I used to think asking for help was a sign of weakness until a workshop in Austin

I was at a community workshop in Austin last year about starting a small business. The speaker asked us to write down our biggest roadblock, and I put 'finding customers'. She made us swap papers with a stranger and solve each other's problem. The guy who got my paper told me about a free local market event I never knew existed. I went to it the next month and got my first three paying clients. That simple swap showed me that asking the room can get you answers you'd never find alone. Has anyone else had a moment where asking a group question solved something you were stuck on for ages?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessicap8221d ago

Totally get that. Had a similar thing happen trying to fix my leaky kitchen sink. Posted in my neighborhood group and a retired plumber down the street came over with the exact weird washer I needed in ten minutes. What's something simple you got stuck on recently?

colethomas21d ago

Actually, my neighbor's a retired plumber too, but he's out of town. I ended up ordering that weird washer online and waiting three days.

derek_lee21d agoTop Commenter

That's such a good point, @jessicap82. I used to always try to figure out every little home fix myself first. But last week my shower head just would not stop dripping. I spent an hour trying to force the wrong size wrench on it and got nowhere. Finally asked my dad, and he had the right tool in his garage. It was done in two minutes. Made me realize asking for help isn't failing, it's just smart.