The case for 'expansion' over 'growth'
Sharing my objectives for 2025
TL;DR - I’m announcing new knitting & mending workshops tomorrow via this newsletter & Instagram.. stay tuned!!
I spent the last two weeks of 2024 reflecting on my shift from tech to circular fashion →
I also spent some time thinking about my goals for 2025. For any business owner, no matter the business size, the obvious goal is usually growth. More sales, more revenue, more profit. And in the tech industry, regular old “growth” alone is not enough. Some common refrains include:
"Growth at all costs"
"Hockey stick growth"
"Growth solves (nearly) all problems"
But defining my business goals for the coming year simply in terms of growth felt too narrow. And I have an inkling that growth, particularly as defined above, doesn’t particularly motivate me. I can feel that I’m motivated by curiosity and learning, but I know these alone are not enough to create a viable business.
Around the turn of the new year I caught up with an old friend, a former teammate from my competitive swimming days (years), who went on to become an Olympic triathlete(!!). Our conversation prompted a lot of self reflection about motivation & work ethic. This past year of transition from working for a company to working for myself has been fulfilling, but with a strong undercurrent of self-doubt: am I really working hard enough to make this happen? I asked myself, what were the periods of my life where I felt most committed to a goal and maintained a high level of discipline to achieve it? What were the conditions & factors that drove me? What are the right goals for Next Season that will build momentum in a way that feels authentic to me?
The answer to the question, “what were the periods of my life where I felt most committed to a goal and maintained a high level of discipline to achieve it” was easy. My high school swim team was one of the best in the country, and was known for an intense training schedule. Jumping into a cold pool at 6:15am every morning (sometimes as early as 4:45am!) and again after school, adding up to ~20 - 30 hours / week of training was a formative experience for me. And despite all of this effort, I wasn’t even one of the top 20 athletes on the team (many graduates of the program went on to accept Division 1 scholarships, and more than one have gone on to compete in the Olympics).
So what motivated me to put in all of that effort? Looking back, I think I cared the most about the success of the team. Even though I knew I would never be the fastest swimmer, my work ethic felt like a commitment to the team, and even more to my teammates (many of whom were my best friends) and my coaches, who I respected and wanted to make proud.
I’ve even started to recognize these themes pop up in my life after swimming. The times I felt most motivated and did my best work were the times where I felt I was contributing to a dynamic team, working with peers and leaders that I respected.
This is the mindset from which I sought to write these 2025 goals. As a small business of one person, how could I architect a collaborative ‘team-like’ environment for Next Season?
Objectives for 2025
In words: my overarching objective in 2025 is to expand Next Season beyond myself.
Objective 1: Expand Next Season production to validate (upcycled) product-based business model
Grow the team, hiring (at least) one part time / contract machine knitter
Bring customers into product design process (gather feedback / input directly from target customers)
Purpose: speed up product design & testing cycle, with the ultimate goal of developing a hero product that customers are really excited about
Objective 2: Partner with like-minded business owners and co-create events for our community, so that they can:
Learn new skills (to increase the value of existing clothes & keep them in circulation longer)
Make new friends & social connections
Support local / small businesses
Purpose: increase brand awareness & engagement & develop stronger relationships with fellow small business owners
Professional Development Objectives outside of Next Season:
Consulting: Expand my portfolio of consultative / freelance work (ideally at the intersection of fashion x tech x climate)
Community: Expand (& deepen) my network of fellow small business owners & circular fashion advocates
As mentioned up top - I’m so excited to launch Next Season events & workshops! Keep an eye on your inbox for more details, coming ASAP :)
