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When companies hit a growth inflection—when budgets grow, when referrals are exhausted, when competition increases, when the product portfolio expands—the instinct is to accelerate activity.

A few years ago, Red Bull came to Cincinnati for its Flugtag event. Teams designed and constructed contraptions that launched off a 30-foot platform over water, aspiring to remain airborne as long as possible.

As we enter 2026, we face two somewhat opposing dynamics. On the one hand, there is massive uncertainty – tariffs, political polarization, economic volatility. On the other hand, we have massive opportunity.

My husband is on my email list, and to his credit, he reads every one of my articles. He replied to last month’s email with the following: “Great article. Did you mean to offer only five spots in an article about scarcity?”

When vacationing a few years ago, I walked past a gallery, and a huge sign in the window declared it was going out of business and all art was “80% off.”  I was delighted to discover this great value and bought a few paintings at a huge discount.

Last month, Core Impact became a B Corp-certified company. Joining the ranks of Patagonia, Athleta, Allbirds, and Ben & Jerry’s, it was an honor to be recognized as a business with “high social and environmental standards.”

For three months, I didn’t check my work email. I never logged on to LinkedIn. I didn’t earn an income. I didn’t read the news. I took a sabbatical.

It’s early in my career. I’ve joined a hair care brand which has just launched two new products: one pink grapefruit and the other orange, each with the corresponding bottle color, fruit imagery, and scent.