This summer, I was listening to a podcast (yes, sometimes that guy) … and the guru was discussing “Danger Zones” – typical points in our business evolution where we get stuck and how “what got us here, won’t get us there” – wherever “there” is. I identified with it. So, what did I do next? Pulled out my boombox, Top Gun soundtrack cassette, and went to the beach looking for a volleyball game. Not finding one, I went back to the office and started thinking about the entrepreneurial journey.
Like many of you, probably all of you, I didn’t go into business for myself to be trapped in my business – stuck behind a desk, being my own assistant, working 8 days a week – but … it happened anyway. So, you grind, try to get better, eventually work smarter not harder, and establish something. Some trials worked, some didn’t, but the business grows and evolves, and you get a taste of freedom along the way, and at that point you start seeing what and where “there” is and might be.
Currently, as a business, I would say that I am in my third danger zone – and it’s an important one – trying to move our business from a “well-oiled machine” to an “intelligent ecosystem” is how I am viewing it. All in an effort to create a better experience and stronger outcomes. Going through this is a real test, and one that is both exciting and frustrating, and success won’t be achieved overnight. Investments in the company, infrastructure, team, growth and coaching are all present and important aspects of eventual success.
Understanding this about my own business, had me thinking about you. Many of you we’ve worked with for 10 or more years. For some of you it’s been just a couple. But what is universally true is that none of your businesses are the same as the day we met. Many of you have had to make it through your own danger zones – dealing with uncertainty, rising to meet challenges, and continuing to prevail. In many cases, the business, and what you need from it, has changed significantly along the way.
The most joyful and inspiring part of our partnership with our clients is navigating this. Working with you through the ups and downs, pushing on the flywheel to get it moving, finding and capitalizing on opportunities that compound. It’s these moments and conversations that come out of the growth and changing nature of business where we feel the most connection with you and can create the most value. Ultimately, helping you build businesses that create greater freedom and a bigger future — fulfilling what the entrepreneurial journey was meant to be.