A friend of mine, who frequently appears on business programs as an expert, reached out to me recently with an urgent question. She needed a sharp piece of business advice she could use as a quick sound bite for a live TV spot in under 30 minutes. I thought you’d find my response useful, so I’m sharing it with you.
Here’s what I told her.
“Hold on to what’s working and let go of what isn’t.”
Simple, right? But let’s dig a bit deeper.
The Art of Holding On and Letting Go
In business, a lot of what we do is habitual. We have routines—favorite service providers, tried-and-true strategies, trusted advisors, and familiar tools. These habits form the foundation of how we operate daily.
However, successful business owners do things a bit differently. They keep their eyes open for improvement, constantly evaluating what works and what doesn’t.
Is It Working? Really?
It’s natural to feel comfortable with what seems to be working. But here’s the catch: without periodically checking for better alternatives, you could be missing out on new and improved ways of doing things.
Take SEO, for example. Once a powerhouse for organic reach, organic SEO has faced drastic changes. Since Google’s AI Overview launched in May 2024, organic search results are now pushed further down the page. Google’s AI is increasingly answering users’ questions directly, cutting traffic even for top-ranking pages.
And then there are the assumptions we carry. Consider the assumptions you make about your market. Are they still accurate? A drop in sales or marketing results may be a signal to rethink these beliefs and base decisions on updated information.
Adapting to Change
In the past few years, changes in the world—from the pandemic to economic fluctuations—have significantly shifted spending behaviors and priorities. If you’re marketing the same way you were even two years ago, you’re probably out of sync with your audience.
Take a moment to review your current practices. Especially the ones that haven’t changed in a while. Are they still your best options?
So, keep what works. Let go of what doesn’t.
