Last Friday, James had a handshake agreement.
Monday morning, the deal was gone.
A six-month contract with their biggest client - 60% of company revenue - vanished because the client ran out of money.
Then Wednesday came.
His business partner said,
“I think I’m done. Can you buy me out?”
By Friday, James was sitting in front of a mic trying to make sense of it all.
This wasn’t the kind of story you plan to tell.
But it’s the kind you have to tell - because this is the real part of building something.
So in this episode of The Disruption Continuum, you’ll hear:
- How it feels when a major contract disappears overnight
- What it takes to lead a team through layoffs with empathy
- How to budget for risk before it hits you
- The systems you need before you scale
- Why having a sales pipeline “next month” is too late
And we're not sugarcoating anything.
You'll hear the fear, the confusion, the self-doubt.
But also, the clarity that comes when the safety net disappears.
Because when everything falls apart, you’re left with only what’s real.
Lessons to Learn For This Week
• Never let one client become your whole business
• Budget like the worst-case scenario is already happening
• Build sales pipelines before you need them
• Layoffs suck—but how you handle them matters more than anything
• The feeling that “this will be okay” might be the most important signal you’ve got
There’s no blueprint for navigating weeks like this.
But there are principles that hold - especially when things break.
Listen to the episode.
Sit with what it brings up.
And if you’re in the middle of your own tough season, remember:
This might not be the end.
It might be the turning point.
What are you working on right now?
Hit "REPLY" and let me know.
James & The Disruption Continuum Team
