Styled and Written by Tavia Sharp

A few months back, the co-founders of Synergy Squared, reached out to Karjaka and I for a Sharp Upgrade. They had just done a company rebrand complete with a new website, logo and messaging and they were now ready to create a cohesive personal brand image that matched their newly up-leveled company image. As the faces of the company, both Timm and Kevin are speaking on stages and being seen online and off as the go-to experts in their field and now they have an up-leveled image to support what they have created with their business. Let’s dive in!

Tavia: Hello, Timm and Kevin! I’m so excited to chat with you today and learn more about your CRM company, Synergy Squared. Tell us a bit about how you got started …

Timm: Kevin had his own coaching and consulting business and I had my own CRM business and right before the pandemic, we decided to merge into one in order to incorporate both of our skill sets. We decided to name it Synergy Squared because we truly believe in partnering with our clients. They are the expert at what they do and when you combine that with our expertise, we can create something that’s synergistically better than what they could ever do on their own. 

Tavia: And how long have you both been doing this?

Kevin: I have a background in coaching, consulting and strategic planning for over 30 years working with actors, parents and now business owners. 

Timm: I’ve been in CRM and Marketing automation for over 30 years right not long after the first CRM tool was invented. I’ve been running my own CRM company since 2013 and together we’ve had our business, Synergy Squared, for a little over one year now.

Tavia: Can you tell me a bit more about your process working with your clients?

Timm: We have 2 divisions in our company. One is for small businesses and solopreneurs where we put people together in cohorts of 15-25 and walk them through the process of implementing the platforms we work with. We started this during the pandemic to help support small businesses and to create something more affordable and accessible because we believe every business owner should have the systems in place in order to support their stand, their movement and their profits. It allows them to learn how to implement the systems and also provide a community supporting one another. Our second division is a concierge turn key approach for midsize companies where the process is a much more custom approach. We provide a solution based on their needs as well as hands on training on how to use the various solutions we provide while offering support and accountability built into each project. Everything is completely customized from start to finish. 

Tavia: What’s the #1 problem you help companies solve when it comes to CRM?

Kevin: The #1 thing we solve for businesses is automation. Most people contact us when they are in the expansion phase. They want more time, more money, and to expand while having systems in place to help free up their schedule so there’s more space for other things. We help centralize and focus their business so they have processes in place so things aren’t falling through the cracks. 

Tavia: What’s the most common mistake business owners make doing this on their own?

Timm: The most common pitfall is business owners who want to expand and think they can do it on their own. They don’t know what it is they don’t know. So they need the experts (us) to come in and help them get beyond that. 

Tavia: What’s a day in the life of Timm & Kevin like?

Timm: My typical day looks like getting up by 7am to walk the dogs then I’m at my desk by 8:30am. I’m a morning person so by 5 or 6pm, I’m already finishing up for the day.

Kevin: I’m up around 5:30am so I can take time for myself before helping our daughter get ready for school and then I spend time reading, journaling and meditating before I start my workday around 10am.

We time block our work days so we have set days of the week where we are performing specific tasks but we make sure to check in throughout the day. We work in separate home offices but during the week, we do occasionally have lunch together and check in there as well. 

Tavia: I would love for you to share a favorite client story or two!

Timm: One of our clients is a commercial real estate company where the brokers are more like independent business owners. The owner came to us because all of his reps and teams were doing their own thing with zero standardization. It created a lot of extra work, effort and focus. We came in and created a customized cloud based CRM with more mobility and tailored it for their business needs so now they can all log into the same system from anywhere. It was a game changer for them and it allows the owner to see everything from a high level with ease. Huge success!

Kevin: A solopreneur client of ours was using another CRM system which was confusing and complicated to use as well as very expensive. She is a fitness and wellness instructor who managed to pivot her entire business online using the system we created for her. Before she was limited to working with clients in one local area and now she works with clients all over the country. She embraced this and simultaneously, reinvented the way she does her business. She not only survived but thrived during the pandemic. She pushed it to the next level!

Tavia: Okay, so you help the C-suite to small business owners improve their sales and CRM systems so why do you think improving your image is just as important?

Timm: The reality of the world today is you are judged on what you look like, that’s just human nature. I wanted to feel that I looked as good as I know I am at what I do. I had not taken time to focus on my image before but with the pandemic, we are on a screen being recorded and people go back and watch it again and again. I think it’s important to look both professional and confident and feel that way too. 

Kevin: What is similar between what it is you do and what we do is we make it easier for them to enjoy what it is they really want to do. So when we get dressed, we don’t have to think about what we are wearing. Also, a big part of our marketing is speaking, being seen and being visible so we wanted our image to match what we were creating with the business. How we are being seen now is supporting the message we are sharing.

Tavia: Tell us about your free monthly open house for small business owners…

We run a monthly virtual call for small businesses and solopreneurs which gives them a chance to ask questions about automation and integration and we spotlight a particular application as well. A big part of the success of what we do is community so this gives business owners a chance to be relaxed, network and chat with us and it’s all completely free. It’s the first Thursday of every month. You can find out more info here: https://www.synergysquaredinc.com/openhouse