Making Cent$ is a monthly newsletter by Mira Katz dedicated to the taboo topics that affect creatives in business, with a focus in female founders, but still applicable for everyone. Best enjoyed with a cup of ☕️ and a 🥐.
🎧 Want to make this newsletter extra vibey? Read it while listening to this.
This month's topic came to me quickly. I like to write about things that inspire me on a daily basis, recurring themes in my deep conversations, and what’s top of mind and heart.
I try to convey something real and alive in me, because I only want to write from a place of utmost honestly. We need more of that.
So, service. Let’s get into it.
Acts of Service
We use the term “act of service” a lot, which might give the impression that it's a single action. But, after deeper contemplation, I’ve come to realize that Service is a way of being. If we see life as an opportunity for service, it affects how we do everything.
If friendship is a service, we are actively there for the people we care about. Our friends see and experience it consistently. We are contributors to our friendships.
If business ownership is a service, we are honoring the people we call “clients”, as well as the people we call “employees” – because we interact with both from the same intention. Both deserve deep care.
If living on this earth is a service, we treat our environment with kindness and consider the implications of our actions on all those around us. Earth is our client.
This may sound existential, but it’s actually deeply practical.
Service in Practice
On a daily basis, it looks like this:
- Checking in on your friends
- Showing up for your friends
- Being kind to your clients
- Being generous with your employees
- Being environmentally responsible
- Actively caring for the earth
Service can inform our behavior, habits, and beliefs.
I would go so far as to say that Service is a type of philosophy. But I digress.
Who do you Serve
I started my career in the service industry. I offered luxury tutoring to kids at private schools that were struggling in high-pressure academic environments. You might think the client was my student. But in reality, I had three distinct clients.
a) The schools who couldn’t provide the services their families needed, and were looking for the best referral to make them look good. They wanted to be well-resourced with additional support through affiliated educational institutions. They needed me to look and act incredibly credible.
b) The students: they directly received the service. I was dealing with them in a face-to-face way. We interacted and they were the ones to knew exactly how I showed up and if I was worth the sometimes $160 per hour fee. If they liked me, I had a loyal customer.
c) The parents of the student: They were technically the ones paying, but they were not the ones receiving the service and didn't really know how good I was at my job. But they were very concerned with one correlated measure of my expertise: their kid’s grades.
These three clients reveal something universal in business. There are 3 archetypes of clients that you need to consider to be good at Service.
The 3 Clients You Serve
1 - THE REFERRER
2 - THE RECEIVER
3 - THE PAYER
These audiences are usually different, and probably related. If you can identify who each of these people are in your unique case, you can give each one exactly what they need. And that makes you a high-value company and increases your likelihood of success.
I’ll give you another great example.
Imagine a graphic designer. She starts a small studio, and calls it a Design Agency. Is her only client the owner of the brand she’s designing for? NOPE
- THE REFERRER = Her past clients, investors, her inner circle.
- THE RECEIVER = Them CMO or Design Lead, or Head of Branding at the company she's designing for.
- THE PAYER = The owner of the brand or the investors.
If she takes care of each of these clients she’ll create a self-sustaining loop. But how can each of these different clients get served? I’ll tell you.
- For the referrers: She’ll have a newsletter that’s sent to past clients to let them know they are celebrated, and to keep herself top-of-mind.
- For the receivers: She has perks for directors she deals with directly on a 1:1 basis. They will get cards and holiday gifts so that next time they are in a position to hire a design agency at whatever job they're at - she knows they’re calling her.
- For the payers: She has promotional material and special marketing docs specifically for investors and VC funds. She offers them special rates for their new investment companies.
She’s brilliant. She's serving each client.
Serving from the Heart
My favorite example of service these days is my mom. She is taking care of her aging parents with full love, devotion, and dedication. Her intention is so pure, and is straight from the heart. It shows.
On a personal note, I think people who are in service are nicer, more generous, more loving and generally better people. I LOVE these people and that's the person I want to be. They bring you food when you’re sick. They hold on extra long when they hug you because they know you’re going through something hard. They make you smile like it’s their job.
In conclusion, more service in this world would be a really good thing.
I hope this makes sense.
With love, Mira
Happenings
- Applications to The Advisory for previous clients are now open.
- I'm returning to Mexico City after a beautiful Montreal summer. See you soon.
- I recorded a podcast with Amber Evenson from The Old Money Podcast, stay tuned for the episode dropping shortly!
P.S. I revamped my own service suite with the brilliant Raqueli Contreras. She's now available on the Board of Advisors for my clients within The Advisory & as a collaborator in The Essentials.
