5 things I learned in 5 years of running a business (so far)
On a cold morning five years ago, NBAU (Not Business As Usual) opened its virtual doors. By the afternoon, it landed its first client – call it novice luck.
The rest was anything but a straight line – circles, zigzags and course corrections.
Out of this tangle emerged a trajectory of growth. In hindsight, clients were pointing me to gaps in the market before I could name them.
The first mandate we signed focused on thought leadership and PR, followed by stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and crisis training.
Fast-forward five years. I’m doing some of the most meaningful work of my career, supporting senior leaders as they navigate complex challenges. Or, in the language of my late mentor Ian Mitroff, wicked messes – problems that defy neat solutions. Very much not business as usual.
Over five years, we have:
Worked with 40+ organizations across public service, healthcare, professional services, non-profit and technology – often in high-stakes moments.
Delivered executive training, offsite workshops, crisis simulations, scenario plans, stakeholder consultations and earned campaigns.
Tackled complex challenges ranging from climate change, global health and public safety to cyber incidents and sensitive situations involving engagement with activist communities.
The work I’m most proud of is what I’ve come to think of as resilience consulting. It’s about spotting signals early and getting in front of issues before they become bigger — reputationally, operationally and politically. That’s where resilience becomes a strategic advantage.
Running a business has been a steep learning curve. Here are five lessons from five years of NBAU:
1. Dare to dream.
At my MBA convocation at the University of Liverpool, Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, challenged our graduating class to think about shared values, not just share value. Moved by his speech, I threw my hat in the air at the ripe age of 39. That spark is still glowing in my passion for helping leaders overcome the barriers that stand in the way of fulfilling their missions. Dreams are creative energy. They push the boundaries of what’s possible.
2. Temper your dreams with a realistic vision.
Without discipline, dreams are just that — dreams. An idealist by nature, I’ve learned that they shouldn’t carry us into la-la land. Business leadership requires a vision steeped in evidence and validated through feedback and iteration. We have to listen to what the market is telling us, pivot one step at a time, and recalibrate both where we are going and how we get there.
3. Refine your vision through experimentation.
“What can you do that a computer can’t?” Frederick E. Pamp posed this question in a Harvard Business Review article back in 1955. For today’s leaders, the answer lies in a combination of judgment and foresight – human skill sets algorithms can’t yet replicate. The ability to test assumptions, see both the forest and the trees, and refine plans does not come from getting it right the first time. Like a muscle, it’s built through exercise. In business, that means experimentation.
4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
At a Women Business Enterprise conference, Chinyere Eni from RBC Origins shared this reminder: “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” When I started NBAU, PR was our bread and butter. Had I focused on it exclusively, I would have missed larger areas of growth — issues management, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning. The takeaway here: sticking with the tried and true is risky; diversification protects against market turns.
5. Build resilience.
As Dan Rather once said, “If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” When we see entrepreneurs on LinkedIn, it’s usually their highlight reel, not the inner voice whispering, what if this doesn’t work? It often doesn’t, but failures are the only path to wins worth sharing in the first place. Resilience is a double-edged sword. It’s about bouncing back — and moving forward with confidence.
I am grateful to do the work I love at the intersections of business, psychology, politics and culture. It would not have been possible without you — my clients, partners, mentors, collaborators, friends and, above all, family. Thank you for challenging me, inspiring me and putting up with me. You’ve made these five years extraordinary.
The next five years will be anything but business as usual. We live in what management consultants call VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments. I’m excited to continue helping leadership teams build resilience, moving from reacting to wicked messes to acting on growth opportunities.
If this resonates, I’d love to continue the conversation.