How (and why) I'm Pivoting My Creative Business

Introduction

"Hello, beautiful souls, and welcome back to the podcast. I am Amy, a quilt pattern designer, unschool mama, content creator, web designer, and coffee addict who is currently facing a small identity crisis. And I'm here to talk all about it. Most of you have found me from my quilting content, and you know that in the past year I've made a lot of changes to my business."

I have been doing a deep dive into how to pivot and the psychology behind why we crave change. This episode is for those who have built a personal brand based on something they love and have evolved. If that is you, get your notebook out.

Feeling Stuck in My Business

I'm still in the quilting business, but I don't know for how much longer. It feels like I'm outgrowing my business and stuck in a cycle of "this worked before," but now it feels like I'm wearing someone else's pants—too tight in some places and too loose in others. If you are right there with me, you are not alone. We are going to deep dive into the art of the pivot.

This is a really big subject for a lot of people, and I know there are differing thoughts on it. A lot of the bro marketing tells you to find a niche, niche down really small, build one or two great products, and scale them infinitely. However, that doesn't work for all of us, especially women. We are multifaceted, and our hormonal cycles affect how we work, live, and interact with our business and customers.

Personal Evolution and Business Alignment

The reality is that we evolve as people. For those of us whose business is built around core parts of who we are, when we evolve, our business can't stay the same. If our business stays the same while we evolve, we risk burning out—physically, mentally, emotionally, and eventually spiritually.

Financial Considerations

Some people continue doing the same thing even when they're burnt out because they make enough money to fund the parts of their lives that matter more to them. I am not at that point, and I want to be honest about that. My business is making enough money to sustain and scale it, but not so much that it would devastate me to pivot.

Understanding the Need to Pivot

I have been doing a deep dive into how to pivot and the psychology behind why we crave change. This episode is for those who have built a personal brand based on something they love and have evolved. If that is you, get your notebook out.

Signs You Need to Pivot

The first thing to consider is how to tell if you need to pivot. Are you pivoting because you are bored, or is there a financial misalignment with your audience or buyers? For me, these factors are equally important. If I am bored, burnt out, or no longer aligned with my audience, I can't keep going.

External Cues for Change

There are also external cues that indicate it's time to shift. If your revenue isn't going well or market changes make it impossible for you to make money, those pivots will be different. You may need to change your business model without altering your mission.

Assessing Sustainability

For me, the sustainability test is how I determine whether or not to pivot. If I can see myself doing what I'm currently doing for three to five years and scaling it, then I need to stay in it. If I can't scale what I'm currently doing, I need to find a way to package it differently.

Aligning Business with Personal Values

If your business no longer aligns with your personal values and goals, it's time to pivot. This could mean changing what you're doing, how you're doing it, or what you're focused on while doing it. If you still like what you're doing but not how you're doing it, consider making adjustments without leaving the industry altogether.

Mindset Blocks in Pivoting

Some mindset blocks for making these changes include the fear of starting over and the worry about letting people down. However, realize that you are modeling growth and evolution. People want to see transformation, and many in your audience are evolving too.

Embracing Transformation

As your business grows, you can keep your old offerings while expanding into new ones that reflect your growth. Your audience will be ready for the new content as they evolve with you.

The Need for Business Pivots

We touched on inner restlessness and personal evolution when building a business on your intellectual property. Your business should reflect who you are now, not where you were when you started. If you fear evolving as a person, your business will stagnate.

When a person changes, but their personal brand doesn't, they face burnout, depression, and stagnation.

What to Keep and What to Let Go

When pivoting, it's essential to determine what to keep and what to let go. This process can be challenging, similar to spring cleaning your house. The framework should be based on what brings in revenue and what lights you up.

There are three categories your offerings fall into:

1. Keep: These are things that you love and make you money

2. Tweak: These are things that you love, but aren't making you money. How can we repackage them so they bring in revenue?

3. Toss: These things don't light you up or make you money. They are draining your energy and confusing your customers. Let them go.

   
   

Don't let sunk costs be a factor! Yesterday's expenses don't get to weigh down your entire future.

Finding Balance

If you have a product generating significant revenue but causing you stress, it may be time to reevaluate your priorities. Ultimately, the goal is to create a business that supports your life and brings you joy.

Next Steps

If you're in a place where the pivot is inevitable, but you aren't sure what's next, try these journal prompts:

1. If I were starting over today, what would I do differently?

2. What part of my business lights me up? What part drains me?

3. If I had a friend going through a similar pivot, what would I tell them?

4. Is this business still in alignment with who I am today?

5. Can I stay in the same industry, but change my offerings to reflect my "why?"

   
   

Make sure you listen the the entire episode to get MANY more nuggets of creative biz wisdom. Don't forget to subscribe!