Last week, I wrote about the Sea Change Afoot…
And sure enough, this past week did NOT disappoint…
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The landmark anti-trust ruling came down hard against GOOG. Some are calling this “The End of the Google Era…”
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AMZN just announced an stunning e-comm partnership with TikTok Shops (BDNCE).
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And oh yeah, it’s been a wild ride in the crypto markets…
(Buckle up, because this is just the beginning.)
But the more important question is this:
In times of rapid change like this, how do we best navigate these choppy waters??
How do you keep your head on straight and the rudder steady in your business, when the storm clouds are coming in HOT??
Well, I’ll share a few thoughts to consider.
First, we have to remind ourselves that business and markets – (just like the natural world) operate in predictable cycles…
Like this photo from our farm illustrates this week:
Right now in mid-August, we’re just stepping into our peak summer harvest…
And the amount of veg the natural world is producing for us daily is overwhelming… Between the tomatoes, cukes, zukes, squash, potatoes, garlic, onion, shallots, beets, kale, chard, carrots, corn, not to mention raspberries, blackberries and early apples dropping…
We can hardly keep up.
But in a few short months, this season will be all but over. And we’ll be shifting into the next phase of the cycle.
This is the path to food resiliency.
And this is also how it works in business.
We have cycles:
Floods and droughts.
You go through DRY seasons when you wonder where your next client or deal is going to come. You know you need to do something different, but the choices in front of you can leave you feeling overwhelmed…
And then you go through WET seasons where the deal flow and client flow is like the “Red Bench of Neverending Veg”—so much coming your way that the sheer volume of options and opportunities leaves you feeling overwhelmed…
And herein lies the PATTERN…
The path to resilience, and the PATTERN to watch out for, is actually a variation on the same theme:
Feeling overwhelmed.
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In both phases of the cycle, it stems from what author Barry Schwartz famously describes in his TED Talk, The Paradox of Choice.
Which ChatGPT summarizes as the following:
“The paradox of choice is the idea that while more options can initially seem appealing, an abundance of choices can lead to anxiety, decision paralysis, and dissatisfaction.”
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I’ll give you a real-world example from this week to illustrate:
Right now, with everything happening in the world and with this Sea Change afoot – I’ve been approached by a few different businesses to serve as a strategic advisor…
BUT…
It’s been a minute since I’ve done this sort of thing. I’m not quite sure how many businesses I want to work with. And I’m still deciding what type of structure I want to consider…
So, I wrote a public post asking for ADVICE.
And very quickly, the post EXPLODED with over 150+ comments from a whole bunch of very smart people offering all sorts of different perspectives.
(BTW – SUPER valuable post. The comments alone are worth reading.)
BUT…
As helpful as that feedback has been… Not to mention the dozen different conversations I’ve had since making that post…
What I’m finding is that no two people structure advisory deals like this in the exact same way…
And the menu of options…
The number of possibilities…
Is a LOT.
Enter…
The Paradox of Choice.
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So what’s the solution??
Well, in times of transition and decision…
The LAST thing you want is a dozen different conflicting voices shouting in your ear.
At some point you simply have to ask yourself:
Who do you believe in?
Who do you trust?
And when the water gets choppy…
And things get tough…
Who will you turn to for advice?
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Until next week,
Ryan :-)
P.S. It’s my Birthday on Monday. And for my birthday this year, I’d love to ask you for a small personal favor…
Would do me the honor of answering one single question for me:
“What is the one thing you believe I do better or differently than any other thought leader or business advisor you follow?”
If my work – now or any time in the past – has ever had an impact on you…
It would mean the absolute world to me if you would SHOOT ME AN EMAIL to let me know…
Thank you so much!
