Here on the farm, looking out at the morning mist… As the summer begins to give way to fall… As the days become shorter and the nights become cooler…
I’ve been reflecting on this idea:
That all businesses go through seasons…
In fact, earlier this week on the heels of The Great Sea Change Town Hall I recently hosted, I wrote about The Cycle of Death & Rebirth in Your Business.
I wrote about the fact that as entrepreneurs and creators…
If we look to nature as our guide (as I often do here on the farm…)
We quickly discover that the Cycle of Death & Rebirth is NATURAL.
* You see it in the pastures…
* You see it in the gardens…
* You see it in the orchards…
* You see it in the forest…
Even our own bodies go through that same cycle:
The cells in our own body go through a cycle of Death & Rebirth known as Apoptosis (from a Greek word meaning “falling off,” as leaves from a tree) such that, every seven years at a CELLULAR level, we essentially become an entirely NEW person…
Cycles are natural…
Seasons are natural…
And yet, there are certain natural seasons of life and business that tend to make us afraid, that we shy away from for all sorts of different reasons…
Our mind might be tricked into thinking they might be permanent.
That they might be forever.
Think:
Eternal Winter vs. Endless Summer.
There are other phrases that speak to our deepest, darkest fears. Cultural reflections that can consume our collective imagination.
Think phrases like:
Winter is coming.
The idea of seasons – and the weight they can carry – plays a pivotal role in our lives.
So what’s this got to do with YOU and your business?
And even more importantly, with what’s happening in the digital world right now??
Well, with The Great Sea Change that we are in the middle of (which I’ve written about extensively over the last few months) I believe two things:
#1: The digital marketing playbook from the last decade is obsolete. We are in the middle of the greatest shift in digital marketing and commerce of the last 15 years.
#2: Right now, we are also at a collective crossroads. And we have two options. We can either approach this Brave New World:
A: From a place of FEAR.
Or…
B: From a place of HOPE.
And I believe for those of us who choose the LATTER…
For those who choose to LEAN INTO this MASSIVELY changing digital landscape in front of us right now and ADAPT…
For those of us who choose to ZIG when others ZAG…
There is TREMENDOUS opportunity.
Because after all, as I wrote about earlier this year, to paraphrase Albert Camus:
“In the midst of winter, there lies within you an invincible summer. And no matter how hard the world pushes against you, there’s something stronger, something better, pushing right back.”
But it does require taking Bold Action.
And very likely may require making some Hard Choices.
How do I know everything we’ve been talking about the last few weeks has struck a collective chord?
How do I know these ideas speak to a collective TRUTH that many of us are experiencing some version of right now?
It’s not just the feedback from over a hundred plus one-on-one conversations I’ve had over the last several months…
It’s not just the hundreds of messages I’ve been receiving privately and publicly, like from Camille Roberts who recently wrote:
I swear you must be listening to my conversations and are inside my head.
And it’s not just because after opening up a handful of guest passes to attend a two-day client event I’m hosting later this month called:
“The Great Sea Change: Why the Digital Marketing Playbook of the Last Decade is Obsolete & Where to Shift Your Focus these Next 18 Months…”
That tickets sold out in a matter of minutes.
It’s not just that.
I believe there is something BIGGER here.
Which I’ll be talking more about in the coming weeks…
But first, for today, back to SEASONS…
—
To paraphrase Aristotle, if knowing thyself is the beginning of all wisdom…
Then knowing what season YOU are in right now….
In your LIFE and in your BUSINESS…
Is an incredibly powerful step toward gaining crystal clear clarity on where to take your business next.
I know there can be a tendency to want to rush into the tactical practical…
“But how do I get more YouTube subscribers??…”
“How do I improve my conversion rate??…”
“How do I drive down my acquisition costs??…”
Etc. Etc. Etc.
And we can be swept up and consumed by all of this.
BUT…
If you are a CREATOR (and I believe ALL entrepreneurs are), and if your business is a reflection of YOU…
If you have the desire to create WORK worth sharing, and build a BUSINESS worth building, so you can live a LIFE worth living…
If you’re looking to make better decisions that are in TRUE alignment with you, your priorities, and what’s really most important to you….
It can be far more valuable to FIRST take a moment to take a breath – pause – and reflect on a simple (but powerful question):
What SEASON of life are YOU in right now?
Are you in a season of EXPANSION?
Are you in a season of REINVENTION?
Are you in a season of DISCOVERY?
Are you in a season of TRANSITION?
Something else entirely DIFFERENT?
What rings most true to YOU?
What’s your season?
What’s your WORD?
I’d love to know.
In fact, go ahead and send me a short message right there while you’ve got your phone in your hands or you’re on your computer.
Simply send me an email and type a few words to let me know.
I personally read each and every note that comes through.
(And as an added little bonus, if YOU take a moment to reply with YOUR word – I’ll take a moment to reply with MINE.)
What season are YOU in right now – in your BUSINESS and in your LIFE?
Until next week,
Ryan :-)
P.S. I’ve decided that I’m going to be opening up two (2) different opportunities to work with me more closely in the coming weeks for those who have interest:
The first is an opportunity to become part of a high-level client advisory group I’m in the process of putting together.
Interested in joining my Strategic Advisory Group Mastermind?
(My virtual group that meets several times each month)
This group is by application and is currently full. Join the priority list to be notified as soon as the next spots are made available.
The second is an opportunity to work with me privately, as a trusted strategic advisor.
Want to work with me one-on-one?
Join my private client waitlist and be first to know when I have availability for new 1:1 clients.
Both opportunities will be extremely limited.
And neither will be cheap.
BUT they will provide a level of access that I haven’t made available in years…
Something I feel my heart called toward doing more of in this current season of my own life.
Now, the reason I bring this up is because:
If either of these opportunities represent something YOU might be interested in – even potentially – please let me know.
I’ll be extending invitations first to those who express interest, and those who I believe could potentially represent a great fit.
So when you do reach out, please tell me a little about you and your business.
Tell me a bit about where you are revenue-wise and what you’re looking to accomplish…
And let me know which of these options you think you might be interested in…
Okay, I’ll leave you with that for now. Have a great rest of your weekend and I’ll talk to you next week…
