Why an Ever Changing Business is Actually a Good Thing

That’s what one of my colleagues said recently when I told her about the newest business idea I was working on. I laughed, and felt a little silly for just a moment.

But then I realized that it’s true; I am always up to something.

In fact, I still remember a conversation I had with my first business coach, years ago, when she called me a “serial entrepreneur”.

A what? I asked her. “You like creating things and trying out new ideas,” she said, “so you’re always going to be creating different businesses and trying out different things.”

Are you a serial entrepreneur?

At the time, I’d been running a full time counseling practice for well over a decade, but I’d never thought of myself as an “entrepreneur” of any kind, serial or otherwise!

Today, I get it. And she was right.

Today I understand that my business ideas and interests evolve over time, just as I do.

If you’re just getting started, you may not see this yet in your own life. But if you stay with it for any length of time, your business will evolve too in ways that will often surprise you.

Here’s just a taste of how things have changed over the past 20 years or so for me.

  • Starting with a solo counseling office, I soon developed a group practice where I could support women being in business for themselves.
  • Then, I focused on teens, with an emphasis on parenting groups, workshops and speaking.
  • Somewhere along the way, I became a certified mediator and built a small divorce mediation practice in addition to my counseling work.
  • Then, after a stint in public office, I created Secret Adventures for Courageous Women, leading small groups out for a day of fun, confidence-building adventures.
  • And eventually, that developed into what is now the Courage Academy, where I coach and mentor entrepreneurs into building their own confidence as they grow their business.

And there’s more.

I don’t know. Maybe I’m just one of those people who can never be satisfied.

But I don’t think so.

In fact, every one of those evolutions made perfect sense given who I was at the time. I loved every one of those changes, learned through them all, and have no regrets about any of it.

And here’s the cool part.

There actually IS a thread that runs through it all.

In every business I’ve created, I’ve offered some way for people to explore, express and experience who they really were, what they really wanted, and what they could really do.

And I’m still doing that today.

So the form may change, but the message really doesn’t. That’s core to who I am, and really, to my brand.

So why am I sharing this with you?

Because your business, too, is a constantly evolving process that mirrors your personal growth and development.

Because your business, too, may change over the years as you develop new interests and new desires.

And because you, too, will have a thread that runs through everything you do.

Look for that thread.

It will be there, even if it’s a fine thing that’s hard to see. Notice the things that are true for you no matter what you’re doing or what “crazy” idea you’re chasing today.

In time, you’ll begin to notice that thread showing up in your marketing copy, in the way you talk to your customers, and certainly in the programs and services you offer.

Because it’s your brand, eventually, it may even show up in your logo. :)

In recent months, I’ve followed that thread for myself. It’s been a fascinating process and I can’t wait to share it with you over the coming weeks.

More than ever before, I can see that everything I’ve done has led me to where I am. And more than ever before, I know what it is that I offer those I serve.

How about you?

What has led you to this place and time? Where is your business calling you to go next? How are you – and your brand – evolving?

Or is this just me? :)


Photo Credit: Mike Russell on Flickr

 

 
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