Pivoting Your Business Means Leaning In (Even If Things Get Scrappy)

I spent the weekend in a conference with 2,000 entrepreneurs from around the world. Business owners like you and me, all of us trying to pivot our businesses to deliver products online. 

And before you panic, it was completely virtual. 😊

Initially, the event was due to take place in Orlando, but then we all went into lockdown. But that didn’t stop Jeff Walker and his Product Launch Formula Team. They knew this event was important to their customers—particularly given the current circumstances.

So they leaned in and delivered an entirely virtual event, in a time when most other events have been postponed or cancelled. 

The main stage looked like a situation room out of a thriller movie—a dark government bunker, located deep underground, filled with banks of monitors and a lone character orchestrating a covert mission. 

But it wasn’t.

It was Jeff and his PLF team leaning into the challenge of serving their customers... their community.

Instead of cancelling the event, they focussed all of their passion and energy on dropping into their target market and delivering a stellar virtual event. 

Sure, they must have been worried about the event going off without a hiccup (or two), of it being less than perfect. After all, not many of us have done this before.

But they decided to do it no matter how scrappy it looked...

Two thousand people spread across 10 Zoom rooms. Multiple breakout sessions and virtual lunches. Live streams from across the planet.

And guess what, it turned out a fantastic experience - even for the Australians and New Zealanders joining at 1, or 2 am.

So, why do I tell you this?

Well, there is a lot of talk about pivoting and resetting your business right now... about the ‘new normal’ and the post COVID world. And that is all great, but for that to happen, you have to lean in like never before.

While others cancelled, Jeff and his team, leaned in and served their market. They had no idea how well Zoom would hold up over this weekend. But they were determined to deliver. 

And so were the 2,000 business owners at the event. From artist to engineers, musicians to event organizers, entrepreneurs from around the world were there to figure out how to lean in and reset their businesses so that they can continue to serve their customers. 

And you need to do the same. 

We’re in a what Jim Collins refers to as a Stockdale moment—I’ve included a link to his video on the Stockdale Paradox in week’s edition of Autopilot.

Essentially what Jim is saying is that need to retain the faith that things will get better, but in the meantime as leaders, we need to face the brutal facts. Our lives and the way we do business is different—at least for a while and likely forever.

So your business needs to adapt to that change. Whether it is how you market your business, how you serve your customers, how you deliver your products or services, or whether you take your business online... it is time to lean in and reset your business.  

For most of us, change is difficult. We have to learn a whole new way of doing things, and we’re scared that what we deliver may be less than perfect... a bit scrappy even.  

Well let me tell you, Scrappy is the new Perfect!   

So, drop into your market, understand what it really needs right now... and into the future. Then lean into pivoting your business, like never before. And then keep leaning in.

We will prevail.

Have a great week!

For more insights into building a valuable business, check out:

• Your Business Battle Board
• How to overcome the fear of change
• Five Secrets to Growing Your Business
• How to build a valuable business you can sell at a premium
• The 9 changes that increased the value of my business the most

And be sure to subscribe to The Freedom Experience podcast for behind-the-scenes secrets on growing a business that can thrive without you.