Shift... happens!!!

Hey there,

I know I haven't updated my blog for a long time, but as I mentioned, shift happens!

From the first minute I got certified as an OBM, I started my own crusade to educate the business owners on what I can do. I sent out more than 5,000 emails in less than 3 months, introducing myself and explaining that online services can be combined with the classic model of business. What I found out? Business Owners in my country are way back in the dark ages as far as the hybrid model of working is concerned! Most of them just needed a personal assistant or a secretary. And all of them couldn't understand the power of systems.

As time passed by, and our government decided to lock us down (again and again) and take measures on fighting the coronavirus (that shut on our heads as a real corona), the hybrid model was forced into the game. More companies got engaged in this model, and almost the workforce was made to work from home (most of the days). This new reality has brought forward all the needs for automations and systems. Each Business had its own needs for different kinds of systems – and boy, did I have a front-row seat to the chaos!

Now, do you remember those 5,000 emails I sent? The ones that got responses like "Thanks, but we're good" or the classic crickets chirping treatment? Well, guess what happened when everyone was suddenly working from their kitchen tables in pajama bottoms and business shirts?

My phone started ringing. A LOT. 

"James, hi! Remember that email you sent about automation and systems? Can we... um... can we talk? Like, NOW?"

Oh, the sweet, sweet irony! It's like telling someone their house needs better locks and them saying "nah, we're fine" – and then calling you from inside their closet during a break-in. Except instead of burglars, it was emails, spreadsheets, and WhatsApp groups that had gone completely feral.

Turns out, nothing sells the value of digital systems quite like a global pandemic. COVID-19 was basically the universe's way of saying, "Oh, you don't believe in remote work and automation? Hold my beer and watch this!"

Business owners who'd been running their companies like it was 1995 suddenly found themselves staring at their computer screens at 2 AM, wondering why everything was on fire. And not the good kind of fire – the "I have no idea where anything is or what anyone is doing" kind of fire.

I watched grown adults have emotional breakdowns over things like:

• "How do I know if my team is actually working?" (Spoiler: the same way you did before – results!)
• "But I need to SEE them to manage them!" (No, Gerald, you really don't.)
• "We've always done it this way!" (Yes, and the dinosaurs also had their traditions. Look how that worked out.)

One client – bless his traditional heart – was literally printing out emails, scanning them into PDFs, and then emailing them to his team. I wish I was making this up. When I asked him why, he said it was "his system." Sure, if your definition of "system" includes unnecessary trees dying and your IT guy quietly weeping in the corner.

The funniest part? Watching everyone suddenly become "digital transformation experts" overnight. LinkedIn was absolutely drowning in posts about "pivoting to digital" and "embracing the new normal" from people who two weeks earlier didn't know if the cloud was a weather phenomenon or a tech "thing".

Business owners were calling me like, "James, we need SYSTEMS! ALL THE SYSTEMS! Give us automation, integration, CRM, ERP, and whatever other acronyms you've got!"

And I'd have to gently pump the brakes like, "Okay, my friend, maybe let's start with getting your emails under control before we build Skynet, yeah?"

Because here's the thing – panic-buying systems is like panic-buying toilet paper. Sure, you MIGHT need 47 project management tools, but probably not all at once, and definitely not the ones your neighbour's cousin recommended because "they're really cool."

Now, I'm a professional. I would NEVER actually say "I told you so" to a client's face (but I did and it felt so good!)

 And I got a little crazy, too. Let me draw you a picture...I, doing a little victory dance in my home office at 11 PM, going "WHO NEEDS SYSTEMS NOW, MR? WHO NEEDS THEM?" while my dog judged me with those superior eyes that clearly said, "This is why you're single, James."

But seriously – this whole crisis proved what I'd been screaming into the void for months: systems aren't just for "tech companies" or "modern businesses." They're for EVERY business that wants to, you know, survive and maybe not have a nervous breakdown.

The businesses that already had some digital backbone? They adjusted like pros. They could manage remote teams, track projects, communicate with clients, and actually know what was happening in their business without having to physically hover over everyone's shoulder.

The ones still living in the analogue age? They learned the hard way that "we'll figure it out" is not a business strategy. It's a prayer. And prayers don't integrate with your accounting software.

So here we are, post-lockdown number whatever (I lost count), and NOW everyone gets it. The lightbulb has finally flickered to life. Business owners understand they need systems. They believe in the hybrid model. They know automation isn't just some fancy word I made up to sound smart.

But – and this is a BIG but (and I cannot lie) – knowing you need something and knowing what to do about it are two completely different things.

It's like finally admitting you need to get in shape, then walking into a gym and staring at all the equipment like it's ancient alien technology. "Do I... do I sit on this? Push this? Run FROM this?"

That's where I come in. Not to judge (okay, maybe a little), not to say "told you so" (much), but to actually help untangle the mess and build something that works.

So yeah, shift definitely happened. The question now is: what are we going to do about it?

But that, my fellow survivors of the great digital awakening, is a story for next time. Because if you thought THIS chapter was wild, just wait until I tell you about the business owner who tried to automate his cat...

Stay tuned, stay caffeinated, and for the love of all that is holy – please stop using 47 Excel spreadsheets when one system would do.

Your friendly neighbourhood OBM who's seen things... terrible, inefficient things,

And If you're reading this and thinking, "wait, is he talking about MY business?" then yes. Yes, I am. Let's talk. Before you end up printing and scanning your emails.