Wednesday Wisdom: Colorful Entrepreneurial Transitions

Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration, Success Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners, Small Businesses

Sanibel Island, Florida photograph by Tracy C. Higginbotham

At the brink and end of every sunny day, the sky changes colors. In early morning, the black of only a starlit atmosphere softly changes from navy blue to light blue. At the conclusion of a cloudless day, the horizon is painted in golden yellow, mango, fuchsia, and lavender colors softening its closure. Changes come to our sky everyday giving us plenty of time to notice.

Beautiful daily color changes are not always as wonderful as other transitions. Sometimes change is found in black and white images, statistics, and circumstances. News headlines, bank statements, and corporate communication tell a story in colorless format, forcing us to notice only the bottom line or starkness of a situation. Brilliant hues of the rainbow sometimes aren’t needed in business, just the facts and figures.

With so many factors still effecting women who run and manage their own companies in the times we live in, I continue to feel their struggles and tenacity to rise above the uncontrollable societal changes and economic woes to stay relevant and solvent. Although they may work in a brightly painted office peering out their windows at deep green grass, purple irises with yellow butterflies flitting carelessly around them, and flowing water fountains moving rhythmically day-long, they can’t escape the hard, cold facts of an unknown future due to outside forces.

American author Lisa Lutz said, “Our ability to adapt is amazing. Our ability to change isn’t quite as spectacular.” Think about that statement for a minute as you ponder your personal response to it. It’s true isn’t it? Most people can adapt to anything placed in front of them because they must adjust to new circumstances – like staying home during the pandemic. But changing back to normal practices, philosophies, and actions takes more work. This is where we are as women entrepreneurs still sorting things out in the end stages of the economic pause and reopening phases.

We desire to return to normal, full, lively business environments filled with both happy repeat customers and new clients. We long for lush green money coming in the doors to fortify our dwindling savings accounts. We long to feel unafraid to hug a staff member, stand close to a client without a mask on, shake hands at the end of contract negotiations, and share lunch at a favorite restaurant picking up the tab. Yet, we must remain patient in this black and white period of health and economic uncertainty until life and business returns to a colorful normal.

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to encourage you to do a couple things. First, create an optimistic colorful vision for your business future for the rest of the year – one filled with hope and green flowing money pots. Second, take time to do a black and white plan – financial, business, and marketing plan to get you there. Third, if you are stuck on doing the first or second tasks, register for three seminars we created in June and July to get you where you need to go with a four-month business plan, writing objectives, and dealing with change as your friend. They are intended specifically to get you successfully moving again.

Please know I remain committed to helping you with your colorful visions and black and white tasks. I hope upcoming days are filled with more brilliant hopes and dreams dotted with realistic black and white plans to get you to that new horizon where this unexpected situation will be behind us.