Business, like life (and blackjack), has its up and downs. You can have your best month ever, followed closely by your worst month ever. So how do you stay on an even keel? How do you ensure that you are progressing both when things are going well and when things are challenging? You need to keep the momentum going. What I mean by this is that you need to continue to do the right things. When a colleague of mine was struggling with his business, he kept on doing the right things – focusing on customer service, providing tremendous value to his clients, speaking at industry events, putting out valuable content, etc. and eventually things turned around for him. He did not let the frustration affect his performance. When you work smartly, and give yourself the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time, you will be successful.

This also goes for when things are going well. The business of another colleague of mine was having its best year ever, but instead of riding that success until it ran out, he decided to push the envelope and take the business to the next level. He tried news ways to engage his customers, he reached out to a new target market and he brought on news products to offer. All of this led to even more success.

Business is like blackjack – if you are not doing well, keep playing the game intelligently and you will eventually be successful (and know when to walk away). If you are having success, push your bets. Try something new. The key to success in business is to determine what the right things are and continue to do them, then continue to push it to the next level when you become successful.

Being a solo practitioner, or a lone wolf, it sometimes gets lonely. No one to discuss business ideas with, no one to help make important decisions and no one to give you advice when you are off track. That is why it is so important to surround myself with a good support network. I am fortunate enough to have friends and family who are there to help and offer advice when needed. I am also fortunate to be a part of a global community of consultants who, like me, run their own practices. I have a forum to test out new ideas and strategies. How else can one be successful?

You cannot make business decisions in a vacuum and it is impossible to know all angles of an issue or solution without outside help. Some of the loneliest colleagues I meet are Presidents and CEOs because they have a great deal of responsibility and ultimately the final decision-making power.

Life is better when you have a support system, regardless of your job or your pastimes. We need to spend more time developing personal relationships and spend less time making faceless connections through technology. Those personal relationships are rewarding and beneficial, so why not spend more time cultivating them?