Business Partners Answer Difficult Questions

🤔 Are you interested in discovering a no BS insight into what it’s like working with a business partner or family member?

😕 In this video and transcription, Dan and Lloyd (Co-Founders) ask and answer questions they’ve never discussed before. Neither of them know what the other will ask before reading it on camera.

👇 From, “Do you think you work harder than me?”, to, “When we struggle to communicate, do you honestly think it’s me being sh*t at talking, or you being sh*t at listening?” It get’s deep and there are lots of laughs.

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Transcript

00:00 – 00:47 Intro 

00:48 – 01:27 What Is The Best Thing About Working With Dan?

Lloyd:  Just a normal question

Dan:  You picked the one positive one

Lloyd:  He’s far more motivated and driven than I am. I take a lot more-

Dan:  You’d be shit if I left.

Lloyd:  I actually do think I would be.

Dan: No you wouldn’t!

Lloyd: I would!

Dan: Have you prepared this answer in your head?

Lloyd: No, why?

Dan: Because that sounded really well-articulated. 

Lloyd: No, you’re just so brilliant

Lloyd: It’s just so easy to come up with these answers. 

Dan: Right. 

01:28 – 02:52 What Annoying Habits Does Lloyd Have That Dan Would Change?

Dan: One thing that’s quite annoying, and maybe this is just my perception of you, but you sometimes kind of think of the negative things in a situation, and it’s all doom and gloom, whereas I always try and think of the solution. Or I’d like to think- You may say something different, but you’re always quite- Something happens with a client or with whatever, it’s kind of like, “Oh my god, that’s terrible!” And I’m like, “Cool, what can we do to make this a really good thing for us?”

Lloyd:  Yeah.

Dan: Did you say that’s right about me?

Lloyd: I can see why it’s perceived as being negative, but I would always think, “What are the problems we need to overcome?” 

Dan: Hmm.

Lloyd:  So we need to know what the problems are-

Dan: Okay.

Lloyd: To find the solutions. So I focus on the problems, and then- whereas I think sometimes you move ahead just saying, “It’s all gonna be fine!”

Lloyd: But we have to address what’s not fine otherwise it won’t be.

Lloyd:  I do do that.

Dan: Other annoying habits- can I tell you a bit more?

Lloyd: Yeah.

Dan: Other annoying habits-

Lloyd: We’ll be here all day. 

Dan: I think- Just one more then. When you can tell that you probably haven’t had enough sleep and you’re tired, you’re really short-tempered and just horrible to be around. This is what I’d say maybe once a week for five minutes, or you know. 

Lloyd: I have absolutely no defence for that. 

Lloyd: That is a hundred percent true. 

02:53 – 03:13 What Is The One Thing About Dan He Could Improve To Be A Better Business Partner?

Dan: I’m genuinely excited to hear his answer. 

Lloyd: Oh, I’ve got to think of just one.

Lloyd: That’s the challenge. No, the one thing I think Dan could improve is listening. 

Dan: Carry on.

Lloyd: “Carry on, I’m listening!” 

03:14 – 03:36 What Advice Would You Give Other Business Partners To Keep A Healthy Relationship?

Lloyd: Great question. 

Lloyd: I think the big picture needs to be aligned- what you’re actually aiming for. But the path you take to get there and the day to day decisions, I think it’s fine that you don’t always agree. 

03:49 – 04:35 Is Lloyd Concerned About How The Amount Dan Spends In Pret A Manger Affects Our Profits?

Dan: Right, so just an insight to this- Lloyd does a lot of our-

Lloyd: This is deep.

Dan: Accounts on zero. He sees the company card, what gets spent. I don’t do any of that, so he can just spank what he wants on to company card-

Lloyd: Dan does the spending. I go through it and oh.

Dan: No, I think I’m very fair with what I spend on the company card. 

Lloyd: That’s good that you think that. 

Dan: What you’re spanking on the company card- I always take the mick out of him, because he’s- I just call him the ‘Tap Meister’. Tap, tap, tap with the contactless card. Like when we go to events and you get drunk and then buy random women drinks for their birthdays.

Lloyd: One time.

04:36 – 05:09 Does Dan Think Lloyd Should Be More Active On Social Media?

Dan: Oh, good question. If it didn’t have a negative impact on anything else, yes, but my real answer is no, I don’t think you should because I think you’re already investing time in doing other really important stuff. And if you started to reduce that, and just post more stuff on social or your own personal accounts, that kind of thing, I think it would have a detrimental effect. That’s my honest answer.

Lloyd: Yep, I’m spending time on other things in the business and they’re-

Dan: You’re spending time watching Facebook videos and stuff.

Lloyd: Yeah, much more important. YouTube videos maybe.

05:10 – 06:04 What Would Lloyd Do With The Business If Dan Died?

Lloyd: Just a bit of lighthearted fun from KPS Digital Marketing. 

Lloyd: If I’m honest, I’m not-

Dan: It would be better.

Lloyd: Yeah. If I’m honest, I mean, profits would go through the roof.

Lloyd: I’m not an emotionally very strong person, so I think it would probably affect me quite badly, So I’m not sure. I think I’d probably have to have quite a long break from business. And then I have no idea, because I think our business works so well because of the different strengths we have. If I didn’t have your side, then-

Dan: Yeah.

Lloyd: The business wouldn’t work within the format it is at the moment so my anwswer would be, “No bloody idea, I hope that doesn’t happen”.

Dan: Horrible question. 

Lloyd: Horrible question. 

06:05 – 07:16 Who Does Dan Think Works Harder?

Dan: I know why you’ve asked this, ’cause I’ve always-

Lloyd: Worked harder?

Dan: No, no. I work more hours, I would say. You can do more good stuff in less time, which I know sounds stupid. I think I’m not naturally talented-

Lloyd: In anything.

Dan: No, at, like, this. So I do have to put more hours in. And stuff that I sometimes take a day to do, you would probably do in less time.

Lloyd: Sometimes, me being able to do things quicker and certain things coming more naturally to me is a negative thing. Because I think, “Oh, loads of time to do that.”

Lloyd: By the way, just to clarify, the clock doesn’t turn five and I go, “Right, fuck this, do it later.”

Lloyd: Everyone thinks I’m locked in the office, Dan locked me in working or-

Dan: Someone messaged me the other day, I can’t remember who it was, saying, “Do you lock Lloyd in a cupboard?” No, no, in a shed.

Lloyd: Yeah, yeah, I got tweeted that the other day.

Dan: Yeah, I’m like, “What?”

Lloyd: And I was at home with my feet up, thinking, “No.” And Dan was locked in the office

07:17 – 07:40 What Is The Shittest Thing About Working With Dan?

Lloyd: Again, there’s just so much I could say. It’s really hard to just narrow it down. It’s the listening thing. Which again, I have to admit, there’s got to be some of it on my side. This whole communication thing. But-

Dan: Communication’s a one way thing no? 

Lloyd: Yeah.

07:41 – 08:04 Has Dan Ever Thought About Doing Something Else?

Dan: We’ll both cross that hurdle when it comes to it, but I don’t feel like- we’re nowhere near where we want to be with this business first. So it’s kind of like, you start focusing on all those other things, then it’s like you’re spreading yourself too thin, so I’m fully focused on this. Yeah, for the next. . . 2030 maybe. 

Lloyd: For the next 2030! 

08:05 – 09:04 How Does Lloyd Feel About Dan Getting The Credit For The Business’ Success?

Lloyd: Dan is very much more the face of the business and Dan speaks at more events and represents our business. But because of that, oh, see, I’m locked away in a cupboard working hard, and when we produce good stuff and do good work for clients and stuff, a lot of time people will say, “Well done, Dan!”

Lloyd: The funniest part is when it’s like, if it’s been- 

Dan: It’s hilarious!

Lloyd: Oh see, I work on more on the video side of things, so sometimes- Like if it’s been a project where it’s just video production, Dan probably-

Dan: And I haven’t done much. 

Lloyd: Dan helped with the strategy side-

Dan: A bit of creative direction. 

Lloyd: The first ten to twenty percent. And then I did all the rest of the work. And then we post it and go, “Oh, great! Great video for this client!” And then people comment, “Great work, Dan! Bloody brilliant! Well done, Dan!”

Lloyd:  My hundred percent honest answer is it doesn’t bother me at all. Good work, Dan!

09:05 – 09:36 When We Struggle To Communicate, Does Dan Honestly Think It’s Lloyd Being Shit At Talking Or Dan Being Shit At Listening?

Lloyd: Wow, this has come up again!

Dan: This is interesting. I’ve been thinking it’s both. I reckon you think that it’s mainly me being shit at listening. And I know you think that.

Lloyd: Previously, I one hundred percent thought it was just Dan being shit at listening. And in the last month or two, I’ve realised that it is a bit of both-

09:37 – 09:40 Has Lloyd Ever Thought About Stopping Being A Business Partner With Dan?

Lloyd: No.

09:41 – 10:03 Does Lloyd Think Dan Thinks He is Better Than Him?

Lloyd: In business, I think you do think you are better than me slightly, because I think you are.

Dan: I’ll take that. That’s interesting. 

Lloyd: Can I go back to my cupboard now? 

10:03 – 11:25 What Does Dan Find Hardest About Working With Lloyd?

Dan: I think it’s just the couple of things that I’ve mentioned already, which are me thinking you have a negative outlook on some things when I would look positively.

Lloyd: No I don’t. 

Dan: Sometimes you being moany when you haven’t had enough sleep. But I mean, if that’s really the hardest thing, we’ve got a blooming good partnership, I think. 

Lloyd: Yeah.

Lloyd: Dan never listens, and I need to sleep more and be more positive. So I’m off for a nap!

Dan: He’s laughing at himself over there!

Lloyd: Well, I was really laughing at myself over there. I didn’t go for a nap.

Dan: I looked over and he was just in hysterics.

Lloyd: Oh, brilliant. What would you do without me as a business partner? 

Dan: You find yourself so funny, but I find you so funny as well. 

Lloyd: So that probably means I’m really funny.

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