Hey friend,
You ever feel like you’re doing all this damn work — being generous, teaching what you know, doing right by people — and wonder if any of it really lands? If anyone’s even paying attention?
Evidence That People Notice
This week, I got three unexpected emails that reminded me: People are paying attention. Even if they don’t say it right away. And even if you’re too busy getting your hands dirty to notice.
Planting Seeds Pays Off: Real-Life Examples
✅ One email came as a notification that I’ve earned two commissions from people who read my blog about hiring a virtual assistant. I didn’t push the idea. I just shared what worked for me, linked the service I used, and moved on. BOOM! Two people signed up using my link. That meant a few bucks for me, sure. But way more than that, it meant they trusted my word. And in today’s world? Trust is worth more than any referral fee. Mic drop. Let’s move on.
✅ Another email came from Candice — a one-time consult client from last year. One Zoom meeting. A handful of tips. No follow-up. She wrote this week to tell me it was the spark that changed her business. New contracts. New partnerships. Even a whole new brand. It was a turning point for her. That’s how the domino effect works, my friend. You throw a stone, and the ripple travels far.
✅ And then… a totally unexpected one. From Mike, a fellow installer. We hadn’t spoken to each other in a long time. Our work relationship had fizzled out. No drama, just drift. But he reached out. Took ownership. Apologized. Said he’d been carrying the weight of letting the connection go. He said, “If I want to grow — not just in business, but as a person — I need to make things right.” That takes guts. And heart. And it was a gut check for me: how we leave things, how we reconnect, all of it matters. A lot.
These emails hit differently. And they all pointed to the same lesson:
People are listening and watching you. Whether you are aware of it or not. And trust isn’t built in big moments — it’s built in small ones. In the details.
Like…
1. Referring a colleague or installer you actually believe in — not just the cheapest or the one who’s available.
2. Leaving a job cleaner than you found it — because your name’s on that window, even if no one’s home.
3. Checking in with a client weeks later — not because it’s in your CRM, but because it’s the right thing to do.
4. Sharing what you know with the new guy or girl in your company — even if it feels like no one’s watching, even if it feels like nobody cares.
5. And yeah, owning it when you drop the ball — because respect? That’s born in honesty, not pretending you’re perfect.
Leading By Example as Window Treatment Installers
So here’s the deal:
If you’re playing the long game — building a business based on quality, character, and consistency — keep going strong. Keep fighting the good fight.
Even when:
- The phones aren’t ringing
- The compliments aren’t coming
- The growth feels slow
- Someone’s listening. Someone’s watching. And someone will circle back one day to thank you. To say: ‘You showed me the way.’
You don’t need to be flashy. You just need to be real.
So ask yourself today: Where can you lead quietly? Who could use a nudge from your experience? What ripple are you creating right now that you won’t see turn into a wave until later?
Because you might forget that install, that consult, that unsolicited advice — but the other person? They might remember it for years. That’s the real payoff.
Keep showing up. Keep building. Keep Trading Up.
Roger Magalhaes
Founder of Shades In Place & Trading Up Consulting
