If you could create your own fantasy board of directors, who would be on it? CO— connects you with thought leaders from across the business spectrum and asks them to help solve your biggest business challenges. In this edition, we ask a business coach and psychotherapist to discuss resilience.
In this edition of “Ask the Board,” we feature Diana Zelvin, business coach and psychotherapist. Diana is passionate about empowering individuals to be unstoppable so they can create and manifest their vision of success.
Utilizing decades of expertise, she helps leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, or those at a professional juncture take their business to a new level of success or launch a new venture or professional path. Her clients transform their mindset, their business, and their life.
Below, she shares her insights on a resilient mindset and how it can help you meet (or even exceed) your business goals:
There is no sugarcoating it, we are in uncertain and unstable economic times. Fear and anxiety are running high among all business owners. Many are asking: How will my business survive this time? How can I possibly thrive in it? With the right mindset, you can lead with clarity and confidence, rise above the noise, and keep your businesses growing, even when the world feels unpredictable. Here are five powerful strategies for building a resilient and growth mindset:
1. Address your imposter syndrome
An estimated 84% of entrepreneurs experience imposter syndrome, which is the belief that you’re not experienced enough, qualified enough or capable enough, despite evidence of your skills and accomplishments.
During difficult times, doubts intensify, undermining confidence; you question your value, undercharge, second-guess decisions, and retreat from innovation and opportunity. These feelings can sabotage marketing, stall momentum, and keep you playing small when boldness, visibility, and creativity are most needed.
To build your confidence, build a master list of your accomplishments, wins from your past to the present, and highlight your strengths, skills, and experience that helped you get there. Regularly review and update this list to remind yourself of your capability, expertise, and talents. Also, shift from “I’m not good enough” to “I have value to offer.” Go from “I can’t handle this” to "I can do hard things.” Write your new affirmations on post-its or your phone screen. Seeing them daily helps rewire your brain for confidence.
2. Improve your relationship with money
Your money mindset influences how confidently you price your services, pursue opportunities, and handle financial pressure. Many business owners unknowingly operate with inherited beliefs about money, scarcity-based ideas passed down through family or culture that shape how we think, feel, and act around earning, saving, and charging. These unexamined messages can subconsciously sabotage your business, even in the best of times.
To strengthen your money mindset, identify and reframe your limiting beliefs about money and focus on what you do have rather than what you don’t. Start a daily gratitude journal: Write down three things you're grateful for and three things you accomplished the day before. Another good tip is to reevaluate your pricing and determine if you can raise your prices based on the value you bring.
To strengthen your money mindset, identify and reframe your limiting beliefs about money and focus on what you do have rather than what you don’t.Diana Zelvin, business coach and psychotherapist
3. Prioritize relationships
The most powerful asset you have in business is your relationships. Relationships open doors, offer critical support, and generate referrals, collaborations, and insight you need to keep your business thriving. People always want to help and work with those they know, like, and trust. To tap into the power of relationships, reach out to people you already know—past clients, colleagues, friends, mentors, and collaborators. These folks already trust you and may be happy to refer to you, support you, or reconnect.
Also, approach every relationship with generosity. Ask how you can help, make introductions, share useful resources, or offer support. Being known as a connector and a resource builds trust, reciprocity, and goodwill, which often comes back to you in the form of referrals, partnerships, and opportunities. Commit to reaching out to at least three to five people per week.
4. Develop peak performance habits
Taking care of your mind and body is essential for business success. In uncertain times, your emotional and physical well-being directly impact your ability to think clearly, make sound decisions, and lead effectively. You can’t operate at your best from a dysregulated state due to stress and fear. That’s why it’s critical to treat your well-being as a core business asset. While you can’t control external stressors, you can control how you respond to them.
The most successful entrepreneurs rely on daily habits that support their mental and physical health, boosting energy, clarity, productivity, and creative problem-solving. To support your mind and body, get restorative quality sleep, eat nourishing foods, and stay hydrated. Don’t forget to move your body every day and incorporate calming practices such as meditation, breathwork, or journaling to regulate your nervous system, calm anxiety, and stay grounded.
5. Focus on the big picture
Many business owners fall into the trap of constantly putting out fires or focusing only on day-to-day operations, which burns you out and keeps you small. For a business to thrive, you need to look beyond the daily fires and short-term wins and employ big-picture thinking, where you strategically focus on your broader vision, goals, and the long-term sustainability of your business.
Big-picture thinking is the ability to step out of the day-to-day business and ask yourself: Where are we headed? Why are we doing this? What are we building?
In times of economic uncertainty, big-picture thinking keeps you from making reactive decisions driven by fear. It helps you stay connected to your mission, anticipate changes, and lead with purpose.
To cultivate big-picture thinking, block out a weekly "CEO hour" to step away from client work, operations, and day-to-day tasks. Use this time to review progress, evaluate opportunities, and think about what's next. Ask yourself questions like: What needs to shift to grow sustainably? What’s working and what’s not working?
While it's important to track short-term results, it’s a good idea to think in terms of three phases: immediate needs, next-phase goals (six to 12 months), and long-term vision (three to five years). This layered view allows you to make choices that serve both stability now and growth later.
CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.
