The 7-Year Business

What Season of Business Are You In?

Dec 11, 2023

One thing I love is spotting patterns & trends and then deciphering that data into a clarified process.

Over the years there has been a steady increase of awareness in numerous industries. People care more and more about where their food is coming from, the quality of products they buy into, and even if a company moves with intention and long term vision.

There’s a desire from customers and consumers to slow down, take a beat, and look at the impact we’re all having on the World around us. But is it possible to build a financially successful business while staying true to ethics, values & well-being? Not only do I believe it to be 100% possible, it’s the future. However, there will be big changes that come alongside that.

Through my late-night deep dives into some of the most successful companies & founders, I began to spot a pattern that connected them. While the steps taken weren’t identical, the focus & philosophies were. Each brand zoned in on what made them special and moved through one or multiple 7-Year Cycles.

Dyson (the vacuum cleaner company), spent 15 years in R&D before becoming the best-selling vacuum in the UK. Southwest sold one signature offer for 40 years while other airlines were offering personalized options. Microsoft figured out how to retarget their original PC buyers (and non-Microsoft users) by merging their signature offer into a signature suite.

The more I researched, the more evidence for this framework appeared. I then saw how these 7 years could be divided into four seasons. Serving more as rest stops than destinations on the voyage. These seasons aren’t rigid by any means but help us to orient where we are, have been, and are going. They allowed me to double down on centering a slower and more sustainable approach to building a financially sound & long lasting business.

It’s nice because every entrepreneur’s journey will play out differently but when you know what season you’re in, business seems to get easier. You stop second guessing your every move. The fear that comes from it being a mystery dissipates. You’re more likely to take more aligned & confident action instead of living in extended phases of freeze. Suddenly the goal of business isn’t about perfection but an accumulation of momentum created by a more naturalistic rhythm and pace.

The Four Seasons

Season 1
Typically Years 1 & 2 in business
Research & Development

Focus: You’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Season 1 is all about understanding your gifts, talents, and abilities. It’s playful buoyant dynamic energy. Come up with a hypothesis and apply your skills to create that solution. Don’t get attached to the outcomes here because the focus is on finding what works and what doesn’t. What you like and how you like to do it. Who you enjoy working with or providing a product for & who enjoys you. In this season you’re gathering data, experimenting, creating, & celebrating the small wins. To keep up with your financial responsibilities, some options could present as freelancing, a part-time job, or creating a Bridge Business. *In my opinion, this is the most important season. It feeds every season to come.
Main Obstacles: Not knowing what your gifts are. What kind of data to collect. Burnout, trying too many things at once. Forcing your business to support you financially before it has matured.

Season 2
Typically Years 3 & 4 in business
Signature Offer or Signature Roadmap

Focus: You’ve matured a bit now & you have data that proves your hypothesis- “If this happens then then will happen”. You’ve tested it out, gotten feedback, and seen results. With this confidence, you have a clarified message & possible mission. This Season is about extracting the most important elements from your data in Season 1 to design a Signature Offer or Roadmap. This offer will refine with time but at the core, the intention will remain. Remember Southwest? You’re ready to make a stand, take up space, and move with more purpose. Unlike in Season 1, a trustworthy direction is emerging and your only job is to follow it.
Main Obstacles: Decoding the data from Season 1 into a cohesive offer or process. Clarifying your message and simplifying your business model. Uncovering your brand voice, getting the word out there & being seen.

Season 3
Typically Years 5 & 6 in business
Sustainably Scaling

Focus: You’ve caught a stride. There’s momentum building and your customers/clients trust you. You might even notice the beginnings of biodiversity forming in your business -customers asking for complimentary products or offers. Your message & brand direction is clear. You’re attracting cross-pollination by working with others in your industry or adjacent industries. The focus this season is on sustainable growth & organically reaching more people without the wheels falling off. You’re looking at systems. What’s breaking, where & why, then coming up with innovative & efficient solutions to address them. It’ll be tempting to do it all yourself but this is the Season where you begin delegating as a core pillar.
Main Obstacles: Remaining profitable & in high integrity with your service or product. Knowing what to look for when building a team. Understanding how to renew the bond with your audience and their needs. Possibly getting funding/investing ready.

Season 4
Typically Year 7 in business
Stepping Back

Focus: You’re coming to the end of your first 7-year cycle in business and by now you have the foundations of a well-oiled machine. At this point, you’re focus is on being healthy & available enough for high-level decisions so handing off day-to-day responsibilities would’ve happened in Season 3. This Season is about holding the vision. Seeing expansion opportunities or possibly slowing down to reach a different goal. This is when I’ve noticed Founders feel the hunger to pivot into new industries or ideate a new start-up. If you’re not looking to pivot, you’re preparing to enter another 7-year cycle and looking at the sore or neglected points in your business. Everything is important but not everything is urgent. Either way, you’re balancing the upkeep of what’s been built and the desire to keep building. Play and get your hands messy but don’t jump ship too soon.
Main Obstacles: Not investing in cultivating a harmonious team dynamic, especially in leadership. Not staying connected to the core why of the company. Keeping the brand, product & service fresh. Staying present and available for what’s coming next.

Take a moment to reflect. Have you been moving too fast, too slow, or just right? Have you given enough time to focus on each season in its entirety? Did you rush past any of it? Could that be the reason for any of the issues you might be experiencing now?

For example, maybe you’re working on inventing a way we can charge our phones using the electricity from our hearts, well you’ll most likely be in Season 1 longer than 2 years. Or maybe you offer luxury dog retreats and keep selling out before they’re even announced to the public. It might be tempting to jump from Season 2 to 3 with all the demand but do you have the foundational systems in place to do this without having the entire thing collapse?

This week I’m hosting a workshop on ‘The 7-Year Business’ inside The Teahouse where I’ll be speaking in more depth about this framework and how you can orient yourself & your business. I love that this came right at the end of the year. Instead of setting grand resolutions, I’m focused on making the minute adjustments that I know will create more space for clear ideas and clean money next year.

You can stream this workshop using your Teahouse Pass, see you there.

remember, care for your energy first
Jas

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