Back in September 2019, way before COVID was a word understood in every language around the world, I decided that I was going to create a digital accelerator that would help more people build thriving consultancies.
Little did I know that six months later, the country would be thrown into an almost fully-remote workforce where parents were fumbling through their kids’ virtual school during the day while meeting work deadlines at midnight.
This unsustainable lack of balance, subsequent layoffs and the realization that most people really can work outside of the office—and (gasp!) the company will survive—led to an unforeseen acceleration of the flexible work movement.
As the CEO of a company that has been at the forefront of this revolution, I knew that 2020 would be a pivotal year for The Upside.
But the launch of our new accelerator program didn’t happen without a hitch. Here are the three fiascos that almost took down the whole darn thing.
The Tech Gifts That Kept On Giving
The Election That Ruled All
The Juggle That Got Real, Real Fast
In The End...
Ultimately, this is a perfect example of what I’ve always said about entrepreneurship: persistence and resilience in business is often what separates the companies that survive and those that don’t.
Running a business can look glamorous and easy from the outside. But any successful business owner will tell you that what goes on behind the scenes is far from the pretty final product you see as the customer.
When quitting isn’t an option, you might encounter times when you have to scrape yourself off the pavement and keep moving forward. But always remember: forward in any direction is still forward!
