OPM. – If you’ve been following me for a while or have read any of my books, you’ve heard me talk about this time after time.
But, let’s recap anyways.
OPM is not just other people’s money. It is other people’s mindpower, other people’s manufacturing, other people’s marketing, and so on. It’s strategic partnerships. It’s “the power of broke”. OPM is essential for those looking to start, grow and scale a business, but it’s also just as important for industry vets looking to take their business to the next level or break into new industries.
I created my new coworking space, Blueprint + Co, to physically bring together likeminded entrepreneurs and create a professional community. Blueprint + Co is not an incubator or accelerator, but a work space for executives, industry leaders and influencers that fosters collaboration and alignment.
Two of our Founding Members at Blueprint + Co came to us by way of a competition run by one of my favorite partners, Shopify, and ended up winning 3 months of membership. Michael Tizol came from a creative background, with a degree in graphic design and 15 years of business experience under his belt. Durlan Vega came from a more technical background, with a computer science degree and 8+ years of agency experience. Each of them, though, were website and app developers and had the experience of seeing how the Internet changed over the years. They both recognized a need amongst their peers for guidance and expertise in this area.
After just a couple of weeks working out of Blueprint + Co the two hit it off and decided to join forces. They recognized that by tapping into each other’s mindpower and manpower, they could expand their scope of work, take on more clients and ultimately see greater success. So, they created their own entity, Skematic NYC.
Even after their complimentary membership from Shopify ran up, they loved the atmosphere of Blueprint + Co and knew they wanted to stay in this environment. They’ve been running their business out of the space ever since. Their services include development, design and tech-consulting for both websites and apps. They found some of their first customers amongst fellow members in the space and have been helping me make improvements to both my personal website, as well as my other businesses’ sites. They became one of my strategic partners!
An innovative entrepreneur can think outside the box and recognize the potential strategic partnerships and resources that exist within their own communities and networks. That is exactly what my guys at Skematic did.
So, I leave you with this:
Take a step back and identify the resources and people in your life that you may be overlooking. I guarantee that by thinking outside the box and utilizing the strengths of those in your life and your community, you can build strategic relationships that will get you one step closer to success.
