There’s More Value in What You’ve Built Than You May Realize

I love talking with people about what they’re building. I ask questions, hear their stories, and usually start thinking about possibilities before the conversation is over. They’ll mention something almost in passing, and I’ll think, “Wait. There’s something there.”

It might be a relationship, an experience, or a way of doing things they’ve developed over the years. It’s so familiar to them that they don’t think much of it. But someone else could find it incredibly valuable.

That came up in a recent conversation with Kim Orlando on our podcast, She Buys In. We were talking about being seen when you’d rather hide, and Kim shared that she’d questioned whether she had anything worth saying when she was invited to speak to a class.She hadn’t sold her company for billions of dollars. What did she have to offer?

As someone who knows Kim and has worked with her, my reaction was pretty immediate: a lot. She’s built a business, brought people together, developed partnerships, and navigated changes she couldn’t have anticipated. There are people who would love to learn from that experience, especially while they’re in the middle of building something themselves.

I think this happens to a lot of accomplished people. They’re so focused on where they want to go that they overlook what they’ve already built.

Who would find this useful?

That’s one of the questions I’m asking when I look at someone’s business. What do you know that other people ask you about? What have you figured out through experience? What relationships or ideas have you put aside because you haven’t had time to do anything with them? And who would find those things valuable? That last question matters. It gives us somewhere to go.

Maybe your experience would make a great presentation for an industry group. Maybe there’s a story that would help prospective clients understand your approach. Maybe a relationship could become a partnership if someone took the time to develop it. Those are the possibilities that get me excited. I want to look at what’s there, figure out where it could lead, and help build something from it.

Four people walked into your store

During the episode, I shared something I still think about from growing my own business.

I had a private Facebook group, and I remember saying to someone I was working with, “Only four people joined today.” He asked me, “If four people walked into your store, wouldn’t you be thrilled?” Well, yes. I would. It’s funny how quickly a number on a screen can lose its connection to actual people.

I think about that when I look at content and visibility. Who is watching? Who is responding? Is there someone there who could become a client, introduce you to a partner, or invite you into a conversation you want to be part of?

I want to understand what that attention could make possible. That helps us decide where to put our energy next.

This is where my mind goes

When someone tells me about a speaking invitation, I wonder what could happen beyond the event. Could it lead to an ongoing relationship? Is there a bigger topic to develop? Could we create something useful for that audience? When someone has a great story, I start thinking about how to tell it and where it belongs. Sometimes that’s a film. Sometimes it’s a series of conversations, a media opportunity, or a partnership.

And then I want to help bring it to life. I like being part of the work that turns a promising idea into something people can actually see, experience, and respond to. That’s what I’m building through Hallie Hudson Communications.

The people and organizations I want to work with have already created something valuable. My job is to help them see what else is possible with it, then design and build the right next step.

If you’ve been thinking, “There’s more we could be doing with this,” Reach out, I’d love to hear about it.