The ability to pivot can make the difference between scaling up and shutting down. Too many businesses die because the owners cling to “how we’ve always done it” like it’s a life raft, when in reality it’s an anchor.
I know of a high-end restaurant that was crushing it during the boom years. Their regulars were corporate execs flying in, racking up bills on company credit cards with no questions asked. The menu was premium, the wine list read like a luxury catalog, and the cash flowed without friction. Then 2009 hit. The global financial crisis tightened corporate budgets, and the big-spending crowd stopped spending like it was Monopoly money.
This was their chance to pivot — to adapt the menu, lower the price point, maybe even rebrand to meet the new market. But they didn’t. Ego got in the way. They saw themselves as “the best” and thought scaling down was beneath them. What followed was a slow death that lasted until 2013, when the lights went out for good.
On the flip side, I stepped in, took over the venue, and pivoted completely out of my comfort zone. I turned it into a series of premier F&B establishments that became highly successful, sold for a profit, and are still in business today. That pivot didn’t just save the space — it opened the door to new ventures I’m running now.
That’s the thing about pivots — they cut both ways. Refuse to make one, and you might sink. Make one at the right time, and you can create momentum that lasts years.
The Takeaway
When the market shifts, shift with it. Decisions aren’t permanent — if the old one isn’t working, make a new one.
Keep Moving Forward!
The Not-So-Guru
