I like the tides

I’ve always liked the tides. 

Tides make things new and fresh again. I love that about the ocean. 

Business can be the same at times. I’ve found that the ebb and flow of a business can be very healthy. It keeps things fresh, new and exhilarating. 

That can be very good for a company but challenging as well. 

Sometimes you need that change to really inspect what’s working and what isn’t. It helps to reveal who’s carrying the load and who isn’t. Who’s vital and who isn’t. 

At the same time, having the changes and challenges keeps you sharp, invigorated and ready to lean in to improve the company in every way you can. 

“ Some are never satisfied, some could never be brought so low. And others thumb their noses at adversity and roll up their sleeves.” — Ross Poldark  

Certainly change in the form of people coming and going or different directions with a business can feel overwhelming but you have to look for the opportunities in everything. How can you use it to excel? How can you use it to get better? 

Don’t kid yourself for a second, the greatest companies on the planet have faced incredible adversity. Incredible challenges. But they’ve persisted and used those changes as opportunities to improve, refine, persevere and carve out their future. 

I’m listening to an audiobook right now called “To Pixar and Beyond” and it’s incredible to hear Lawrence Levy talk about the struggles at Pixar. It took something like 16 years before they put out anything that could be turned into a business model. 

It was only around 1995 that it put out Toy Story and then fast forward to 2006 (11 years later..) and they sold to Disney for $7.4 billion dollars. But in 1994, there was almost no business model to speak of and nothing to scale. A 21 year run. 

Stay focused on your vision. Embrace the tides and continue to do great work.  

— Robert

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