In "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know" (such a great title...) best selling author, Adam Grant, advocates for constant experimentation by encouraging his readers to "think like a scientist."
Grant shares a study conducted by European researchers. They wanted to determine if teaching the "scientist mindset" to more than one hundred founders of Italian startups would influence their bottom line.
The founders were unknowingly divided into two different training groups. Both were trained in entrepreneurship, however, one group was additionally taught to view entrepreneurship through the lens of "scientific" experimentation and reiteration.
Test. Observe. Act. Repeat.
After one year, the founders who were taught to "think like a scientist" brought in more than twice as much revenue than the control group.
They also pivoted more than twice as often as the control group.
I love this study.
And...I refuse to solely equate success with the dollar amount of someone's bottom line.
Success is so much more than that.
I view success as the moment that each one of those start up founders had the courage to pivot. In that moment, they had to admit to themselves (and others) that something wasn't working.
In a sense, they failed. But instead of giving up, they chose to "fail forward."
They used their mistakes as valuable information to make a new choice, and move forward in a better way. (This is the definition of wisdom.)
It's also the core of what fostering Transilience– transformation resilience– is all about: cultivating the courage to leap over and over again, knowing that falling and getting back up again is an essential part of the learning process.
By embracing their failures, they were ultimately more financially successful.
But again, it's not about the money. I view financial success as a by-product of something much more profound...
A willingness to embrace creativity, vulnerability, growth and authenticity...over trying to front like you've got all it all figured out.
This is why most people are afraid to experiment...
Because it's uncomfortable.
Every pivot requires taking a risk.
Yes, there are financial risks, and creative risks, but more importantly we're afraid to risk the emotional exposure of leaping and failing in front of other people.
What if I take the leap and don't stick the landing? What if I pivot and face-plant?
It's too vulnerable. So instead, we tend to play it safe.
We all have some version of a "play it safe" voice that likes to chime in when we risk of emotional exposure runs high.
What if I launch a new program and no one signs up? Hmmm...maybe I should just re-run the same program I launched last year.
What if I post this reel or create this piece of art and no one likes it? What if I say something and people judge or criticize me...or worse yet...cancel me?
For years, I played it safe by dutifully operating within the confines of a topic-focused niche. After all, the prevailing marketing wisdom said "pick a niche and stick with it."
But it just wasn't working for me. I needed to pivot.
Last year, when I chose to break free from that rigid way of (niche down) thinking and embraced rapid experimentation to become my niche of one, I grew over 175k on IG in less than a year.
And let me tell you...it was highly freaking uncomfortable.
I had to try a lot of different things outside of my comfort zone. (That's the definition of creativity.)
And you know what? It was painfully awkward in moments.
I was learning to flex a new muscle, and it's pretty normal to suck at the beginning of any new endeavor.
According to creativity research, the technical term for this is:
"throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks." 🤓
Seriously though, in the field of creativity there's a saying that goes:
"quantity leads to quality."
There's a ton of research to back this up, but essentially we know that the more ideas you generate, the more likely you are to strike one really good idea.
That means you need to be willing to share 99 very average (or downright shitty) ideas that no one likes before sharing one brilliant idea that has the potential to inspire real change.
It comes with the territory.
Which points to true essence of what I'm getting at here:
You're not going to stick the landing every time.
Sometimes you're going to flail, and other times you might even face-plant. There's no getting around that.
So would you rather play it safe? Or would you rather fail (or flail) forward?
For me, success on this path is about choosing growth. Even if it looks messy, I'm committed to leaping.
I once heard Brené Brown say something like:
"I don't leap to stick the landing. I leap for the act of flying through the air."
That quote really speaks to me because it's about learning to fall in love with the creative process itself. And when we choose to fall in love with the process, we're actually choosing to move closer to who we truly are.
Leaping becomes a radical act of authentic self-expression which inevitable becomes a healing process of self-acceptance.
And yes, it's easier said than done.
That's what makes the path of entrepreneurship (in it's myriad forms) so deeply healing and transformative.
And from my experience, financial success is simply a natural by-product of a deep willingness to share the authentic expression of who you truly are despite the emotional risk that comes with the territory.
Start paying attention to your "play it safe" voice.
Still, to this day, almost every time I'm about to post something on social media, I can hear that "play it safe" voice faintly whispering in the background.
My "play it safe" voice comes from my inner 7 year old who refused to throw a birthday party because she was afraid no one would show up.
That voice is still there, I just don't allow her to steer the ship or call the shots.
And every time I hear that voice and still hit "post" or "send" or "publish" I'm acknowledging her, choosing to lead from my worth rather than my wounds.
Start paying attention to your "play it safe" voice.
- What does it sound like?
- Where did it come from?
- When does it show up?
- In what super subtle ways do you stay within your safe zone?
- And in what ways are you ready to leap?
