When the Right Move Doesn’t Work: How to Handle Setbacks in Business Without Losing Momentum

When the Right Move Doesn’t Work: How to Handle Setbacks in Business Without Losing Momentum

You did the right thing.
You hired support.
You invested in a strategy.
You made a move your business absolutely needed.

And… it didn’t work.

The hire flopped.
Sales didn’t roll in.
Your team didn’t magically run smoother overnight.

Sound familiar?

If you’re a small business owner, this moment—where things don’t go according to plan—is almost inevitable. And if you’re anything like my clients (or like me back in the early years), you start asking yourself the hard questions:

Did I mess up?
Was this a mistake?
Should I have just kept doing it myself?
Why does this always happen to me?   

Before we go there, let’s pause.
Because this isn’t failure.
This is a setback—and how you respond to it determines everything.

The Hard Truth About Small Business Setbacks

Here’s what no one tells you:
The moment right after you make a big, bold move in your business is often when things feel the most difficult.

You take the leap—finally outsource that draining task, invest in a coach, restructure your team—and instead of things getting instantly easier… they get more uncomfortable. You feel resistance.

Things might even get messier for a bit.

It feels like the universe is pushing back. Like everything is harder than it should be. Like maybe you should just go back to the way things were—chaotic but familiar.

But that pressure? That friction? That tension?

It’s not punishment.
It’s not failure.
It’s part of the process.

Resistance Is Not a Sign to Stop

One of the biggest mindset shifts I had to make as a business owner (and one I teach my clients all the time) is this:

Resistance is not a red flag. It’s a growth signal.

Think about this like a rubber band

You pull back before you launch forward.
You feel the tension before you gain momentum.
You slow down before you accelerate.

That tension you’re feeling right now? It’s energy. It’s momentum waiting to be released. It’s your business stretching to accommodate new systems, new people, and new ways of operating.

It’s uncomfortable—yes.
But it’s necessary.

When My “Right Move” Backfired

I remember the moment clearly: 2018.

I hired a new team member with glowing references and a higher hourly rate than I was slightly uncomfortable with. I thought: This is what the business needs. If I invest in support, we’ll bounce back faster.

Except… it didn’t go that way.

They weren’t the right fit.
The workload didn’t get lighter—it got more stressful.
And I was now spending more money, not less time.

I felt defeated. Frustrated. And honestly? Embarrassed.

But here’s what I know now that I didn’t know then:

That moment didn’t mean I made the wrong call—it meant I needed to recalibrate.
It wasn’t about quitting. It was about learning.
That hire taught me more about what I needed in my next team member than any win could have.

That experience also forced me to finally look at the back end of my business—something I’d avoided for years while riding the wave of strong sales.

That moment was the pullback.
The rubber band moment.
The thing that launched me forward, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time.

Setbacks Aren’t a Detour—They’re the Way

If you’ve just made a move that didn’t work out as planned—please hear this:

It doesn’t mean you failed.
It means you’re in the middle of something.

Growth isn’t linear.
It’s not a staircase—it’s a spiral.  A rollercoaster.
And every loop teaches you something new: how to hire better, build smarter systems, protect your energy, and trust yourself more deeply.

If we only ever grew through wins, none of us would be resilient enough to lead.

And being a small business CEO? That’s what you are.
And resilience is one of your most valuable assets.

So What Do You Do When the Plan Fails?

Here’s the mindset I want you to carry with you the next time something doesn’t go as expected:

1. Pause, don’t panic.
Take a breath. Your brain is wired to treat setbacks like danger. Override that instinct by grounding yourself. Reflect before reacting.

2. Ask better questions.
Instead of “Why did this happen to me?” try “What is this teaching me?”
Instead of “What went wrong?” try “What can I adjust for next time?”

3. Own the lesson.
Every misstep is information. Track what didn’t work, not to dwell on it—but to build better foundations moving forward.

4. Reconnect to your vision.
Temporary discomfort is easier to bear when you know where you’re going. Your big-picture goals help you zoom out and stay steady.

5. Keep moving.
Don’t stop. Don’t pull back into safety. Your business needs your leadership now more than ever. Even one small step forward is progress.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Failing. You’re Becoming.

If you’re in the messy middle right now—working harder than ever and wondering why it’s not clicking—I see you.

If the strategy didn’t bring the results you hoped for…
If the hire didn’t lighten your load…
If the systems didn’t work like magic right away…

That doesn’t mean you made the wrong move.
It means you’re learning.
It means you’re growing.
It means you’re in the middle of the real work—building a business that doesn’t just look good on the outside, but actually supports your life on the inside.

Lean in.
Recalibrate.
And then?
Sling forward with more momentum than ever before.

Want help navigating setbacks like a CEO?
Join my free 5-Day Time Freedom Challenge and start building a business that runs without you being stuck in the weeds. You’ll learn practical, mindset-shifting strategies to take back your time—one step at a time.