Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Patrick Lee, Jr.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Patrick thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

A client of ours reached out in distress letting us know that their customer (who was 40% of their annual revenue) decided to try and abrogate their contract that still had two years left. Chesapeake Think Tank (CTT) pulled our staff off of all projects to concentrate solely on helping this client retain their customer. We immediately sprung into action to strategize a highly creative proposal which we turned around in less than 72 hours. Our client was beyond appreciative and the owner’s staff admitted that they would have not been able to accomplish what we did in the timeframe that we completed it. In the end, our efforts won their customer back.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have a very eclectic background. I am not an industry specific advisor, nor do I have a methodology that I follow at all costs. I’ve had a lot of education in multiple unrelated areas and I have education in organizational development and management. I believe that my experiences in a vast number of industries makes it easy for me to quickly come up with ways in which to approach and analyze issues. The constant being “if this doesn’t work, here’s another idea to try.” I am not stuck in the box of preconceived assumptions or methodologies. My process is to do whatever it will take to get a result that will benefit clients and the organization. I pride myself on innovation and I pride myself in not getting wrapped up in a one way approach to problem solving. I meet leadership and the organization based on where they/it are at that moment. All of our solutions are customized to the client and the specific challenge. I will start with a solution that seems to make the most sense based on the situation, but I am quick to move onto other options if the first one doesn’t give us the result we want. We can approach an issue with different solution sets. For example, one client I worked with ended up using productive workspace to pivot the business from potential collapse to achieving their best results ever. This meant rearranging the workspace and the environment people worked in and designing it to a certain level of professionalism, function and form to create team motivation. The changes shocked the business system back to life. It attracted the right type of people to be at that business and repelled those that couldn’t rise to the level of professionalism. Most folks would never have considered productive workspace to be the solution. I was happy they were open to consider things that were so out of the box. The client could have brought ten different consultants in and none of them would have come up with our solution.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I initially came to Maryland from Indiana to go to graduate school. I was studying for my Master of Arts in Management with a concentration in corporate management and business communications. I had an equine industry background, so I had reached out to a bunch of the stables and barns letting them know I was moving to the area and looking for a position. I ended up with a position at a horse barn that wasn’t a great fit, and it made me realize that I wanted to pivot away from the equestrian industry. I had been a curator of reptiles and amphibians at a museum, so I thought the next obvious move would be to become a veterinary assistant. Well, while I had a lot of experience with horses and exotics, I knew nothing about other animals. I had never even seen a cow in real life. You find out real quick that in veterinary medicine there are very few vets that deal with reptiles and amphibians. Basically, I was looking for a job in small animal medicine and knew nothing. I went into one particular interview and I had given my resume to the veterinarian who was also the owner. I knew quickly that the interview was not going anywhere. I knew we were just going through the motions until this owner thought enough time had passed for him to politely show me the door. He gets to the back page of my resume and notices that I have previous experience in construction. My father was a self taught carpenter and developer, and I had grown up in the business. I started at age 11 on a garbage crew and worked my way up to where I could pretty much build a house. This vet saw the opportunity to hire me at minimum wage as a veterinary assistant, but have me redo the hospital. All of a sudden this interview shifted in a completely different direction. I ended up working for this gentleman, because he wants me to redo his hospital, but when I’m not doing that, I was working as a vet assistant. This was my introduction to veterinary medicine, and from that there were multiple people I was introduced to who ended up playing a major role in my career. I founded the Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank, which started veterinary blood banking across the country, I worked in critical medicine and I was essentially a blood banking and hematology expert without ever getting a veterinary degree. It all started with some guy who thought he could save a few pennies in redoing his hospital. I always find that to be one of the funniest pivots, because it was accidental on all parts. My thinking was bad, his thinking was suspect, and yet it all added up to a career shift. It was all very impactful in the direction that my career went.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

A significant portion of my clientele is the result of word-of-mouth referrals, a testament to my strong reputation. Known for my directness, honesty, and empathy, qualities cultivated through my own entrepreneurial journey, I resonate well with business owners seeking guidance. They appreciate my ability to understand their challenges and provide support without pretense. Dubbed the “Business Owner Whisperer” by one client, I excel at communicating difficult truths in a manner that resonates with even the most skeptical individuals. This skill, honed across various sectors, has earned me the trust of clients who appreciate my forthrightness coupled with empathy. My diverse experience, spanning non-profits, politics, and businesses, has equipped me to handle challenging personalities with ease. Whether partnering with individuals others find difficult or providing candid advice to clients, my approach remains consistent: delivering truths in a manner that’s effective yet non-threatening. This blend of forthrightness and empathy has solidified my relationships with clients, ensuring mutual trust and success.

Contact Info:

• Website: chesapeakethinktank.com
• Instagram: @chesapeakethinktank
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChesapeakeThinkTank/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chesapeakethinktank/