"Work destroys your soul by stealthily invading your brain during the hours not officially spent working." - Nassim Taleb
Unless I am on vacation, the thought of work doesn’t enter my head. Last week, however, I found myself consumed by thoughts of this newsletter. It was as if my brain was reminding me of something important that I had momentarily set aside. So here I am, embarking on a new week, ready to resume writing.
Last week, while not writing, I dedicated my time to redesigning the website for Harry’s Room. Carefully considering the needs of my readers, I sought to create a user-friendly experience that would make navigating the site a breeze. Though I was no stranger to website design, having spent my preteen days tinkering with HTML codes for MySpace, the landscape has evolved considerably since then. Design is all about the end user and with this in mind, I meticulously curated the typography, color scheme, and layout of my website to ensure a seamless browsing experience.
During the redesign process, an unexpected opportunity presented itself. They were looking for an interior designer to help on a project for a small church. The person who reached out on my website was named Jesus. I immediately called him with the phone number he left with the inquiry.
On the other side of the line, I heard the phone ring a few times before someone answered. I waited for them to speak and then introduced myself, saying, “Hi, this is Harry.”
“Hi,” the person on the other end responded.
At this point, I took the lead in the conversation. “I received a message on my website that you were looking for an interior designer.”
“Yeah,” the other person replied.
To confirm I was speaking with the right person, I asked, “Is this Jesus?”
“Yeah,” came the confirmation.
Once I confirmed they were the ones who submitted the inquiry, I moved away from yes/no questions to gather more information on the project. “Can you tell me more about the project?”
“It’s a small church. The church does a design once a year,” they explained.
Finally, a response beyond 'yeah'. “There’s a space in the ceiling where they have bins stored in, and they have a curtain infront to hide the clutter,” they added.
With this information, I concluded that they were seeking organization assistance for the space. They offered to send over pictures, saying, “I can send you some pictures.”
I then informed them of my consultation fee and asked, “Is there a time next week you’d like me to come look at the space?”
Hesitant to give a direct answer, they replied, “I need to talk with the lady in charge; we’re currently gathering pricing for interior designers in the area.”
After this, I explained my consultation process and politely ended the phone call.
I am eagerly anticipating the possibility of collaborating with Jesus and his team!
Check out my redesigned website in the link below!
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