How 'The One Thing' Is Guiding My Business Strategy

There’s a book called The One Thing by Gary Keller. I’ve heard multiple successful entrepreneurs mention it as a recommended read. Ty Haney is the Founder of Outdoor Voices, an activewear brand. After bringing on her first venture capitalist, the lead investor handed her The One Thing and told her to incorporate the takeaways from that book into her strategy. She pointed to that shift in focus as a gamechanger for Outdoor Voices. 

 

Much like it sounds, the premise of the book is to focus on the one thing that is going to move the needle. 

Don’t fall prey to shiny object syndrome and start working on something else that seems cool at the moment. 

Don’t get distracted by what other people are doing. 

 

Don’t try to do everything. 

 

Instead, identify the one thing that’s most critical to your business's success and do everything within your power to achieve that objective. 

 

When thinking about the one thing in my business that would make everything else easier, the answer was blindingly obvious.

 

Currently, my one thing is finalizing the mini muffin formula. I have to nail that down before anything else can advance. Knowing that, it's clear what needs to be prioritized.

 

The food scientist I’m working with has a lot of experience in the industry. She has connections with seemingly everyone in all aspects of the business. It’s her superpower. She believed she could provide value in many areas as I prepared for launch. 

 

That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to work with her. But trying to work on all the to-dos that need to happen in the next few weeks can be a distraction from the one thing that must get done first. 

 

Even though I still need to solidify a packaging provider, order packaging, and ramp up sales and marketing initiatives, none of that can happen until we have the final formula. 

 

Hence, the one thing. 

 

Every day, my biggest priority is whatever I can do that day to help us get closer to the final formula. 

 

We’re 90% there. 

 

Yet, it's the final 10% that's always the most challenging.