Thriving Under Pressure in Entrepreneurship

A core component of resiliency, especially in entrepreneurship, is the ability to pivot and flex when a business does not go as planned. The need to adapt and recalibrate is amplified post-pandemic. Many companies are on the edge of collapse, and equally at the threshold of opportunity.

Anchor Yourself

Focus on what remains consistent during rapid change and use it as an anchoring technique at the start and end of each day.

The sun still rises. The birds still sing. Your favourite movie continues to make you laugh.

Integrate this anchoring exercise into work meetings, family dinners, and conversations with your team, and fellow business owners.

Simply asking “what parts of your day remain the same during uncertain times” shifts the dialogue from grief to gratitude. Laying a solid foundation for bouncing forward.

Reframe the Challenge

The A-B-C Model of Cognitive Psychology, developed by Dr. Albert Ellis, underscores the notion that as a business owner, it is not what happens to you that matters most, it is your thoughts about what happens.

For example, two entrepreneurs experience the same setback in rival businesses:

An Operating Loss in two consecutive quarters. (Activating Event)

One person perceives financial loss as a never-ending failure, while the other sees it as an opportunity for learning and growth. (Belief and Thoughts).

The entrepreneur racked in self-doubt often spirals into learned helplessness, undermining their ability to bounce back and learn from failure. (Consequences and Emotions).

Activating Event: Operating Loss

Belief and Thoughts: Failure vs. Learning Opportunity

Consequences and Emotions: Learned Helplessness vs. Confidence

This is why connecting entrepreneurs in community is so important. Opening the conversation and reducing the shame around failure helps move the mind from negativity bias to broaden and build.

We all fail. It is a universal experience. Success is not a straight line.