The Talent Behind the Technology ECCO Select is proud to provide people, process and technology solutions to meet our clients’ needs. We are a talent acquisition and advisory consulting company, and the talent behind the technology. As a woman and minority-owned business, we honor those trailblazers who paved the way to allow us opportunities for success. ECCO Select - The Talent Behind the Technology WBE/MBE Certified | 888.567.ECCO | www.eccoselect.com 1601 Iron Street, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64116 Serving clients nationwide since 1995. The Right Talent at the Right Time IT SERVICES TALENT CONSULTING TRAINING JEANETTE HERNANDEZ PRENGER Founder & CEO, ECCO Select Fear means you care. It means you’re playing a big enough game that the stakes matter. SANDI WEBSTER, PhD, is the CEO of Sandi Webster LLC, which helps business owners form advisory boards through an online course, workshops, or a Done-With-You model. A member of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board, she is a former recipient of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award and the co-chair of the New York Young Enterprising Women Mentoring Forum. Contact her at sandi@sandiwebster.com. 5Rapid change — technology, trends, and competition The Fear: “Am I still relevant?” The pace of change — especially with technology and shifting markets — is relentless. They wonder, “Am I still sharp enough? Am I keeping up? Or am I slowly being replaced by newer, faster ideas?” For a business owner who built their company through hard work and intuition, the fear of becoming outdated is real. It’s not just about the business — it’s personal. Why it’s scary: Markets shift fast — AI, automation, new platforms, or disruptive startups can completely change how an industry operates. What worked perfectly yesterday can suddenly be obsolete tomorrow. The fear isn’t just about falling behind — it’s about waking up one morning and realizing the world moved on without you. How to turn it around: ■ Stay curious: Make learning part of your business culture. Take courses, follow industry leaders, and test new ideas early. ■ Innovate small: Don’t wait for a crisis. Run small experiments — pilot new tools, tweak marketing strategies, or test product updates. ■ Listen to customers: Your customers are your early-warning system. Their changing habits tell you where the market is going. ■ Adapt fast: Create a business model flexible enough to pivot — not one built on a single product, platform, or process. Bottom Line: fear never goes away — it evolves Every entrepreneur feels fear — but the best ones don’t let it paralyze them. They turn fear into focus. Every entrepreneur feels fear — but the best ones don’t let it paralyze them. They turn fear into focus. enterprising Women 19
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