Learning to Pivot through How I Built This

I don’t think it would be an understatement to say that the world is turned upside down right now. It is such a difficult time for so many of us and the overhang of unemployment and joblessness certainly doesn’t help.

When I need a mental and physical break from the bad news these days, I take a walk and listen to an inspiring podcast. One that I find myself going to again and again is Guy Raz’s How I Built This. It’s always been favorite, but now more than ever, I love listening and getting inspired by his interviewing entrepreneurs and innovators about how they started their businesses.

Like so many of us in the workplace, Guy has pivoted during these times. He has not been able to do live events or interview folks in person so, like the rest of us, he is working remotely. Like some of us, he has added new offerings to his business model to provide help to his listeners with a series called “How I Built Resilience”. He has gone back to many of his former guests to re-interview them on the topic of resilience. Through these approximately 30 minute (+/-) interviews I have learned from Chef Jose Andres about a variety of ways that restaurants have pivoted including being turned into soup kitchens or retail shops as a way to keep staff employed and prevent food waste.

One of my favorite interviews was with Simon Sinek, the leadership guru. Simon stated that the large majority of his income comes from live events and he knew that to keep his company afloat, he would have to pivot in order to avoid layoffs or downsizing. He asked each and every one of his employees to come up with 15 ideas of how the company could pivot during the pandemic. When the employees balked at needing to come up with so many ideas in a hurry, Simon said that he knew that everyone would have the same 3 or 4 ideas off the bat—the low hanging fruit—but that the real thinking and creativity came when they had to dig deep into their creativity and come up with idea 10, 11 or 12. I love this exercise and have already put it to use with my own clients.

If you are thinking about a pivot in your career or for your business, I urge you to listen to a few of these podcasts to get inspired. I always do. Want to discuss a potential pivot with me? Reach out via email Pamela@pamelaweinberg.com.