Last week, Dubsado flew 28 of their key partners to their HQ in LA for their first ever Partner Collaboration Day.
And because we are Dubsado Ambassadors, I made the list!
While this event was part birthday celebration (Dubsado turns 10 this year), part user feedback collection, part real talk about what it actually looks like to run a business right now...
I was most excited to meet and learn from a team who has self-funded their software and grown it to 30,000+ users.
Between the welcome dinner the first night and the full day at HQ, I loved every minute.
I heard the $900-to-$10M origin story from founder Becca Berg, got a behind-the-scenes look at how Dubsado is built and rebuilt, and spent time in breakout sessions going deep on how Dubsado's most active users, use the platform (and how they wish they could.)
(You can catch a peek at the recap on our IG story highlights.)
I walked away feeling so grateful, and with a notebook full of thoughts.
Here are my biggest takeaways:
1. Prove yourself right, not them wrong.
Dubsado founder Becca Berg talked about spending years trying to prove the doubters wrong and then realizing she didn't want to live in that negative headspace. So she made a decision: prove herself right instead.
The direction you face matters. Build something you believe in, and let the results speak.
2. Stay close to your people (your competitors aren't.)
Becca said it plainly: stay as close to your customers as you can. This is how you see their real problems. I'll bet most of your competitors aren't doing this.
Since the beginning, Becca and the team kept a close eye (and often joined the conversations) in Facebook groups and reddit threads. Before they had their own community to listen to, they listened to creatives anywhere they could find them.
3. Less is more. Build the systems you actually need.
A little back story: Dubsado doesn't have an inhouse implementation team. Instead, they created a certification program to empower users to become Dubsado Specialists. A few of the specialists in the room have built their entire business helping others creative their Dubsado setups.
It was two of these specializes who shared:
I used to give my clients the full Dubsado setup, with every workflow and automation they could ever need... but that's not what they actually need!
Now, I've learned to start with the first couple workflows that actually need. And to only add as the clients needs. Not to build a full set up that doesn't meet the client where they are.
Here's the takeaway:
Keep it simple. Grow your systems as your business grows, not because you think you "should" have them.
Maximizing anything just for the sake of maximizing doesn't actually improve your business.
"Am I using this to its full potential?" is the wrong question. It just adds more "shoulds" and to-dos to your plate.
The right question is: "What is the next thing that would save me time, and move the needle in my business?"
Start there.
4. Your systems should serve both sides of the relationship.
The client experience is two-fold: what it feels like for your client, and what it feels like for you as the service provider. If your systems are creating more overwhelm than clarity, they aren't doing their job.
The best way to improve your client experience, is to enjoy delivering your service and getting clients results.
5. For the Tech Founders in the Room: The phrase that is always a red flag.
"I just need to spend more time in it."
Yikes.
As a tech founder or software developer, you never want to hear this phrase. It's often said by a user who is trying to give the platform the benefit of the doubt... "If only I spent more time trying, I'm sure I could figure it out." or "Maybe I can do that... I just haven't tried hard enough to figure it out."
But the thing is, as founders, it's our job to make it so easy, so intuitive, that a user can easily do exactly what you want to do in the platform.
This was my big ah-ha moment as we're working with Beta testers in the new Foundry platform.
There was one theme that kept coming up:
The world is moving fast. AI is intensifying that feeling. Instead of AI helping us do more, for less, it's making us feel like we need to do even more.
This was the through-line of the entire trip, and it came from nearly every person in that room.
Someone said, "I just feel like an ant on a rock that's on fire — how am I supposed to promote my business?" And then, in the same breath: "I still get to live this life. So I will."
That tension is real. The pressure to do more, use more, optimize more — AI is only intensifying it. But bringing that frantic energy into your business won't help you build a life you love. You don't have to change as fast as the world around you. You just need to recognize the pressure, and make a deliberate choice about how you respond to it.
It is more important than ever to look inside yourself. Ask yourself what kind of business you want to have, how you want it to run, and how big you want to grow it.
With you for the long run,
- Teresa Stastny
COO, The Creative Law Shop®
dubsado
Epic Birthday Sale + Giveaway!
Dubsado is software for creative service businesses
Next week, Dubsado turns TEN! So they are hosting an epic birthday celebration.
From February 23rd-27th new users, get 40% off the first year when they subscribe to an annual plan (plus an additional 30% off when you use our affiliate code: CREATIVELAWSHOP
And there's something for us current users too!
Dubsado is giving away more than $15K in Dubsado credits to 161 paid users. This means that 160 randomly selected winners will receive $10-$525 in credits (no entry needed)
Plus, Dubsado is giving away 1 golden ticket. This one winner will receive 10 free years of Dubsado (To enter you must share an Instagram post to your feed about how Dubsado impacts your business and tag us by February 26th)
This is an affiliate link and we may receive a kickback when you use it. We only share things we love and stand behind 100%
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