Mark Havenner with Renovata

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity radio.

Stone Payton: [00:00:15] Welcome to the High Vvelocity Radio show, where we celebrate top performers producing better results in less time. Stone Payton here with you this afternoon. What a marvelous conversation you are in store for here. Please join me in welcoming to the broadcast with Renovata, Mr. Mark Havenner. How are you, man?

Mark Havenner: [00:00:36] I’m doing. I’m doing swell, as the kids say. I’m doing great.

Stone Payton: [00:00:40] Well, it’s a delight to have you on the show. I got a ton of questions. I know we won’t get to them all, but maybe a good place to start would be to have you articulate for us Mission, purpose. What are what are you and your team really out there trying to do for folks, man?

Mark Havenner: [00:00:58] We we work with business leaders in particular, but businesses in general and organizations about getting them a better position in the marketplace and the way things are these days. A lot of the tactics and strategies that PR and marketing professionals have used over the years are just falling flat. And we believe that’s because audiences and customers and clients and even vendors and partners and everybody in the world has has infinite amount of choices on who they can work with or who they can consume with. And so they tend to go after people that share values or that have a sense of purpose and vision. And so we try to unpack that with business leaders so that they can they can shine, be a beacon of their industry and resonate with people that share their vision.

Stone Payton: [00:01:49] Well, you make such a good point about the the venues available to us to to have conversation and try to reach out to to people. I guess you’ve seen a lot of change in that regard and probably have some pretty definitive opinions about what works, what doesn’t, and maybe even why, huh?

Mark Havenner: [00:02:11] Yeah, it was I was in an integrated marketing PR firm for a lot of years and I started noticing, even at the executive level, just things were not working the same way anymore. And this was before the pandemic even. And I started realizing that a lot of these a lot of these marketing and PR strategies are built on antiquated mindset mindsets. And and we have a situation where we are we’re in a world with infinite possibilities, with without geographical boundaries, and we’re still using 20th century tools and strategies. And so, yeah, I found a lot of things weren’t working and we had to, we had a really disrupt it and look at other things that do work.

Stone Payton: [00:02:54] So in your work, do you find that some organizations and some leaders are just, I don’t know a better way to say it, just more resilient, tougher in that regard than others?

Mark Havenner: [00:03:11] Yeah. I think that resiliency is isn’t necessarily tied to the quality of a person or an organization. It’s really tied into whether what your sense of purpose is. Because if you have a good, clear defined sense of purpose and a vision that’s laid out, then then a lot of the things that get other people down don’t affect you. Let’s say social media blows up at you for some reason. If you’re content and your purpose and your vision, then that’s not going to bother you. And if you’re in a world of uncertainty like we are, really, you need that foundation to to be resilient.

Stone Payton: [00:03:48] Now, why do you suppose or maybe this isn’t your observation? I’m making an assumption here, but my observation is that that even if an organization, an individual starts out with crystal clear sense of purpose, it can get diluted, it can get lost in the translation. It’s a why do you think it’s so tough to to hold on to and reinforce as the organization builds, or is that your experience at all?

Mark Havenner: [00:04:15] Yeah, I think that is my experience. And the reason that the biggest reason I see this happen is because business leaders fall into the trap of running their organization and running their business, and they become managers and they become business operators and they stop becoming they stop being leaders. And what that means is, instead of working on the business or working in it, and so they are just trapped by the minutia of day to day. You have to rise up beyond that. You have to get managers in place that you trust that they can run the organization that way. You have the bandwidth and the freedom to pursue vision, which is really a business development activity and not really an operational one.

Stone Payton: [00:04:58] So I got to know, man, what is the back story? How in the world did you find yourself in this line of work?

Mark Havenner: [00:05:05] I got disillusioned, man. I was I was working. I was working with clients, and I wasn’t moving the needle for them. And I was feeling guilty about it. And I was seeing a lot of turnover and I was seeing clients after client just churned through this agency. And it was wasn’t the agency I mean, the people were really good in. I realized that it’s because we were we were we were doing things that didn’t actually help their business and their bottom line. And the reason we were doing that was because we were taken in by the strategy that the client laid out. And that strategy was not built on purpose, vision or anything else. It was just built on things like profit, revenue, margin and all the things you need to keep the doors open on your business. But when you take it to another level, everything changes. And you can’t really do that with a business partner if you are in an agency role. So I had to break out of that mindset altogether and start working with companies in a much more integrated way so I could help them deliver on their promise. And that’s that’s how I ended up there. I just I just I was sick of things not working.

Stone Payton: [00:06:12] So are you finding that you are gravitating to certain types of companies or industry sectors, or is there any kind of definitive characteristics of, I don’t know, call it your tribe, I guess the folks you’re attracted to and seem to be attracted to, to you and your work?

Mark Havenner: [00:06:30] Yeah, definitely do feel the attraction towards businesses that that that have a vision but also that aren’t commoditized what they’re doing. What I mean by that is it doesn’t really matter what sector you’re in. I have actually a wide range of sectors that I work with, but is that your service or your product isn’t just a service or product, it is something that in some way benefits the world, benefits the community, benefits customers beyond just a commodity. And that’s because it’s really hard to, let’s say, if you’re dealing with something like as mundane as a product that goes into a grocery store, like a food product or something, I mean, you can just be a food product or you can be a food product with a mission that’s actually trying to accomplish something in people’s lives. I would rather work with the latter. So I do get I do attract to I am attracted to companies and organizations that really feel a little more meaningful than ones that are just cranking things out for no reason except money.

Stone Payton: [00:07:29] So you and I had a chance to visit briefly by phone. I don’t know. It’s probably been several weeks now and I heard it then and I hear it in your voice now, and I know our listeners do too. You clearly are having a good time. You’re enjoying your work. What what are you finding the most rewarding about the work at this point in your practice?

Mark Havenner: [00:07:51] I think that I find when when my work is actually having an impact, I get excited about it. There are few things I hate worse than doing something for no reason or doing something that doesn’t move the needle for anybody. I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to waste my time. I don’t want to waste clients time. And this approach to business allows me to really see an impact every day. Like I know that the things I’m focusing on are actually going to achieve business goals, and that’s just a great place to be. I feel. I feel like I’m actually accomplishing something in a day.

Stone Payton: [00:08:25] So how does the whole sales and marketing thing work for a guy like you, a practice like yours? And I’m asking because you’re arena strikes me from one perspective of being kind of crowded. I mean, how do you have to get out there and shake the trees like the rest of us? Or have you cracked the code in some other way?

Mark Havenner: [00:08:47] Well, I wish I had the secret code. That would be wonderful. But I do believe I have a successful approach, and that’s I don’t focus as much as on on on acquisition or on a sales pipeline as most I think companies and organizations do. I’m more interested in cultivating a strong long term relationship with my existing clients and by an airport. So you’re hearing some rattling, people are taking off. But but anyway, I really am interested in cultivating relationships and being integrated in their business so that it can have a meaningful impact. So I might not have a huge pipeline, but I have very strong tenured clients that stay with me. And that approach of of just doing the right work with the right people means that instead of chasing clients that they come to me. I’m much more of a male attract people that are like minded and business just kind of happens naturally as a result. I think that the years of acquisition and paying for that and years of having a very regimented sales pipeline, it’s just too costly these days to do that. You really have to build up your platform so that you become much more visible and you become a larger part of the conversation so that people come to you rather than you chasing them.

Stone Payton: [00:10:05] Well and doing good work and as you put it, doing the right work with the right people. That’s that’s a pretty strong sales tool. Just doing great work. Right.

Mark Havenner: [00:10:14] Well, your pools can be much smaller, so you don’t have to compete as much. You know, you just show up. That’s a much better place to be than having to outrace everybody.

Stone Payton: [00:10:24] So have you had the benefit of one or more mentors throughout your career and specifically in this kind of second chapter of yours to help you navigate some of this new terrain?

Mark Havenner: [00:10:41] You’d be surprised. Yes, the answer is yes. You’d be surprised who. I’m actually learning far more from the younger generations than I am from more experienced ones, and in particular Gen Z and some of the business leaders that I work with and have the opportunity to work with, they are they are a phenomenal force of nature. And the reason is simple is because they’ve grown up and lived and existed entirely in a world of uncertainty. For them, this is their natural habitat. And I believe that business leaders have a lot to learn from this young generation. They’re already starting businesses, they’re already making waves in the workplace, and I’m learning a great deal from them on places like TikTok. And and it’s just amazing where where the mentors are. The roles have flipped.

Stone Payton: [00:11:29] So let’s talk about the work a little bit. I’m particularly interested in what takes place early in the engagement cycle, but can you kind of walk us through at least the front end of the process when you begin to to start working with with a new client?

Mark Havenner: [00:11:46] And I think this is true what most people in my role. But there really needs to be a period of immersion with the client, fully understand not only what their business is, but what their business goals are. And in fact, I think that more partners and consultants could spend more time on business goals to make sure they understand really what what the business leader is trying to accomplish. And once once that’s clear, then then we find the reason why, you know, first of all, why do you have these goals? Secondly, why do you have this business right? Why are you doing this? And the reason can’t be profit margin, all of those things. I mean, that’s just that’s a given. Why? Why? Above and beyond that. And the reason can’t be about the business or the business leader either. It needs to be about something that they’re trying to fix a problem in the industry with their clients, their partners, their with their community, with their world. Whatever it is, the reason needs to be external. And once we’ve identified that and we understand that that reason is an authentic one, it’s a meaningful one. It’s one that they actually are built to fulfill, then we can create all of the messaging and sales material that go along with propelling that.

Stone Payton: [00:12:58] So I’m sure every situation is unique. There have to be so many idiosyncrasies in your work, and I suspect that you’ve been at it long enough now. You’ve probably come across some pretty consistent patterns where you may not say it out loud, but when you’re initially working with a with a new company, you’re like, yeah, to your at least to yourself, Yeah, I’ve seen this before. Are there some like common mistakes that maybe some of us could just maybe we could reduce the friction and shrink the timeline and just avoid them altogether when it comes to to some of the tactical aspects of what you’re helping your clients do.

Mark Havenner: [00:13:37] Yeah, there are there are common mistakes. I think that one of the big ones is just trying to be everything to everyone. Hmm. I think almost every company can better target their audience and not just in a practical marketing way. Certainly in finding the demographics and the psychographics that work with their product. But but just in the values that you have and the people that you’re that you want to work with. I mean, as a consultant, even working with people that are like minded is way more important than getting a paycheck. So I will turn down business if we’re not aligned. And I think that more companies should do that because then it’s less of a grind. Now you have synergy and that true with the consumer too. If you’re if you’re if you’re trying to reach audiences that could care less about your product or that are completely the wrong generation, then you’re wasting time and money, you know? I think so many companies say, Well, my audience is the world. And it’s not. It’s not. It’s somebody in particular. And really identifying who that person is is is critical.

Stone Payton: [00:14:43] So where do you go? And I don’t necessarily mean a physical place, but when when you’re running a little bit, when it takes running a little bit low and you need to recharge, where do you go for inspiration to kind of get refueled and ready for the next challenge in opportunity? How do you get your inspiration?

Mark Havenner: [00:15:05] I can answer this in two ways. Just on the day to day, I try to force myself to have 30 minutes with no inputs, and that usually means just going out into the backyard with a cup of coffee and just sitting without the phone, without anything but my thoughts. I think that’s a good idea as a reset because I tend to find clarity of thought. I tend to find problems solved just by sitting there. So I do that on a daily basis. On a weekly basis. Critically important for me to get outside. And so I live by the ocean, so I do paddleboarding or I go to the beach and things like that and just, just completely unplug, get next to the water. And I guess in both cases, the places I find inspiration are silence just being myself and my thoughts. And I really thrive on that.

Stone Payton: [00:16:00] So now that you’ve made all of us insanely jealous about living so close to the to this, I would love to to leave our listeners and candidly myself with a couple of actionable items. I’ll call them Pro Tips. Just a number one pro tip gang is is reach out and have a conversation with Mark or start to tap into his work. But maybe a couple of things we could be reading about, learning about thinking about just so that we can kind of get on on the right track with with some of these topics. Any counsel you’d have on that front would be would be fantastic.

Mark Havenner: [00:16:37] Yeah, I think what the easy thing to do, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but is that relates to all of this is just to write down everything that you do in a day as you do it, and just keep a list throughout the entire day. And at the end of the day, look at that list and go through each item and decide, is this actually helping me achieve my goal? And if it’s not, you need to decide where that task can go. If somebody should do it instead of you, or if it should be rejected altogether. Having that self reflection on a daily basis puts you in the right mindset of really just focusing on the right thing.

Stone Payton: [00:17:15] Well, I’m really glad I asked. I think I’m going to take a swing at that. I got to confess, I haven’t been doing that, But it sounds like it could be well, it could be a little sobering.

Mark Havenner: [00:17:25] But yes, it is. And you do it if you do it frequently enough, you find out you never should stop doing it. It is so hard. You get lost in the weeds.

Stone Payton: [00:17:34] All right, man, Let’s make sure that our listeners do have a way. Let’s make it easy for them to connect, to tap into your to your work, whatever you think is appropriate. Linkedin, email, website. I just want to make it easy as we can for them to to reach out and connect and be able to access some of this thought leadership.

Mark Havenner: [00:17:55] I think the best place to reach me is on LinkedIn and just look for me. Mark Haven and Mark have an E, R, and my website is Nevada Vision and you can find me there as well.

Stone Payton: [00:18:07] Well, Mark, it has been an absolute pleasure having you on the show this afternoon. Thank you for investing the time and the energy to share your perspective and your insight. You’re you’re clearly doing important work and we we sure appreciate you, man.

Mark Havenner: [00:18:24] I appreciate you. Thank you so much.

Stone Payton: [00:18:26] My pleasure. All right. Until next time, this is Stone Payton for our guest today with Reno, Nevada, Mr. Mark Hainer and everyone here at the Business Radio X family saying we’ll see you in the fast lane.