We were lucky to catch up with Dave Shrein recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dave, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I spent years working in the non-profit world. I connected with the mission and the family first attitude that leaders professed. Shortly into my time I realized that what was being projected to our team, particularly the family first value, was not being lived out. It was family first for the leaders but the rank and file had to finish last minute projects — often on days off — before they got to spend time with their family. And then I was fired… and the best reason I could determine was the leaders didn’t like me anymore.

I decided that I would create my own business where family supported work and work supported family. I wanted to run a company that showed up daily to make life better for clients and teammates at the same time. Not just for me — but for everyone. I also wanted to create an environment where people would be recognized for their small contributions over time — not just the big contributions here and there. I wanted people to know they were appreciated, that what they did mattered, and that they were playing by the same rules as leadership.

Finally, on a personal note, I started my business because I never wanted one person’s affection for me to control my financial situation. I knew I brought value to the table — and even if someone didn’t like me, I was still effective. So I started my own business where I got to choose the people I worked with and if it didn’t work out in the long run, I could choose how to ethically end the relationship, not abruptly.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

People are talented and the internet has given anyone and every one willing to learn an outlet to share their talents with the world… and get paid.

For many, they succeed without even needing the internet. They succeed at marketing themselves coincidentally. They didn’t manufacture their first $100k, $500k, or $1mil… it just kinda happened. The problem becomes that they can’t manufacture growth and that’s where we come in.

The Blocks Agency operates off of a proven online business blueprint that depicts for customers how online marketing works, how it will work for them, and what happens when someone enters their online marketing machine. To get customers up and running with their online marketing manufacturing machine, we take them through a process we affectionately call “The Pathway”.

The Pathway to success starts with having a strong brand (mission, vision, values, and visuals) as well as a proven product. The companies that succeed long term are the ones who can identify their brand and product along with having a passion for their industry and deep knowledge of their industry.

Once they have their brand and product ready to go, there is a series of steps they can take to create a strong presence online and a funnel for reaching their customers. In the end, you have a machine that prepares your customers to purchase every time you make an irresistible offer.

We teach the employees of small businesses how this process works and then help each person identify their role in the process.

The work our clients do, it matters. So many of our clients are investing in results they may never see… and they know it. Because their work matters, our work matters. We are also investing in an outcome that we may never see… we have faith that our work creating content will create transformational change in the lives of other people… creating a more preferred outcome in the world.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the most difficult seasons of my life both personally and professionally was 2021. It was a year where I had constant change in my business and managing that change was exhausting.

The year 2020 difficult for so many, having to move their entire operation online — but for The Blocks Agency… online is what we do and thus the need to change was minimal.

In 2021 we had 3 core individuals move on to other opportunities and suddenly the change I saw others having to manage in 2020 became my reality in 2021.

It was stressful and tiring.

Being someone who is diagnosed with clinical depression, change like this is not as easy to navigate as might be for someone else more balanced. And so I become dependent upon relationships and favorite activities to help me navigate.

When your mind begins to tell you lies like, “You’re not good enough. Who would ever want to work with you? You’re a failure and everyone else is succeeding,” it resonates as truth to the person with mental health conditions. And it resonated as truth with me.

Knowing that these tricks are lies, I leverage the support system I have built around myself by calling friends and confiding my weaknesses in them. And during one such call I said, “I had contemplated giving up,” to which my friend of 15 years said, “That doesn’t sound like you. Dave, you’re one of the most resilient people I’ve ever known.”

He was right. It isn’t me. And that is why I count on my friends and family to remind me of my resilience.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When starting your online business you’ll hear so many gurus, experts, and professionals say “You have to pick a niche” and they’re right! You do.

But what they don’t say is, “And if that niche doesn’t work out, you can pivot.”

This was a hard lesson to learn.

Five years into my business I was frustrated because I saw other people who started at the same time as I did finally find ‘their thing’ that grew like crazy. I was still struggling to find ‘my thing’ and felt like I should be further.

But that’s why you need to know pivoting is a valid option.

Today, I’ve made quite a few pivots, each one helping me get closer to finding that big wave. Every effort to find the big wave in the past was a learning experience and has prepared our team for when the big wave comes. And so we take what we’ve learned about marketing, clients, and ourselves and apply it to our next effort.

It’s frustrating feeling like you’re starting over but liberating to know that you have the freedom to start over because of the success you’ve already experienced.

As one wave dissipates and you return to the beach, you have to force yourself to look further out to find the next wave and be willing to move locations if you don’t like what you see… it takes a lot to make that move… but it is worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theblocksagency.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/welikeblocks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welikeblocks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/welikeblocks