Create the Conditions for Your Business to Grow
Originally shared October 10, 2024 in the Naked Sunday Newsletter. Adapted for the journal.
Here’s a truth that might sting a little:
You don’t actually grow your business.
You create the environment for it to grow.
Think about it. A farmer doesn’t force crops out of the ground. They don’t make plants grow faster. Instead, they focus on setting the right conditions—good soil, plenty of sunlight, and just enough water—so that growth can happen naturally.
Now, let’s get to the heart of it. If your business has hit a plateau, it’s not because you’re not doing enough. It’s because something in the environment is off. And the real kicker? That environment starts within you.
Creating the Right Conditions for Business Growth
Think of your business like a garden, and you’re the gardener.
Check the Soil (Your Business Culture)
Healthy plants need rich soil. For your business, that means having a solid culture rooted in strong values and shared goals. Are you clear on what your business stands for? Do your team and clients know what to expect from you? The answers to these questions are your “soil test.”
Provide the Right Nutrients (Resources & Tools)
Plants need the right balance of nutrients, water, and sunlight. Your business needs resources like talent, tools, and capital. But you can’t just throw resources at a problem and expect it to grow. Are you investing in the right areas? Are you overloading some areas and starving others? Finding that balance is key.
Eliminate the Weeds (Distractions & Inefficiencies)
Just like weeds can choke out healthy plants, distractions, inefficiencies, and misaligned efforts can stop your business from growing. What do you need to prune back? Is there a project, client, or idea that’s taking up time and energy without moving the business forward? It’s time to clear the space.
Why Your Business Is a Reflection of You
There’s another layer to this. Before you can set the right conditions for your business, you have to get honest about the conditions within yourself. As the leader, your business is a reflection of your internal state.
If your business feels stuck, it might be because you’re stuck.
Just like a gardener’s ability to cultivate healthy plants is influenced by their own skill, energy, and presence, your business’s growth depends on your internal health and well-being. A gardener who’s worn out, distracted, or disconnected from the land can’t properly tend to their crops. In the same way, when you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s impossible to provide the right environment for your business to thrive.
Are you taking care of your physical health?
If you’re exhausted, burnt out, or run down, that will show up in how you lead, make decisions, and interact with your team.
Where’s your mindset?
Are you focused and clear, or distracted and overwhelmed? If your mind is scattered, your business strategy probably is too.
Are you connected to your purpose?
If you’ve lost touch with the reason you started this journey, it’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day grind. Reconnecting with your purpose is like adding water to thirsty roots—it revives and energizes everything.
Ready to Break Through the Plateau?
It’s frustrating when you know your business has more potential but it just isn’t moving. But the answer isn’t always more hustle or more effort. Sometimes, it’s about stepping back and checking the environment you’ve created—both inside and out.
Ask yourself:
Is there a disconnect between what I want and how I’m leading my business?
Where am I neglecting myself and, in turn, my business?
What’s one change I can make today to improve the conditions for growth—both personally and professionally?
Related reflections
Until next time…
Love. Every. Body.
