A Pivotal Moment in Business

Eighteen months ago, my husband and I were drowning in our software company, though we couldn't see it at the time. As founders, we had inadvertently demoted ourselves to mere employees, bogged down in the minutiae of daily operations. Instead of steering the ship, we were below deck, obsessively tinkering with our technology. The higher-level tasks that truly needed our attention lay neglected while we suffocated under an avalanche of low-value work.

We were in too deep to see the surface, let alone reach it. But sometimes, salvation comes in unexpected forms. In our case, it arrived through a series of serendipitous events that led to our business imploding—spectacularly, and thankfully.

The First Wake-Up Call

It began with a seemingly ordinary podcast episode. I was listening to "The Business of Authority" with Jonathan Stark and Rochelle Moulton when a casual comment struck me like lightning. They were discussing the signs that indicate it's time for a pivot—when you're stuck in a cycle of repetition, expecting different results. Jonathan remarked, almost offhandedly, "It's not that you aren't making a decision, it's that you're making the wrong decision every single day."

Though I may not have captured his words verbatim, the message hit home with crushing clarity. Every day we showed up, performed the same low-value tasks, and expected different outcomes, we weren't just failing to make a decision—we were actively choosing to remain stuck. We were making the wrong decision, day after day after day.

It was a painful realization, but one that would ultimately set us free.

The Harsh Reality Check

Here's a truth that might sting: those extra hours you're putting in? They're not moving the needle. You might be caught in the same trap we were—a cycle of diminishing returns. Each additional hour of work yields less and less impact, while extracting an ever-growing toll on your health, relationships, and joy. All sacrificed at the altar of a business that's plateauing or, worse, declining.

Take a moment. Pause. Breathe.

Do you remember why you started this journey?

I'm willing to bet it wasn't to become a slave to your inbox or a stranger to your loved ones. Like me, you probably had dreams of freedom, impact, and fulfillment. You envisioned a life where your business served you, not the other way around.

Now, be honest with yourself: Have those dreams been sidelined? Have they gathered dust while you've been "busy being busy"?

Core Lesson: Passive acceptance of the status quo is an active choice that shapes your business's future.