Kirsten Larson: Okay, so my name is Kirsten Larson, I’m with fullmoon digital, and we just wanted to get in touch with some people that we consider to be influencers or influential and get your take on the world, we’re living in today and what’s happening in business and how to cope with it and go forward and bring some positivity to the situation.
So I hope you’re doing well right now, with everything and staying healthy and happy. And can you just introduce yourself and give me a little bit background about who you are and your company and where you come from.
The man, the myth: Thomas Bosilevac
Thomas Bosilevac: I am Thomas Bosilevac and one founder of mash metrics, we are an agency specializing and exclusive and dealing with the definition implementation analysis and reporting of digital is data if you will. And I, lease. I’ve been doing this specifically or had my own business for the last three years, but I’ve been working in the industry for about 15 few years before that.
Thomas Bosilevac: Just it helping produce websites and a design from development and that a little bit. But yeah, there’s a little bit about me, and sure you’ll get on with the questions.
Kirsten Larson: Yeah, so you clearly already have a little bit of background being remote and now everyone’s joining the club as being Remote already. I know that’s a big change for a lot of people, but has anything changed for you and your company specifically during this whole cover 19 situation?
Thomas Bosilevac: Sure, so yeah, a little history on that. I will say that I have actually worked remote probably more than I’ve actually parted and an office through a myriad of positions from just as a general independent contractor where the office might be within the same city, to complete international contract and in position remotely.
Thomas Bosilevac: So it’s him now watching the rest of the world. And I can… One one is to, I guess, my little world, right, I, I’m always trying to fight for video and try to fight for more interaction when there’s a room of four others that are all kinda chatting amongst themselves. And my face is the Polycom under desk.
Thomas Bosilevac: So now we’re in the other side, where everyone’s just kind of getting used to the video, and what not. And almost kind of self-conscious about that, when all along, they’ve been staring at each other in person, and that’s been okay and unconscious about being the voice on the phone, so… So I’m glad to see… Zoom stock rise, that’s for sure. A lot of people have undertaken that and all the other tools it’s certainly an adjustment, it’s certainly an adjustment both and I wanna say not just from a remote working standpoint.
Thomas Bosilevac: But I wanna say specifically from a remote management standpoint and there really two completely different challenges when I’m working as a capacity of just working on a project remotely versus trying to manage my team before others trying to manage the culture, trying to manage the company trying to manage the bad times, everything when this is all we’ve ever had with the video. I’ve actually only met one of my team members in person, so… Yeah, so yeah, that’s kind of test quickly in general. All I feel how I feel about it.
Kirsten Larson: Yeah, no, that is interesting that you bring that up. I actually haven’t met most of my team any of my teammates either, but it felt like we know each other very well, but you mentioned managing a team, remotely and I think there are a lot of leaders that are now going to be forced into that situation and they’ve been able to be face-to-face or they may even prefer it. What do you say to those people that
might be struggling or trying to take steps in to being a good leader in this new remote situation?
Thomas Bosilevac: First on take a deep breath.
I took… It’s much different. You’ve always kind of been able to rely upon your peers, being right there to ask that quick question.
Thomas Bosilevac: And you know they’re there, they’re sitting right in front of you, or you haven’t really thought twice about just collaborating on a quick project or going into the client room or just all of those things or you stop you for just…
Kirsten Larson: I’m sorry to interrupt, this is part of rework I don’t know I’m gonna leave this in this video, or not, but my son is tapping on my shoulder, I now and I told him what I do on Owens interact, that IÂ alone come on, anybody come on and I’d say we put them in on this, the…I am gonna be a one in the goth in A… So I use it in a year like this was really more… So they’re all… Hey, can you finish my video? The optician so okay, thank you. can go back to the movie, apology.
Thomas Bosilevac: Oh, a. do not, do not apologize for family, I will say.
Thomas Bosilevac: So here’s another thing I have met, and this is actually very touching to me, I have met more of my team, and clients kids, spouses dogs, that’s right in one. And I’ve always kind of brought just life to business ’cause I’m a geek like that and I just like that and it’s good to see that just happen naturally now. And what are you gonna do? They’re now working remote now too, we are all literally working remotely. So, hope don’t mind me in famous due. I know your advocate, famous, the one saying…
Kirsten Larson: Okay, so, thank you. So yeah, I mean I would like parent-ly Ross because that’s like What are a month something sprayed in the eyes? okay. Go get enough on an ebook, a man and I never would have dreamed about going to school in LA, to James, right?
Thomas Bosilevac: I know as living life in the fast but… Well, dinosaur P-J-S-there at okay, they’re in… But as someone that really as part of our culture at mathematics is I hire really passionate people that quite honestly, it’s almost unfair because they work over time, because they’re passionate about what they do, and they’re learning new things or learning about big query or something, like that, but I’m starting to understand why because it’s starting to bring in the family, and just how they are and… But what
their work life is like and it’s just kind of cool, it’s kinda human and I guess it’s pretty awesome that they have the content. Okay, I just want to watch it’ll be good for the views it’ll be good for the news that thing.
Thomas Bosilevac: Oh, I get a little to Puerto it on the other side, so I just… So gosh, so it’s not fair though. We’ve introduced ourselves, but you have an introduced your son so if you’re gonna be in the film, you got introduced yourself, it’s just gonna push yourself right in there, and I know this call I call on. And what do you do for a full moon digital?
Kirsten Larson: You’re in first grade, home. He is a a-son teepee he’s my assistant right the east.
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, I might have to be working on that. Productivity has an assisted in the bed, but alright, yeah. And so, man, this is real remote. And I was on a call with somebody else and I heard their kid right now. I mean, this is also quarantine promote. But their child was on the phone saying all this cute stuff and I just, I’m like, I adore. Can all relate, right now especially, yeah, yeah, families and other responsibilities, and everything, but I feel that that has always been one of the fears of working remote is almost on both sides, honestly, again as a manager and as a perfectionist, and being in the client services world, you want that video to go on seamlessly. You relate, I’m not there.
So you go over and beyond and if there’s even a shadow in the distance or I’ll even say it heaven for a bit, your lovely child come in a year we’re like, “Oh my, oh, my well guess what, world, all this is our world, this is how we live. And I think since we’ve all been smacked into this, I think it kind of is kind of a big weight off of our shoulders.
Thomas Bosilevac: Now, it’s like, Okay, I was on the phone with the CMO of a pretty large organization. And this kid comes you know he comes running by and it… Yeah, it is. So like you would never… Three weeks ago, I would have never thought that his child would be running by in a meeting that I had liked planned for a week. Right, to or exactly, I go, “I’m not gonna let anything go around here. Yeah, so I think I maybe do that in… Maybe we should start re-adjusting what wrong is this is, is just fine as long as we’re working.
Kirsten Larson: Yeah, no, that’s a really good point. Something that I think a lot of people can relate to right now. So with that being said, has anything changed for you being on a quarantine?
Thomas Bosilevac: Definitely more personally than work side. I would say we definitely had that luxury if we were remote before we’re literally all in different countries, so we’re remote, is remote gets the work adjustment has been more adjusting to others and testing to working remotely a… But personally, is the same as everyone. It was literally a three-hour deal, ’cause I needed to get flour and eggs and by the time… An hour later when I got in the grocery store, obviously, I got a little bit more and put a little bit back, ’cause then I found myself, okay, and playing into the game.
Kirsten Larson: Yeah, and on the other hand, there’s no one on the streets, and it’s just… I can’t help it, think it’s consul and that is likely insensitive and I apologize, but I luckily has not hit me personally.
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, and that’s gonna be the hard part. So that’s gonna be the art part. Yeah, I, I… And right now it’s still in an isolation and current and a working remote plan, but I think eventually this is gonna start touching families, and that’s good altogether, it that changes from a
different work environment in just a different time. So yes, I got deep there, I did.Â
Kirsten Larson: The next thing I was gonna ask you is, is there anything that you are nervous about the comet or professionally, either way?
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, I hope we keep taking it as seriously as we have to. That’s what I worry that we let our Dar down, it’s gonna probably show sin a stability. So that doesn’t mean that if that’s gonna be that it’s over and already we hear about the beaches were still full and this and that and it’s like, we…
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, I just hope we keep, we keep doing this for all it’s probably longer than maybe we think we need to. And then the second is, afterwards, we really remember it, right? I mean, there’s some really, some deep stuff to remember about this and deep deep stuff and I hope we remember that he… Okay, you made your start date. But yeah, he’s like… This is a lot to be on this time.
Yeah, so I gotta use a psychologist, or a… Alright, so a lot of companies have had to make even bigger adjustments than to even just take everything remote, and have had to start laying people off.Â
Kirsten Larson: Do you have any words of hope or advice to people who have been laid off during this?
Words of hope for all to live by
Thomas Bosilevac: Wow, and yeah, no, yes, no, I’ll take it from the cold. Hard capitalist point of view, or I’m an entrepreneur and I thank my lucky stars that I am in an industry that for the most part is gonna stay in business affected that we’re staying in business, and I think about those entrepreneurs, the business owners of restaurants service industry that has to show now, they have no choice, there’s no…
Thomas Bosilevac: And when you think about just your bottom line and the dollars and cents, and that becomes a fact, just a peer fact that was not there three weeks. It’s a fact that in order to save everyone’s job, you have to… Now you can call it fellow layoff germinate whatever it might be, is speech with the…
I think we all see a light at the end of this and we see restaurants trying to do… Take out and delivery and like always… We see people trying to survive and get through the best, but there is certainly carnage in the way.
Thomas Bosilevac: My advice is, really, I guess take this opportunity to do all of those things that… Life, never let us before spend time with our family from the very positive from the very negative catch-up on a Netflix series but seriously, we live a really rush life. I think that’s kinda dig in on all of us.
Thomas Bosilevac: And I guess maybe we just need to slow down, but honestly I really have… No, this isn’t… I mean, you did everything right, I mean as a business and you’re doing everything right, and this is what’s happening. So, gosh, I don’t know, you can clip this out babe but I don’t, I really don’t. That’s the sad part is, the carnage. It’s leaving behind for good, just solid businesses that will again, likely pick up a ride.
Thomas Bosilevac: But what do you do, what do you do, what do you do? Yeah, no, I mean it’s honest and it’s hard. It’s unprecedented time, so we… I know I intentionally don’t sponsoring it, but it’s for everybody. They’re trying to do a take-out Tuesday, so go take out all your local restaurant or your local whatever, and take out the in your community.
Kirsten Larson: No, that’s a really good one. So do you think that this remote like is going to transfer over? ’cause you said that you really like being remote at this point. And do you think this is gonna transfer over into afterwards?
Thomas Bosilevac: It’s gonna be so efficient. So we’ll get back into that remote management or I think it’s gonna be all up to that. I heard today,
what I was waiting for, and that was our boss just asked us to have soon on all day, so that they could watch that, make sure we’re working that have what?
So, okay, all day.
Thomas Bosilevac: So that they could make sure that they’re working. And so here’s my answer to your question. The longer this goes on, the more I think, remote world will sure up if this is a short three-week or
deal what needs to happen, is that management needs to go in all those people that basically managed by basically their own ordeal and they tap you on the shoulder when they wanted something done. Or he would call a meeting for everyone to show up, because they hadn’t read emails and everything.
Thomas Bosilevac: That mentality of why remote work is not successful, if that needs to change
in A… And then I think, remote work will be acceptable but it is those kinds of re-movement or those managers now that… And lonely there, it’s not one that it’s those managers that have never been for remote work and that would never have allowed it before and that no matter what, have to
just see that person there because for them they define that as success, or work.
Thomas Bosilevac: What’s gonna happen is successful companies, the ones that have been doing this for a while that have defined success in successful KPI ways. No, I… This person works 40 hours a week, but this person gets our projects done that I have planned out and things are going well.
They’re gonna try and they’re gonna be like this work really well. It’s even works better, this is awesome.
Thomas Bosilevac: Well, let’s do this three days a week, so I…I don’t think they’re just gonna be like, “Okay no more office anymore, but certainly gonna open up that possibility. But the bad managers Neely, and I thought this for a while, that companies are not anti-remote managers, or I entire about, I see it and the… Yeah, and at a stuff, it’s tough. I’ve got a plan, I’ve got a plan ahead of how I’m gonna speak to my team and what projects need to happen and what time, we’re gonna do things and all that stuff. It’s not, but it’s worth it.
Kirsten Larson: Yeah, no, that makes sense. And it comes from a place of fear, that people are afraid that maybe someone’s not working or whatever, you just have to hire the people that you can truly trust. So are there ways that our companies and ourselves can give back to the communities in this time of need? And if so, what would be your favorite?
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, I think on if there’s ever a better time to shop locally right? ’cause I guarantee if you start taking up the phone leave a voice message. Business owners will call you back if you say, “Hey I’m looking for X, Y, Z, like you’re closed they’ll figure out a way to make that sale right now, so don’t let that logo back for your just general stores just general retail stores that you would normally do things I like the whole take-out from your local restaurants, theones that you like they’re certainly hurting for business, most of them are open for take-out and…
Or delivery. And you know, I’d say Take out tiger as a chance to get in near car and still be isolated, but very similar to take out a medical advice by the way. So who knows?
Thomas Bosilevac: I’m using a credit a but yeah, again, not medical advice. I think isolation, certainly, means “let’s decrease the amount of people that we get close to and all that kind of thing, but I’m not so sure. It means don’t leave our apartments or homes, or places we gotta go for a jog, or what not. I take those opportunities to the ten, get some take-out, but yeah, call upon those local businesses really, if you know the business owner or entrepreneur or anybody called them of this it’s on get anything done. They’re available never needed to. Erica is nine fix.
Now, it’s a great time to probably do you do that a hotspots that we’ve been holding off on, it’s a good time to dive in yeah, yeah, if you don’t have a mask, but on to seven layers around your mouth, go to Home Depot and get started.
Kirsten Larson: Its Home Depot essential. I don’t know, maybe you see it, so I… No, it’s not, it’s not… And well, speaking of which, do you have a passion project that you’re working on right now?
Thomas Bosilevac: In my business, in the one that is my passion project, I have to say I’ve not had the time to pick up from a give back in a situation that, what you met from a passion project for this or deal or even a around the house project, I don’t know.
Thomas Bosilevac: Oh no, again, that’s the thing. It hasn’t really roped my world from what I do. I like to be a day in planning process. My fiance, she works for Sharp Healthcare, and I can’t really work from home very… So we’re all still kind of marching, marching along, so no extra passion projects right now is for keeping my employees employed.
Kirsten Larson: Alright, so do you have a suggestion on a way to stay connected while social distancing?
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, these virtual happy hours, is corn as they may sound. What’s the alternative, I see we do IT board games. Go to Toby right now on of people are buying board games and playing those around and cards gives humanity and those comments of fun stuff.Â
Again, I think being is fine. We think that we’re really close with our cell phones and all of that. Maybe this is when we really find that out and really having real conversations where we have to talk… ’cause our virtual happy hours, and that’s it, it’s just the five of us talking or whatever it might be.
Kirsten Larson: And I hear that, I know I’ve been reaching out to my friends and just jam it on the phone just more.
Thomas Bosilevac: That’s the only comforting thing. The week in apps.
Kirsten Larson: No, that makes sense. I’ve been hearing about the virtual happy hours, and I think it’s a great idea.
Thomas Bosilevac: I have a week I’m old school, IÂ been gettin’ activity. If you can find one good pros right now. No, I was looking, I’m knocking a lot. I was looking on Amazon, I went and I looked and they’re all sold out like that.
Kirsten Larson: Everyone has that same idea, so… So I have, Okay, looking so there’s so many different conversations going on it, it’s people are scared, some people are making jokes, and it’s really a fine line to walk, to stay somewhat sensitive but also to be enjoying our lives the best we can. And we’re going through all of this.
I wanna know your thoughts on company messaging and how to keep some sensitivity through company messaging during this time, ’cause it may be different than how you make the… Or when a sitting out at other times.
Kirsten Larson: And I wish that I could provide the reference to this, but just through one of my scrolls on LinkedIn, I read someone was like… This is when a mission statement really comes out and your mission statement was about money. You’re in deep trouble.
Thomas Bosilevac: Because I think if your marketing has always been sales, sales sell then yeah, that’s probably a pretty difficult corporate messaging right now, but if you were one to really be one with your customers and wanna communicate with your customers and understand what their challenges were so you can figure out what the solutions were, and doing all that, then my Lord, you’ve got a really easy and to just send on an email, one of the best emails and I got… And I, you guys do an okay over there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah and sure, you might have sent like 40 of those kind of, you know, but he sent 40 of those, and he wasn’t… That’s just fine, I replied and I like things for in Laban that’s the kind of corporate messaging that I think we need right now. is be there for you, or customs right? I eat it’s gonna be hard to close this court. A bear discloses.
Thomas Bosilevac: We’re about, what, six days away, now from the quarter. And I’m pretty sure that there is probably a little bit of humility from sales managers around the nation, but I think the best close right now or corporate communications is communicating with your customer.I think going to some of the hot spot industries, I think it is gonna be as if it weren’t already. Marketing automation is gonna be massive, “we’re gonna have to it, our customers and very personalized messages after this.
Because right now it may be very like one-to-want or one to few but you’ve got to scale that because then it’s gonna be even more people’s expectations, but I think that’s the way to do it. We think our customers rethink your customers what they’re thinking right now, how you think you can help and if you can’t theorist, I mean not everybody probably is in the right position right now.
Thomas Bosilevac: Restaurant equipment, sales, that’s a tough one, but prepare for your future ’cause obviously we’re gonna come out of this and then think of that for your customers, they’re gonna be open. How can you help with kind of to Tori were there things that your customers were always so busy that they could never get to that you always wish they kinda did start communicating about those things?
Now is a good time for spring cleaning and those kinds of things, but it’s not that it wasn’t before, but I think messaging has to be benefit benefit to the customer that’s… Or It enactment benefits the… Yeah, it’s tough to close right now. I’ll just say that it’s tough to close, but build those relationships.
Thomas Bosilevac: I got like a social media ad. We don’t necessarily write them to close and make sure that they buy on that session is to build that engagement, build up awareness do that stuff and you’ll be fine.
Kirsten Larson: That makes lot of sense. And it is a big, big time for building relationships, which is pretty ironic for social distancing. Has been huge for building relationships, which is really interesting filling I guess you could say. So part of the people that are watching us and who stuck it out to kids coming and leaving and everything. How can people continue the conversation with you? Where can they go to find you to have more deep discussions or relation?
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, and please do. I’ve got some experience in this whole remote thing, and I certainly encourage from the management standpoint, it’s I understand the challenge at a 10 person team and Mario agency where we were all there physically in the office to now having it remotely. There’s some pros and cons. I’d love to discuss those more end up. You can reach me at Thomas at mash metrics dot com if you wanna be marketing to, you can go to mash metric stock on the website too.
Kirsten Larson: But I certainly a great time to look at your data, I’m sure you already are from that perspective, but yeah, no that makes sense. And, just to close this out, if there’s anything that you’d like to add and also is there an inspiring message that you wanna share with everyone watching right now?
Thomas Bosilevac: I think the silver lining, certainly lot ticket as this goes on, and not to be intensive of those that are suffering and will be suffering that’s going to get bigger and bigger. It sounds so cliche. So I don’t think anyone else knows what to say. We’re truly an unprecedented times from here.
We say that in… We say that kind of thing, when we go through violence or war but those things have happened, we are kind of sometimes gone through or at least seen those things. This is no one knows what’s coming in at the end of this. The fear of losing your own. Well, they’re talking about No one’s Los under home that year or the reality that you lost their job.
Thomas Bosilevac: Well, they are not. Luckily there might be programs out of this, but I just, I have to hope that there is… There’s no given greatness at the end of this, if we can all persevere and I think we’re already see, frankly, it’s not much when I look out, I went down right now.
But when you go through social media, when you go through just there is a lot of that spending more time with family and slowing down and appreciating those things that maybe we didn’t before, and I’m seeing just a lot more of that then a lot of fear, so much. I think that… So I do back in tines and I, the one I initiative.
Thomas Bosilevac: Yeah, I think it’s how people are coming together more than just getting anxious and nervous, but we will see more and more as this goes on. So, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, thank you for chatting today and thank you for your patients. And being flexible with me. The use of the IT-related in a gospel. We use it.
Kirsten Larson: I see there’s more and more… But yeah, I love to just close out and anyone can go reach out to you directly. So it was great speaking to you. Thank you.Â
Check out more of our Lockdown series at https://fullmoondigital.com/blog/
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