Freelancer to CEO, A parable

​My first client of the new year is one of my favorite ideal client stories. She started her business as a freelancer, using her professional expertise to help out family and friends. At the five-year mark, she left her corporate position and officially formed her business. At ten years, she added staff. Now at year eighteen, she is experiencing another growth spurt.

As I listened to her origin story during our initial consultation, this metaphor came to mind.

Sam's business journey is a boat on the Colorado River. It has been an exhilarating ride with unexpected twists and turns. At times the deep waters slow progress so dramatically that it feels like she is at a standstill. Other times she is catapulted into the chaos of class five rapids, holding on for dear life and praying she doesn't capsize. The experience was so absorbing that Sam didn't notice anything except what was happening in her boat.

Until one day, she was in the middle of an easy stretch when she saw a group of kayaks heading her way. Although the water was picking up speed, the kayakers effortlessly passed her. Her boat contained the strange poles they were using to speed past her, but she had never used them and wasn't sure how to do so. 

Looking downriver, Sam could see her boat rushing toward a fast-moving rapid with several large boulders jutting from the middle of the river. The last time she traveled through a similar one, her boat rammed into a boulder head-on, and the jolt caused some of her provisions to bounce out of the craft. It was a costly loss. Sam was awed to see the kayaks deftly picking a path through the water without touching a single rock or getting spun around in circles. She admired and coveted their skill.

Nearing the rapid, Sam's vessel bounced off a boulder, and she was suddenly heading backward, unable to see and prepare. She held tightly to the side of the boat and hoped for the best. The water splashed into her craft, soaking her and leaving three to four inches of water. Sam grabbed the bailing bucket and got to work. The race was on because the next rapid was equally daunting, and the river would carry her there within minutes. 

As she scooped as fast as possible, she heard voices. She looked to her right and saw the kayakers resting on the nearby shore. Sam was at the mercy of the river, allowing it to carry her along. Up to this moment, catching her breath between rapids seemed like an impossible idea. However, these other travelers were not only able to control their boats, they commanded the river in a way that made their journey more enjoyable. 

Sam knew that she could no longer be satisfied with continuing her journey as merely a passenger. She wanted to step up her game and learn to pilot her boat like the kayakers. 

Are you like my new client? 

Is 2022 the year you stop playing small and step into the CEO role your company needs?

My client has 30 days before she faces the next stretch of class four and five rapids that will consume all of her attention for the next three months. In that time, we will

• assess her business position and strategy,
• determine her most profitable growth plan,
• and clarify her business vision and goals. 

She is ready to make 2022 a memorable chapter in the epic of her business journey titled "The Year I Became A CEO." How about you? Are you in? 

Let's build your custom roadmap to lead your business to more success without the sacrifice.

I'M IN