Was It You Who Changed, Or The Market?

The question worth asking before you call it a pivot

Everywhere I look, entrepreneurs are shifting what they do. The person who was known for one thing a year ago is now known for something else entirely, and in most cases, that's a genuinely good sign. There's no sense carrying on down a path that no longer fits, and I think it takes a certain amount of innovation to notice that and act on it.

But there are a few ways a pivot can trip you up if you don't slow down long enough to understand why it's happening. So if you've shifted direction recently, or you're circling one now, I'd love for you to sit with a question first. Was it a you move, a market move, or a bit of both? There's no right or wrong answer, but the answer tells you something important, because responding to a change in the market and responding to a change in yourself call for different next steps.

A few questions help separate the two. If the market went back to exactly how it was before, would you want to return to what you were doing? Are you moving towards something you genuinely want, or away from something you've grown tired of? And does the new direction feel like you, or does it feel more like relief at no longer having to be who you were?

Sometimes a shift into a different category or business entirely happens because you've outgrown the market you were in, or gained a level of skill and clarity you didn't have before. For purpose-led entrepreneurs especially, that's hard to separate from identity, because the business was never purely a revenue vehicle. It became an expressive outlet, a way of making the difference you felt called to make. When the work you do genuinely matters to you, changing direction can feel less like a business decision and more like an identity one.

The part that doesn't get said enough is this. Reinvention can be a genuine expression of self-trust. It can also be self-avoidance dressed up as strategy. It's worth being honest with yourself about which one you're doing. Are you avoiding something and strategising your way out of it, rather than actually moving towards where you need to go?

I've done this myself. Ideas come to me constantly, and most of them get pushed to one side because I can't chase everything. But every so often, an idea shows up that would genuinely make money, and I still walk away from it, because I know myself well enough to know I don't have the energy or the interest to sustain it. Knowing your own strengths, whether you're the person who ignites an idea or the person who sees it through to the end, matters as much as the idea itself.

If any of this is landing because you're in the middle of a shift you can't quite name yet, know that it's common, and it's not a sign anything has gone wrong. Protect your revenue while you find your footing, keep your strengths in view, and give yourself the grace that comes with knowing seasons change, for markets and for the people building inside them.

If this resonates, I invite you to listen to the full episode here: Born To Be Brilliant Podcast

If you're in the middle of a shift and want support building the revenue and clarity underneath it while you find your footing, that's exactly what my twelve week Success Accelerator is for. Private, one to one, built around wherever you're standing right now.

Find out more here: Success Accelerator