In the era of AI and task automation, I’ve made great efforts to hold on to the parts of my business that continue to be tried and true. The way I approach a potential business deal isn’t closed by a well drafted prompt, and the way I show up with purpose and intention in rooms, meetings, and everyday conversations is integral to maintaining the business ethos I’ve spent over a decade building.
As we see so much of the world around us shift from community and connection to comfort and convenience, one of the places I’ve remained unchanging in my need for authentic relationships has been the bank. Yes, you read that right. If I’m being honest, of all the places I find it important to go the extra mile to build relationships that last beyond a singular interaction, the bank has been the most rewarding. While the banking industry has come a long way, allowing us to do everything from opening an account to applying for credit online, I still find great satisfaction in heading into my local branch for just about anything.
While I want to attribute this mindset to the many women I’ve met and been mentored by throughout the years, it was in observing my father that I was able to see what this looked like in action. No matter the task, to this very day, my father is the type of person to go above and beyond to ensure people not only see him, but feel the appreciation he has for the assistance and support they provide him with. Through him, I saw the many ways the “old school way” of doing things wasn’t dated or obsolete, it is and should remain the default. It’s a trait I deeply admire in him, and one I try my best to emulate whenever possible.
Just recently, I made the bold move to transfer all my business to another institution. Even though the process of setting up all my accounts was as simple as the click of a button, I chose to do what my father taught me to do: I went into the branch to speak to someone prior to even making the transition.
Shout out to Shawn, Karan, and Bharat. I shook hands, took cards, and made appointments for the following days and weeks. It was a small gesture, and maybe even inconvenient with an endless list of to-do’s, but the return since that day has been nothing short of invaluable. In an instant, I allowed my business, my accounts, and most importantly, me, to exist as more than a name or number on a screen. Now, I was a person they knew, a person they trusted, and someone they were eager to assist.
This is a practice I had put in place at the old bank I did business with and soon after I noticed that suddenly the rules and red-tape that once caused limited access to funds or unnecessary delays were no longer applicable to me.
So I knew that whomever I chose to bank with, I’d input the same strategy. And this time around, once again, I now had someone on the inside who could vouch for me, and people on the inside I could trust. If there was a cheque I needed to cash, the funds were mine before a new business day began. Far too often, when we think of efficiency in business, we think of speed. But there are so many small things we overlook that allow us to gain the speed and comfort we desire without sacrificing the things that are important to us, especially when money is involved…and this mindset shift is one that should be part of every founder’s business model. As women, we have so many hats we’re forced to wear, and so many decisions we have to make on a daily basis to keep our world (and the worlds of those around us) afloat. But when we lean into strategic relationships, we allow ourselves to have one less thing to worry about. Life becomes easier when we understand where our money is, but especially when it’s accessible and safe.
So before you open that website or banking app, ask yourself if this can be done in person. Will it cost you an hour or so? Probably? But when it comes to the things that matter to me, I invest the time to make it happen.
A BIT ABOUT ME: Hi! My name is Pauleanna Reid. I’m the founder and chief storyteller at WritersBlok where I lead an all-women of color team of celebrity ghostwriters. As a collective, we help industry leaders and doers who are shaping the future turn their personal stories into brand assets so they can stay relevant in a noisy world, communicate to their audience at scale, and turn any conversation into a meaningful and profitable lead. Clients truly trust me with their reputations and their legacies. In fact, when they want to speak up on a hot topic and shake the room, I’m the woman they call. Many of them have me on speed dial, why don’t you?