E313. Business Seasons: How to Plan, Pivot, and Protect Your Peace
Release Date: 06/05/2025
April Garcia's PivotMe
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If you’re staring at the end of the year thinking, How is it December already? and Why does it feel unfinished?—this episode is for you. Before you sprint into next year, we’re hitting pause. Because clarity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s designed. In this reflective yet action-driven episode of PivotMe, April walks you through 10 powerful questions designed to help you close the year with intention and step into the next one with clarity and momentum. These aren’t fluffy prompts. They’re clarity grenades. Too many people drag old patterns into a new year and wonder why...
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If next year were a movie, what kind of film would it be? Action? Adventure? Redemption? A rom-com with questionable decisions and a killer soundtrack? Whatever it is — here’s the truth: no magical hand is writing it for you. You get to take the damn pen. You’re the writer, the director, and the lead. In this follow-up to The Hero’s Journey, April hands you the director’s chair for your own life. Too many leaders and entrepreneurs drift into another year by default — replaying the same story, following the same plot, repeating the same dialogue. But what if 2025 wasn’t a sequel?...
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Every great movie has that moment — the hero face-down in the dirt, bleeding, doubting, wondering if they’ve got anything left. That’s not the end of the story. That’s the middle. So if you’re there right now — business messy, life loud, wondering if you’ve blown it — you’re not failing. You’re in your Hero’s Journey. In this powerful episode of PivotMe, April unpacks The Hero’s Journey — that timeless storytelling arc that shows up in every great movie, book, and… your own life. From Luke Skywalker to Moana to Rocky, this universal path of struggle, transformation,...
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Many of us are in seasons of change — different tables, new dynamics, empty chairs, or brand-new beginnings. But no matter what this year looks like, gratitude still belongs here. In this deeply personal Thanksgiving episode, April invites you to slow down, reflect, and find gratitude — even when life looks different. She opens up about vulnerability, growth, asking for help, and the power of gratitude — both for the people who carried you and for the resilient, evolving version of you. Through heartfelt storytelling, humor, and honesty, this episode reminds us that Thanksgiving isn’t...
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Ever look at your to-do list and think, ‘Cool, I’ll just clone myself and maybe then I’ll get it all done’? Yeah. Same. But here’s the truth — overwhelm isn’t a sign you’re doing too little. It’s a sign you’re doing too much of the wrong stuff. Let’s fix that. Feeling buried under your to-do list? You’re not alone — but you don’t have to live there. In this high-impact episode, April breaks down five simple, tactical moves that shift you from chaos to clarity. Whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or juggling it all, this episode will help you reclaim...
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You know what’s more expensive than a bad hire? A great hire you set up to fail. Welcome, Pivoter! In Part 2 of this series, April dives into the five most common reasons new hires fail in small businesses — and, more importantly, how to stop repeating those mistakes. Drawing from Who, Topgrading, and real small-business case studies, she unpacks what actually derails your new hires: lack of clarity, rushed processes, weak onboarding, and the avoidance of tough calls. This episode is your small-business hiring playbook — practical, tough-love, and designed to help you build a team that...
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You know what’s worse than making a bad hire? Making a bad hire… and then wasting weeks of your life obsessing over it instead of moving on. That’s like tripping on a rock and then deciding to camp there forever. Welcome, Pivoter! Today, April tackles one of the most expensive, frustrating, and inevitable parts of running a business — bad hires. If you’ve been in business long enough, you’ve made one. We all have. The financial loss hurts, but what’s even more costly is how long we stay stuck — replaying the mistake instead of moving on to our next right decision. In this...
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You’re not mad at your past self because she failed — you’re mad because she didn’t know what you know now. But guess what? She’s the reason you know it. In this episode of PivotMe, April takes listeners on a transformative journey through her recent experience with energy and shadow work—a deep dive into the hidden layers of self-judgment, compassion, and growth. Through personal reflection and powerful mindset shifts, April reveals how she uncovered her own inner critic — “The Judge” — and how it was quietly sabotaging her progress. If you’ve ever replayed your old...
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You’re not powerless — you’re powerful. But every time you blame someone or something else for where you are, you hand that power away like spare change. Welcome, Pivoter! In this episode, April tackles a hard truth: sometimes, the biggest thing standing between us and our goals isn’t circumstance — it’s our excuses. We dive deep into the concept of Radical Responsibility — the practice of owning every part of your life and business that you can control. Because until you do, you’ll stay stuck in patterns of blame and frustration, waiting for external forces to change what only...
info_outlineIf you've ever found yourself panicking over a slow sales month and spiraling into self-doubt—this episode is for you. April takes us behind the scenes of a real coaching conversation with a business owner convinced her business was falling apart... only to discover, it was just a predictable cycle.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to stop reacting emotionally to every dip, zoom out to see your patterns, and plan your growth accordingly. Because your business isn’t broken—it might just be winter.
What You’ll Learn:
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Why most small business owners are blind to their own business cycles
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The difference in mindset between a $3M company and a $10M+ company
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How to track patterns to reduce panic and plan more strategically
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What to stop doing when things get slow
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How your emotional state is tied to your P&L (and how to cut that cord)
Golden Quotes:
“Profits up? I’m a genius. Profits down? I should’ve gone to law school.”
“You're not screwing up your business. You're just in a cycle. Don't burn the house down.”
“Strong marketing makes for easy sales. Weak marketing makes for hard sales.”
“Don’t try to fix everything from street view. Step back—look from the satellite view.”
Action Steps:
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Zoom Out: Review your sales and lead data from the past 2–3 years. Spot trends—your slow seasons, your peaks.
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Plan With the Cycle: Use slow months for R&D, training, or backend projects. Don’t launch major systems when you're in a sales sprint.
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Know Your Triggers: Recognize when you start to spiral emotionally. Your business isn't broken—your expectations might just be misaligned.
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