High Wire, No Net

The dance entrepreneurs dance, often.

Relationships Matter Now has a long time project going away in the next 60 days.

When we first got the news, it was terrifying. No lie. Since this company became my full-time focus in November 2011, there has always been that anchor project/client that just hummed along while we continued to build presence, reputation and steady business.

Make no mistake, we've been in terrifying territory before. This time, we'd been preparing for the day - building business and revenue to replace this project should it disappear. And we strategically made moves that prevented us from keeping this assignment.

Yet, when the call came, it still landed roughly.

While we have solid business to carry us into the 3rd quarter of 2014, there is still a tinge of terror thinking about a pipeline that dries up in October. Yet, there is a feeling of freedom and possibility that comes with operating without a net.

It is clear in my own ideation. I can hear it each time I talk individually with my 4 team members. Innovation occurs best when there is no net.

When you know that every step you take has to have purpose and intention, it is easy to be creative. When you don't have the certainty of "something," you create THE THING that carries you into your next phase.
When tomorrow is today, you generate the energy, ideas and follow-through you never knew you had.

We are operating without a net and producing some of the best work we ever have produced.


We were prepared for our "no net" experience.

We've built the model. We run the model. We tweak the model.

We've communicated what we can do for our clients. Many times, many places.

We've done excellent work with the clients we have and created a circle of reciprocity.

What are you doing today to prepare you for when you have "no net"?