Pivoting is the art of recognizing that the pursuit of a specific idea, direction or product – in which you’ve invested significant time, money and energy – is no longer the correct path to follow.
Avishai Abrahami (co-founder and CEO of Wix)
I’m looking around at people’s reaction to change and seeing the most successful and inspiring ones I know not just accept change, but embrace it in a way that inspires me. There are many examples of businesses pivoting during these hard times but none hit me the same way as the straightforward and matter-of-fact way that Sweaty Bands did it.
Let me start by saying that a dedicated blog shout out to Sweaty Bands was already in the back of my head. For YEARS now, I’ve been a fan of their non-slip headbands for workouts. I have stacks upon stacks of them in my workout rotation. They are the only headband that doesn’t slip, doesn’t pull my hair, doesn’t break, gives me plenty of ways to express myself, and elevates my headband game. If you know me IRL, then chances are likely I’ve recommended them to you at least half a dozen times.
My point is – my love for them is deep, real and lasting.
Then last Wednesday happened. At 3:21pm, I received an email from their marketing department that they were selling face masks.
I stopped and re-read the email.
Then I gave them a mental high-five because it was such a beautiful pivot that I’d call it a pirouette!
- The materials for face masks are the same as the materials for headbands – fabric and elastic. BRILLIANT!
- The design is superior (in my mind) to the pleated ones that do not fit securely over the nose and mouth. This means someone had already taken the time and effort to evaluate designs and prototype them. AMAZING!
- They had their machine cranking along without missing a beat! The marketing email went out, the website was updated, and there doesn’t seem to be any delay in getting them. They already anticipate bulk ordering so there’s clear direction about how to inquire. They clearly have their act together! BOOM!
- They are also responsible – making sure to note that these are NOT rated as N95 – or rated at all. But in the world where the Centers for Disease Control basically says something is better than nothing, they are on it – keeping their community, customers, and business safe. BOSS MOVE!
I immediately put in an order. Not only because I have expanding admiration for this business, but I want to see if their supply chain really was as tight as it seemed or if they would run out of stock or run into fulfillment issues. Mine are supposed to arrive this week and thus far I have no reason to believe they will be delayed.
This isn’t just about a business pivot, which is not really topical to my blog (though I will argue that the headbands are 100%!), it’s about the inspiration of real people who find a way to make pivoting look effortless.
It’s inspired me to think about how I can get my personal balance so “en pointe” that I can pivot or pirouette as gracefully as the women behind Sweaty Bands did. In hindsight I can see many instances where I would have been better off pivoting sooner. Instead I adopted a “go down with the ship” attitude. I can also see instances where I went with the flow, even when the flow wasn’t taking me where I planned. Any guesses which approach turned out better for me?
Pivoting is about mental flexibility and balance. It’s a mental muscle that needs to be worked out and strengthened. There is value, personally and professionally, to getting better at it.
If we move lightly through the world, dancing and pirouetting the things that life tosses in our path, we can always land on our feet and minimize the disruption that outside influences have on us. That’s something I think all of use can use these days.
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