Have you ever felt lost in your business journey? Like you’re adrift without a compass or map? You’re not alone. I’ve spent over two decades watching businesses navigate treacherous waters, and I’ve discovered something fascinating – there are distinct patterns to the challenges every business faces, regardless of industry, size, or revenue.
Finding My Sea Legs
Long ago in my business consulting and coaching work in the late 90s, I started noticing these patterns. It began with just three “Seas” – what would eventually become Starting, Stalling, and Soaring. Of course, I didn’t call them “seas” back then – the maritime theme came later.
As I worked with more diverse businesses, it became clear there were additional stages that every organization seemed to navigate through. My husband, always one with a knack for clever naming, suggested the seventh and final Sea – Sailing. He also coined the term “7Seas” for the entire framework, saying with a grin, “after all, you’re a mermaid at heart.”
This framework grew from a simple observation into a comprehensive navigation system for businesses. My philosophy has always been straightforward: if you don’t know where you’re starting from, it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint yourself on a map to navigate to where you want to go. As I often tell my clients, “You can’t find your way home if you can’t locate your North Star, but even then, you need three waypoints to navigate.”
Charting the 7Seas
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Starting Sea: This is where businesses begin their journey. Whether you’re a brand new venture or restarting after significant changes, this sea is characterized by excitement, uncertainty, and foundational decision-making.
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Soaring Sea: Here, businesses experience rapid growth – sometimes too rapid. Revenue climbs, demand increases, and resources often struggle to keep pace. It’s exhilarating but can be dangerously unstable.
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Stalling Sea: Growth plateaus, motivation may wane, and what once worked no longer produces results. Businesses can drift in these doldrums for years if they don’t recognize their situation.
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Sinking Sea: This challenging sea is marked by negative growth, financial strain, and operational difficulties. Without intervention, businesses here risk going under completely.
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Shifting Sea: Organizations navigate significant transformation – whether pivoting to new markets, restructuring operations, or adapting to major industry changes.
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Sailing Sea: The destination many aspire to reach, where businesses operate smoothly with sustainable success. Don’t mistake this for perfect calm – waves still come, but your vessel is equipped to handle them.
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Selling Sea: The final voyage, where owners prepare to transition out through sale, succession, or other exit strategies.
The Map Many Miss
Recently, I worked with a home services firm whose owner was convinced they were Soaring (which isn’t always a great place to be, as we’ll explore in future articles). Their revenue was climbing, they were hiring rapidly, and everything seemed pointed toward success.
But when we applied the 7Seas assessment, the data told a different story. They were actually in the Stalling sea, with declining profit margins, increasing customer complaints, and operational inefficiencies masked by top-line growth. By identifying their true position, we could chart an appropriate course rather than continuing strategies that would have eventually capsized them.
This illustrates what makes the 7Seas framework different from other business stage models. Many approaches focus narrowly on business age, revenue, or growth rates. The 7Seas framework takes a more holistic view, examining financial metrics alongside operational efficiency, team engagement, customer satisfaction, and owner mindset. We aren’t fixing everything at once, but we are fixing the right things right now.
Your Aha Moment Awaits
What often surprises them is that the 7Seas approach isn’t just about spreadsheets and strategies. It’s a blend of organizational tactics, financial adjustments, and emotional intelligence. Both the business and its owners get “7Sea’d” – because you can’t transform an organization without also growing its leadership.
The Tides of Transition
What I can tell you is that between each sea lie what I call the “Ps” – critical growth catalysts like Purpose, Perception, Process, and Profit – that must be navigated to successfully transition. We’ll explore these “Ps” in detail throughout this series.
Another insight that often comes too late: businesses tend to hang on to things – processes, people, clients, habits – much longer than they should because it’s comfortable. Even more surprising to many owners is that you don’t always stay in a sea permanently, no matter how much you want to. My experience shows that, other than Selling, businesses typically have a 24-month life cycle in any sea if they aren’t intentional about their navigation.
Where Are Your Coordinates?
Rising Tides
When you understand exactly where your business is positioned, you can work with the natural forces of business evolution rather than against them. You can anticipate challenges before they arrive and prepare your vessel accordingly.
Most importantly, you can take comfort in knowing you’re not the first to navigate these waters. Others have charted the course before you, and with the right map, you too can find your way to calmer, more prosperous seas.
In the next article in this series, we’ll dive deeper into the Starting Sea – exploring how to build a seaworthy vessel from the beginning and establish the navigation tools you’ll need for your entire journey.
Until then, I invite you to reflect on which sea feels most familiar to your current situation. When you identify your starting point, you’ve already begun the journey toward your destination.
