scale their businesses and I've seen people who can attain success by working solo.
Anne: There are success stories of people, who just play solo.
Carl: It's just that for every business owner that I know, have met, or admire, the optimal experience that elevates businesses is by having a team and working together dynamically.
Anne: Everything always has pros and cons. I always say this to people that's the duality of life, but for me, I've been on both ends of the spectrum.
I've already worked for myself as a freelancer, and then experience working with a team, whether in the corporate setting or now with a team. I'll always choose the latter cause I draw strength and confidence from knowing a team of multi-scale individuals has my back and each one of them, they're willing to go with me to greater heights.
They bring order to chaos. There's that ability to just boost businesses and our clients can attest to that and unleash so much opportunity.
So whatever lies ahead, I just can't wait as long as the team is with me.
