B L O G

its going to get hot

Deal with the heat

by Kim McCarten

Ah…it's Summer.

And typically, for Chicago anyway, there's instant heat and humidity. Not a dainty gentle rise in temperature, over time, a gradual ascent into glorious summer heat and beach fun.

No.

An onslaught of heat and humidity drops from the sky one day after weeks and weeks…and weeks…of rain and unusual cold.

You're welcome, says Nature. You wanted summer, you got it.

fans are great. also cool drinks. A 30+ degree change whiplashing us through a couple of seasons (often within 24 hours or less) is something we Chicagoans have had to get used to, or try to anyway.

And while I'm glad I have access to air conditioning when this heat comes, I don't want to be hermetically sealed in a perfect environment of 68-74° all year round, sealing me off from all the seasons and their changes.

There's something about being in alignment with outside forces, and having to deal with them and make adjustments, that just feels right—like how you feel after a good work out. The challenge of a little discomfort and the good kind of tired that comes after.

Now, I'm not for needless suffering, but dealing with that kind of discomfort makes a person, and a business, stronger, more ready.

You know, somewhere in the back of your mind, that customers are not going to keep flying in the door forever if your business is going through a strong growth phase.

whale clients are bad You know that the Big Whale Client you just landed, while positive, will potentially make your business more vulnerable if overreliance on that BWC takes hold, and you do more and more work for them and leave less and less time for business development and marketing.

winter will come

Winter will come.

Sometimes there's a gentle transition between business seasons. You feel the chill in the air and start preparing; or sales are inching up and you adjust accordingly.

Sometimes though the change is sudden and it's harder for a business to cope.

Making yourself a little uncomfortable on a regular basis can keep you sharp, leading to new ideas for marketing, cost efficiencies, improved products and services.

Whether it's summer or winter in your business, the seasons will turn—sometimes suddenly.

And being used to a little discomfort can build the resilience and creativity needed when the big seasonal shifts arrive.

So go out and deal with the heat—and the cold when it comes (and it will). It's good for you.

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