The Pivot Strategy
Many entrepreneurs find themselves trapped in a business model that looks perfect on paper but is “slowly killing” them in practice. You might be pouring your energy into high-touch, high-maintenance tasks that simply do not scale. While the instinct is often to just “push through” and work harder, this approach rarely makes things better. Sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do is sit down and make the terrifying decision to change direction entirely.
The Jungle Gym Mindset
Success in business is often like a child on a jungle gym; you cannot swing to the next rung until you are willing to let go of the previous one. Moving away from a path you’ve followed for years to bet on an uncertain new direction can feel like failure, but it is actually the only way to reach your true vision and aspirations. Letting go isn’t about quitting—it’s about recognizing that holding on to the wrong thing is what is actually holding you back.
Reframing Failure as Strategy
Pivoting is not a sign of defeat; it is the act of learning fast and adjusting even faster. The market gives us signals all the time, but we often miss them because we are too stubborn to listen. By paying attention to what is working and what is draining you, you can stop running into the same wall and start making strategic moves that save your business and your sanity. This episode explores how to listen to those signals so you can treat your next pivot as the high-level strategy it truly is.
Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2724-protecting-your-most-valuable-asset/
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Transcription:
Gresham Harkless 00:00
Sometimes you just have to sit down and make a decision that, as terrifying as it is at the time, you have to pivot. And I've been in that place many a times where I've had to pivot and move away from the thing that I've been doing for years and bet on a new direction that feels uncertain but actually made more sense. When you're trying to go to where you are, where you have the vision and dream, the goals and the aspiration, it actually makes a lot more sense to pivot.
If you're building something meaningful, you're in the right place. This is the I A, CEO Podcast. I'm gresh, and for over a decade I've had the honor and the privilege of Learning directly from CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners just like you on how to build. After recording more than 1600 episodes, one thing has become clear. Success isn't about following someone else's blueprint. And as I like to say on the show, if you run your own race, you can't lose. Even when we feel the journey should be a straight and linear path. What I've come to find out is success is a lot more like a plate of spaghetti. So in this special segment and episode, I'm starting to curate and share some CEO hacks and CEO nuggets that I've been dying to share. Drawn from thousands of episodes with phenomenal guests that have provided awesome value on the show, but also my 10 years of business experience as well too. These lessons are designed to strengthen the foundational principles that every business is built on and guided by a simple equation that we always go back to with our content. Visibility plus resources times connections equals success. This is practical wisdom you can apply almost immediately, so be sure to check out the show notes for more resources and next steps on how to level up. And of course, enjoy this special episode of the I Am CEO Podcast.
Gresham Harkless 01:46
I want to paint a picture for you. Maybe you find yourself doing something that could be a business strategy. Frankly, it could be a business model that looks good on paper, but it is slowly killing you in practice. Maybe it's something that's high tech, high maintenance, really, really, really doesn't scale well. Or maybe you keep telling yourself, I'll just push through, I'll keep working harder and it will ultimately get better. No pressure, no diamonds. Have you heard that before? But often it doesn't actually do that. It doesn't actually get better. So sometimes you just have to sit down and make a decision that as terrifying as it is at the time, you have to pivot. And I've been in that place many a times where I've had to pivot and move away from the thing that I've been doing for years and bet on a new direction that feels uncertain but actually made more sense. When you're trying to go to where you are, where you have the vision and dream, the goals and the aspiration, it actually makes a lot more sense to pivot. It's funny. Years ago, I was actually at a networking event, and I listened to a coach, and he said something along the lines that a lot of times in business, we're like the kid on the jungle gym. We want to swing to the next rung, but we won't let go of that piece of previous rung. And that's what pivoting is. So this pivot can ultimately save your business, but most importantly, it can save yourself. And here's what you can learn. Pivoting is actually not failing. It's learning fast and adjusting even faster. If we listen to it as CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners, we realize the market is actually giving us signals all the time. But if we're too stubborn to actually listen, we'll keep running into the same wall over and over and over again. I've definitely found myself asking myself, why is this happening? But in reality, when I really look at some of the decisions that I've made, it becomes apparent that I did get those signals. So pay attention to what's working and what's draining you. Sometimes the best move is changing direction entirely. But keep in mind, that's not quitting. That's not failure. That's strategy, and that's a pivot.