“I came to understand the tremendous amount of value I’d overlooked the first time,” she says. “I came back (to Bench) and I was like, ‘I need help. I need you to go back and all this stuff (the bookkeeper) did.’ I kind of get chills because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! They have my back. They really get it.’ It was just a really seamless transition and cleanup process.”
The corporate disconnect
Patty's career began along a fairly conventional path.
“My dad’s biggest wish was for me to get what he called ‘a classy job,’” she says—a job that would guarantee her security, along with nice perks like a fancy office and a company car. And that’s what Patty did, and quite successfully, too. She got her MBA and started climbing through the ranks at a major company. But working like that wasn’t what she’d expected.
“The higher the ladder I went, the more miserable I felt,” she says. “I didn’t understand why.”
It took her time to figure it out, but eventually, she realized that what was missing from her career was purpose.
“I worked for great companies, and I met some really wonderful people, and I’m thankful for the experience that I had. But it just wasn’t a fit for me,” she told Bench.
Making the entrepreneurial leap
Around the time Patty was questioning her career choices, she became one of the thousands of employees affected by the Great Recession of 2008: she was let go from her company.
“All of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Sorry, you are redundant.’ That’s when I realized, ok, I’m no different from the French fry guy at McDonald’s. My job was not an asset,” she said. “That for me was the tipping point when I realized I had to do something different.”
After a period of uncertainty and some time working for another company, Patty decided to make the leap into entrepreneurship in January 2013. But this time, she was approaching work differently. “I was in this transformational program where I was exposed to this whole concept of really honoring your values. And it wasn’t until I did this particular exercise in this program that I realized my highest value is freedom. So of course I’m not going to be a good fit for corporate! It was just so interesting.”
That revelation led her to business coaching and consulting, but she still had to figure out how exactly she wanted to specialize.
Discovering her niche
It was during a business conversation with a client’s team that she found her niche.
“It was about the positioning of a cookie. And then I'm like, ‘Oh, my gosh! All these people are on this call to figure out the positioning of a cookie, and we're not doing that for ourselves as solopreneurs.’ So I thought, that's gonna be my niche. That's gonna be where I really plant my flag: on the importance of positioning.”
So Patty decided to help entrepreneurs focus on differentiating themselves and their businesses. Her mantra became "zag when everyone else is zigging," emphasizing the importance of standing out in a crowded marketplace.
The evolution of entrepreneurship
Over the years, Patty witnessed significant changes among both her competitors and her clients. The barrier to entry into the entrepreneurial space became lower, resulting in a surge of self-proclaimed marketing experts. But many newcomers lacked the experience needed to deliver results.
Patty advises entrepreneurs to be cautious when choosing their business partners. She emphasizes the importance of seeking experts with a track record and at least 10,000 hours of experience. This approach helps entrepreneurs avoid falling prey to inexperienced individuals who talk a good game but lack real expertise.
The importance of outsourcing
While Patty has a deep understanding of certain aspects of her business, she readily outsources elements that aren’t her strengths.
“I tell my clients it’s about staying in your zone of genius,” she says. “Just because you are competent at something doesn’t mean you should be doing it.”
For Patty, bookkeeping is one of those things she doesn’t want to be doing—which is why she initially joined Bench. In fact, Patty has joined Bench twice—first, shortly after starting her business, and the second time, after working with a local bookkeeper for about a year. Unfortunately, the bookkeeper was not a good fit, and she returned to Bench after they parted ways.
“I came to understand the tremendous amount of value I’d overlooked the first time,” she says. “I came back (to Bench) and I was like, ‘I need help. I need you to go back and all this stuff (the bookkeeper) did.’ I kind of get chills because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! They have my back. They really get it.’ It was just a really seamless transition and cleanup process.”
Now, Patty uses Bench's financial reporting tools to monitor her business's financial health. She appreciates the ease of accessing real-time data and regularly checks her profit and loss statement (P&L). Patty emphasizes the importance of staying on top of financial data to make informed business decisions.
Additionally, Bench has helped Patty identify and manage subscriptions and expenses, ensuring that her business's finances remain in good shape.
“It keeps me accountable,” she says. “It gives you that visibility, so you can be a better steward of your business.”
Looking ahead, Patty is excited about her company's future endeavors. She’s launching a software as a service (SaaS) platform called Zagly.io, which will automate outreach processes to enhance customer engagement.
As her business grows, Patty is committed to continuing to delegate, so she can spend her time on what she’s best at: working with clients to help them differentiate their businesses.
“Don’t do what I did—don’t leave,” she says. “If you sign up for Bench, stay with Bench. The grass is not greener on the other side.”
