If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or freelancer lying awake wondering whether you’re actually doing this right, thinking you need to make a pivot, you’re not alone. I’ve been there too, and here’s what changed for me.
A few years ago (early 2024), my business looked different from what it does today. I started a nonprofit consulting firm and evolved into a marketing agency. Almost a decade later, I took a job with a nonprofit for a season- and it was the start of a pivot I didn’t know I needed.
If I’m keeping it real, being authentic forced me to raise my standards because my business was doing better than I gave myself credit for. More on that later.
When I came out the other side of that (late 2024), I finally embraced being a fractional CMO. Funny thing is, that role had always been what I was doing, but I hate micromanagement. Who was I to tell people what to do?
I just hadn’t leaned into it fully before, because I was making assumptions about it and honestly, I was uncomfortable owning it. Marketing strategy is what I do best, and it took stepping away to see that clearly.
How?
A trip to Nairobi, Kenya in 2024. Then a second one in 2025. I documented that second trip, and putting myself on camera showed me a side of who I was that I hadn’t shown before.
The comments and the feedback I got back were great, better than I expected. So I added video to my business portfolio. It brought in a couple of clients right away, and I quickly realized it’s one of the best lead generation tools out there for growing a client list.
At the same time, I was watching the creator economy keep growing. I was watching companies downsizing left and right. I was watching AI become part of nearly every conversation about the future of work. And I realized the business model that used to work for me wasn’t going to carry me forward.
So I pivoted. And I’m glad I did.
Business is Personal, Whether We Admit it or Not
People love to say “it’s just business, don’t take it personal.” I disagree with that completely. Look at the biggest influencers right now. They aren’t selling a faceless service. They are showing up as themselves, sharing their personalities, and getting paid millions of dollars for it. Their business IS personal. That’s the whole point.
Becoming a YouTuber myself has been an eye-opening experience.
What’s been the benefit of publishing videos to the whole world?
Here are just a few of them:
- it forced my business to get cleaner with operations and systems;
- it helped me eliminate distractions I didn’t even realize were slowing me down;
- it made me a better communicator, plain and simple, because you can’t hide behind a camera;
- I saw expenses that weren’t adding to the bottom line;
- it pushed me to think about both the short term and the long term of my brand at the same time; and
- stopped giving away my time to people who weren’t going to pay me
The World went Digital. Your Business has to Follow
I still love building a good website for a small business trying to get its name out there. That work matters, and I’m not walking away from it. But here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud- it’s hard.
It’s harder than ever for a new business to become known if you’re just starting out. The noise is louder. The competition is global now, not just local.
If your business isn’t thinking digitally and globally, you’re already behind.
That’s a big part of why I’m leaning into video. It’s not a side project. It’s part of the pivot.
When I added the videos and used my CRM (customer relationship manager) tool to keep all my processes under one platform, it makes things a lot easier.
If Amazon and Netflix are doing it, why aren’t I?
I tell all my prospects they need a CRM and start creating videos.
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Here’s what I really want you to take from this. There are seasons to everything. What worked for your business five years ago, or even one year ago, might not be what gets you to where you need to go next.
Staying in the same lane because it’s familiar is how people get stuck. Complacency with your own skills is quiet, but it will cost you.
Change is uncomfortable.
I felt that discomfort leaving a stable job. I felt it walking around Nairobi, not able to speak Swahili. I feel it every time I post a new video and put myself out there in a way that feels a little exposed.
But that discomfort is the price of growth. There’s no way around it, only through it.
If you’re reading this and you’re stuck between the thing you’ve always done and the thing that actually makes you happy, I see you. Take the step. Evolve. Your business, and your life, might need the same pivot mine did.
Ready To Make Your Own Pivot?
Whether you need a fractional CMO to steer your marketing, a website that actually brings in business, or help building your own video presence to generate leads, that’s what I do at NDUB Brand. Reach out and let’s talk about what your next season should look like.
It’s time to move from surviving to thriving. Let’s get to work.
If you need help, hit me up.
Nathan A Webster, MBA
Founder, NDUB Brand of NW & Associates, LLC
