Skip to content 
Show Notes
Today we are going to talk about being stuck. Is your business stuck in the pits? There are going to be lots of racing car references today because I have just been watching Bathurst. It is is one of the biggest racing car events that we have here in Australia with Supercars. It is basically a seven or eight-hour event. It is 1000 kilometres, 161 laps, and it is a long strategic race. It is not about the fastest. Generally, it is about the most reliable. The person that has the most skills and the team that has the greatest pit crew backing them. Because in race cars, it is the same in life and business: we cannot do it all by ourselves.
Did you know that the team that won Sunday’s race, out of 24 cards, actually started 18th on the grid? It was a raining race, so there were lots of complexities around tyres and things. They were a long way back but they persevered and win.
So today we are going to talk about whether you are stuck, whether you need to reset, and what needs to happen to get you back on track and in that winning position.
Strategic Timing Is The Key
There is a lot to be learned from all sorts of facets of life, but racing cars in particular teach us about knowing when to pause, when to stop. One of the great things about the race was knowing when to come in and change tyres. They go out on what they call slicks, which have no grip. Once the rain came, the cars were sliding all over the track, so they had to come back and change to wet tyres that are more like the ones you would be familiar with on your own car — the ones with the grooves in them. Some teams did really well and choose wisely, others not so well and ended up with issues.
Sometimes our businesses can feel like that, cannot they? We have gone off and left, tried some shiny object, potentially put a lot of money into it, and suddenly we are sliding into that barrier with no control. Fortunately, we can often stop before we hit the barrier. We can reset and pivot, and we need to know when it is time to pause.
Reassess The Situation
Is your business feeling heavy? Is the marketing not quite working? Is your email list just not getting the open rate, the click-throughs, or people connecting with you? A mini exercise might be to think about what part of your business is feeling heavy. What is it that you do not want to do each day? What continues to run on your to-do list without being done? That might be something to stop, pause, and consider.
Once the team slid into the barrier, they had to be pulled out. What did they do? They had to check the weather and decide whether to go back on wet tyres or stay on slicks. As it turned out, the rain got heavier, so they came back into the pits and changed their tyres. You can do that too. You can refocus even if you have put a lot of money into something that is not working.
Refocus
We get caught up in that sunk cost, do we not? “I have spent one, two, five, ten thousand dollars on something that is not working, so I need to continue.” Or the other thought — “I will not put money into anything else.” Sometimes, that is exactly what we need to do. We need to back out of what is not working and get into a new situation. Just be careful not to chase shiny objects.
Stop, pause, and reflect. What is it that you actually want to achieve? Are you just not trusting yourself? Are you running from one guru to another because you think you do not have the answers? Stop. You do have the answers. Sometimes you just need a coach or mentor to help you figure them out.
When you are refocusing and resetting, identify what is actually working. Often, we get in that spiral where we think nothing is working. That is rarely true. There are usually many things that are working. We just focus on the one thing that is not.
Pause and Revamp
Take a pause. Brain dump all the things that are working like your current clients, the great testimonials, the referrals. Put them in a list. Can you amplify them? If people are referring you, can you create partnerships or workshops to reach new audiences? Can you re-engage your email list? Maybe your messaging needs more storytelling.
Add personal experiences to your content. People connect through stories. If you are a weight loss coach, share how you planned ahead for a dinner and made choices aligned with your goals. Forward thinking shows leadership and relatability.
If you have not listened yet, go back to SBT Episode 315: Your Story Is Not Your Business. Think about which parts of your story are relevant and processed enough to share.
You have many assets around you, you may just not be looking at them the right way. Look at what is working. Amplify that. Pause what is not, even if it has a sunk cost.
Bring in Support
Then build your pit crew. Get the people who will support you. It might be informal mentoring, reciprocal coaching, or paid coaching. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) and other federations offer reciprocal coaching programs. Many coaching schools and Facebook groups do too.
Of course, the best option is to pay for a coach who will give you their best, hold you accountable, and help you navigate what to stop, start, or amplify. A coach helps you stay motivated and focused when you are sliding toward the barrier. You might also revisit programs or courses you have already paid for. When was the last time you engaged with them? Many of those resources can still help with a little update or adaptation.
Links
Contacts
Is Your Coaching Business Stuck in the Pit?
If you are stalled, the three things I recommend are:
- Take a pause.
- Check what is working and what is not.
- Reset and refocus.
Amplify what is working, change what is not, and build your pit crew to support you. Be the best coach you can be for your clients. Get someone to lift you when your energy dips and remind you of your direction.
Listen to the full episode of Small Business Talk episode 317.
You can also find the video versions of the Small Business Talk Episodes on YouTube.
