How to Pivot Your Business Successfully Without Starting Over

[0:05] Welcome back to your fun and profitable online business. I’m Wendy, a money coach and business strategist, and I’m here to help you build a business that’s not only profitable, but it’s also fun to run. Let’s be real. What’s the point of success if you don’t actually enjoy the process? Today, we’re going to talk about something that comes up a lot, how to pivot your business without scrapping everything and starting all over from scratch. This could be a shift in what you’re feeling, where the work that you once loved isn’t lighting you up in the same way. Or maybe you’re noticing that your audience is already pulling you in a new direction, one that excites you, but you’re not quite sure how the transition will make you feel. So if you’re wondering, can I shift directions without losing my audience or having to start all over? The answer is yes. And today I’m going to show you how. 

Why business pivots are signs of growth, not failure

Let’s talk about it. Now, first things first here, I want to normalize things. Pivoting is not failing. Now, I don’t really see much failure in my business. I see everything as growth opportunities. And this isn’t some weird mindset thing. It’s truly how I think. I just don’t see failure. I see growth. A lot of people resist change though, because they don’t, think it means they didn’t get it right the first time. I’m here to say, bull, there’s no way that’s true. It actually means you’re growing and evolving and getting closer to where you want to be.

[1:29] Every single successful business owner that I know has pivoted in some way and maybe shifted their niche or expanded their offers or completely changed their business model, but it’s common. And here’s the good news. If you build a business you love, chances are you don’t need to throw it all away to make a shift. I know this well. When I started out, I focused on money mindset coaching and it was great. I loved it. But as I worked with more and more clients, I realized they were business owners and our conversations would frequently shift to business strategy. This even lit me up more. I love business strategy. I love it. So instead of starting all over from scratch, I adapted my business model to include both. I allowed my business to evolve strategically. Let’s talk about how you can do the same.

How to identify and leverage existing business strengths

[2:19] The first step is to identify what’s already working for you. Now, before you make any big moves, you start by looking out at what’s already working. This is true for any change that you make. You don’t need to ditch everything or burn it all down because chances are there are pieces there that you love that will keep your audience engaged. Here you ask yourself, what parts of my business light me up the most? What do my clients or customers naturally ask me about? And where do I see the most traction and engagement? For me, this was a huge light bulb moment. My clients came to me for money mindset coaching, and I did it really well. That was great. But our conversations just kept going back to business strategy, because the two are naturally connected. So instead of just burning it all down, I just kind of shifted the focus.

Strategic methods for smooth transitions

[3:12] Next, or step two, we find the common thread. Once you’ve already identified what’s working, you look for the common thread that ties the past work to your future direction. The biggest mistake people here make is they assume they have to start all over. You don’t. There’s frequently a connection, even between two things that seem opposite of each other. I didn’t abandon my money mindset. I still have money mindset clients. I framed it as a natural evolution. Because honestly, a profitable business requires a healthy money mindset. They go hand in hand. Think about your current skills your experience or your audience and ask yourself, how do they relate to one another? Sometimes this involves bringing other people into the conversation because we’re so close to it, that we can’t quite see it. But there’s going to be a connection there. So here we ask ourselves, what’s the connection between where I’ve been and where I’m going? How does my new focus still keep with the same audience? Or maybe a similar one. It doesn’t have to be the same one. And how can I reposition what I do without confusing my people? If you can answer these questions, you’re already halfway there, friend. Now, step three, is where you communicate the shift. You feel solid with where you are. You’ve done the groundwork. You’ve done the thought work. Now you’re starting to communicate it.

Practical steps for maintaining audience engagement during changes

[4:35] Here’s where you start to tell people where you’re heading. The key here is not to make a hard transition. We don’t do it, I’m stopping on this day and I’m starting on this day. We just kind of just let it flow into one another. Here’s how you do that strategically. You start talking about your new direction, like little breadcrumbs. You don’t all make a full announcement. And then whenever you feel good about that, you share the journey. You tell people about it. And then finally, if you have a possibility, you create a bridge offer. Like something that blends one side with the other. For example, my natural connection is a $9 offer that I have, and it’s called fun and profitable pricing. And so it talks about money mindset, and then it also connects to business ownership. If you want to find out more about that, you can find that link in the show notes at wendymuzzy.com/4. You’ll also notice all of the podcasts, that’s wendymuzzy.com slash the episode number. All right, now let’s talk about step four. This is where you give yourself permission to evolve.

Real-world examples of successful business evolution

[5:41] Here’s the real talk. Your business will continue to evolve and that’s a good thing. Sometimes we get so stuck in what we should do and we have to do that we ignore what we want to do. But here’s the thing, your best work happens when you’re excited about what you’re building. Pivoting doesn’t mean abandoning everything you’ve built. It means refining it, evolving it, and making sure it still aligns with you. So if you’ve been feeling the ish to shift, this is your permission slip. You don’t have to start over, you just have to adjust. All right, let’s talk about your next best action step if you’re considering a shift in your business. This one’s going to involve some journaling. I’m going to say set aside 10 minutes today if you can to answer these three questions. What parts of my business do I love the most? What are my clients already asking me for? And what small shift could I make today to start moving in the new direction? Start there and remember, you don’t have to have all the answers to take the first step. All right, let’s wrap this up. If you’re thinking about a pivot, here’s your roadmap. Number one, identify what’s already working. Do not burn everything down. Number two, grab the common thread that ties your past work to your new direction.

[7:06] Number three, communicate the shift by bringing your audience along for the journey. Let them know what you’re up to. And number four, give yourself permission to evolve. Your business should, and I’m going to say, must grow with you. Otherwise, it’s not going to be that fun, profitable business that you want. All right, if this episode hits home for you, come tell me about it. Find me on LinkedIn and let me know what you’re thinking. I’d love to hear from you. And until next time, go have fun building or pivoting your fun and profitable online podcast.