Jason Steed
Owner & CEO
Shared Ownership, Opening New Doors for Targa
This epic signing moment says it all: Strategy Supercharged! After several years of inspiring leadership she has brought to Targa, it was an easy decision for me to offer Taleen the opportunity to become a business partner. I’m honored that she accepted her new role to help enrich Targa’s value. I’ll share a few milestones that this joint venture brings to our team and our clients.
Partnering Up to Tackle Growing Pains
Targa is growing up, and it’s exciting to trust the process. Bringing on a business partner was a critical step for me in meeting client expectations and growing our business. Though I consider myself conservatively minded, there’s something exhilarating about the unpredictable process of business growth. My wife Heather and I had worked hard to make ends meet for several years. Previous business startups left us licking wounds and digging deep for solutions to a sustainable career. Our ups and downs built the foundation for slow and steady growth. Our relationships with community and friends built the engine for our brand and partnerships ahead.Since I founded Targa in 2002, I’ve made it a point to surround myself with positive, abundance-minded people. I’ve always believed that you don’t have to look far for people with enormous potential and talent. Taleen joined Targa in 2016, and from day one, her abundance-minded people-first approach has helped to propel the brand that builds long-term client relationships and draws great creative talent to our firm. We coincidentally forged friendships much earlier than 2016 in our community theater world, but that’s a fun blog for another day ;-]
“From day one, Taleen’s abundance-minded people-first approach has helped to propel the brand that builds long-term client relationships and draws great creative talent to our firm”
Common Goals and Unique Strengths
I often make the claim that I’m not the one to write a book on successful entrepreneurship. The steps that brought me to where I am today feel very much out of the norm. But maybe the exceptions to the norm are exactly what defines an entrepreneur. Taleen and I have very different skill sets, but we share the same vision for what success looks like in every creative project. Each marketing task requires human connection. We share the weight of digging deep when crafting a creative brief and asking meaningful questions. Multiplied by several tasks in a day, this is often a heavy burden to bear. Taleen’s willingness to help lift that load has brought an unmatched depth of value to our business, helping me to shoulder a deeper level of core responsibilities. Moreover, Taleen’s help with core business processes has helped me to restore valuable time to Heather and our children, community and church, health, and other balanced pursuits.What Shared Ownership Means to Our Clients
- New Ideas: Investing in our business foundations brings new ideas and leadership to our clients.
- Broader Skillset: Tackling problems from different life experiences means more tools and tactics for our clients
- New Client Bonds: Our shared baseline for putting people first makes for longer-lasting client connections.
- More Life Balance: Our ability to divvy out weighty responsibilities makes for better life balance and rich collective energies.
- Growing Together: We discover and broaden new marketing ideas alongside our clients.
What Shared Ownership Means to our Team
- Leadership Diversity: Each of us benefits from diverse leadership styles, offering more ways to grow and learn.
- Skill Enhancement: Taleen knows the predictable input/output of systems — a vital balance to my right-brained less analytic wiring — in turn, broadening the team’s expertise.
- Increased Support: Taleen leads out in the essentials of day-to-day efficiencies.
- Professional Growth: We invest in each other, keeping personal and professional development in the top position.
- Strengthened Team Bonds: Taleen’s people-first approach enhances team cohesion and morale.
What’s Your Partnership Story?
Have you brought on 1 or more business partners in your space? I’d love to hear what factors felt right in your business for adding a partner or expanding your company structure. I’m very much of the mind that it’s better to own some of something than all of nothing. ;-] May you embrace the changes and find rewards in taking on the required risks!