I set up Shadani Consulting, an independent PR agency specialising in thought leadership, corporate communications and luxury PR in 2016. After fifteen years in the field, I felt I had the experience, media contacts and business acumen to finally be “my own boss” and escape the rat race of crazy workloads, unrealistic timelines and long work-days. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Setting up and running your own outfit is nothing compared to being employed, where there are at least some pre-defined roles, structure and a semblance of work-life balance.
For the first year, I did everything that I could myself (to save costs) and was working non-stop trying to secure clients who were open to trusting a new agency with their communications. As our client roster grew, so did the team and we diversified into social media, content creation and most recently, launched a video production division.
It’s been an incredible five years, with triumphs and mistakes along the way. Both of which have taught me key lessons – but it’s the challenges and perceived “failures” that really stand out for me. As we celebrate our half-decade anniversary, I would like to share some of the lessons that I have learned along the way.
Gut instinct is a real thing
When I started Shadani Consulting, I was so hungry for business, I never said “no” to new opportunities. Every chance that came my way, I seized and gave it my 100 percent, even when I felt that “something’s not right”. As time went on, I realised that every time I had said “yes” to business, in spite of feeling uneasy about it, I regretted it. Late payments and personality clashes were only some of the outcomes, and more often than not, the desire to suppress my gut instinct came from the desperation of being a new start-up and trying to make ends meet.
I quickly learned (the hard way) that if you feel that “something is off” then it definitely is. Five years on, my Spidey sense is pretty strong and while “gut instinct” isn’t a proven business strategy, it’s probably been one of my greatest teachers.
Your price is determined by your worth – not the size of your business
When I was first starting out, I didn’t have a lot of infrastructure or the razzle dazzle that goes with having a large agency set-up, so a lot of times, potential clients would ask for a discount, because we were a newly established and relatively small set-up. For some clients, small meant inexperienced and cheap and they would request an hourly rate.
The thing is, although we started out as a small agency, our experience and expertise was on par with any global agency and as any professional consultant will tell you, you never charge for the hours you’re putting in, but the years of experience, expertise and contacts that you bring to the table. If there is one piece of advice that I can give, it’s to know your worth and stick to it.
Talk less and listen more
This one should be self-evident, but I’ve realised that sometimes we are too quick to offer solutions and show clients how we can help them, without giving them enough time to share the full spectrum of challenges, concerns and ultimate goals. It’s important to listen generously, so that clients feel fully heard and supported at every stage. I too am guilty of getting very excited about new clients and all the different ways that we can support them – but have learned to hold my horses till the client is comfortable that they have adequately presented their side. As counter intuitive as it may be, the art of great communication lies not in speaking, but in active listening.
You need a tribe around you
Entrepreneurship is about problem solving – the learning curve is incredibly steep when you set out on your own and the larger your “tribe” of supporters, the greater your chances of success.
More than 90 percent of our business still comes from personal referrals from clients and friends who make up our “tribe”. Moreover, many times when clients ask us to do things beyond our scope of expertise, rather than turning that business down, we outsource it to other experts and freelancers in our network. Collaborating and supporting others is integral to the growth of any business and a philosophy that we follow to this day.
“It’s important to listen generously, so that clients feel fully heard and supported at every stage.”
Zaib Shadani
Don’t take perceived “failure” personally
The pandemic hit the PR and advertising industry very hard and we had a few clients downsize their PR retainers, while some new clients cancelled their projects. As an agency that prides itself on retaining clients for multiple years, it was a jolt to lose clients, even before we had started working with them. It had never happened before and I took it very hard. It made me question whether we had done something wrong or could have done something more, to hold on to the clients.
It’s only now, that I look back at the carnage that Covid-19 wreaked on the industry, that I am able to fully understand that we are one of the lucky ones to still be here. When your name is on the door, every loss or perceived “failure” is personal and hits you hard. The important thing is to be able to take the punch, still get up and move forward.
For me moving forward meant reinventing our business model and setting up a video production house during the pandemic, so we could leverage the power of social media and video content, to better serve our clients and expand our reach. I still take “failure” personally, but I’m getting much better at bouncing back.