Confessions of a die-hard DIYer.
I must confess, I’m a die-hard DIYer (Do It Yourselfer). My parents instilled this nature in me: Why pay someone else when you can do it yourself? In my younger adult years, I renovated several homes with my father, an architect, over evenings and weekends. And we did well financially on the resales. Only once did I manage to come a tad close to burning one down with my electrical wiring work.
Google and YouTube continue to be the enablers of my DIYer nature. They direct me to so much “free” instruction and information on the internet. It feels empowering to be self-sufficient, and who doesn’t enjoy saving some bucks along the way? Yet, this DIY nature hasn’t always served me well.
Things started out well, but then…
I launched Mandala Financial Advisors in February 2020 (you could say it was my COVID baby). Things were clipping along, I was bringing in clients. And then about a year into it, I realized I needed to reach more people who could benefit from my work. The website needed important improvements. I needed to make it easier for guests to book an appointment. I needed to create pathways that allowed guests to find pertinent content faster. I needed to employ search engine optimization (SEO) so my business would show up in people’s Google search results.
The to-do list kept growing. But I didn’t want to pay someone to improve my website. I felt I was tech-savvy, and surely there was enough free instruction on the internet to hack my way to success. I stubbornly sat in Fantasy Land believing I could do this work myself once a quiet moment presented itself. Really? A quiet moment with a newly launched business? So, over the next year I missed out on opportunities an improved website would have created.
Finally, acceptance: I needed an expert
I got honest with myself. I came to realize I was never going to get this done on my own. A friend referred me to Audrey, an independent web designer with her own business, 617graphicdesign, and I’ve never looked back. It was cathartic to share my frustrations and wishes with an expert, one who was sharing potential solutions in our initial conversation. Audrey pulled in Sasha, her colleague who specializes in SEO. As independent professionals, they were empowered to adjust their schedules to help me get to market quickly. It felt so good to see forward movement and know someone had my back!
This is my first article since launching the new website. Now that you’re here, please explore and let me know what you think of it at Mandala Financial Advisors; all feedback is welcome. The fees I paid for website enhancements have been some of the smartest dollars I’ve invested in my business yet. Hiring an expert for tasks that were holding the business back allowed me to focus on the things I do expertly and efficiently: financial planning and investment management for my clients. The business is now far better positioned to grow. And Audrey will continue to be my digital marketing coach to keep me on track.
A lesson for DIYers
I’m sharing this story because I know I’m far from alone in having a DIY nature. Social media is rich with instructive content—some great and some very “not great”—and has upped every DIYer’s game. In my work, I’ve found business owners and entrepreneurs are prone to trying to do most everything themselves, particularly if they built their business from scratch. Wearing lots of hats is in their comfort zone and they like the feeling of being in control. I get it.
But it’s important to know when it makes best sense to call in the right expert for assistance. It can be best for your business or career, your relationships with family and colleagues, and your own financial and emotional well-being. This experience with my business website has made me a better coach for my clients. I can better guide them on deciding when it’s time to bring in an expert for their business or for their personal needs.
Next up
Part 2 of this article will continue our DIY theme with, Pros & Cons of Being Your Own Financial Advisor. You won’t want to miss this one! There’s a lot of die-hard DIY investment managers out there. And I have real-life experiences and lessons to share.