The Riskiest Business Decision I Made Last Year & What It Taught Me
Last summer, I made the call to pause on signing new clients for three whole months.
It felt unknown.
It felt uncomfortable.
And it definitely felt risky.
Closing our books wasn’t an easy decision, and honestly, I was questioning if we were going to be doomed after this.
But I knew something in our business needed to change, and I’m so glad that I followed my gut.
The Reason for the “Shutdown”
I didn’t put client acquisition on hold so I could have a work-free summer.
I did it because:
Internal tasks were getting placed on the back burner.
My team was underwater with their current client responsibilities.
And all I could focus on was client acquisition.
The Risk of My Decision
The thing they don’t tell you about being a CEO is deciding when it’s worth it to risk everything for your business.
I knew that putting new clients on hold could cost us a ton of new business.
But, to my surprise, it was the best thing that could have happened for my team.
In order to prepare for the pause, I:
Communicated the terms with my team leads, our clients, and our audience
Got clear on what the goals were for this break in new client onboarding
Set check-ins to review progress, any friction points, and what needed to shift to stay aligned with our goals.
The Outcome of Our Pause
As the CEO, it’s my job to know when my team needs a moment to breathe, refine, and focus on what’s in front of them.
During those three months, we worked to:
Refine our systems
Build trust with our current clients by making them our biggest focus
Gave ourselves the space to rest and recharge
The Bottom Line
Not only did this break clarify where we needed to grow, but it showed us exactly who was willing to wait for us.
The clients we strive to attract are the ones who understand that taking a break is crucial to the business.
If you’re a CEO and you have that gut feeling it’s time to take a break, let’s talk.
I’ll show you the exact spots where your business is bleeding time, energy, and cash, and how to come back even stronger.