Will you be the one to freeze?

There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not we are in a recession and if we aren’t, will we be. How bad will it be? How long will it last??

Yes.. inflation has been crazy. I’m paying almost $6 for the cream that goes in my coffee! The world is still in turmoil.?

But…?

While I encourage you to be real about what’s going on around you, the questions you ask yourself will determine the quality of your answers and the action you take.?

The questions above aren’t the right ones to ask and if you're tuned into the media, I don’t care which outlet you listen to, remember they make money on your fear. Don’t let their doomsday warnings create hesitation in growing and expanding your business.?

Yes, we might be in or entering a recession. Things might get even more challenging than being locked down for 6 weeks at the beginning of Covid,?

And..?

This is not the time to freeze or focus on imminent failure. Instead, questions that may provide better answers and insight are:?

How can I serve my people more effectively?

How can I help them reduce fear? What objections will they have and how do I help them?

What channels have I meant to dive into that I could pursue now??

Where can I continue to build momentum?

How could I adjust or improve my offerings to serve more people??

It doesn’t matter if a recession comes or not. Change is going to happen. You may not be able to predict what the change is, but evaluating how you can improve and continuing to educate and invest in yourself will keep you in momentum. That is what will get you through even the most challenging times.?

You have the choice to let daily life over take you or be intentional about continuing to implement what you’ve learned.?

The Dalai Lama once said “The Point of Life is Happiness.”?

As you spend the last quarter of 2022 reflecting, planning, organizing or playing I hope you will also consider the following 3 perspectives as we wipe the slate clean and start anew.?

Expect the Unexpected: I learned this almost 2 decades ago while working for a high end caterer in Massachusetts. They were well established, had a process and a well thought out, organized checklist for everything. It didn’t matter how much we tried to anticipate what could go wrong. Stuff did. Food fell on the floor and had to be thrown out, trays of glassware were dropped, rental equipment didn’t show up.

It also didn’t matter what happened because the show had to go on… without the client knowing that we were struggling in the back. Everyone learned to think on their feet and pivot. We solved problems as fast as they could happen.? Plan A or B wasn’t working? Thank goodness there were a bunch more letters in the alphabet because we would use them all if we needed to.?

No matter whether 2022 is easy sailing or a bumpy path, your ability to be prepared with a plan that can move with you will be the key to your success. The unexpected will continue to occur. The more you're looking for it, the more you will be able to ride the wave of opportunity.?

Be a Servant Leader: When her business was closed this past spring due to quarantine, my Legacy Leader client, Betsy Westfall, didn’t let it stop her. Betsy doubled down on her reach out calls, checking in with current and past clients in addition to people in her network with no other purpose than finding out how they were doing and if they needed help with anything.?

In a world that already felt disconnected pre-covid, continuing to build meaningful relationships that contribute to the wellbeing of others creates reciprocity. In Betsy’s case she landed several new clients even though she couldn’t meet them in person initially.?

“Whether you think you can or not, you are right.” Henry Ford was right on the money with this one. I have two friends who are graphic designers and were both at the same place in their business and serving the same market.. Both were ready for expansion and scaling. They also had very different mindsets.?

When everything shut down and her business slowed a bit, Sam took the time to think through and establish her growth plan. She ended up growing her business into an agency, hired a team, took on much larger clients and doubled her revenue for the year. My other friend, concerned that since the unemployment rate was so high that no one would hire her, stopped doing lead generation. Her revenue shrank for the year.?

Regardless of what is happening there is always opportunity and if you believe you can make it happen, you will.?