There are tons of articles out there about the lifecycle of a business: you launch it. It grows. Then it reaches maturity. After that, you might sell it or close it down.
But what's overlooked is the pivot phase.
Pivoting isn't something every business needs to do, but in my case, it was the key to reigniting my passion for writing business content.
Let Go of What's Not Serving You
I launched Egg Marketing & Public Relations back in 2006. My son was two. Social media wasn't yet a thing.
It took me years to find my foothold, primarily in PR. That's what I became known for. I literally wrote the book on it (well, A book!).
Then press releases started losing their efficacy as everyone and their sister tried to use them to get the attention of the media. I decided to pull away from offering public relations services to focus on content and social media.
Eventually, the social media bit fell away as I realized I didn't love doing it.
I built my brand to look bigger than it was. I referred to the business in terms of "we." Sometimes I had freelance writers and an editor. Sometimes it was just me.
But in the last year or so (no coincidence that it coincides with COVID!), I've started feeling the pull to be more genuine. To let a little of the magnificent light that is me shine and speak for my brand.
I woke up a few weeks ago and realized that the Egg brand no longer jibed with who I wanted to be as an entrepreneur. I also realized I really wanted to work with savvy female entrepreneurs who recognized the value of great content but who didn't have the time or ability to write it themselves.
I knew this audience wouldn't glom onto the corporate Egg brand that I'd created. I'd need to remove that mask and get real.
Birthing Something New
One thing to know about me (since we're getting personal) is that I make decisions quickly. They're not knee-jerk; they come from my gut, but it doesn't take me long to realize what needs to be done.
So realizing that I was transitioning who I was serving and how I was serving them, I knew that I needed to shift my identity from running a content marketing firm to being a business writer.
I also felt the strong pull to run the business under my name. The site you're on right now is the result.
Did it feel scary? Hell yeah. Did it feel delicious? Also hells to the yeah.
I also made the decision to no longer accept guest posts on my blog. I've been lazy for far too long, letting other people's content keep my blog busy. So from now on, you get me, as often as I'm able to write. I might write about content, but I'm more likely going to write about my experiences as a business owner who's still figuring out exactly what that looks like. I hope you enjoy the journey with me.
What's Your Pivot?
So what about you? Are you feeling less enthusiastic about how you've been running your business but don't know what to do? I encourage you to really explore what you love and who you love working with. Know that the Universe has your back; your pivot won't cause you to fall on your face. On the contrary, it will open you up to so much possibility, you won't even know what to do with it!