When business partners disagree

Have you ever watched a movie or TV whodunit? We are big fans of the old classics: Columbo, Elementary, Murder She Wrote, Perry Mason. Inevitably, you have an episode about business partners who had varied opinions, and one decides it isn't worth it anymore. Bye-bye, disagreeing guy! Our hero follows the bread crumbs, and the villainous cur tearfully admits why their good buddy had to go. 

The idea behind this hits home, and I find myself wondering how people without strong bonds don't strangle each other over money, ideas, and what direction they want the business to go.

If you haven't guessed, Rina and I recently had one of those debates. Back and forth, back and forth, until my son came in and played mediator. 

What happens when you have two (or more, Lord help them!) people with a dream join forces? Initially, everything is flowers and sunshine, excitement and energy.  Before you know it, you want your partner pushing up daisies, and you are exhausted. 

I'm kidding, except about being exhausted. 

I am a dreamer. I have big goals, and sometimes outlandish ideas. I am impulsive, and once I sink my teeth into a prospect, I am stubborn to a fault. 2026 brought on several ideas, and I pinched my nose and dove into the water without a second thought.  We aren't talking little free things. No, I had to look at another author's website and say, well, if he is doing those things, so should WE. 

To be fair, he makes 6 figures, so, you know, they must be good. (Please let them be good!) 

Rina is careful, thoughtful. She gets into a routine and slays, seriously. She has been doing the Authors In Grocery Store program for a little over a year now, and is their third salesman nationwide. NATIONWIDE. That is no joke. Last night alone, she sold almost 20 books. I know that doesn't sound like much, but considering we just did a brewery event and sold 1, 19 is amazing. Until you get a Netflix deal or go viral, I defy any author to sell that many books a day on Amazon or in person unless you are at an event. 

How do you go viral? I'm trying to crack that code. If I figure it out, I promise to tell you, and it won't be one of those "Join my classes for a billion bucks" things either. If I had a dollar for every author I see do that, I'd retire. You know why they do it? Because their books aren't selling, and they are taking advantage of new authors.  In case you can't tell, it ticks me off.  But I'm meandering off topic, aren't I?

When you have an impulsive member of the team and a careful one, no matter how close you are, you are going to clash. Rina wants to stick with what we know, Farmer's markets and close to home. I want to try Comic Con (If you read our last blog, you know I won that one) Travel, costs, risks. Everything that makes her skin crawl. I freak her out; her hesitation makes me crazy. If we were wealthy, none of that would matter, but we aren't. We scrape by. I work full-time, she books full-time. 

I whisk out numbers, point to statistics, and wave other success stories about like they are guarantees.  She pulls up the business bank account and reminds me we have $1.98. Who is right? It varies. 

The one thing I know is every time we have an event or meet up with other authors, they ask US what we are doing. Does that mean we are higher up on the "ladder" than they are? No, it just means I drag Rina into my hairbrained ideas, and sometimes things work. Last year, we sold thousands of books. Enough to buy more inventory, enter bigger shows, and pay our taxes. (Ug, that one really kills me. County, City. State, Federal, how in the hell do small businesses stay afloat? Licenses, fees, everyone wants a piece of our 15$ book, and man, there just isn't enough to go around! Especially when the bookstores we are in take 40%)

Dreams are expensive. Sigh. 

Rina and I agree on loving to write, wanting our books to be read, and knowing it takes a lot of hard work. 

The rest? Well, luckily, my son has valid points when he is telling us both to hush.