077: Is it that the market changed, or is it that you changed?

Did the market change or did you move into a new season, and is it you that's changed or is changing? This is something I have been thinking about, and I think at a time when we are seeing so many entrepreneurs and business owners pivoting and shifting around.

I mean, I commend that.

I think it's actually really innovative and entrepreneurial, and there's no sense in carrying along down a path that doesn't make sense anymore.

So that just...

I- it is a good thing if these things are considered, because there are a few ways in which this could trip us up if we're not careful.

Everywhere I look, people have, in the last m- pretty much 12 to 18 months, shifted what they're doing now.

And it's like, oh, that person was known for that, but now they're known for this, and that, that's absolutely fine.

And if that's you, I would love for you to kind of reflect on whether it was a you move or a market move, or maybe a bit of both.

And there's absolutely no right or wrong to this.

They can both exist, and they're both fine.

Um, but they do tell us a few things about ourselves, because if we're responding to a market change or if we're responding to a self-change, it's going to require different next moves in our journey.

So there's a couple of questions I would consider asking in this context.

If the market went back, and it never does, but [chuckles] not quite.

It may, may cycle, it may cycle around again, but it doesn't actually go back.

Let's just say it went back to what it was, and you-- You know, what would you do? Would you be like, "Oh, well, then I would just-- I would wanna go back to what I was doing." Or would you be like, "No, something's already changed within me, and I've moved on." The second question I would consider is, am I moving towards something that I actually want or away from something that I've grown tired of? So is it towards a want or away from a, a, a, you know, lack of want [chuckles] or a, an dis-want.

And then the third question is, does the new direction you're going in feel like you or more like a relief of having to be you? And I think those can be quite telling.

So I would even recommend, you know, writing those down and, and just having a little think on them for a bit.

Because if we are moving into, like, a, a different category or a different business entirely as a person, that can sometimes be because we have actually outgrown that business or that model or that marketplace.

It may be because we've acquired more skills or know-how or another level of passion or direction, or even more clarity around our strengths and what we wanna bring to the world.

And as entrepreneurs, especially purpose-led ones, that's really hard to ignore because business becomes more than just a vehicle for generating revenue.

It becomes an expressive outlet.

It becomes a impact and, you know, change-making thing that you feel that you really, really need to do.

And so many of the people that I work with and around and that listen to this podcast are the kinds of people who do a kind, a kind of work that in some way helps people, in some way, and they feel very passionate about doing that work.

So if you are in that category, and you found yourself having pivoted or shifted in some way, why? Did something happen in your market, in your field, or has something happened within you? And I think one of the perfect examples of this is...

And this is now even a few years ago.