The Power of the Pivot- Why Great Leaders Change Course

I had the hotels booked, flights locked in, the team prepped, and the agenda ready to roll. Everything was in motion for three back-to-back events—and then, I got sick.

In this episode, I’m opening up about a hard leadership moment: the decision to postpone events I had poured months of energy into. It was uncomfortable. It was humbling. And it taught me one of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned in 20 years of business:

The plan is just the roadmap—the vision is the destination.
And when the plan no longer aligns, it’s time to pivot.

This episode is your permission slip to pivot without guilt, pause without shame, and protect your energy without apology.

💡 Things I Cover in This Episode:

• The difference between quitting and pivoting with integrity
• How to know when it’s time to shift gears
• A behind-the-scenes look at the hardest call I had to make as a leader
• My 3-question Pivot Framework for navigating change
• The mindset that helped me overcome fear of judgment or letting others down
• What to say when you need to communicate a pivot to your team or clients
• Why pivoting doesn't equal losing momentum—but creating long-term trust

Are you clinging to a plan that no longer feels aligned?
Take a bold step this week: Give yourself permission to pivot.

If you're ready to build a business that gives you the freedom to shift and evolve—without losing traction—I’d love to support you.
👉 Visit www.letsplaybigger.com to learn more about my coaching program and grab some powerful free resources.

And if this episode resonated, screenshot it, share on your IG stories, and tag me @itsraquelq so we can keep the conversation going.

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Thank you for joining me on this episode of The Raquel Show, and remember, keep pushing your limits to achieve your goals.

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Chapters

• 0:08 The Hard Truth About Pivoting
• 1:30 The Event I Had to Cancel
• 1:59 Making the Hardest Call
• 2:28 The Fear Behind Sticking to a Plan
• 2:57 The Entrepreneur’s Identity Crisis
• 3:52 Behind the Scenes: My Framework for Making the Call
• 4:49 How I Handled the Communication
• 5:19 How to Pivot Powerfully
• 6:12 Reflections After the Pivot
• 6:41 The Real Question You Need to Ask Yourself
• 7:10 Let’s Build You a Pivot-Proof Business
• 7:40 Final Encouragement

Transcript

Here's what I've learned in 20 years of running businesses. The plan is just the roadmap. The vision, that's the destination. And if sticking to the plan means compromising the quality that you're going to deliver, draining your energy and misaligning your values, it's time to pivot. Pivoting isn't about quitting. It's about staying in integrity with yourself, with your mission, with your business and with your clients.

Welcome back to The Raquel Show. This show is for entrepreneurs who want to play bigger in business and in life. And this week has been one of those weeks that reminded me of how important it is to give ourselves permission to pivot. 

You see, I had three back to back events, flights were booked, hotels were reserved, activities were planned, team had prepped and for weeks. And I was so excited to pour into our clients at these events. But then I got sick and I had to make one of the hardest calls as a leader. Do I push through and give less than my best or do I postpone and give the experience they truly deserve? 

I chose to pivot and it wasn't easy because this is the first time that I've actually canceled or postpone an event. Some of the people had already made their travel plans, but deep down I knew that this was the right decision, not just for me, but for my clients, for my team and the long-term vision of what we are building. And it got me thinking how often in business and even probably in life. Do we stick to a plan out of fear? Because fear of what people think, fear of maybe even letting some people down and fear of failure. And today's episode is about giving yourself permission to change the course, to pivot with confidence, because sometimes pivoting isn't a setback. It might be the smartest, the boldest move you'll ever make as a leader. 

And let's be honest, most of us have been conditioned to believe that changing our minds means we're flaky, we're indecisive, or we're failing. That's where pivoting can feel so hard, especially as entrepreneurs and high achievers. We wear the follow through like a badge of honor. But here's what I've learned in 20 years of running businesses. The plan is just the roadmap. The vision, that's the destination. And if sticking to the plan means compromising the quality that you're going to deliver, draining your energy and misaligning your values, it's time to pivot.

 Pivoting isn't about quitting. It's about staying in integrity with yourself, with your mission, with your business and with your clients. And let me take you behind the scenes of my decision to postpone these events. I was sick. My energy was low. And I thought about stepping into those rooms. I asked myself, could I absolutely give our clients my best? Can I lead with energy and intention they came for? And the answer was no. Here's a framework I used to guide my decision. One is check alignment. Was this still aligned with my values and standards? I wasn't just going to throw an event just to throw an event. 

Number two is evaluate the impact. Would pushing through create a subpar experience and I believed it would. And three is lead with courage. Is was I willing to make that tough call knowing that some might not understand? I had a look at all the names and I said yes. The truth is some people had flights, some had hotels booked, but I reminded myself that it's not about just this moment. It's about the legacy we're building.

And if you ever find yourself in a season where the plan isn't working, here's how I want you to pivot powerfully. Step one is I want you to give yourself permission. Say it out loud. It is okay, my friends, to change course. My worth isn't tied to sticking to a plan. I know that might be difficult. Number two is I want you to communicate early and honestly. When you know a pivot is coming, don't delay. Communicate with transparency and care. And before I wrote the email, I personally sent text messages, phone calls to everybody that had flights already booked and said, "Hey, we may be pivoting this and postponing this event to next month. Can you change your flight?" Every single one of them said yes. Number three is focus on the long game. Short-term discomfort often leads to long-term trust and success. Remind yourself and your team why you're making the change. Four is recommit to a new plan. Pivoting doesn't mean losing momentum. Although it may feel like that in the moment, it means redirecting energy to create something even better. 

And number four is a personal reflection. Looking back, I know postponing was the right move. It wasn't easy. I felt the weight of people's expectations, but leadership isn't about being popular. It's about making the call that protects the vision. And you know what? The feedback I've gotten since have been overwhelmingly supportive. People respected the honesty and now we're gearing up for even a more powerful experience next month in the Bay Area. 

So here's my question to all of you is where in your business or in your life, you clinging to a plan that really no longer feels aligned? Or maybe it's even a goal. What pivot are you resisting out of fear or have you been resisting out of fear? Remember my friends, you don't have to stick to a plan that no longer serves you. 

The goal isn't to do it perfectly. It's just to stay aligned, to stay present and to stay powerful. If you are ready to build a business that allows you the freedom to pivot without losing momentum, I would love to help you. I want you to visit www.letsplaybigger.com to learn more about our coaching program that we've got coming up in some resources. Thank you all for being here and listening to another quick no-fluff episode. I'm sending you so much love for the week ahead and don't forget to keep taking bold action and keep playing bigger my friends.