What to Do When You Have to Go Back on Your Word in Your Business (Plus, the Reason I’m Going Back on Mine)

In business, we make countless decisions every single day. Some end up being inconsequential and others change the course of our businesses forever.

Earlier this year I made and announced a big decision. Now, after wrestling with it for months, consulting with a $2000/hr business consultant, and checking in with my intuition, I’m going back on that decision and telling you all about it today.

Why?

Since I promise to tell you the truth, I couldn’t simply slip in this change and hope you didn’t notice. (I know you’re smarter than that.) So I’m laying it all out there, nothing held back.

My Uncompromising Business Standards

Before I can dive into what I said and why I’m going back on my word, I have to first clarify my business philosophy.

Over the years I’ve developed some uncompromising standards that I hold myself to. They’re ideas, concepts, and philosophies that form the framework of how I do business. I rely on these standards to help me make decisions whenever I’m formulating, refining, or adjusting a plan.

Uncompromising Standard #1: Always tell the truth to your clients, readers, fans, followers, and subscribers, even if they might not like it.

It’s not my job to be your BFF. It’s my job to be your coach, your trusted advisor, and your expert consultant.

In order to do my job well—so you can successfully build your business—I have to often say the hard things. Share the ideas that might not be popular. Tell you when I think you’re making a bad decision. Or call BS when you’re working on your website for the 1000th time instead of doing the work to get clients.

Telling the truth goes beyond just the business advice and coaching I give you.

It also means answering any of your questions honestly, whether they’re about my past clients’ results, when I’ll run my next program, or who is working behind the scenes to make the magic happen.

This kind of integrity is nonnegotiable for me and my business; I’m firm on this.

Uncompromising Standard #2: Serve my clients in the best way possible.

As much as experts tout the me-centric approach to business (What would make ME happy? What will make ME the most money? Etc.), my approach to business is quite different.

I prefer to ask this question:

What would serve YOU in the best way possible that will also help ME serve my purpose?

YOU + ME. (Not just me.)

I’ve recently come to realize that this philosophy is surprisingly rare, and my higher-level clients had some powerful insights when we applied this philosophy and strategy to their new business models.

This means that as I plan, strategize, refine, re-plan, and re-strategize, I’m focusing on what will give you the maximum results in a way that I’m best able to provide for you.

Not only does this mean my clients get better results; it also means I love my business tons more, too. Win-win.

Uncompromising Standard #3: Always sell with integrity and authenticity.

Just as I tell you the truth when it comes to advice-giving, I will also tell you the truth when I’m selling my programs.

What does this mean specifically?

• I won’t make wild claims or impossible promises about the results you’ll get in my programs. (I only share 100% true examples from real clients.)
• I won’t inflate or stack arbitrary values to make my programs look “worth it.” (That’s my least favorite practice I see taught in the online business world.)
• And I won’t sell other people’s stuff (as an affiliate) unless I’ve checked it out and decided for myself that it’s awesome.

… just to name a few.

I’m in business for the long haul. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s not something I’m just dabbling in. And it’s certainly not a hobby.

This is my livelihood. It pays my household bills (and the bills for many of the amazing people on my team). And I want it to keep doing so for years to come.

This means I hold myself to the highest standards of integrity and authenticity when I tell you what I can (or can’t) do for you and your business. Plus, you deserve only the highest level of respect in this regard and shouldn’t have to do business with anyone who falls short here.

What I Said

Now that you understand the standards I hold myself to, you’ll understand why I’m dedicating an entire blog post to one decision I recently made.

It goes back to January of this year when I opened enrollment for Make It Work Online. I was asked a question I’m always asked when I offer this program: “When will you be offering Make It Work Online again?”

My answer is usually, “I don’t know,” and that’s always the truth. I often can’t make a decision on the next program until I’m deep into the current program.

However, this past January I felt differently. I was pretty sure that I knew what was going to happen next.

I said, “At this point, I’m 90% sure that I won’t ever again offer MIWO with ME coaching YOU throughout the program. MIWO isn’t going anywhere, but I’m thinking it’s going to become a DIY program.”

I further clarified by saying, “I say 90% sure because I’m never 100% certain until I’m executing that next plan. Also, I hired a coach who I haven’t started working with yet, and he might have some other ideas for what the best next steps are for Make It Work Online.”

Even though I was truthful (as always) and said I was 90% sure—not 100% sure—it felt like a pretty firm decision to me.

Except it wasn’t as firm as I thought…

I’m Changing the Plan

After talking through my 2016 + 2017 plans with that new coach, I decided to stick with what works amazingly well for you:

Running Make It Work Online as a me-coaching-you group program that kicks ass and helps my smartest, most motivated clients get massive results.

(What kind of massive results? Things like a 100% website overhaul and boundless excitement for serving the right niche of clients; going from ZERO to 15 clients in just 2 months; having a $10k month before the program ended.)

This means the MIWO-DIY plan is on hold. Because when I reflected on the standards I hold for myself in my business, it felt best to keep doing what’s working amazingly well for you. And truly, the coaching and homework feedback you get in Make It Work Online makes all the difference.

But making the change without addressing my comments from January left me feeling “off.”

And that brought me to this post, outing myself.

Why I’m Being so Public about This

You might be wondering, “Jenny, why are you writing a blog post about this? It’s no big deal!”

Well, it is, and it isn’t.

It’s a decision that ultimately helps you. It’s also a decision that could easily be brushed under the rug. But I’m not that kind of coach or business woman, and that’s not the standard I hold for myself.

I know if I had been an attendee on the webinar where I said, “I’m 90% sure…” I would have remembered what was said and wondered why the change. So if you’re like me, you’re wondering the same thing… and I want to be as transparent as possible.

Second, since integrity, truth, and authenticity are foundational to how I do business, being this open with my decision felt like the right choice.

Third, I want to give you permission to change your mind, too! Business never follows the exact path we imagine it will, especially when we’re running purpose-driven ventures like ours. We make plans, we take good guesses, we create vision boards, and we work toward certain goals… until we don’t.

What to Do When This Happens to You (Because It Will Happen to You)

This will happen to you at one point. You will make a 90% (or even 100%) decision and then have to go back on your word.

Click to TweetHave to go back on your word in your business? It’s okay… if you do this.

It’s okay to go back on your word. Just do it deliberately. Transparently. Truthfully.

How?

First, get clear on your own standards in advance. (As in: do this today.) It makes tough decisions so much easier to follow through on.

Second, stay true to your standards, because they trump any one given micro decision. If you have to go back on your word, own up to it. People appreciate honesty. (And if they don’t, they’re not your people.)

Third, give yourself permission to change your mind. Don’t stick to your guns once you realize it’s no longer the best decision. Also, don’t over-apologize when you do change your mind; tell it straight, and move on.

In business, we make countless decisions every single day. Some end up being inconsequential and others change the course of our business forever.

And it’s okay to change your mind; just follow your own standards when you do.