Summer has a way of pulling back the curtain on our businesses, including where we’re proactive vs reactive.
The pace slows just enough to reveal where things feel solid — and where they’re held together with duct tape and hope. It’s why I often recommend this season as the perfect time to reflect. Not a full reinvention. Just a pause. A moment to ask:
Where am I leading with intention — and where am I just reacting?
I had a front-row seat to this exact dynamic earlier this week.
I was on a Zoom call leading a planning meeting for one of my client’s upcoming events. These are multi-person teams, and I’m brought in to keep things running smoothly and make sure everyone’s rowing in the same direction.
We went through the agenda item by item.
One team member had clearly prepared. She offered clear updates, had already anticipated the follow-up questions, and even shared a few backup options if we needed to shift direction. She was confident, composed, and easy to trust. She was proactive.
Another team member had partial answers and mostly responded when asked. “I’ll have to check that,” became a common phrase. She wasn’t combative or disengaged — just reactive. She hadn’t taken ownership of the work between meetings. And while everyone was polite, the difference in energy was palpable.
That’s the thing about being proactive:
- It builds credibility.
- It changes how others see you.
- And perhaps most importantly — it changes how you feel about yourself and your work.
On the flip side, being reactive chips away at momentum. It creates friction, confusion, and missed opportunities — even if your heart’s in the right place.
This same dynamic plays out in almost every small business I’ve ever supported.
Proactive businesses communicate clearly, attract the right clients, and create systems that make their growth sustainable.
Reactive businesses are constantly trying to catch up. They’re working hard… but everything feels harder than it should.
And here’s what’s important:
- This isn’t a personality flaw.
- It’s not a sign that you’re not cut out for this.
Most business owners are reactive not because they’re disorganized, but because they’re overextended and overwhelmed — stuck in the day-to-day without the space or systems to rise above it.
So if things have felt more reactive than you’d like lately, I invite you to use this summer moment as your reset point.
Ask yourself:
- Where do I consistently feel behind?
- Where do I rely on last-minute scrambles to get through?
- And where could I give myself just a bit more breathing room?
Then try this:
Choose one area — maybe client follow-up, email marketing, or your onboarding process — and spend 15 focused minutes to move one step ahead. Just one.
You’ll feel the shift almost immediately.
The more proactive you become, the more confidently you’ll run your business — and the more trust you’ll naturally build with clients, collaborators, and most importantly… yourself.