Lead the Shift: A Working Session for Business Owners Who Want to Lead With Clarity, Not Chaos
Most business owners aren’t stuck because they’re not working hard enough. They’re stuck because the conditions around them have changed. Buyers are more cautious. Teams need more communication. Margins are tighter. And many owners are left trying to make critical decisions without the visibility or confidence they used to have.
That’s exactly why we hosted Lead the Shift, a working session focused on helping business owners stabilize, refocus, and move forward with practical strategy. We dug into the parts of the business that matter most right now: financial clarity, high-margin offers, client retention, team performance, and smart spending.
This was not a presentation. It was a working session designed to help you reset, reassess, and take one clear next step. Here’s what we covered and how you can apply it in your own business starting now.
Clarity Is Not Optional
We opened the session with a simple question: where are you leading from?
Are you making decisions from a place of fear and reaction? Or from clarity and strategy?
That question grounded the entire conversation. Because before you make a single change to your team, your pricing, your offers, or your spend, you need to know where you are standing. Business resilience is built on clear visibility into what’s working, what’s lagging, and what’s likely to come next.
This is where the Health and Value Assessment came in. It’s a practical tool that helps business owners identify operational blind spots, measure enterprise value, and get clarity across key areas like finances, leadership, systems, and scalability. We introduced it as a starting point for any strategic reset.
You can’t strengthen what you haven’t measured.
Your Numbers Should Tell You What to Do Next
Cash is still king, but clarity is queen. Owners were asked: do you know your break-even point? Do you know what your business needs to generate every single month just to stay operational?
If the answer is no, that’s your first priority.
We introduced a cash flow forecasting tool that gives business owners visibility into revenue, expenses, and timing. Looking at your bank account is backward-looking. Forecasting helps you plan. It gives you the ability to course-correct before you’re in trouble.
We also talked through:
The difference between fixed and variable costs
How to identify your most profitable offerings
Why not all revenue is good revenue
If you're offering a service or product that takes up time and resources but delivers very little margin, you’re draining capacity that could be redirected toward profitable work.
Knowing your numbers isn’t just for accountants. It’s how you lead with confidence instead of stress.
Double Down on What Drives 70% of Your Revenue
We asked business owners to map their offerings and identify the services or products that generate the majority of their profitable revenue. Most businesses have a few key offers that carry the financial weight.
That’s where your energy belongs.
Once you’ve identified your top revenue drivers, you can build flexibility around them. That includes:
Offering slimmed-down versions of your service for price-sensitive buyers
Creating bundled packages that increase perceived value and average deal size
Introducing a subscription model or recurring revenue stream to stabilize cash flow
Subscription models are especially valuable in service-based businesses. They give you predictable revenue, stronger client retention, and a more valuable business from a buyer or investor perspective.
If your current offer suite was designed pre-2023 and hasn’t changed since, it’s time for a refresh.
Your Clients Want to Hear From You
During the session, we talked about how client relationships are often the most underleveraged growth tool in a business. It costs far less to retain and grow existing clients than it does to acquire new ones.
But too many owners wait until something breaks to reach out.
Instead, we challenged participants to:
Build in regular check-ins that are not about sales
Ask clients how their business is evolving this year
Open the door to referrals with clear, values-aligned language
Look for patterns in client feedback that could inform new services or pricing
A business owner shared how powerful it was to reframe referral conversations as a natural extension of trust. When done well, these aren’t awkward asks. They’re a chance for your best clients to bring more aligned people into your orbit.
Your Team Needs Structure, Not Just Encouragement
Uncertainty doesn’t just affect you. It ripples through your team. When people are unsure about their roles, expectations, or priorities, productivity dips and confusion grows.
We talked about how important it is to:
Review and realign your accountability chart
Cross-train people so no one is a single point of failure
Implement short, consistent check-ins
Make team communication part of your operating rhythm
Whether it’s a 5-minute daily call or a quick Slack roundup every Friday, consistency creates calm.
Owners were also encouraged to invest in internal mentorship and low-cost professional development. Growth doesn’t always require a big budget. It requires intentionality.
Spend Where It Counts
We know most owners are watching expenses more closely right now. That’s smart. But cutting randomly can cause more damage than good.
We walked through a simple method for evaluating whether your current spend is aligned with revenue, retention, or productivity. If it doesn’t hit at least one of those, it’s worth questioning.
This included:
Reviewing every recurring subscription or software license
Renegotiating contracts with long-time vendors
Phasing non-essential costs during slow seasons
Planning proactively for growth investments like marketing or hiring
You don’t need to slash your budget. You need to align it.
What’s Next: One Action That Brings Clarity
Every business owner in the room was asked to identify one blind spot and take one action to reduce uncertainty in the next seven days. Not a huge overhaul. Just one move that brings visibility.
That could be:
Running a breakeven report
Reviewing your top-selling services by margin
Setting up a quick dashboard
Checking in with three top clients
Holding your first 10-minute huddle with the team
Clarity is a habit. Not a one-time fix.
Want help figuring out where to focus?
We’re offering a complimentary 30-minute strategy session to help you identify your next move. Whether you’re facing client hesitation, cash flow unpredictability, team burnout, or unclear offers, this conversation will help you narrow in on the area that needs your attention first.
To book your session, email us at hello@athenaac.com or click below
You don’t need to do everything right now. You just need to take one clear next step. Let’s figure out what that is.
