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SCOTT DOW: 

"A sailboat can't sail directly into the wind, but sometimes that's where it's got to go. And business is the same way, because every business faces headwinds.

In sailing, change is necessary, and it's called 'tacking'. When sailing against the wind, you have to avoid what's called the 'no sale zone'. That's when the sales go flat and there's no wind to propel you forward. The only wind is in your face. So what do you do? You have to tack left and right, so you can set your sails to catch some crosswinds. You can't fight a headwind, but you can turn it into a crosswind and keep moving forward.

You ride that crosswind as long as you can before you tack the opposite way so you don't get too far off course. When you're sailing upwind, you've got to zig-zag your way forward.

You're constantly changing course. You can't take a direct line, and business is the same way. You keep changing course, but you're headed in the same direction.

Tacking is a technical skill in sailing and in business too. Because if you don't change, you're going to hit the business equivalent of a no-sail zone.

You've got to think like a sailboat captain. You're going to face headwinds as much as you enjoy tailwinds, and change is the only way forward. If you don't tack and keep tacking, you're going to hit the no-sail zone, and you're going to be dead in the water."

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