Welcome to episode 8!
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Knowledge is power. Thomas Jefferson used this phrase multiple times in his correspondence when discussing the establishment of the University of Virginia.
Whenever I hear this quote, I often think about a funny Craigslist thread I saw back in college (the link has explicit language). A man posted an ad targeting auto repair shops in an area he rarely visited to request help creating a fake invoice. The invoice would be used to fool his wife into thinking he spent $1200 to repair the family car.
Everything about this invoice is hilarious. From the make and model of the car to the price of replacing the “transgasket differential.” Upon reviewing the invoice, the advertiser knew his wife would not be fooled and likely have questions he could not answer.
Although exaggerated, this invoice is an example of what it can feel like, at times, to be an American consumer. On the other hand, business owners who seek professional services might argue receiving a less-than-clear invoice is a reoccurring issue that requires hours of review and investigation. It’s part of running a business.
But just like the advertiser, having general knowledge about the services you’re requesting can save a tremendous amount of heartache and regret along with vital resources one needs to operate a business.
In other words, knowing what you need is a small part of running a business. However, knowing about what you need can help a business prosper.
Listen to episode 7 on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.
Cortney Ketchum is the founder of The Review Mediator, an online reputation management firm that helps businesses build a brand online. After years of working for corporate giants like Walmart and T-Mobile, Ketchum found herself at a crossroads.
“Last November is 2023, unfortunately like a lot of people, I was laid off. And I thought to myself, you can either go back into this job market that is just wretched - or you can launch this business you’ve been thinking about forever,” Ketchum said.
Ketchum decided to fully commit to building the business of her dreams in the fall of 2023, but knew finding early success was vital to supporting her young family. Thus, Ketchum launched a website, printed business cards, and attended conferences and expositions within a matter of weeks of creating an LLC.
Initially, The Review Mediator was a business to help firms gather positive reviews and manage their reputations on several online platforms, but after speaking with a potential customer Ketchum realized there was a niche she was missing out on.
“One guy I spoke to said to me, ‘You told me about how you’re entering the market different from every other reputation management company - you are focused on and specialize in resolving online disputes between business, consumers, and review sites. but when I go to your website or when I talk to you - your name drew me in, but your website didn’t keep me,’”Ketchum said.
After speaking with several customers, Ketchum decided to focus primarily on helping businesses solve online disputes and her business began to flourish. With no coding experience, Ketchum built an online client portal that would allow her customers to log in and review the progress of their disputes.
“I went to search in the market to see if anyone else has that if anyone else has a client portal that focused specifically on review disputes - No other reputation management company is even focusing on that,” Ketchum said.
Although Ketchum has seen fast growth, she realized early on that she would have to bridge any skill gaps by learning and experimenting on her own. Only after attempting to build by herself would Ketchum find professionals in the space to delegate tasks.
“Use your skills to do as much as you can, but go find some help. Take a lot of the burden off of yourself. And be okay with learning new things and meeting new people,” Ketchum said.
