When the business you started isn’t the one you run anymore

I’ve spent the last week in the Lake District with my youngest son — squeezing in some quality time before the summer holidays officially come to a close.

One of our days out (because it’s now tradition) was the obligatory farm park trip.
Honestly, I can’t believe I’ve been visiting these places for over 20 years now! 😅

There were trampolines, rubber ring slides, lots of animal feeding, and my son’s current favourite — the water balloon fight.

But the final stop — as always — was the soft play.
(With a café, thankfully. 🙏)

As I sat there with my coffee, I looked around and thought — this isn’t just a kid friendly attraction. This is a smart business move.

This was once and to some extent still is, a traditional working farm. But clearly, the owners realised that just raising animals and crops might not be enough to sustain their family long term.

So they pivoted.
They used the land they had… the buildings they had… and the audience they had access to — and they built something new.

A sustainable, profitable income stream from something already in front of them.

It really is inspiring.

And it made me think about all the women I work with — and even my own journey.
Because for most of us, our businesses look very different to how they did when we first started.

We start with one idea…
And then the market speaks.
Clients tell us what they want.
Demand shows up in unexpected places.
And we’re forced to adapt if we want to keep growing.

I’m sure there are days when that farmer wishes he could just focus on the animals and the crops…
But the truth is, running a business means you don’t just do what you want to do — you do what works.

And sometimes that means pivoting.
Repackaging.
Refocusing.

So here’s a question to ask yourself as we head into a new season:

👉 Are you selling what you want to sell — or what the market wants to buy?

It’s not always the same thing.

But when you get that balance right — the results can be incredible.

Speak soon

Cherie

PS:
With school starting back next week and that “full steam ahead” energy kicking in, I’ve got 2 spaces available for my Profit Power Hour — a focused session designed to help you figure out what’s working, what’s not, and where your profits are hiding.

If you want to grab one of those slots and get clear before Q4 ramps up, just hit reply and let me know.