My first group bike (bicycle) training ride taught me a life lesson I have never forgotten.
I was invited to ride with some very experienced cyclists, including a rider with Olympic Trial experience. These guys knew what they were doing, and I was humbled to be invited to be part of the pack.
The planned ride was about 35 miles and consisted of 5 loops of a circular course.
The first loop was very enjoyable. I was being instructed on the finer points of riding in a pack. The pace was brisk, but I knew I could hang on. Life was good.
Then we crossed the start line for the second loop.
Suddenly all heck broke loose. Gears were mashing, riders were out of their saddles, legs and arms were straining. My world had unexpectedly changed, and I was in a mild state of shock.
Then… Crickets.
I was riding in the beautiful summer evening in silence, and alone.
Then terror set in as I realized what I was up against. I could pack up and go home; who would know? (of course, this was just my monkey-mind making excuses for me.)
Or, I could keep riding and finish what I started. This solution felt better, but there was a huge problem. If I stayed on the course, the group had the potential to pass me. A new wave of terror swept over me. This would be embarrassing.
So off I went to continue one of the hardest training rides I ever had. I rode hard, and was constantly distracted by looking over my shoulder.
Thankfully, they never caught me and a couple of them were still at their cars when I finished. They talked me through my mistake.
When the pack broke, I dropped back and lost any advantage of drafting. I did the opposite, and missed a huge opportunity.
Drafting at high speeds makes the ride much, much easier. Going it alone is hard. My hesitation set me up for a world of hurt.
Many bike rides later, I finally became comfortable charging ahead when the bike pack made it’s move. The surges were relatively short, and soon things would settle down again, and I would be ok.
The small business world is analogous. Not staying with the pack, and new opportunities, can be costly.
When the market moves, we need to be ready to respond. And, the small business world is moving very rapidly right now.
We are coming full-circle from the forced slow-downs of the last two years into new and unexpected opportunities. Smart business owners make their move and prepare now!
Step one is to keep pace when the pack (business world) makes it’s move. Step two is to create and/or update your marketing plan.
And that is precisely what next week’s Mentoring and Marketing Boot Camp Challenge is all about.
I will “lead the pack” with proven strategies and tactics and guide you through the process of developing a marketing plan for 2022. I guarantee you will get results!
If you’re ready to pick up the pace and avoid the terror of “crickets” in your marketing channels, I’ll see you on April 4th.
Remember, you only get results if you take immediate action on your ideas!
