If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you already know:
Some things you try work brilliantly.
Others fall flat on their face.
And while most people are quick to pop the champagne after a win...
...or bury their head in the sand after a flop...
...very few stop to ask the one question that actually moves the needle:
“What caused that result?”
Because success and failure don’t happen by accident.
They’re driven by actions, decisions, strategies, and systems.
And if you don’t take the time to find the why, you’ll never be able to repeat the win… or avoid the next crash.
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of helping business owners grow:
- Success leaves clues. Every time something goes well in your business; whether it’s a spike in sales, a killer piece of marketing, or a week where everything just clicks - you’ve just been handed a blueprint.
But most people get so busy chasing the next thing, they don’t stop to document what actually worked.
Repeatable success starts by recognising what created it in the first place.
- Failure is feedback. When something goes wrong, it’s tempting to just label it a bad idea and move on. But there’s always a reason it didn’t work.
Was it the wrong message? The wrong timing? The wrong person in the wrong seat?
Failing isn’t the problem. Refusing to learn from it is.
Smart business owners don’t avoid mistakes—they extract the lesson, adjust fast, and move forward.
Here’s a habit I teach all my clients:
After any result - good or bad - run a quick “post-mortem.” Ask:
- What exactly did we do?
- What happened as a result?
- What would we do differently next time (or exactly the same)?
It’s simple.
It’s fast.
And over time, it sharpens your instincts like nothing else.
Remember:
Success is worth celebrating, but it’s not worth forgetting.
Failure stings, but it’s not the end of the road.
The power is in the pattern. The advantage comes from the understanding.
So next time something goes well (or badly) don’t just react.
Reflect. Learn.
And either double down or course correct.
That’s how momentum is built.
Speak soon,
Jim
P.S. If you’re not already tracking what’s working and what’s not in a structured way, that might be the first system you need to build. It’s boring. But it’s the beginning of real control. Let me know if you want a template, I’ll happily share the one I use.