Today, I received a message from the sweet Lisa from Pennsylvania a year and a half ago. She was looking for a reliable person to help her with her website. She had worked with someone before, but they suddenly disappeared, with the money but without leaving a website. I’ve heard those stories before in the 21 years I’ve run my company. It makes me sad.
In our first Zoom conversation, I tell her that I’m absolutely nothing like that. I like long-term work relationships, trust, and getting to know what to expect from each other. Yet, I also know from experience that trust has to grow. That does not happen during such a first conversation. A bit like on a first date where you do not fall for the first broad smile.
Despite her previous experience, she asked me to help her with her website. With small steps, we started building her website, then adding some extra things, and finally trying to learn it herself.
I answered every email from her to giver her the feeling I was still here. We talked not only about the website but also about things that were going on in her private life that prevented her from working on her website.
Now, a year and a half later, another email lands on my digital doormat. She finally found time to update her website and that she would like to pay for the updates.
Dear Lisa, a year and a half ago you wanted to pay five hours in advance for updating your website. But you never used those hours because of your private situation. So no, you don’t have to pay anything because I keep track of the hours worked.
Surprised and happy about my honesty and reliability, she sent me another update about her family in the next email. I like that. Life is not just about work and earning money. Personal contact, trust, reliability, and a long-term working relationship have always been important for me in my work life as well as in my private life.